Halladay Season: Link Round-Up
The baseball realm is a-twitter with the news that the Blue Jays will listen to offers on Roy Halladay. Let's run down the latest bullet points on this front:
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian has a bevy of quotes from Roy himself: "It's a situation where I think if it's best for the team, if it's best for me, then you go from there."
- SI's Jon Heyman hears that the Jays may want a top SS prospect for the Doc, which could bode well for the Phillies, White Sox and Brewers, who all harbor chips in Jason Donald, Gordon Beckham and Alcides Escobar, respectively.
- Scott Gregor at the Daily Herald doesn't believe a deal with the White Sox for Halladay to be a likely scenario.
- Scott Lauber of the News-Journal says the Blue Jays already have a scout at the Phillies game tonight.
- Bill Shaikin at the L.A. Times asks Dodgers fans what their package deal for the Doc would be.
- Ken Davidoff at Newsday says it'd be "irresponsible" for the Mets and Yankees to not inquire on Halladay. Davidoff talked to Ricciardi, who insinuates that he wants a bigger package than what the Braves gave for Mark Teixeira a couple years ago.
- Tony Massarotti at the Boston Globe wonders just how unlikely an intra-divisional trade would be, and according to J.P. Ricciardi via WEEI.com's Rob Bradford, he apparently wouldn't hesitate to deal to an AL East competitor.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Tuesday
4:20pm: Ricciardi told Jon Heyman of SI.com that he wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't at least listen to offers for Halladay.
3:20pm: Ricciardi told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that he prepared his ace for a possible trade. Halladay told his GM that he will listen if Ricciardi decides on a deal and needs approval.
"We're going to see what's out there," Ricciardi told Olney.
Speaking to the Canadian Press, Ricciardi said he's not confident the Jays and Halladay have a future once their current deal expires after next year.
"I'm not so sure payroll-wise where we're going to be able to be after 2010," he said. "I'm not so sure that the player wants to stay here beyond 2010."
1:27PM: Roy Halladay can be had, but any team looking to acquire him will have to part with a number of top young players or prospects. Here are the details on the latest name to become available:
- Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail talked to J.P. Ricciardi who repeats that the Jays will listen to offers for Roy Halladay. However, the Jays are only going to trade him for an awesome collection of talent.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com sees the Phillies and Yankees as early favorites for Halladay, followed by the Angels.
- MLB.com's Todd Zolecki points out that the Blue Jays "hold all the cards." If they hear a great offer, they can take it; if not, they have their ace around for 2010.
Odds And Ends: O’s, Phillies, Braun, DeRosa
More links for the afternoon…
- Today's chat will take place in a little over an hour, at 2pm CST.
- It's worth checking out this Jerry Crasnick article at ESPN.com just for the photo of Nick Markakis balancing a folding chair on his chin. As Crasnick says, Markakis, Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold and Luke Scott will be an impressive group of outfielders on improved O's teams in the near future.
- In the midst of his mid-season awards, SI.com's Tom Verducci says the Tigers and Dodgers deserve credit for well-thought-out offseason moves.
- David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News lays out five possible packages the Phillies could offer the Jays for Roy Halladay. Every deal is headed by Dominic Brown or Kyle Drabek and includes other quality prospects.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Doug Melvin and Ryan Braun will meet today to discuss Braun's recent suggestion that the Brewers need pitching.
- One of this year's big acquisitions, Mark DeRosa, will hit the 15-day DL, according to Roger Hensley of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Olney On Pedro, Holliday, Hairston, Manny
The Phillies are going to watch Pedro Martinez throw today, but he'll need more than an impressive workout to latch on with the NL East leaders, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
- Pedro will have to accept that teams are going to want to pay him "like a 37-year-old pitcher who had a 5.61 ERA last season," not a future Hall of Famer.
- Olney wonders whether Pedro's low ground ball rate might prevent him from succeeding at Citizens Bank Park.
- The A's aren't currently involved in trade talks regarding Matt Holliday or the recently-acquired Scott Hairston.
- One scout who watched Manny Ramirez this week said he looked "heavy-legged" and out of shape.
Phillies Will Watch Pedro Throw
8:02pm: Phillies manager Charlie Manuel doesn't seem to think Martinez is the answer to his club's pitching woes (quote courtesy of MLB.com's Todd Zolecki):
"What I saw of him last year was, basically, he could give you five or six innings, probably," said Manuel. "His fastball is going to be 85-90, 86-90, somewhere in there. … I think the five-inning pitcher, I think you can find those guys. Also, for myself — and don't get me wrong, I want anybody that can improve our team, that means pitcher or position player or whatever — but at the same time, I'm a firm believer that in the Major Leagues today, if you go back and look and you look at All-Star teams and things like that, the good pitchers are young pitchers. Young pitchers with high-ceiling stuff, plus they're good enough right now to throw strikes."
6:19pm: David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News has confirmed that the Phillies will watch Pedro throw tomorrow in the Dominican Republic. Special assistant to the general manager Charlie Kerfeld will be on hand.
11:18am: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that the Phillies will scout Pedro in the Dominican Republic today or tomorrow.
9:21am: Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Phillies will scout Pedro Martinez in the near future to see if he can contribute to their injury-depleted rotation. Last week, Jon Heyman reported that the Phils had discussed Pedro, and they now have renewed interest.
Heyman On Street, Indians, Pedro, Davis
Jon Heyman of SI.com lists his mid-season award winners, led by Albert Pujols and Joe Mauer. Here are Heyman's latest rumors:
- Huston Street alone is worth more on the trade market than Matt Holliday. Dan O'Dowd must be happy with his return, which also included Carlos Gonzalez.
- Jhonny Peralta, Kerry Wood and Carl Pavano are all available.
- Indians GM Mark Shapiro believes he can still get a fair return for Cliff Lee if he deals him a year from now, a few months before the lefty is scheduled to become free agent.
- One executive says the Royals are "pushing" Brian Bannister as a trade candidate. However, they're reluctant to deal Gil Meche and Joakim Soria.
- Pedro Martinez intends to sign soon. We know the Phillies are scouting him. Could there be a match in Philly? The Rays are "thought to be in the mix," while the Yankees are not, even with Chien-Ming Wang's injury.
- There's apparently been "little progress" between the Brewers and D'Backs regarding Doug Davis.
- Nolan Ryan is part of one group trying to buy the Rangers.
Phillies, Rangers Interested In Wang
Saturday: Heyman says the Phillies offered "a prospect apparently not to Yankees' liking" for Wang.
Friday: SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Phillies and Rangers are among the teams interested in Yankees righthander Chien-Ming Wang. We first learned of Philadelphia's interest in the sinkerballer last weekend, but the Rangers are new to the discussion. With the recent news that Ben Sheets may not pitch all at this season, Texas could turn to Wang for help as they prepare to make a second half run at the first place Angels. They certainly have the young players to offer in exchange for Wang, or any other pitcher in the big leagues for that matter.
Wang famously struggled earlier in the season but has settled down of late, allowed three earned runs or less in his last four starts.
Phillies DFA Jack Taschner
The Associated Press reports that the Phillies have designated lefty reliever Jack Taschner for assignment to make room on the roster for tonight's starter Rodrigo Lopez. Taschner allowed 54 baserunners in 27.2 innings out of the pen this year, as lefthanders tattooed him for a .303-.465-.394 batting line.
The Phillies acquired Taschner in the offseason in exchange for catcher Ronnie Paulino.
Heyman On V-Mart, Red Sox, Chapman
Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Red Sox will come calling if the Indians are willing to part with Victor Martinez. And take this for what it's worth, but the Indians were scouting Boston's best prospects this week. Here are details on those two clubs and the rest of Heyman's rumors:
- Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson and Michael Bowden are just the sort of MLB-ready pitchers the Indians seek.
- Still, the Indians would require a stunning amount in return for Martinez or Cliff Lee, since both players can be part of a contending Indians club for affordable 2010 options.
- Generally speaking, the Red Sox are reluctant to deal their top young pitching.
- The Indians are relatively deep at catcher, with Kelly Shoppach and prospect Carlos Santana.
- Red Sox first base prospect Lars Anderson could also appeal to the Indians.
- The Pirates initially asked for Craig Stammen or Garret Mock in their recent deal with the Nats, but Mike Rizzo wasn't willing to deal them.
- The Phillies discussed Pedro Martinez, since there are few good fits for them on the trade market now.
- Heyman says Doug Davis makes sense for the Brewers.
- A D'Backs person says "[Dan] Haren stays," even though many of his teammates are believed to be available.
- Heyman names the Yankees as the early favorites to sign Aroldis Chapman.
Stark On Royals, Phillies, Holliday
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark asks some thoughtful baseball people why we're not greeting Manny Ramirez like the "team-wrecking, alibi-distorting, female-fertility-drug-popping scoundrel he is." And, of course, Stark has piles of rumors. Here they are:
- The Mets were never willing to move Bobby Parnell or other top young arms for Mark DeRosa, so they weren't as close to acquiring him as the Reds and Cubs were. The Phillies, Marlins and Giants were also in the mix.
- The Indians are more interested in dealing Rafael Bentancourt than Kerry Wood, whose contract ($15MM remaining) would be hard to move.
- The Royals will listen on anyone but Zack Greinke, but that doesn't mean they're looking to deal starters. They're "reluctant" to deal Brian Bannister, Kyle Davies or Gil Meche, who has a no-trade clause.
- The Phillies were looking at Juan Cruz, who the Royals say they'd only deal for an upper-tier prospect ready to make a big-league impact.
- The Reds will wait it out and ramp up their pursuit of a bat if they're in the race later in the month.
- One executive says Pedro Martinez didn't look bad in last month's workout; Pedro's just demanding too much money.
- The Phillies haven't given up on pursuing Cliff Lee, Erik Bedard or Roy Oswalt.
- The Braves are trying to deal Jeff Francoeur everywhere, but no one's interested. One front-office guy says his team would be interested if Francoeur's non-tendered.
- Officials are divided on whether Yunel Escobar could be dealt, but a trade is unlikely at best.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels says he is now looking to bolster his rotation.
- As expected, Daniels confirmed that the Rangers will have "limited" ability to take on salary at the deadline.
- The A's will want "two prospects with tremendous upside" for Matt Holliday if they deal him. It's unclear how much of the $6.75MM remaining on his contract the A's would pick up.
- Could Josh Willingham be the next-best bat on the market? One exec says he might be if Russell Branyan and Miguel Tejada don't become available.
- Another official says Willingham's unappealing because of his back issues.