Cafardo’s Latest: Martinez, Boston, Pitching
In his latest piece for The Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo reports that the Indians turned down an offer of Clay Buchholz for Victor Martinez according to an NL scout. The Red Sox then countered with a package of Michael Bowden, Justin Masterson, and an outfield prospect, but the Indians turned that down as well.
Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…
- In addition to Boston, the Indians are also fielding offers from the Rays and Giants for Martinez, but aren't inclined to make a deal unless a team's best prospects are involved.
- Cafardo runs through the list of other pitchers that "could be pried away," including Scott Kazmir, Cliff Lee, Erik Bedard, Jarrod Washburn, and George Sherrill. He says it'll take "a blockbuster package" to land Lee.
- Aubrey Huff and Kevin Millar are also available.
- The Red Sox will "dip in the (Roy) Halladay sweepstakes" if the price comes down, but otherwise will look for a righthanded bat that can play the outfield.
- Cafardo says it will be interesting to see if the Yankees, Phillies and Dodgers are aggressive at the deadline or take a pass, considering all three clubs are playing well right now.
- The White Sox could pull off something big because GM Kenny Williams "has a bit of gambler in him."
- It'll be interesting to see if the Giants' plans to add a bat are put on hold after the sudden death of principal owner Sue Burns.
- Twins GM Bill Smith may add a middle infielder and/or a reliever before the deadline. Last night we learned that they were "deep into talks and talking composition of a deal" with the A's about Orlando Cabrera. The team might be able to stretch it's normal payroll with Target Field opening next year.
- Cafardo proposes a "swap of underachieving Scott Boras clients," J.D. Drew and Magglio Ordonez.
- While there is some uneasiness about there not being any substantive talks between the Nationals and Stephen Strasburg, those kind of deals can come together quickly. The signing deadline is August 17th.
- The Rangers are unable to add payroll, which will hamstring their efforts that the trade deadline.
Red Sox Looking At Shortstops
Despite welcoming Jed Lowrie back to lineup after a prolonged injury hiatus, the Red Sox are still looking for an upgrade at shortstop. SI.com's Jon Heyman reports that Boston has been checking out Jack Wilson and Orlando Cabrera, who are no strangers to this year's rumor circuit.
Earlier today we learned that the Twins were also interested in the molten hot Cabrera, who is hitting .373-.395-.530 in July.
A’s Rumors: Wuertz, Cabrera, Angels
Susan Slusser at the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Angels are "prepared to make a strong bid" for RHP Michael Wuertz's services. That strong bid could begin with infielder Sean Rodriguez.
However, it's unclear if the A's would be willing to trade Wuertz within the division–Wuertz is under team control for two more years.
Slusser also notes that the Twins have expressed interest in SS Orlando Cabrera, who has a .925 OPS in July, but they might not have a prospect package good enough to entice the A's.
Rosenthal’s & Morosi’s Latest: Halladay, Cabrera, Glaus
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
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
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 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
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
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
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.