Roy Halladay Rumors: Wednesday
6:49pm: ESPN's Peter Gammons says the Dodgers are still in the mix for Halladay. Pros for the Dodgers are a number of Single-A and Double-A prospects and the willingness to take on Halladay's contract. Cons are a lack of near-ready pitching prospects, and absence of Toronto scouts at Dodger games.
5:02pm: ESPN.com's Tim Kurkjian says he doesn't expect the Jays to deal Halladay because their asking price is "enormously high."
3:40pm: Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd told MLB.com that Halladay is not a fit for his team because the cost would be "devastating" financially and in terms of talent.
12:59pm: Wondering what kind of haul the Jays might bring in? ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick looks back at nine trades for top pitchers and shows that not all blockbusters are created equal.
11:08am: Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Brewers appear to be a threat to acquire Halladay. He's hearing Manny Parra's name and suspects Mat Gamel or Alcides Escobar would have to be involved, too.
11:06am: Ricciardi told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that talks are expected to intensify early next week. The Blue Jays haven't exchanged names with interested teams yet, but Ricciardi expects to tell teams what he's looking for by Monday.
That wouldn't leave much time before Tuesday's self-imposed deadline, but Ricciardi said it's a soft deadline.
Ricciardi says four teams are "really, really serious" about Halladay. The Phillies are believed to be one of his top suitors and Ricciardi confirmed that the Jays will scout Kyle Drabek's upcoming start.
8:33am: Here's what we heard yesterday: the Yankees and Mets aren't major threats to acquire Roy Halladay; the Cards are still involved; the Phillies are considering other options and may have told the Jays Kyle Drabek is off-limits; the Jays have imposed a pre-deadline of July 28th on the negotiations and GM J.P. Ricciardi says a trade is becoming "unlikely."
- Yahoo's Gordon Edes says the Phillies want Halladay more than Cliff Lee, but bellieve the Jays are asking for too much.
- Sportsnet.ca has a clip of Ricciardi saying a deal is unlikely.
- The Phillies won't publicly admit they're pursuing Doc, but Ray Parrillo of the Philadelphia Inquirer hears they're still interested.
- Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSports suggests the Blue Jays have to consider trading Halladay because Ricciardi hasn't committed money to the right players.
Odds And Ends: Gonzalez, Giambi, Mets
Some links for the morning…
- MLB.com's Corey Brock reassures Padres fans, telling them that Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell are staying put for now.
- But Gonzalez told Chris Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune that he understands his team's predicament: "To a certain extent, I don't disagree with the people who say the best thing for the Padres is to go out and get a bunch of people for me."
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a report saying the Seibu Lions are trying to acquire Triple A pitcher Jonah Bayliss from the Blue Jays.
- Rich Hoffman of the Philadelphia Daily News says the Phillies depend on their scouts and believe only what they see for themselves.
- MLB.com's Mychael Urban wonders if Jason Giambi might shut it down for the season.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders if Nick Evans and Daniel Murphy are even major league bench players.
- The Brewers were among the teams scouting Cliff Lee last night, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Tuesday
9:27pm: David Lennon of Newsday cites two baseball officials who say that talks between the Mets and the Blue Jays never reached a point of a concrete offer from the Mets. Lennon adds that the Mets "do not expect to make a push" for Halladay.
6:55pm: Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeted the following: "Source: Cards 'still in the mix' for Halladay."
4:56pm: Ricciardi told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that "it's unlikely Halladay will be dealt."
1:44pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says the Phillies have enough talent to obtain Halladay without including Kyle Drabek.
1:06pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Phillies should overpay for Roy Halladay because he is perfect for them "in every way possible."
12:09pm: As MLB.com's Tom Singer points out, Jason Schmidt's 2009 debut showed that the Dodgers could use Doc.
11:43am: Jon Heyman of SI.com hears from an acquaintance of Halladay's that he's "emotionally gone." Sounds like Doc would approve a trade. Heyman also hears that the Phillies have decided not to include Kyle Drabek in a deal for Halladay.
11:33am: Ricciardi told Jack Curry of the New York Times that he won't trade Halladay at the last minute. The Jays are considering imposing a July 28th deadline on the negotiations.
Ricciardi says he receives "a new call from another team every day," so it will be a busy, franchise-defining week for the Jays.
10:48am: A Blue Jays official involved in the Halladay talks told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Yankees and Mets are not serious threats to acquire the Jays righty.
The Yanks and Jays only had introductory discussions and there's "absolutely nothing" going on with the Mets and Jays. Sherman hears that there is "no truth" to the rerport that the Mets rejected an offer from Toronto.
9:44am: The latest rumors on the American League leader in wins, strikeout to walk ratio and WHIP…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Phillies are considering options other than Roy Halladay.
- Mike Rutsey of the Toronto Sun says the Phillies, Brewers, Giants and Dodgers are still "kicking the tires" on Halladay.
- Joey Fosko of the Boston Herald believes a deal's more likely after the season.
- Yahoo's Tim Brown hears that the Blue Jays will model possible trades after the Erik Bedard deal- only they want more.
- Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi told Brown that some of the teams talking to the Jays have enough to acquire Halladay, but may be reluctant to give up their talent.
- Wallace Matthews of Newsday says Halladay won't play for the Bronx Bombers this year.
- Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog heard from four baseball people who all believe Omar Minaya would have agreed to deal Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jon Niese and Ruben Tejada for Halladay.
Gammons: Indians Must Be “Overwhelmed” To Trade Lee
7:44pm: Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, watching the Blue Jays play the Indians at home, tweets the following: "Dodgers, Brewers, Phillies and Red Sox scouts here to see Cliff Lee…"
5:44pm: On an ESPN Baseball Tonight Minute, Peter Gammons downplayed the possibility that Cliff Lee might be making his last start as an Indian tonight, but indicated that the Indians are indeed open to a trade if they are "overwhelmed" by an offer.
According to Gammons, "[Indians GM Mark] Shapiro wants a major league-ready young starter that can go into the second or third hole in the rotation." In addition, Gammons said, "He wants a couple of other young players."
Earlier today, we broke down a piece by SI.com's Jon Heyman, who said that the Indians are becoming more open to trading Lee.
Odds And Ends: Marlins, Lopez, Sherrill
On this date in 1975, Mets third baseman Joe Torre grounded into four double plays. Here are some links to read through…
- Today's chat takes place in half an hour at 2pm CST.
- Justin Duchscherer will begin rehabbing soon and ESPN.com's Buster Olney says he could be a solid alternative to Roy Halladay, if healthy. Olney speculates that Duchscherer, who makes $3.9MM this year, would fit well on the Brewers.
- The Mets released Emil Brown from their Triple A affiliate today, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post.
- Many Marlins players told Tom D'Angelo of the Palm Beach Post that they're trying to ignore trade chatter and win ballgames.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic says the D'Backs didn't want to offer Felipe Lopez arbiration in the offseason because he might have accepted. He would have been in line for a $5-6MM salary so the Brewers chose two mediocre prospects instead of offering Lopez arbitration.
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick says the Cubs could have a big second half, even though they're "muddling along" now.
- George Sherrill told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that he wants to be in Baltimore in spite of the rumors swirling about.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Monday
10:26pm: ESPN.com's Keith Law hears from multiple sources that the SI report below is "bogus."
9:15pm: Mike DiGiovanna at the L.A. Times talked to Angels GM Tony Reagins, who "hasn't ruled out anything" in a trade for Halladay. Still, DiGiovanna notes the Angels may not have the premium prospects to make a deal, let alone the desire to trade the prospects they have in the first place.
5:55pm: Jon Heyman at SI tweets that the Mets rejected a package of Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jon Niese and Ruben Tejada for Halladay.
5:47pm: Peter Gammons weighs in on the situation, and talked to one GM who said "The general feeling is that he won't be traded." Gammons thinks that since Halladay's addition would give the Phillies a feasible chance to be world champions for three straight years as well as potential tutoring for Cole Hamels, the team should pursue Doc.
4:42pm: Theo Epstein told MLB.com's Ian Browne that he wants to hold onto his core of talented pitchers, but admits it's tempting to acquire an ace. He doesn't say Halladay's name, but it's fair to assume that's who he's talking about.
4:34pm: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel doesn't expect the Brewers to acquire Halladay, primarily because they'd have to give up so much to get him.
4:05pm: Olney says he thinks the Phils should deal for Halladay, but says they may be reluctant to part with young talent for him, now that they've won 12 of 13.
3:43pm: Jeff Blair hears that just a few teams are serious about Halladay: the Phillies, Dodgers and Angels.
Cards GM John Mozeliak seems less interested in Halladay now that he has "lowered his sights in the trade market" and the Yankees and Red Sox don't believe Ricciardi will deal within the division.
12:50pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Phillies' need for Halladay could diminish if their division lead (now 6.5 games) continues to grow. Olney hears from executives who don't expect anyone to meet the asking price for Doc.
12:33pm: A friend of Halladay's tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that Doc's top priority is winning, but the righty would apparently prefer a quiet environment and a team that trains in Florida. Heyman's source believes the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals and Phillies are among the teams to which Halladay would approve a deal.
10:43am: MLB.com's Ken Gurnick says the Dodgers have the need for Halladay and the talent to acquire him. However, ownership may not be willing to commit enough money to land the Jays' ace.
8:58am: The latest on Roy Halladay, one day after his complete-game effort against the Red Sox…
- Mike Rutsey of the Toronto Sun says Phillies executive Pat Gillick, Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash and scouts for the Rangers and Dodgers all watched Halladay's start yesterday.
- The Globe's Tim Wharnsby reports that Gillick discussed the severity of Halladay's recent groin injury with the Blue Jays' team physician.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Tigers, Twins and Red Sox also had people at the game, though the Red Sox "don't appear to have serious interest."
- It's possible the teams were around to scout relievers, position players, or the Red Sox.
- A rival GM says J.P. Ricciardi "won't trade Halladay unless he gets the deal he wants," Morosi hears. "But he wants to get a deal."
- Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail says the Jays scouted the Phillies' Single A team last week.
- Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that Halladay's the best pitcher he's ever caught. High praise, considering Barajas caught Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling with the D'Backs.
Odds & Ends: Brewers, Yankees, Braves
On this day last year, the Brewers acquired second baseman Ray Durham from the Giants for two prospects, and almost exactly a year later they landed Felipe Lopez for two more. Who will it be in 2010?
- Evan Brunell at the Hardball Times likes the Brewers' Felipe Lopez acquisition and thinks a starter could make the Brewers legit playoff contenders.
- Marc Carig at the Newark Star-Ledger reports that Hal Steinbrenner is "open to all possibilities" for the Yankees at the trade deadline.
- Peter Gammons thinks the Red Sox need to pursue a bat most of all. "The Dodgers will acquire pitching. The Giants will get a bat. Florida may get a closer. The Cubs will also do something," he believes.
- Dave Cameron at Fangraphs recaps the site's list of 2009 player trade values.
- Mark Bowman at MLB.com takes a deep look into the Braves' current position, and believes how they perform in their upcoming series will be a large indicator as to whether they buy or sell pieces before the deadline. Bowman thinks there's a chance the Braves could be done making major moves.
- Tom Krasovic posits that the Padres must stop offering no-trade clauses in their contracts, as such clauses have backfired with many players, a list potentially including Jake Peavy with his recent DL stint.
Multiple Teams Interested In Sherrill
The Marlins, Dodgers, Brewers, Angels and Cubs all have some interest in Orioles closer George Sherrill, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Orioles would listen to offers, but one rival GM says they're "playing the 'don't-have-to-move-him-so-make-us' card." However, others are confident the O's will move him.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Sunday
9:01pm: Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com has a view of the Brewers' credentials. "Rival teams say the Brewers have enough prospects to make a Halladay deal," writes Knobler, "even though they've suggested they won't trade Alcides Escobar or Mat Gamel."
8:21pm: It's probably worth noting that Halladay collected his 11th win of the season this afternoon, tossing a one-run complete game against the AL East-leading Red Sox. The picture of consistency, he's done nothing but help his trade value these past few weeks.
8:07pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman believes the Phillies are still the front-runners to land Toronto's ace, but notes the Giants are now "kicking the tires." The Angels, on the other hand, "appear to be characteristically reluctant to trade their prospects, hurting their chances."
If the Phillies want to make this deal happen, it sounds like they'll need to include top pitching prospect Kyle Drabek in the package to Toronto. Some experts have deemed him "untouchable."
11:49am: There's a great pitching matchup in Toronto today; Roy Halladay and Jon Lester match up in about 20 minutes. A number of top officials are at Rogers Centre to watch and it's safe to say they're not there because of Lester. Here are today's Halladay rumors:
- Top officials from the Phillies, Brewers, Rangers and White Sox were in attendance at yesterday's Jays-Red Sox game and figure to watch this afternoon, according to Ken Fidlin of the Toronto Sun.
- The last two Toronto GMs are expected to watch: Pat Gillick on behalf of the Phils and Gord Ash, who drafted Halladay, for the Brewers.
- As Tyler Kepner of the New York Times notes, Brian Cashman is glad he didn't give up the farm to acquire Johan Santana a couple winters ago. He doesn't sound willing to deal top prospects away for Halladay, though he doesn't discuss specific players.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Jays should learn from the Twins, who waited too long and didn't obtain any sure things from the Mets for Santana. Olney argues that if the Jays deal now, instead of after the season, they can acquire top talent while it's still available to them.
Brewers Land Felipe Lopez
According to B.J. Rains of MLB.com, the Diamondbacks have dealt Felipe Lopez to the Brewers for two minor-leaugers: outfielder Cole Gillespie and pitcher Roque Mercedes.
Lopez, batting .301/.364/.412 with six home runs, 25 RBI and six stolen bases, should help shore up the top of Milwaukee's lineup. The utilityman is playing mostly second base these days, and should easily usurp the 38-year-old Craig Counsell of his starting duties.
Mercedes, 22, was 1-1 with a 1.08 ERA in 29 relief appearances this season while playing in the Florida State League. Gillespie, a 25-year-old stuck at the Triple-A level, was batting .242 with seven home runs and 27 RBI for Nashville. It's a decent haul for an Arizona ballclub that continues to fall back in the NL West standings.