Athletics Rumors

Rosenthal’s & Morosi’s Latest: Halladay, Cabrera, Glaus

By Mike Axisa | July 24, 2009 at 10:49pm CDT

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com say that the Phillies and Blue Jays are getting closer on a potential Roy Halladay deal, but nothing is imminent. The Rangers and Dodgers have both expressed interest in Halladay, but did not talk with Toronto on Friday. The Angels have reportedly improved their offer for the former Cy Young Award winner, but it's unlikely they'll match Philadelphia's package. The Yankees have also expressed interest, but Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi has yet to engage them in discussions.

In a separate column, Rosenthal and Morosi fork over a slew of rumory goodness…

Don't be surprised if the Red Sox "show renewed interest" in shortstop Orlando Cabrera before the deadline. O-Cab was hitting .365-.377-.500 in his last 30 games coming into tonight.
The addition of Matt Holliday ensures that the Cardinals will look to move Troy Glaus. The Giants, Braves, Rangers and Tigers are expected to show interest in the former AL homerun champ.
One GM had this to say about the Holliday deal "In light of the current climate, good return on a 70-game guy. All based on what (Wallace) turns out to be. We are not high on the other two guys."
Meanwhile, a scout offered this about Brett Wallace: "He can hit but he throws like a girl. They acquired a DH — I think he might be Jack Cust Jr. with fewer Ks. (Outfielder Shane) Peterson is the hidden gem!"
The Jays are pushing Scott Rolen and Kevin Millar in trade talks, while a number of their bullpen arms are drawing interest.
The Marlins expressed interest in Holliday at one point, but wanted the A's to pick up most of the money owed to him this year. The Reds also inquired.
A bid to get Holliday ended for the Tigers when the A's asked for prospects Casey Crosby and Scott Sizemore.
Anaheim is indeed interested in Scott Kazmir, spurred on by input from pitching coach Mike Butcher, who once held the same position with Tampa.
The Cubs don't appear to be in any serious talks to acquire another catcher.
One scout familiar with the Reds said they "are listening on about everyone."
The Rangers have interest in lefty relievers George Sherrill and Scott Downs.
Sherrill is also on the White Sox's radar.
Oakland is reluctant to move reliever Michael Wuertz, but there is so much interest in him that the team might get the return it desires.
A number of clubs are expected to watch Justin Duchscherer on his rehab assignment as he comes back from elbow surgery.
The article closes with an amusing text message exchange between Skip Schumaker and Mark DeRosa.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Overbay, Halladay, Peavy, LaRoche

By Cork Gaines | July 24, 2009 at 5:12pm CDT

On this date 45 years ago Barry Bonds was born. And even though he hasn't played in a game since September 26, 2007, Bonds has not yet retired. We are one week from the trade deadline, let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…

Statistician Magician makes a case for the Braves going after Lyle Overbay.
The Oriole Report lists the players most likely to be dealt by the O's before the deadline.
The Phrontiersman feels the Phillies can win without Roy Halladay but still feels Philadelphia should make the deal.
The Fowl Balls says the Mets made the right decision in passing on Roy Halladay.
We're The Team To Beat looks at how Jake Peavy's injury is impacting the current trade market, driving up the price for Roy Halladay.
SoxSpace dissects what the Adam LaRoche deal means for the Red Sox.
Around the Majors takes a look back at Oakland's offseason moves and what went wrong.
Hot Foot examines the Mets' expiring contracts.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here, and followed on Twitter here.

Odds And Ends: Spivey, Kazmir, Washburn

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 24, 2009 at 4:59pm CDT

Another round of odds and ends for the afternoon…

Remember Junior Spivey? He signed with the independent Tucson Toros, according to the AP (via the Arizona Republic).
ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the Rays have been scouting the Angels' minor leaguers extensively. The Angels have interest in Scott Kazmir and the two teams could match up as trade partners. Keith Law says Kazmir has gone backwards for two straight years.
Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle hears that the Giants can take on a reasonable amount of payroll and expects GM Brian Sabean to make a deal.
The Phillies are scouting Jarrod Washburn as an alternative to Roy Halladay in case the Seattle lefty becomes available, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports calls Billy Beane the Scott Boras of general managers, and he means it as a compliment. At least one rival GM believes the A's got a great haul for Matt Holliday.
I'll be talking trades tomorrow morning on The Big Jab at 9:25CST and on 940 ESPN at 10:00CST.

Matt Holliday Trade Roundup

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 24, 2009 at 2:47pm CDT

By now you know that the A's sent Matt Holliday to the Cardinals for three prospects, including the highly-touted Brett Wallace. Since everybody's talking about it, let's take a look at what they're saying.

ESPN.com's Keith Law takes an in-depth look at the trade and concludes both teams win. The Cards upgrade in left field and the A's get a trio of prospects that's more valuable than the group they gave up for Holliday in the winter.
Erik Manning, Jon Heyman and Kevin Goldstein all say the A's got a good return for Holliday.
Yahoo's Tim Brown says Holliday will provide much-needed protection for Albert Pujols, who has been intentionally walked 21 more times than anyone else in baseball.
The Giants never called about Holliday, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Brett Wallace won't likely play in the majors this year, but he's excited to join the organization he grew up rooting for.
To see how Oakland's two trades compare, check out my summary of the two deals.

Comparing The Two Matt Holliday Trades

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 24, 2009 at 1:36pm CDT

The A's traded Matt Holliday to the Cardinals less than a year after acquiring him from the Rockies. Let's take a look at what the A's gave up to get Holliday, what he provided in Oakland and what the A's obtained from the Cards. Here's what Billy Beane traded away to get Holliday:

Huston Street – A quality reliever who attracted trade interest himself before the Rockies started winning. The Rockies pay Street $4.5MM this season and control him through next year.
Carlos Gonzalez - Just 23, he hasn't hit much in the majors yet, but "has the tools" to break out, according to Kevin Goldstein.
Greg Smith – The 25-year-old lefty has just pitched in the minors this year, without much success.

Here's what Holliday offered in three and a half months as an Athletic:

He hit .286/.378/.454 with 11 homers and 12 steals in 15 attempts. Holliday has also played strong defense in left.
The A's have paid about $8MM of his $13.5MM salary so far.
Perhaps most importantly, the A's had a chance at contending because they acquired Holliday. It didn't work out, but the chance for a playoff run is worth something.

And what the A's obtained from the Cardinals for him

Brett Wallace – Ranks 21st on Baseball America's mid-season list of the game's top prospects. The 22-year-old is a patient hitter with some power and limited defensive potential at third base.
Shane Peterson – Goldstein says the 21-year-old can play first and both corner outfield positions. He's a line drive hitter with good speed now playing in AA. John Sickels says he can be a fourth outfielder in the majors.
Clayton Mortensen - Goldstein says there are no guarantees with the righty, but he could become a back-of-the-rotation starter.
About $4MM in salary relief – the A's will chip in for $1.5MM, leaving the Cardinals with a $4MM tab.
The A's lose the chance at the compensation picks they would have received if they had offered Holliday arbitration after the season only to see him sign elsewhere.

Some are calling the trade a big win for the A's, but the Cardinals improve their 2009 chances and please their manager and best player all at the same time.

Cardinals Acquire Matt Holliday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 24, 2009 at 1:10pm CDT

2:10: The Cards officially announced the trade, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach.

11:39am: Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch says there's been no talk of an extension for Holliday. As Tim asks on MLBTR's Twitter, "when has a Boras client foregone free agency two months out to take a discount?"

11:16am: ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the deal is complete. The A's will contribute $1.5MM to the remainder of Holliday's salary, which leaves the Cards with about $4.5MM.

11:11am: Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post Dispatch says the teams are reviewing the players' medical records. The deal will go through unless they encounter an unexpected medical issue.

11:07am: Ed Price of AOL FanHouse hears the deal will go down. A source tells Price the sides are "finalizing as we speak."

10:58am: Jon Heyman of SI.com says the deal is "very close" to completion.

10:21am: The Cardinals are close to acquiring Matt Holliday from the A's for Brett Wallace and two other players, according to ESPN.com's Tim Kurkjian. Outfielder Shane Peterson and righty Clayton Mortensen are also headed to Oakland if the deal goes through.

It's unclear who would pay Holliday the remaining $6MM on his contract should the teams complete a trade.

Odds And Ends: Wang, Maine, Scutaro

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 24, 2009 at 12:01pm CDT

Some links to read through as the trading heats up…

Dr. James Andrews will take a look at John Maine's throwing arm, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post.
Dr. Andrews will also evaluate Chien-Ming Wang, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. Wang worries that he may need surgery.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders if the Yankees and Mets will offer contracts to the pair of pitchers after the season.
Erik Manning of FanGraphs says the A's are big winners for acquiring Brett Wallace. Jon Heyman calls it a "great deal" for the A's and Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus calls it an "outstanding" trade for Oakland.
Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi told Mike Rutsey of the Toronto Sun that there's been a lot of interest in Marco Scutaro.
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Chris Iott of MLive.com that Jeremy Bonderman may pitch out of the bullpen this season.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says it doesn't sound like the Mariners will be big buyers if it means surrendering top prospects.
The Kansas City Star presents the Royals' 2010 payroll commitments.

A’s Rumors: Kennedy, Wuertz, Cabrera

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 24, 2009 at 9:21am CDT

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle passes along the latest on three Athletics not named Matt Holliday:

Mid-season acquisition Adam Kennedy says he loves it in Oakland and wants to remain with the A's.
The Twins are looking at Michael Wuertz and Orlando Cabrera as they attempt to improve their bullpen and middle infield.
Wuertz makes $1.1MM and Cabrera makes $4MM, so both are relatively affordable options for the Twins, who are 2.5 games back of the AL Central lead.

Knobler On Holliday, Giants, Tigers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 24, 2009 at 9:13am CDT

A number of baseball officials tell Danny Knobler of CBS Sports that they expect plenty of activity in the final week before next Friday's trade deadline.

Billy Beane is apparently looking for young position players if he trades Matt Holliday.
The Giants are "very interested" in Holliday.
The Giants and Tigers have both checked out the Pirates and Nationals in their respective searches for bats. Adam Dunn and Nick Johnson have appeal, but the Giants would prefer a right-handed bat and the Tigers are hesitant to take on Dunn's $12MM salary for next season.
Knobler says Tigers owner Mike Ilitch could always make a last-minute push for Holliday or Roy Halladay.
There's no way to know how much flexibility the Rays, Rangers and Braves have until the deadline passes.

Cards & A’s Discussing Holliday For Wallace

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 23, 2009 at 6:18pm CDT

6:18pm: Ken Rosenthal calls the Cards' interest "mild, for now." However, Jon Heyman has a few updates on the proceedings–as noted in the past, Cards manager Tony La Russa is said to "badly" want Holliday. Heyman also reports that the Cardinals might want the A's to pay a portion of the $1.8MM bonus Wallace received after the 2008 draft.

3:41pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Cards are "seriously pursuing" Holliday, possibly for Wallace. The Tigers are also in the mix for Holliday.

12:55pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Cards and A's are indeed discussing a possible Wallace for Holliday trade. One of Olney's sources says the odds of a deal are 50-50. The Cardinals ownership may be prepared to take on salary, or the A's may pay a portion of Holliday's contract to obtain a better return.

10:00am: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle hears that the Cardinals might be readying themselves to part with prospect Brett Wallace for Matt Holliday. The Cardinals need a bat to protect Albert Pujols and Holliday has a .310/.416/.492 line since May 5th despite a well-documented drop in power. He's walked 41 times in that span and continues to play above average defense in left field.

Holliday makes $13.5MM this year and will likely be a Type A free agent after the season. Wallace is a top prospect, playing in the upper minors with an OPS over .800 in his first full season of pro ball. Washington outfielder Josh Willingham is an option for the Cards in case Holliday costs too much money and too many prospects.

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