By Tim Dierkes | at
A short note from Yahoo’s Tim Brown: the Tigers were apparently willing to put stud starter Andrew Miller in a deal for Dan Haren. It’s interesting to hear that the Tigers inquired on Haren. You have to figure Miller or Cameron Maybin would be a requirement.
Meanwhile Brown reiterates that the D’Backs checked in on both Haren and Joe Blanton. Arizona may have also checked in on Ian Snell, if you believe lobby fodder.
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 11:38pm: Baker corrects himself – the Mariners talked to the Brewers, but not about Sheets.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 9:34pm: Here’s the deal. Geoff Baker says the West Coast team inquiring on Sheets was the Mariners. Tom Haudricourt seems positive it was the Dodgers though. No offer was made; it was just an inquiry. The Dodgers seemingly don’t need more injury risk though.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 6:35pm: Tom Haudricourt spoke to Doug Melvin and learned that he has not spoken to any East Coast team about Sheets. However Haudricourt believes Melvin may have spoken to the Mariners about him.
FROM 12-3-07 at 12:07am:
Interesting stuff from Sean McAdam of The Providence Journal. McAdam says the Red Sox are eyeing Dan Haren and Ben Sheets as alternatives to Johan Santana.
Haren, we knew about. Sheets is an intriguing idea though. Maybe the buzz on him will pick up this week. Sheets will earn $11MM in 2008, tops among Brewers (Jeff Suppan’s deal gets scary in ’09). Given Sheets’ injury history and expiring contract, the price for him might be fairly reasonable (say, A.J. Burnett territory). Sheets had a full no-trade clause for ’07 and may only be traded to eight selected clubs in ’08.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Let’s round ’em up.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 went on air a few hours ago with some interesting tidbits regarding the Chicago teams. This was before the Sox acquired Carlos Quentin so I’m not sure what kind of effect that has on this info.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Did you expect anything different? Billy Beane is happy to field offers on Dan Haren and Joe Blanton, but he’ll require a king’s ransom for either pitcher. Jayson Stark says Beane asked the Yankees for two of Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy for Haren. With the Red Sox it was two of Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, and Jacoby Ellsbury. The Mets would have to pony up Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez. With two starters under contract through 2010, Beane and the A’s are sitting pretty.
One source of Stark echoes the popular sentiment that Miguel Cabrera in an Angels uniform would prompt a full-on A’s firesale. That would include Huston Street, Dan Johnson, Mark Kotsay, and Rich Harden. You have to admit, that would be fun. Maybe the Brewers won’t give up Rickie Weeks for Chad Cordero, but how about Street?
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 12:02am: Not only will Johan veto any midseason deal, he’ll veto any deal to a team other than the Yankees or Red Sox.
UPDATE, 12-2-07 at 8:30pm: Hank weighs in, reiterating the deadline. He says the third player actually isn’t the sticking point. Thanks Hank!
UPDATE, 12-2-07 at 7:30pm: The Yanks’ deadline on their offer, which no one is taking seriously, is for end of day Monday. Brian Cashman has given Bill Smith a list of possibilities for the third player in the deal.
UPDATE, 12-2-07 at 6:15pm: Ken Rosenthal says Santana told the Twins he won’t waive his no-trade clause during the season. It’s now or never. The packages the Yankees and Red Sox are offering are definitely better than two draft picks, especially since there’s no guarantee one of them will be a first-round pick. I’d be surprised if he’s not moved this week.
UPDATE, 12-2-07 at 1:30pm: Buster Olney is reporting that the Sox will include Ellsbury in their offer, but pull Lester out of it. Basically the Twins can have one or the other. Olney doesn’t say whether Buchholz/Ellsbury is possible, but I imagine it’s not. The Twins are expected to choose an offer from Boston or New York soon.
FROM 12-2-07 at 8:45am:
When we left off last night, the Twins and Yankees were still haggling over the third player in a Johan Santana trade. The Twins wanted Alan Horne or Austin Jackson, according to Jon Heyman. Now comes word from Tyler Kepner that those two are considered untouchable in the deal by the Yanks. Dellin Betances, Ian Kennedy, and Jose Tabata round out the five that they will not include as the third player.
It’s said that the Yankees will turn to Dan Haren if they don’t reach an agreement with the Twins today or tomorrow. The Twins still like Jacoby Ellsbury more than Phil Hughes, so they’re trying to get the Red Sox to replace Coco Crisp with him in their offer.
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-1-07 at 10:30pm: Yanks and Twins are haggling over the third guy – Twins want Horne or Austin Jackson per Jon Heyman. The Yanks are apparently holding out on that front, trying to retain some dignity. Peter Abraham says the Yanks will also slap a deadline on their offer and then turn their attention to Dan Haren.
Concurrently, the Red Sox will only give up Ellsbury if they get more than Santana back. How about making this thing a real blockbuster, getting Joe Nathan involved? Imagine a 7-8-9 combo of Gagne-Nathan-Papelbon (if Gagne were to accept arb). Peter Abraham is saying the Sox aren’t serious though.
UPDATE, 12-1-07 at 5pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Twins are asking for shortstop Alberto Gonzalez or starter Alan Horne as the third player from the Yankees. Doesn’t sound like Hughes + Kennedy is any kind of possibility. The Yankees cracked and put Hughes in…unless the Red Sox crack and put Ellsbury in it seems like Santana will end up in the Bronx.
UPDATE, 12-1-07 at 3:30pm: La Velle E. Neal III has a Santana update for us. He says the Yanks are offering Hughes, Cabrera, and Ian Kennedy right now. If that’s for real, I think the Twins should accept. However, Neal’s assertion runs contrary to Jon Heyman’s take – he says the third player will not be Kennedy, Alan Horne, or Jose Tabata.
Meanwhile it sounds like the Red Sox are still pushing Coco Crisp over Jacoby Ellsbury. Neal adds that the Mets might re-consider their stance on Jose Reyes, and that the Twins would prefer to ship Santana over to the NL.
UPDATE, 12-1-07 at noon: Buster Olney says the Yanks’ upgraded offer is now on the table, but the Twins will meet with the Red Sox this afternoon to see if they can get Theo Epstein to include both Ellsbury and Buchholz.
UPDATE, 11-30-07 at 10pm: It’s been decided: the Yanks will put Hughes in their offer. John Harper and Bill Madden feel that it was Brian Cashman who needed convincing. Cabrera remains in the package, which will be rounded out by an additional pitching prospect. This collection of youngsters apparently puts the Yankees in the lead for Santana.
UPDATE, 11-30-07 at 6pm: The Yankees’ front office has been debating whether to surrender Phil Hughes in a trade for Santana. Buster Olney reports that they’re leaning toward doing it. Melky Cabrera and one other prospect would be sent over as well. The Yankees, as well as the Red Sox, are hedging their bets by talking to Billy Beane about Dan Haren at the same time.
UPDATE, 11-30-07 at 11:25am: David Andriesen says the Mariners are not serious players on Santana. However, Geoff Baker says the Ms have inquired but not made an offer for him. However Baker talked to a friend of Santana’s who indicated the ace wouldn’t be jazzed signing a contract extension with a West Coast team. U.S.S. Mariner recommends against a Santana acquisition.
FROM 11-30-07 at 8:45am:
I think it’s time for a new Johan Santana thread. We’ll start today with a Peter Gammons report today on Mike & Mike In The Morning. This comes from a trusted MLBTR reader.
Gammons favors the Yankees in the Santana derby, because he feels that Hank Steinbrenner could overrule Brian Cashman and include Phil Hughes in the deal. Some feel that the Red Sox are just trying to pump up the price and would then turn to the A’s to get Dan Haren. Getting Haren instead of Santana may have the added benefit of not pissing off Josh Beckett about his salary.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Jon Heyman checks in with a couple of notable points.
By Tim Dierkes | at
We’ve discussed this before…it seems like the Mets don’t stack up with certain other clubs trying to acquire available frontline starting pitching. Ken Rosenthal definitely feels this way – Carlos Gomez is considered a blue-chipper but the others may not be.
Rosenthal notes that a package starting with Lastings Milledge and Aaron Heilman doesn’t do much for Billy Beane. The A’s don’t see Milledge as a long-term center field solution, and Heilman is a reliever. Mike Pelfrey and Phil Humber aren’t the top-shelf pitching prospects the A’s covet in return for Dan Haren or Joe Blanton. It seems as if the very best package the Mets can assemble might only be enough for Blanton.
The Mets are also after Johan Santana and Erik Bedard, but it’s the same story. Unless they create a huge hole by trading Jose Reyes, it doesn’t seem they can offer the best package. Though the Twins still want Reyes, Adam Rubin and Joel Sherman indicate that’s not an option.
Dipping into the free agent market for Hiroki Kuroda or Carlos Silva seems to make more sense. One option the Mets have been linked to in the past, Dontrelle Willis, may be off the market now.
By Tim Dierkes | at
According to David Lennon of Newsday, the Mets are focused on getting Dan Haren or Joe Blanton from the A’s. Lennon admits they probably don’t have the chips to get Johan Santana, which makes me wonder how they’d have enough to get Blanton or Haren.
Omar Minaya and Billy Beane discussed these guys a year ago, and couldn’t come to an agreement. Now Beane’s price has risen – Lastings Milledge and Aaron Heilman won’t cut it (not sure if it would’ve last year anyway). I’m not sure if adding any Mets pitching prospect to that pair would be enough to get Blanton, who would have a lesser price tag than Haren. Add Carlos Gomez to the package and you might have something.
I honestly can’t see how the Mets would present the best package for Haren, but maybe they have a shot at getting Blanton. Lennon notes that the A’s are more eager to trade Blanton, since he’s arbitration-eligible for the first time.
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