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Dodgers Interested In Dotel

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According to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, the Dodgers are currently the top suitor for 33 year-old reliever Octavio Dotel.  Dutton reports that Royals GM Dayton Moore is said to be asking for a position player regular, like James Loney or Matt Kemp.  Lest you think Dutton is off his rocker, consider that Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News says the same thing.  Jackson even mentions Russell Martin.

I have to begin by questioning the Dodgers’ need for Dotel – he would be their third-best reliever.  I don’t know why he would jump ahead of Jonathan Broxton on the depth chart.  Broxton has become one of the game’s best relievers, and he’s posted zeroes in his last eight appearances.

But beyond that, the asking price is silly.  Maybe the White Sox were offered a player like Kemp for Mark Buehrle – maybe.  Dotel isn’t nearly as valuable.  I applaud Moore for trying, but he’s really asking for the moon right now.  Dotel might be worth a Delwyn Young, maybe a Blake DeWitt, not that the Royals need those guys.  A pitcher such as Hong-Chih Kuo seems about the high end of what Moore could reasonably get, in my opinion.

The Indians and Rockies have also been said to have interest in Dotel, who is making $5MM plus incentives this year.  He’s also got a $5.5MM option for ’08, which he probably won’t exercise if he stays healthy and effective in 2007.  Additionally, John Perrotto mentioned in his Sunday column that the Tigers have been scouting Dotel.

Teixeira Trade Talk Continues

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A host of clubs are currently in on Texas first baseman Mark Teixeira, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

We’ve heard the most about the Dodgers and Angels competing to acquire him.  However, as Buster Olney notes, both clubs have promising young cheap first basemen.  Though Teixeira has the track record, is he significantly better than James Loney or Casey Kotchman?  Grant says the Dodgers have been scouting the Rangers and could go for one of their relievers as well.  Meanwhile, the Rangers are scouting the Angels.

Grant says additional contenders like Teixeira: the Braves, Red Sox, and Yankees.  Kevin Youkilis has been Boston’s first baseman this year.  However, they could shift him back to third base and trade impending free agent Mike Lowell for something useful.  The Braves and Yankees definitely have room at first base for Tex. 

In the Braves’ case, though, there would truly be nowhere for Jarrod Saltalamacchia to play if he wasn’t included in the deal.  The Braves are in an odd place, with two excellent young starting catchers on the roster.  Atlanta’s strongest need right now is starting pitching, however.  The Baseball Opinion connects the dots and finds a Javier Vazquez acquisition possible.    

Grant believes noncontenders such as the Orioles and Giants could be interested in Teixeira as well.  The Giants could use some star power if they cut ties with Barry Bonds after the season.  Brian Sabean now has the job security to think about the post-Bonds Giants.  The Orioles would be bringing in their hometown boy and could make a corresponding trade of Miguel Tejada.

Buehrle Cleans Out Locker

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And in other news, I tidied up my desk today.  Mark Buehrle’s housecleaning, however, is just barely newsworthy.  It could be a sign that a deal is impending, or it could just be plain old cleaning.  I can speak from experience: I only cleaned out my high school locker when school was out for summer.  And I found an old sandwich.  Just saying.

Ken Rosenthal mentioned today that various execs still expect Buehrle to be traded.  The Dodgers, Mets, and Mariners seem to be the top contenders. 

Buehrle, for his part, is as sick of the constant rumors as you are.  He’s planning on testing free agency if he doesn’t stay with Chicago.

UPDATE: Jayson Stark is reporting that Williams is asking for three players for Buehrle, two of which must be premium prospects.  Ultimately I think KW will settle for just one top prospect.  Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times would begrudgingly surrender center fielder Adam Jones.

Stark adds that the Red Sox are back in the Buehrle sweepstakes, trying to push Julio Lugo on the White Sox as part of the deal. 

Buehrle Extension Lives

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UPDATE: Kenny Williams spoke to the press tonight; the White Sox have offered Buehrle no-trade protection except for an 18-month span.  It seems likely that the two sides reach an agreement.

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times believes tonight could be Mark Buehrle’s last start as a member of the White Sox.  His teammates have been collecting memorabilia, and extra support is expected tonight at U.S. Cellular.  Hard to believe that this thing died over a no-trade clause.  Perhaps Buehrle wanted a full and the Sox would only give a partial.  But how can they justify passing on a well below-market commitment of 4/54?  The Sox are definitely built to win in 2008.  Everyone Buster Olney talked to is stunned as well.

Dylan Hernandez and Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times reported this morning on discussions between the Dodgers and White Sox about Buehrle.  The Sox want outfielder Matt Kemp in a trade.  They may even be asking for more, perhaps Chad Billingsley or Jonathan Broxton.  We know that Kenny Williams’ starting point was each team’s two best prospects.  If the clubs ultimately settle on Kemp for Buehrle straight up – something the Dodgers hope to avoid – Williams will have done well.  He needs an outfielder he can build around.  The L.A. Daily News, however, says no deal is close and the Dodgers haven’t even talked to the White Sox since before extension negotiations died.

Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune believes the Mets, Braves, Red Sox, Brewers, and Dodgers will all now increase their interest in Buehrle.  And Lance Berkman of the Astros is now campaigning for him too.  Cowley mentions in his article that the Mets’ interest is now heating up.  And if you’re wondering what the Mariners might be able to offer, check out Dave Cameron’s take.

One long shot possibility: this is all just a noise by the White Sox and they’ll make an extension announcement before Buehrle takes the mound.  That’s the scenario Sox fans are hoping for at this point.

Contreras Actually Lacks No-Trade Clause

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The White Sox informed the Chicago Sun-Times today that Jose Contreras’s no-trade clause actually ran out in November of 2006.  So much for Contreras waiving anything.  Joe Cowley says the Mets, Braves, and Dodgers are all interested. 

I wouldn’t be shocked to see Kenny Williams deal Buehrle and another starter.  He could trade Buehrle for a top position player prospect, and then swap Contreras or Javier Vazquez for a younger starter.  It will be tough for KW to sit back and close up shop on starters after making a Buehrle trade.  A Buehrle trade may only increase the desperation of the remaining clubs.  Williams might still have the best available starter in his stable, if the competition is Matt Morris and Jason Jennings. 

Latest On Mark Buehrle

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It’s all Mark Buehrle, all the time here at MLBTradeRumors.  The latest:

  • Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times says a lot of the recent confusion stems from semantics.  Sure, Buehrle’s agent and Kenny Williams haven’t spoken.  However, intermediaries from both sides have been in contact about a four-year contract extension.  It appears that if the White Sox leave Florida tonight without a deal in place, Williams will move forward and trade Buehrle.  Cowley says the Mets, Braves, and Dodgers would all be in contention for him.  However, I would not be shocked if talks were to extend into the weekend. 
  • On the other hand, Buehrle’s agent Jeff Berry was very clear yesterday afternoon: "There are no ongoing discussions.  I don’t know what else to say other than there are no ongoing discussions. Maybe the White Sox are trying to gain the interest of other teams."
  • The reports of Buehrle signing a 4/50 contract were definitely premature.  But Buehrle does prefer Chicago over even St. Louis and Ozzie Guillen thinks he’ll stay.
  • Scot Gregor could see an agreement happening today.
  • Barry Rozner seems to indicate that Jerry Reinsdorf has approved four years, and that a sign and trade could be an option.
  • An official with a team looking to acquire Buehrle was told he’s off the market.  The extension should be in the $50-60MM range.
  • Yahoo’s Tim Brown says Kenny Williams asked for Mike Pelfrey from the Mets and Jon Lester from the Red Sox for Buehrle.

Mailbag: Nomar To Third Base

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Feel free to hit up the MLBTR mailbag at mlbtraderumors@gmail.com.

Today, Peter C. writes:

Grady Little has finally snapped and decided to put Nomar at third and James Loney at first base. What do you think the overall repercussions of this move will be?

  • Nomar’s injury likelihood increases drastically.
  • The switch does not spark Nomar’s bat.
  • With the offensive decline, an $8.5MM salary for 2008, and a lengthy injury history, Nomar is untradeable except in a salary-for-salary type swap.  How about some kind of convoluted trade for Pat Burrell? 
  • Should he stay, Nomar’s presence will be an inconvenience, but he won’t eat up too much playing time because of injuries.
  • Loney fails to provide the power the Dodgers are looking for over the next several weeks. He may eventually become Mark Grace, but could disappoint in the short term. 
  • Ned Colletti gives up on Loney and uses him in a deadline deal for Mark Teixeira.  I can’t decide who else would go to Texas in this imagined deal.  Jonathan Meloan?  He’s a reliever, though an impressive one.  I can’t see even Colletti trading big-time pitching prospects like Clayton Kershaw or Chad Billingsley.
  • Kind of funny that as I was just finishing up this post, a reader passed along this rumor from Evan Grant.  Grant’s trade proposals don’t deviate too far from my Loney/Meloan package.  He actually suggests the Rangers package Eric Gagne with Teixeira in an attempt to pry away Kershaw.

Latest Mark Buehrle Trade Rumors

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Mark Buehrle is a popular man right now, and I’ve decided to cover today’s trade rumors in a bullet point format.

  • Barry Rozner of the Daily Herald thinks the Dodgers would be a fine fit for Buehrle, given the loss of Jason Schmidt and their bevy of top prospects.  Given that ten teams are looking at Buehrle and we’ve only confirmed five, talks may already be occurring between Ned Colletti and Kenny Williams.
  • Ozzie Guillen tries to defend against detractors: "A lot of people say, ’Oh, they quit. Oh, they should make an offer to Buehrle.’ They did, I think."  The Daily Southtown notes that the offer was a meager three years, $30MM.  The Sox made that offer at the height of Buehrle’s ineffectiveness.
  • The New York Post says the Mets will only trade for Buehrle if they get a 72-hour window to sign him.  Rosenthal said on Friday that that’s not happening.  The Mets’ urgency to acquire a starter is related to how Pedro Martinez looks in coming weeks.
  • Ken Davidoff of Newsday says that while the Mets and Yankees are confirmed among the ten interested clubs, neither plans to offer "serious prospects" for Buehrle.  That seems to mean that Lastings Milledge, Philip Humber, Mike Pelfrey, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes are out.  Davidoff shows that Omar Minaya and Kenny Williams have clearly been talking, and confirms Omar’s interest in Jose Contreras.   
  • Joel Sherman thinks the Mets are in on Buehrle for two reasons: in case the price surprisingly plummets, and to raise the price for Atlanta.
  • Adam Rubin says all veteran Sox pitchers are available – except Jon Garland.
  • You may have noticed that Kenny Williams recently issued a nondenial of the Buehrle-to-Boston rumor, saying "Not today."  The Red Sox weren’t amused by that, and a deal is not close.  The Boston Globe agrees, adding that Boston won’t part with Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury.  Nonetheless, Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post thinks the Red Sox are the favorite for Buehrle, and they’d sign him to a contract extension.
  • Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports on chatter that the Cardinals have offered Anthony Reyes, John Rodriguez, and one prospect for Buehrle.  Burwell would make the deal, even if that prospect is Bryan Anderson.
  • GM Doug Melvin in response to Ken Rosenthal’s Buehrle-to-Brewers rumor: "This is the month for Internet rumors."  Damn straight, Doug.  Actually, July and December are the big ones.  Melvin says he hasn’t talked to Kenny Williams, in reality.  Maybe Melvin wouldn’t part with Yovani Gallardo or Ryan Braun for Buehrle, but another prospect has emerged in Manny Parra.  Parra tossed a perfect game in Triple A last night.

Rosenthal’s Latest – Buehrle To Brewers?

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Ken Rosenthal has a new article, and as usual he’s broken several brand new trade rumors.  A brief summary:

  • Here’s a good one: the Brewers have "kicked the tires" on Mark Buehrle.  You can never have too much pitching, I guess.  It’s a long shot that Doug Melvin could pull it off without involving Yovani Gallardo or Ryan Braun, and he won’t trade those two.  Without either player, the Brewers would pretty much be offering quantity over quality in terms of prospects. My own speculation: Corey Hart might intrigue Kenny Williams, but he’d be hard to part with.
  • Rosenthal estimates ten teams are looking at Buehrle.  He names the Mets, Braves, Mariners, and Cardinals.  Add the Brewers and we’re still five short.  The five Rosenthal doesn’t mention could include the Red Sox, Yankees, Marlins, Rockies, Dodgers, and Phillies.  Just guessing on the last five.
  • The Blue Jays have changed their tune on Troy Glaus – they’ll now listen to offers for him.  It is believed Glaus might waive his no-trade clause to play close to home for the Padres, Angels, or Dodgers.  Glaus is owed about $5.9MM more this year and $12.75MM in 2008.  He also negotiated an $11.25MM player option for ’09 when he was traded to Toronto.  Perhaps to agree to a trade he’d want his deal extended through ’09 for $13MM or so.  Rosenthal says the package for Glaus would likely involve a young third baseman, like Chase Headley, Brandon Wood, or Andy LaRoche.  Such a deal would be hard to ignore for J.P. Ricciardi.  Of the three teams mentioned, Ricciardi has only previously dealt with Bill Stoneman (on the Brad Fullmer trade).
  • Rosenthal says the Cubs are not involved in a trade for Ken Griffey Jr.  The ownership change will prohibit them from taking on his contract.  Rosenthal also mentions that the Cubs are having difficulties finding a taker for Jacque Jones.
  • The Angels still like Adam Dunn, though I still don’t see how he fits into their roster.
  • The prospect going to the Tigers for Mike Maroth won’t be anything special; the point was to unload his $3MM salary. 

Mark Teixeira Trade Rumors

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Kat O’Brien of Newsday has the latest Mark Teixeira trade rumors for our perusal.  According to O’Brien, the Yankees, Dodgers, Orioles, Angels, and Braves as said to be interested in the first baseman.

We’ve seen the Angels connected to Teixeira plenty of times, and I still don’t get it.  Why would the Angels move Casey Kotchman, by all accounts a fine fielder, off first base?  The rumors persist, but this does not seem like a fit for the Halos.  They need a third baseman.

With the Yanks, I imagine the stumbling block remains finding a package good enough for Jon Daniels without including Phil Hughes.  I see this as a long shot, mainly because the Red Sox are not rumored to be after Teixeira.  And I just demonstrated why I don’t think the Angels will legitimately chase him.  So the Yankees wouldn’t be in competition with an AL contender for Teixeira (unless the Tigers get involved).  There is no pressing need to give up the farm, even the non-Hughes part of the farm.

The Braves are a dark horse; I think the Dodgers and Orioles will go head to head for Teixeira.  O’Brien mentions that at least eight or nine teams have expressed at least casual interest, so there are a few unknowns here.  If I had to guess, I’d say Teixeira becomes a Dodger or else stays put this summer.

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