Brewers Rumors

Failed Deadline Blockbusters

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 31, 2009 at 6:29pm CDT

Today was hectic, but imagine how much wilder it would have been if these two deals had gone through:

Via Twitter, Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Padres almost dealt Heath Bell and Adrian Gonzalez to the Dodgers for James Loney, Russell Martin, Blake DeWitt, James McDonald and Ivan Dejesus. Wow.
Danny Knobler of CBS Sports confirms that the division rivals considered a blockbuster deal involving those players.
Knobler also says the Rangers and Angels both pursued Heath Bell aggressively this afternoon. The Angels and Padres were discussing Jose Arredondo, Sean O'Sullivan and Sean Rodriguez.
Brewers GM Doug Melvin says his team was involved in a "big one that didn't happen," according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Crew also had interest in Jarrod Washburn and Brian Bannister.
Melvin says everyone asked the Brewers for Mat Gamel and Alcides Escobar. Since the Brewers didn't want to deal either prospect and don't have the young pitching to offer rival teams, they had limited options.

Deadline Roundup: Mets, Washburn, Nats, Rays

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 31, 2009 at 4:53pm CDT

Two Cy Young Award winners were traded this deadline and neither one of them was Roy Halladay. It's been a wild few days. Here's a recap of the action and here are some more details and reactions:

Omar Minaya told Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post that the Mets couldn't find a trade partner because of what other teams were asking for.
MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo says Aaron Thompson is a pretty good return for Nick Johnson. it sure beats losing him for nothing after the season.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mariners told the Yankees they had to give up an Austin Jackson-type player for Jarrod Washburn, who was dealt to Detroit.
The Brewers were told they'd have to surrender Manny Parra, Alcides Escobar or Mat Gamel for Washburn, Sherman reports.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that Washburn is open to returning to the Mariners in the offseason, when he hits free agency.
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski tells MLB.com's Jason Beck that the Tigers were "not close at all" to completing any other moves.
Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times says the Rays will look for help on the waiver wire in August.
Any bobblehead collectors? Tomorrow night is still Victor Martinez bobblehead night in Cleveland, according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.
The Phillies, Cardinals, Red Sox and Tigers are Jon Heyman of SI.com's deadline winners. His losers? The Nats and Royals.

Bannister, Bloomquist, Teahen Drawing Interest

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 31, 2009 at 1:47pm CDT

1:47pm: ESPN's Jayson Stark says the price for Bannister is similar to that of Jarrod Washburn – "big league-ready starter, pitching prospect with upside." He says the Yanks maintain mild interest.

10:16am: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports say the Brewers made an offer for Bannister but the Royals chose not to counter it. The Royals would have to be bowled over to move the 28 year-old righty.

FRIDAY, 9:22am: Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says the Royals rejected overtures from the Marlins on Bannister. He wonders whether the next best thing for Florida might be to bring Carl Pavano back. We've heard surprisingly little about Pavano lately. He projects to fall short of Type B status, so there's no point in the Indians keeping him.

THURSDAY, 7:58pm: Jayson Stark and Buster Olney of ESPN.com report that the Yankees inquired about Bannister, but talks didn't develop because the Yankees asked the Royals to pay the $650k that remains on Bannister's 2009 contract. Since when does $650k stop the Yanks from making a deal? As Stark and Olney say, welcome to the wacky world of baseball 2009.

7:50pm: Teams are inquiring on righty Brian Bannister, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The Royals weren't close to dealing him as of this evening, but we still have 20 hours before the deadline. Bannister, 28, makes $1.7MM this year and isn't scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2012 season. Here are a few more quick hits on the Royals:

Check out the Tim's interviews with Brian here, here, and here.
Olney says Willie Bloomquist is also drawing interest.
Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hear that a number of teams are still contacting the Royals about Mark Teahen.
Earlier today we heard that Ron Mahay's available, too.

Jarrod Washburn Rumors: Thursday

By Tim Dierkes | July 30, 2009 at 11:05pm CDT

11:05pm: Executives from three teams that have spoken with the Mariners tell ESPN.com's Buster Olney that they get the sense the Mariners won't move Washburn. The Mariners made a request earlier today, without asking for Hughes or Chamberlain, but the two sides haven't spoken since.

10:33pm: Heyman says the Yankees and Mariners are now "talking Washburn." The Yankees won't part with Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Austin Jackson, Austin Romine or Jesus Montero, but with those exceptions, Heyman says the M's have their pick of Yankees prospects.

9:05pm: Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he expects the Mariners to hold onto Washburn.

8:05pm: Tyler Kepner of the New York Times reports that the Yankees are still talking to the Mariners about Washburn.

Talks with the Yankees are still in their early stages, according to Rosenthal and Morosi, and it's unclear whether the Mariners would actually move Washburn. The Tigers are interested and the Brewers could become involved again, according to FOX's sources.

3:26pm: ESPN's Buster Olney rejects the idea that the Ms asked for Chamberlain or Hughes.

2:19pm: SI's Jon Heyman says that in their initial conversation, the Mariners requested Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes for Washburn. That pair and other top Yankees prospects figure to be off limits, but Heyman still sees New York as the favorite. He notes that the Angels would have interest in bringing Washburn back, but the Mariners might balk at the same-division issue.

1:11pm: Ken Davidoff of Newsday says the Brewers are no longer in on Washburn. And the Rangers are seen as a long shot, say Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports. According to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, about ten teams have called the Mariners on Washburn.

12:30pm: Lefty Jarrod Washburn would be one of the better available starters, should the Mariners decide to sell. Joel Sherman of the New York Post chatted with Ms GM Jack Zduriencik about the possibility. Jack Z's quote:

"I am not giving this guy away. He is a valuable piece to us. He shouldn't come cheap if he is moved. No one in the league is pitching better than (Washburn). So if we move him, we need to get good pieces. Because if we keep him he is a very, very good piece for us."

Sherman says the Yanks have checked in on Washburn but have not exchanged names. Unlike last year, the Yankees are reluctant to take on salary.

GM: Brewers Don’t Expect To Trade For An Arm

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 30, 2009 at 9:03pm CDT

Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he doesn't expect to add a starter before tomorrow's trade deadline. The Brewers were looking for starters before Jeff Suppan hit the DL and now their need for arms has grown. Here are the details from Melvin's conversations around the league:

The Brewers talked to rival teams about 10 or 12 starters.
Melvin says it looks like the Mariners will keep Jarrod Washburn.
The D'Backs appear likely to keep Jon Garland and Doug Davis.
Kevin Correia was on the Brewers' list, "but there's nothing to it at this time," Melvin said.
"We're just not a match for anybody right now," Melvin said.

Brewers Rumors: Buyers Or Sellers?

By Eddie Schmid | July 29, 2009 at 11:44pm CDT

Earlier today, Brewers manager Ken Macha told Tom Haudricourt at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that the team is trying to get someone that can help "this season and beyond." Haudricourt thinks this could rule out a deal for a rental like Jarrod Washburn from the Mariners, and earlier today it seemed that the Brewers' recent slump had them out of the running just as well.

We've now learned from Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports that the Padres are dangling starter Kevin Correia and that the Brewers are in the mix for him. He's only due $250k the rest of the season and could come cheaply, though his 4.75 ERA this season doesn't look like it'd be a huge upgrade this year for the scuffling Brewers.

Just yesterday Doug Melvin was saying he's a buyer. Are the Brewers still in it, or should they give in? Can they make a useful upgrade without sacrificing their top pieces?

Brewers Aren’t Pursuing Washburn

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 29, 2009 at 9:43am CDT

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Brewers aren't seriously discussing a trade for Jarrod Washburn. They've lost 16 of their last 23 games and are reluctant to give up the prospects the Mariners would require in return, especially when Washburn profiles only as a Type B free agent.

The Mariners are looking to make a bigger deal involving Washburn, possibly one involving recent trade candidate Jeff Clement. Rosenthal says the Yankees inquired about the Mariners' lefty recently.

Mariners Ready To Sell

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 28, 2009 at 10:45pm CDT

10:45pm: Adam McCalvy at MLB.com talked to Brewers GM Doug Melvin, who confirmed his discussions with Zduriencik. According to Melvin, Zduriencik "hasn't decided yet" if he'll deal a starter. The Brewers were hit hard today, as fill-in Carlos Villanueva allowed five runs in four innings, and the team also discovered that Jeff Suppan has a strained oblique and will be out indefinitely.

8:30pm: There's more from Morosi and Rosenthal, who say scouts from the Phillies, Rangers, Yankees and Brewers are all checking out Washburn's start tonight.

6:57pm: Morosi and Rosenthal updated their previous post, and they say that the Brewers and Mariners have talked about Washburn. They remind us that Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik was a former exec for the Brewers and say that "many in the industry believe the Brewers have an edge." Zduriencik is said to be a fan of the injured Rickie Weeks, who could be included as a PTBNL.

6:06pm: Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal are now reporting that Washburn is "officially available" and that the Mariners have informed the Yankees, who plan to make an offer soon. The Brewers also could be interested in Washburn.

12:27pm: The Mariners are shifting into "sell mode," according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Jarrod Washburn is available and contending teams may be able to pry pitchers Mark Lowe, Sean White and Brandon Morrow away as well.

One rival official says the Mariners are "about ready to do some things" now that they're 7.5 games out of a playoff spot and on a four game losing streak.

Odds & Ends: Harang, Brewers, Orioles

By Eddie Schmid | July 28, 2009 at 6:43pm CDT

Here are some fresh links from only the most verified sources on the Internet:

Mark Gonzales at the Chicago Tribune reports that White Sox GM Kenny Williams spoke with Josh Fields' agent. Gonzales wonders if Fields might be on the outs.
Andy Martino at the Philadelphia Inquirer gets a rundown of the Phils' big prospect names being tossed around in a potential deal for Roy Halladay from Baseball America's Ben Badler.
Mark Sheldon at MLB.com reports that Aaron Harang has a limited no-trade clause, but Harang had this to say: "I don't know which teams I put. I put them down a couple of years back."
Brewers GM Doug Melvin is still in buying mode, he tells Tom Haudricourt at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Steve Melewski at MASN Sports talked to O's president Andy MacPhail about Miguel Angel Sano. No offers yet, apparently.
Roch Kubatko at MASN says that there are "rumblings" that the Orioles might have interest in the Dodgers' 3B prospect Josh Bell, potentially as a piece in a George Sherrill deal.

FOX Sports On Red Sox, D’Backs, Bell

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 27, 2009 at 12:59pm CDT

12:59pm: FOX Sports reports that Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski is aggressively looking for a hitter.

The Brewers are reluctant to trade Alcides Escobar and would probably hesitate to move him for Brandon Morrow and two months of Jarrod Washburn.

12:14pm: The Red Sox are "in" on Roy Halladay, but finding offense is the team's top priority, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Here are a few more rumors:

There hasn't been much interest in Doug Davis or Jon Garland so far, but D'Backs officials are optimistic that interest will pick up later in the week.
Minnesota has more interest in Freddy Sanchez than any of his other suitors do.
The Padres will listen on Heath Bell and Adrian Gonzalez, but aren't likely to deal either player. The Tigers had interest in Bell earlier in the month.

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