Billy Wagner

Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Cubs, Free Agents

By Eddie Schmid | August 25, 2009 at 7:00pm CDT

Some links to mull over during game time:

Matthew Pouliot at NBC Sports notes that three upcoming free agents did not have pleasant days.
Dave Cameron at Fangraphs thinks the Red Sox got a break in that Billy Wagner requested they don't exercise his 2010 option.
Mark Kotsay holds no grudges against the Red Sox after being dealt to the White Sox earlier this year, reports Kevin McNamara at the Providence Journal.
Steve Rosenbloom at the Chicago Tribune thinks that if the Cubs seek out a new president, former Cubs broadcaster and current White Sox announcer Steve Stone should be considered for the post.

Red Sox Acquire Billy Wagner

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2009 at 5:51pm CDT

5:51pm: According to Nick Cafardo at the Boston Globe, the Red Sox were given permission from MLB to talk to Wagner, and Theo Epstein claims he didn't know Wagner would even be shipped over until the final hours of the proceedings. In reaction to previous reports that Wagner would not join the Sox, Epstein said:

"You guys (media) had nothing to do during those 48-hour windows, so there have been a lot of stories come out. Basically he had a full no-trade clause, so it was up to him whether he wanted to stay with the Mets or go to the Red Sox. Ultimately, in the end he woke up and said he wanted to join a team that was in the middle of a pennant race, had a chance to pitch into October, and a chance to get a ring."

4:39pm: The Boston Herald reports that the Mets will acquire Triple A outfielder Chris Carter in the deal. The second player, whose identity remains unknown, is apparently "not of significance."

12:53pm: Olney reports that the Red Sox won't send any top prospects to the Mets. Bart Hubbuch hears they're AA-level players. Olney says the Red Sox have agreed not to pick up Wagner's 2010 option, but they can still offer him arbitration (and collect compensation picks if he signs elsewhere).

The Red Sox will pay the rest of Wagner's salary, according to Heyman.

12:39pm: Heyman says the Red Sox acquired Wagner. Lennon says the Mets obtain two players to be named later.

12:26pm: Heyman reports via Twitter that Wagner is "on the verge" of accepting a deal to the Red Sox. He has four minutes to decide.

12:23pm: Olney reports that the Red Sox are expected to complete a deal for Wagner.

12:22pm: Via Twitter, Lennon says it looks like the deal will go through. An announcement is coming shortly.

12:12pm: Newsday's David Lennon hears that, while no deal is complete, the Mets and Red Sox could agree on one "soon."

12:00pm: Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe reports that Billy Wagner is now considering a deal to Boston. He is apparently drawn to the Red Sox because they're in the pennant race. Earlier today, we heard that Wagner blocked a deal because he didn't want to risk injuring himself down the stretch. ESPN.com reported today that Wagner's agent believes his client should only pitch once every three days.

With the deadline for a deal approaching, the Red Sox were talking to Wagner in an attempt to work out a deal, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Mets are "trying to talk sense" into Wagner. Heyman hears that the Red Sox still hope a deal will go through.

Odds And Ends: Wagner, Santana, Strasburg

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2009 at 1:54pm CDT

Odds And Ends: Halladay, O’Day, Scott, Giambi

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2009 at 9:56am CDT

Some links for the morning…

Be here at 2pm CST for this week's chat.
Jamey Newberg compares Roy Halladay and Derek Holland since July 31st and shows that the Rangers are looking good even though they didn't deal for Doc.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post says designating Darren O'Day for assignment was an "under-the-radar mistake" by the Mets.
MLB.com's Spencer Fordin says the Orioles are trying to evaluate Luke Scott at first base to see if he can play there long-term. No one's hitting him anything, so the O's are having trouble reading his ability.
Jason Giambi tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post that he has no problem playing in the minors or coming off the bench for the Rockies.
Curt Schilling said on WEEI in Boston that he's not surprised to hear Billy Wagner is passing up the chance to enter a playoff race.

Wagner Blocked Deal Because Of Health Concern

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 25, 2009 at 9:28am CDT

Billy Wagner invoked his no-trade clause because he wanted to protect his arm for the final month of the season, according Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe. The Globe's sources say Wagner doesn't want to compromise his chances of landing a contract in the offseason and prefers to play in lower-leverage games for the Mets. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports passed along similar information in his FOX Sports report last night.

The Red Sox were interested in Wagner for this season and would likely have turned down the $8MM option for next year and chosen to offer him arbitration instead. Apparently, Wagner was more concerned about possible injuries than the possibility that the Red Sox might lower his value by offering arbitration.

Wagner could change his mind by 12:30pm CST, but one source said the talks are "probably dead."

Billy Wagner To Invoke No-Trade Clause

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 24, 2009 at 10:49pm CDT

10:49pm: Wagner will invoke his no-trade clause to stay with the Mets, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal says the Red Sox were willing to concede to Wagner's demand not to exercise his $8MM 2010 option, but wouldn't agree not to offer him arbitration. As Rosenthal says, Wagner could be stuck with an arb offer from the Mets anyway.

Our latest Elias rankings projection has Wagner as a Type A among NL relievers with 78.8 points. Therefore, if Wagner's club is willing to risk him agreeing to a one-year deal for 2010, they'd have a shot at two draft picks by offering arbitration. (If you need a refresher on free agent compensation, click here). Wagner tossed a scoreless inning against the Phillies tonight, by the way.

9:24pm: Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets the following: "The general belief is, Mets and Red Sox both want to do a deal. Thus, a possible Wagner trade will be up to, yes, Wagner."

5:54pm: In a piece on ESPN.com this evening, Wagner would not commit to pitching after next season, saying "it's not going to be much longer," though no specific plans have been made.

Wagner cited concerns about how his career has affected his family, saying, "they've sacrificed enough."

According to ESPN, Wagner says he would like to reach 400 career saves and then pass John Franco, who holds the record for lefty closers with 424. Wagner currently has 385 career saves, which puts him sixth on the all-time list.

5:25pm: Ian M. Browne of MLB.com has some quotes from Wagner, who told the media, "My gut tells me I'm going to Florida [for the Mets-Marlins series] now. Unless something changes, I'll probably be a Met tomorrow."

In regard to his role in the bullpen should he land with the Red Sox, Wagner said, "I'm too old to set up. I don't want to go there and feel like I need to impress someone. That may not be good for them or for me."

1:07pm: The Red Sox have to guarantee they'll turn down Wagner's 2010 option for him to accept a trade to Boston, according to Mike Fitzpatrick of the AP (via the Miami Herald). Wagner wants to close next year and Jonathan Papelbon has a secure grasp of Boston's closing job.

1:02pm: Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox can't ask for a physical on Wagner. By placing him on waivers, the Mets are effectively guaranteeing Wagner's health. If it turns out that a player isn't healthy after he's moved, MLB can reassign him to his original team.

11:12am: This afternoon's Mets-Phillies game could determine whether the Red Sox acquire Billy Wagner. The Red Sox, who have until tomorrow to acquire the veteran lefty, seek clarification of Wagner's physical status, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Sources tell Olney that they're unsure Wagner is completely healthy.

If he has lingering health issues, the Mets will have to withdraw Wagner from waivers, which would prevent a move to Boston. Olney and Jon Heyman of SI.com both hear that Wagner's healthy, but a strong outing today could prove it. If he is healthy, the Mets could trade Wagner to the Red Sox (as long as he OKs the deal) or just hand the pitcher and his contract over.

Odds And Ends: Giambi, Wagner, Oswalt, Snyder

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 24, 2009 at 3:12pm CDT

Another round of links…

Ed Price of AOL FanHouse reports that the Rockies officially announced the signing of Jason Giambi to a minor league deal.
Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus says some clubs watch Latin American teams in the Little League World Series to establish preliminary lists of interesting players.
Billy Wagner pitched an inning for the Mets today and Gameday says he hit 95 mph. He threw nine of his 19 pitches for strikes and picked up two strikeouts, walking one without allowing a hit. The Red Sox were surely watching the outing since they have another day to work out a deal with the Mets for Wagner.
Roy Oswalt tells MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that time is running out and he wants the Astros to win soon, while he's around with Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman and possibly Miguel Tejada.
As MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reports, Chris Snyder is glad to have signed an extension when he did.

Heyman On Damon, Minaya, Wagner

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 24, 2009 at 12:28pm CDT

Jon Heyman of SI.com would like to see an Angels-Dodgers World Series. He breaks down lots of great possible matchups and, as always, provides some rumors:

The Yankees plan on bringing back Johnny Damon and they figure to make him an opening offer worth $6-8MM. It would be a big paycut from the $13MM he's currently making, but Damon seems to want to return to the Yanks.
As much as the Yankees like Hideki Matsui, they probably need the DH spot for players like Damon and Jorge Posada. Check out some possible destinations for Matsui right here.
It looks and sounds as though the Mets plan on keeping Omar Minaya around as GM, and the $3.5MM remaining on his contract definitely has something to do with their stance. As Heyman says, one of the best deals Minaya made was his own.
One GM believes Billy Wagner's a "difference maker" and suggested the Mets should seek a decent prospect in return for him.
The Cubs don't appear likely to fire Lou Piniella, Heyman hears.
Heyman guesses Tony La Russa will return when his contract with the Cardinals is up after the season.

Odds And Ends: Manny, Marlins, Wagner

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 24, 2009 at 8:42am CDT

Some links to start the week off…

Manny Ramirez, who has a $20MM player option for next year, shouted "I'm going to be here next year" to his Dodgers teammates, according to T.J. Simers of the LA Times. You never know with Manny, but it's hard to imagine someone offering him a better deal.
If you've ever wondered about some of the more lucrative performance incentives around baseball, check out Jorge Says No!.
The Marlins have a tiny payroll, but call them a surprise and Larry Beinfest starts to bristle, says Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says the feeling is the Red Sox will send a marginal player to the Mets for Billy Wagner if they can work out a deal with the former closer and his agent.

Drama Brewing Over Wagner Claim

By | August 23, 2009 at 9:15pm CDT

9:15pm: According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, "the Red Sox's chances of landing Mets reliever Billy Wagner are in serious jeopardy."

There are two main problems: Wagner wants to have the option of leaving after the 2009 season, and the Sox are not willing to guarantee that his 2010 club option will go unexercised. Boston management also wants to have the choice of offering the veteran salary arbitration, an idea to which Wagner's agent is adamantly opposed. The two sides have about 40 hours to come to an agreement.

6:14pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman is keeping tabs, via Twitter, on a war of words that has sprung up between Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon and recently-claimed reliever Billy Wagner. As Heyman "tweeted" a few hours ago, "wagner said he 'loves boston.' also said he doesn't expect to go. why? "inside intuition.''

Papelbon seemed to take exception to the comments and said Sunday afternoon that he doesn't feel the Red Sox necessarily need to add the 38-year-old veteran. Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal passes along the quote: "We have a good dynamic down there in the bullpen and guys who work well together," Papelbon said. "Is Billy Wagner a good pitcher? Will he bring more depth to our bullpen and make our bullpen better? There's no question about it. But you still have to think about what we have now and what we've been able to accomplish to this point in the season."

And here's Heyman, back on Twitter, with Wagner's response: "i dont have anything to say about somebody like that … when he walks in my shoes then i'll say something. let him be 38 and have tommy john surgery."

We'll keep you updated as the situation progresses. Keep in mind that the Red Sox and Mets have until 1 p.m. EST Tuesday to work out a deal.

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