Odds And Ends: Acta, Cubs, Halladay
Some links to start the week off…
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn't believe the Mets would fire Jerry Manuel and call on Manny Acta.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law says Acta's firing reflects worse on the Nats than it does on Acta.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com says Acta will get another managerial job somewhere.
- Brandon Inge told Chris Iott of MLive.com that the Tigers haven't played their best, even though they're in first place.
- John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News says the Phillies have a much better chance at repeating as World Series champions if they acquire Roy Halladay.
- Sherman points out that the Mets would have to play .640 ball the rest of the way to win 90 games. Doesn't seem likely.
- Bloomberg.com reports that the Cubs could file for bankruptcy to complete the sale of the team.
- Check out the first part of an ongoing series at NESN.com in which I discuss hot rumors around the majors. Click the link for thoughts on Roy Halladay, the Red Sox and the Yankee rotation and check back tomorrow for more.
Heyman On Deadline Deals
Jon Heyman of SI.com believes Roy Halladay will be traded before the end of the month. Here are some teams that could pursue him:
- The Phillies have the right combination of money, prospects and need to go after Doc.
- The Rangers probably don't have the money to take on the $14.25MM Halladay makes this year.
- It's hard to see the White Sox obtaining Halladay without surrendering Gordon Beckham in the deal.
- Heyman considers Beckham as close to untouchable as it gets, along with Neftali Feliz, Derek Holland, Brett Wallace and others.
Heyman lists over 30 trade candidates; here are some highlights:
- The A's may have to hold onto Matt Holliday and hope for a pair of high draft picks after the season, as Holliday's shown little power recently.
- The D'Backs aren't impressed by what the Brewers are willing to give up for Doug Davis, so they may try to keep him in Arizona.
- The offers for Chad Qualls may be too tempting for the D'Backs to ignore.
- "Teams will call" about Cliff Lee.
- Jose Valverde would be a trade candidate but for one thing: "the 'Stros don't like to sell."
And finally, a note on Pedro Martinez:
- Pedro should decide on his future soon. The Phillies are the favorites, followed by the Rangers.
Cafardo’s Latest: Jenks, Teahen, Wood, Mulder
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has some rumors from around the league. Let's sift through them.
- The Dodgers, Brewers, and Phillies remain interested in Mark Mulder who is finishing his rehab and hopes to entertain offers in a week.
- Cafardo speculates if former Royals GM Allard Baird will deliver Mark Teahen, a former player of his, to the Red Sox. Baird is currently assistant to the GM in Boston.
- The Mets might be able to add about $5 to $6MM in payroll before the deadline.
- Brandon Wood would have to be a part of the package for Roy Halladay if the Angels were to make a serious push.
- There's a "good chance" Kenny Williams is looking into Halladay, says Cafardo. He wonders if Williams, who now has back-of-the-bullpen depth, would trade Bobby Jenks to shave payroll.
- The Red Sox are confident with the pieces they have, even if obtaining Halladay might guarantee them a championship. Regardless, the Jays "would likely not want to deal Halladay within the division," says Cafardo.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Sunday
Tired of Roy Halladay rumors yet? Have some more.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post has listed 10 do's and dont's for blockbuster deals.
- Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times says Frank McCourt can make World Series champions out of the Dodgers if by acquiring Halladay and he could start by offering Russell Martin in a package with prospects Devaris Gordon and Josh Lindblom. Shaikin concedes, "This is not to say the Jays would accept Martin, Gordon and Lindblom for Halladay, or even that the Dodgers would offer that package. The coaching staff would be reluctant to lose Martin at this point of the season, and the organization has all but deemed Gordon untouchable."
- The Philadelphia Inquirer's Bob Ford says Citizens Bank Park wouldn't deter Halladay from going to the Phillies.
- Troy E. Renck says the Rockies won't change their business model to acquire Halladay. They are committed to building from within and that a seven-year, $150MM contract after 2010 would not happen. If they can't retain him, then Renck can't advocate giving up a hypothetical package of Ubaldo Jimenez, Ian Stewart, and two top prospects to get him. Dave Krieger of the Denver Post agrees.
- In the same piece, Renck says the Dodgers could land Halladay if they will part with Clayton Kershaw, and that the Phillies remain the favorites. Still, Renck expects Toronto to take Halladay off the block and to instead cut payroll by dealing Alex Rios.
Odds & Ends: Berroa, Futures Game, Yankees, Pedro, Rolen
There's no such thing as too many links…
- Most fans expressed their displeasure with the move in our comments, but Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus defends the Mets' signing of Angel Berroa.
- ESPN's Keith Law tell tells you everything you need to know about the prospects playing in this year's Futures Game, and then some. The game is tomorrow at 1pm CST.
- Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer comfirmed to NoMaas' Lane Meyer that the team has signed two draft picks, including seventh rounder Sean Black. Black was the highest unsigned pick in the 2006 draft, heading to Seton Hall instead of signing with the Nationals as the 59th overall selection.
- MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that Pedro Martinez "has said the parties are negotiating a deal," referring to his representatives and the Phillies.
- Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail says he's "hearing some interest in (Scott) Rolen." He mentions that there are a dozen scouts at tonight's Blue Jays game, including two from the Dodgers.
Pedro Martinez Rumors: Friday
4:54pm: The Phillies GM tells Stark that ESPN.com's report that he was in the Dominican is false, as he's in Philly, ready to watch his team play.
4:17pm: Stark says Pedro struck out three and allowed three hits over the course of three shutout innings in a simulated game.
3:55pm: Here's the full ESPN.com story. Amaro Jr. watched Pedro throw after a brief rain delay.
3:44pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark hears from his colleague Enrique Rojas that Ruben Amaro Jr. flew to the Dominican Republic today to watch Pedro throw.
10:43am: The Phillies are in serious talks with Pedro Martinez. They liked what they saw and they'll take another look at him today. In the meantime, here are the latest Pedro rumors.
- Ray Parrillo and Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer report that Pedro's agent says there's strong interest from both sides.
- ESPN.com reports that a deal with Pedro won't prevent the Phillies from pursuing Roy Halladay.
- Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies can win without Pedro.
Astros Claim Chris Coste
The Astros claimed catcher Chris Coste off waivers after the Phillies released him, according to Scott Lauber of the Wilmington News Journal. Coste, 36, was hitting .245/.342/.382 in 45 games for the Phillies, with a pair of homers. The Phillies let the fan favorite go to make room for Raul Ibanez.
Olney On Nats, Rockies, Halladay
ESPN.com's Buster Olney likes the looks of the Mariners, especially with a top three of Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn. Here are Olney's latest rumors:
- Nats GM Mike Rizzo says he doesn't have to dump payroll, which gives the team flexibility when considering deals for Nick Johnson, Austin Kearns and others. If they find a worthwhile deal, the Nationals could likely contribute money to make it work.
- As much as the Rockies would like to add a reliever, there are few desirable options out there now, so they may have to wait until closer to the deadline.
- No team has come forth with an aggressive offer for Roy Halladay so far.
- Olney hears that the Phillies would like to add two starters. Halladay and Pedro Martinez are the names they've been connected to recently.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Halladay
On this date one year ago, Richie Sexson was released by the Seattle Mariners with almost $8MM remaining on his contract. Sexson would later sign with the Yankees and appear in 22 games and hit one home run. With the trade deadline fast approaching, let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- MLB Notebook breaks down the contenders for Roy Halladay.
- Over the Monster says the Red Sox won't trade for Roy Halladay and they don't need him.
- The Yankee Universe takes a look at what trading for Roy Halladay would mean for the Yankees' payroll.
- Sports Jabber says the Phillies "must" acquire Roy Halladay as long as they don't have to give up anybody that would potentially help the team this year or next.
- Simon on Sports weighs the pros and cons of trading Roy Halladay.
- Fire Brand of the American League sees the Red Sox as the best fit for Roy Halladay as long as the Jays are willing to deal within the division.
- The Phrontiersman makes a case that the Phillies farm system is deep enough to surrender their top prospects for Roy Halladay.
- Sox and Pinstripes argues that neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox will land Roy Halladay.
- Sports of Boston looks at who the Red Sox should keep and who they should move in the next few weeks, in light of the Roy Halladay rumors.
- The Blue Jay Hunter offers the viewpoint of a Jays fan on the Roy Halladay rumors.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here, and followed on Twitter here.
Heyman On Halladay, Pedro, Ackley, Andruw
SI.com's Jon Heyman hears that the Blue Jays could keep Roy Halladay, especially since Toronto fans would not be receptive to a deal that sends their ace elsewhere. If the Jays do deal Halladay, they say they're looking for two premium prospects who will be ready for the majors next year and two other prospects who are further away from making big league contributions. Here are the details and the rest of Heyman's rumors:
- One executive says the Phillies, Giants and Angels have the best shots at acquiring Halladay.
- The Yankees and Mets have both spoken with the Blue Jays.
- It seems odd for teams to set some prospects off limits when the Jays are making Halladay available, but teams like the Rangers and Giants could conceivably deal for Doc and hold onto one or two of their top prospects.
- Executives haven't heard that the Blue Jays are trying to unload Vernon Wells' salary in a combined deal with Halladay.
- No executives believe teams would take Wells under any circumstances. They have "no shot" at moving him, according to one executive.
- Heyman credits Pedro Martinez's agent, Fern Cuza, for some impressive deals but doubts the report that suggested the Phillies will pay Pedro $4MM, unless it's prorated.
- Scott Boras met Mariners people to discuss second-overall pick Dustin Ackley, but the two sides made little progress.
- Heyman praises Andruw Jones for turning down offers from the Braves and Yankees to sign in Texas with coach Rudy Jaramillo.