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A.J. Burnett

Burnett Wouldn’t Mind Playing For Cubs

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SUNDAY, 9:09pm: Burnett clarified his comments, explaining that his focus and loyalty still lies with the Jays.  Burnett also pointed out that it’s no lock that he’ll opt out of his contract at year’s end.

SUNDAY, 10:30am: Wittenmyer continues working the Burnett angle today, getting quotes from the player indicating that he’d welcome a trade to the Cubs.  The Jays are six games out of the wild card, though, so they’ll probably want to hang on to Burnett for now.

SATURDAY: Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that the Cubs might want to take a second look at A.J. Burnett as the Jays are expected to shop him all throughout the next several weeks until the trade deadline.

Last night’s Cubs-Jays game served as a bittersweet "scouting foray" as Burnett pitched five effective innings, striking out seven. Pitching for the Cubs was Sean Gallagher, who according to Wittenmeyer, wasn’t on anyone’s radar to be the club’s fifth starter in June.

After Rich Hill’s struggles and demotion, the first-place Cubs are increasingly being mentioned in trade speculation.

Burnett is slated to make $12MM in ’09 and ’10; and can opt out of his contract at the end of the season.

By Alejandro A. Leal and Tim Dierkes

Rosenthal’s Latest: Blanton, Furcal, Penny, Burnett, Greinke

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The latest from Ken Rosenthal’s Full Count video:

  • The Braves called the A’s about Joe Blanton but did not even come close to meeting Billy Beane’s price.
  • The Dodgers may not want to lock up Rafael Furcal, the oft-injured shortstop, to a long term contract.  Also, with Brad Penny’s struggles, they may pass on his 2009 club option and trade him this season. They’d get something in return rather than pay his $2MM buyout in the offseason.
  • The only way the Jays will trade A.J. Burnett is if they fall completely out of contention.  Otherwise, he is a cornerstone to their only chance: "pitching teams into the ground."
  • The Royals could field offers for Zack Greinke.  Their farm system has thinned and they could replace Greinke in the rotation with Joakim Soria.

By Nat Boyle

Gammons On Available Pitchers

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ESPN’s Peter Gammons names ten starting pitchers who could be available in the coming months.  We’ll try to devise a comprehensive list when we get to the position in our Trade Market series.

Gammons’ trade possibilities: Paul Byrd, Jeremy Sowers, Derek Lowe, Rich Harden, Odalis Perez, Brett Tomko, Jarrod Washburn, Zach Duke, Vicente Padilla, and Kevin Millwood.  Byrd, Lowe, Perez, and Tomko will be free agents after the season.  Sowers and Duke are the kids.  Harden is the oft-injured ace.  Washburn, Padilla, and Millwood bring burdensome contracts.

Gammons also five "unlikely, but not impossible" scenarios.  He suggests A.J. Burnett, Bartolo Colon, Joe Blanton, Greg Maddux, and Ben Sheets could be moved under the right circumstances.

Odds and Ends: Perez, Jones, Howard, Burnett

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Let’s round up today’s linkage.

  • No more long-term discussions with Oliver Perez and the Mets.
  • Andruw Jones already wants to talk extension with the Dodgers.
  • The Cardinals are not likely to make anymore acquisitions.  In my view the team has question marks in right field, the middle infield, and the rotation.  Here’s a look at their MLB.com depth chart.  By the way, could Ryan Franklin be a league average starter?  They could try it if the current options don’t pan out.
  • Jim Salisbury thinks the Ryan Howard contract situation is a nonstory.  I think this is partially because (and I hope this doesn’t sound condescending) most fans do not understand the arbitration process.  Anyway Salisbury’s source says the Phillies would match Chase Utley’s seven-year, $85MM deal and might approach $100MM.  He says Howard may want "significantly more."
  • Ivan Rodriguez would like to play beyond the 2008 season and retire a Tiger.  If the Tigers can’t find a taker for Brandon Inge this year, he could be their starting catcher in ’09.
  • Carl Pavano doesn’t seem too popular in the Yankees’ clubhouse.
  • J.P. Ricciardi does not plan to do an extension during the season with A.J. Burnett.  I think Burnett will stay healthy enough to top the two years, $24MM he could get if he does not opt out.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Johan Santana’s Contract

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The biggest move of this year’s Hot Stove League was clearly the trade of Johan Santana. The subsequent contract given to Santana by the Mets set a new benchmark for pitchers and could have a lasting trickle-down effect on other pitchers in baseball. The players most likely to cash in on the Santana deal are other young lefties with strong track records. The first fallout appears to be in Cleveland, with the recent news that C.C. Sabathia has broken off contract talks. With pitchers and catchers conducting their first workouts in many camps today, let’s take a look at how Santana’s deal is affecting other pitchers in the blogosphere.

  • Let’s Go Tribe feels that Sabathia could command $150MM on the open market and breaking off contract talks means Sabathia will not be a member of the Indians in 2009.
  • Indians Confidential agrees that Sabathia is "as good as gone."
  • Tribe Report does not think the Indians should give Sabathia a seven-year deal as it is a stretch to think he will be worth $20MM at age 35.
  • MLB Fleece Factor calls it "The Santana Effect" and believes that Santana’s new deal means that A.J. Burnett will likely opt out of his contract in Toronto following the 2008 season. In addition, they believe that there is a possibility that the Jays will look to trade Roy Halladay prior to his 2010 free agency.
  • Rays Index believes there is a good chance the Rays will look to trade Scott Kazmir following the 2008 season. They feel that Santana’s deal will make it nearly impossible for the Rays to sign Kazmir to an extension prior to his 2010 free agency. In addition, the recent bounty obtained by the Orioles for Erik Bedard and the pipeline of top pitching prospects in the Rays’ system, suggest that it is in the best interest of the franchise to move their young ace.

by Cork Gaines

Rios For Cain Or Lincecum?

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UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 6:16pm: Jeff Blair says the Jays’ offer on the table is Rios for Lincecum, straight up.

UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 12:34pm: Brian Sabean wants more than just Rios for Lincecum (yes, the Jays prefer Lincecum based on service time).  The Giants want an improved proposal from the Jays, and Toronto could add Robinzon Diaz, Curtis Thigpen, or Brett Cecil.  Cecil would have to be a player to be named later since he was drafted in 2007.  He signed on June 22nd, so he can’t even be named as a PTBNL until December 22nd. 

UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 10:56am: Peter Gammons via Amy Nelson is saying it’s Lincecum for Rios currently rather than Cain.

UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 10:10am: Ken Rosenthal has some more details on these talks.  He says the Jays won’t add pitching to their side of the deal.  Additionally, they don’t want to move A.J. Burnett.  The Jays have a potentially elite rotation for 2008 if they can get Lincecum for Rios. 

FROM 12-4-07 at 10:46pm:

The San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea verifies that the interesting proposal Brian Sabean referred to involved the Jays’ Alex Rios.  The Jays want to swap him for Matt Cain. The Jays prefer Cain to Tim Lincecum, as they worry Lincecum might have durability issues.

It almost sounds like Lincecum alone wouldn’t get the Giants Rios, which is surprising.  Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi is serious about trading Rios; he laid out to reporters what the Jays’ outfield would look like without him.  By the way, the Giants have no interest in taking Troy Glaus in a deal.  For their third base vacancy, the Giants are looking at Brandon Inge.

Meanwhile MLB.com’s Chris Haft believes the Jays want Lincecum for Rios.  John, Chris – just talk to each other and sort this thing out.

Mets Inquire On Burnett

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UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 1:52pm: Stark says that though the Mets inquired, there’s little chance the Jays trade Burnett to them.  They’re trying to collect power arms for 2008.

FROM 12-5-07 at 1:54am:

According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Mets have inquired on Toronto’s A.J. Burnett.  Burnett’s opt-out effectively puts him on a one-year deal, but worse.

Burnett is definitely the frontline type of guy the Mets have been looking for, despite the injury concerns.  Those concerns plus the contract situation should definitely leave Burnett in the Mets’ price range.

Jays In On Lincecum, Bedard, Bay

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UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 12:34am: Blair has updated his article to reflect the Jays’ interest in Cain and Lincecum.  He says the Giants spent much of the day watching tape of the two, trying to decide which they prefer.  Putting two and two together, maybe the "interesting offer" Brian Sabean spoke of today was Alex Rios?

FROM 12-3-07 at 8:46pm:

The Globe and Mail’s Jeff Blair has several new rumors in his column tonight.

  • The Jays’ President, Paul Godfrey, is all about bringing in a big-name Canadian player.  Blair rattles off Jason Bay, Erik Bedard, Ryan Dempster, Rich Harden, and Eric Gagne as available Canada natives.  Of course, not all of those guys would be draws.
  • The Jays are indeed in on Bedard, which is a surprise since starting pitching is a strength of theirs.  This idea has been around since at least May though.  Blair talked to one exec who said the Jays are planning to get "aggressive and creative."  It had been previously thought the Jays would have a low-key winter.
  • Blair talks of somehow sending A.J. Burnett to Baltimore in a Bedard deal, which makes little sense for the O’s even if Burnett would like to play there.  In my estimation the O’s could ask for Alex Rios or Dustin McGowan for Bedard.  The Jays could try to push Adam Lind and Shaun Marcum instead but I don’t see that getting it done.  I could see the O’s asking about Travis Snider as well.
  • Blair says the Jays could get Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum "right away" if they’d offer Rios to the Giants.  Blair even says an expanded deal could send Lind and/or Troy Glaus over to San Francisco as well.  Hmmm.
  • Jordan Bastian of MLB.com isn’t hearing any of this stuff – but he did connect the Jays to…Paul Bako.  Blair and Bastian present two very different stories around the same ballclub.

Orioles Notes: Crisp, Burnett

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The always-informed Jeff Zrebiec has a few Orioles tidbits for us.

  • The Orioles didn’t engage in conversations with agents for any free agents during the GM meetings – just trade talks with other teams (about 15 total).
  • President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said that he’s open to trading with other teams in the AL East.  He just wants the best deal. 
  • With that in mind, two Yankees who interest the Orioles are Melky Cabrera and Kyle Farnsworth.  The Yankees could employ Miguel Tejada at third base, if he’s willing.
  • The O’s could have some interest in Coco Crisp, though he’s not atop their list.  But they do need some kind of center fielder.
  • The team’s ears perked up at the availability of A.J. Burnett, even though he makes no sense for them.

Mets Rumors: A-Rod, Kim, Silva, Kuroda

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Plenty of new hot stove talk involving the Mets.  Let’s get into it.

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