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Cliff Lee

Heyman On Lee, Martinez, Green

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A look at the latest from SI.com's Jon Heyman…

  • Heyman addresses the issue of whether the Indians will trade staff ace Cliff Lee.  GM Mark Shapiro isn't thinking about it (not under consideration, according to Ken Rosenthal), and rival execs are divided.  Heyman says neither side made a contract extension proposal during the offseason.  The Indians will have Lee through 2010 once they exercise his option.
  • The Mets mulled calling up Fernando Martinez, but they'll stick to their plan of keeping him in Triple A until at least June.
  • The Orioles are "seriously considering" drafting USC shortstop Grant Green with their #5 pick.  However, the Padres are said to be eyeing Green at #3.

Rosenthal On Ortiz, Braves, White Sox

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The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…

  • Rosenthal notes how easy it would be for the Red Sox to find a left-handed hitter to top David Ortiz's 2009 production – many such bats are impending free agents and could be available in July.  A shortstop and young catcher also remain on Boston's wish list.  Unfortunately, with no-trade protection and about $22.5MM remaining on his contract, Ortiz is pretty much immovable.
  • Former D'Backs pitching coach Bryan Price resigned in part due to reservations about working for new manager A.J. Hinch. 
  • Rosenthal notes the Braves' surplus of quality minor league arms, and suggests they're well-equipped to trade for a bat.  The Braves rank 11th in the NL with 4.41 runs scored per game.
  • The White Sox's rotation is looking a bit shaky given the ineffectiveness of Jose Contreras.  Rosenthal says "the team eventually figures to be in the market for a starter."  The Sox are hanging in there at 3.5 games out with a 14-17 record.
  • Aside from Cliff Lee, Rosenthal believes Indians infielder Mark DeRosa could draw attention closer to the trade deadline.

Heyman On Nationals, Lee, A-Rod

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SI.com's Jon Heyman has a new column up; here are some highlights:

  • Heyman spoke with a Nats person who described college pitcher Stephen Strasburg's curve as a "legit hammer." The Nats will have the chance to draft him with their first overall pick this June.
  • The Nats could have a solid young rotation soon if they add Strasburg to go along with Shairon Martis and Jordan Zimmermann, both 22. John Lannan and Scott Olsen are only 24 and 25, respectively.  
  • There has been contact between the Nats and Pedro Martinez, though Heyman writes that Pedro makes more sense for a team trying to win now.  
  • Speculation that Cliff Lee could be dealt is "not crazy at all," especially considering that last year's C.C. Sabathia deal worked well for both the Indians and Brewers.  
  • Heyman also weighs in on the latest Alex Rodriguez controversy. 

Indians Willing To Trade Cliff Lee?

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FRIDAY: Talking to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, here's Indians GM Mark Shapiro on trading Lee:

"I'm not even thinking about that.  My focus is on us having a contending season and Cliff having a great season. I think the two go hand-in-hand."

Lee's agent Darek Braunecker says "right now it's just sheer speculation."

THURSDAY: Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com wrote about Indians starter Cliff Lee a few days ago.  The article includes speculation from rival executives:

Multiple officials familiar with the Indians said this week that they wouldn't be at all surprised to see Lee get traded if the Indians fall far out of the race, just as C.C. Sabathia was dealt away when Cleveland fell out of it last year.  "I think they'd love to trade him," one of the officials said.

The Indians were in last place, 13.5 games out, when they traded Sabathia to the Brewers on July 6th of last year.  They finished in third place, 7.5 games out.

Lee, 30, has a 5.25 ERA this year through four starts but pitched well in his last two starts.  He has yet to show last year's otherworldly control and 46% groundball rate.  At $5.75MM this year with a $9MM club option for 2010, Lee would be attractive on the trade market even if he's pitching like a middle-rotation guy.

Back in March, the Indians decided not to negotiate an extension with the Cy Young winner due to the economy.  Said Lee:

"They said they can't do it become of the economy.  I'd like to spend the rest of my career here. I would have loved to get that out of the way. But I can't force that to happen."

Odds & Ends: Robinson, Benitez, Lee

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A few links for Thursday…

  • According to Tracee Hamilton of the Washington Post, former Nationals manager Frank Robinson has been named Special Assistant to the Commisioner.  He'll basically work as an advisor to Bud Selig.
  • Milton Bradley had a 10-minute meeting with Cubs manager Lou Piniella on Thursday, presumably to discuss his on-field antics and clubhouse demeanor.  He was thrown out of a game and suspended last week.  He has also blown off the Chicago media a few times, and lazily ran out a grounder during Wednesday's game. 
  • Peter Gammons of ESPN said in a radio spot Thursday that he doesn't believe the Indians will end up trading Cliff Lee.  
  • The Newark Bears of the Atlantic League have signed former major leaguer Armando Benitez.  He spent part of last year with the Blue Jays, but is best remembered for his time as a closer for the Mets, Marlins and Giants.

The Jason Bay Trade Revisited

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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsbugh Post-Gazette recounts the details of the deadline deal that sent Jason Bay to Boston, specifically the final 7 minutes that reshaped the future of the Pirates organization. It's a really interesting read for any rumor-enthusiasts. Some points of interest:

  • According to Kovacevic, before finally dealing Bay at the buzzer, Pittsburgh had been working on dealing Bay for over a year and a half.
  • Before the 2008 season, the Bucs had come close to dealing Bay and catcher Ronny Paulino to Cleveland for Cliff Lee, Franklin Guttierez, and Kelly Shoppach. The Pirates did not feel it was enough and killed it.
  • Just 20 minutes before the 4p.m. deadline, Kovacevic says the Braves and Rays were considered the primary trading partners, particularly the "prospect-rich Rays." But with only 15 minutes left, "the Pirates called each [team] to insist upon a specific prospect package and summarily were rejected," writes Kovacevic.

The Rays Index takes a look at this article from a Tampa Bay perspective.

Heyman On Peavy, Tigers, Cliff Lee

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The latest from SI.com's Jon Heyman…

  • Heyman lists 30 breakout candidates for 2009, headed by Paul Maholm of the Pirates.
  • Padres GM Kevin Towers had this to say regarding trading Jake Peavy midseason: "If we start spinning our wheels, we might engage in discussions."  ESPN's Buster Olney also wrote about Peavy this morning, noting that the Cubs were "much closer than anybody realized at the time" to acquiring Peavy this winter.  Towers gave Olney a similar quote about Peavy – he doesn't want to think about it right now but if the team is out of contention it's possible.
  • Heyman names the Tigers and Blue Jays as teams that may look to dump salary this summer.  He speculates on names such as Jeremy Bonderman, Brandon Inge, Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez, Roy Halladay, Vernon Wells, and Scott Rolen.
  • Cliff Lee is a tricky case for an extension, but the Indians told his agent Darek Braunecker they'd let him throw out a bid.  Braunecker didn't bite, and negotiations are not expected to take place during the season.  You have to wonder if Lee will be traded next winter or at the 2010 trade deadline.

Indians Won’t Negotiate With Cliff Lee

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SATURDAY, 3:41pm: Indians GM Mark Shapiro brushed aside reporters Saturday when asked why negotiations won't take place this season (quote courtesy of CBSSports.com):

"Over the course of spring training, we meet with a number of player agents," Shapiro said. "Consistent with that, we talked with Darek Braunecker, who represents Cliff. Other than that, there's really nothing for me to say. We never talk about negotiations."

THURSDAY, 8:57pm: According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Indians told reigning Cy Young winner Cliff Lee they will not negotiate an extension with him right now due to the economy.  The Indians have a reasonable $9MM option on Lee for 2010, and he'll be eligible for free agency after that.

Lee's agent Darek Braunecker (of A.J. Burnett fame) confirmed the Indians' stance with Hoynes after meeting with the team.  Braunecker does not plan to discuss an extension during the season, and Lee noted that the player gains leverage when he enters his free agent year.  So the Indians would probably have to make a convincing offer to lock him up during the 2009-10 offseason after they exercise his option.

Lee is having a rough Spring Training – 25 hits and 16 earned runs allowed in 11.6 innings.

Stark’s Latest: Cain, Beltre, Burrell, Wigginton

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Let’s take a look at the latest column from ESPN’s Jayson Stark.

  • Stark wonders why no one has questioned MLB’s apparent trade deadline extension for the Manny Ramirez deal.
  • Currently the idea of the Brewers swapping Prince Fielder for Matt Cain is just fun speculation.  However, it is true the Brewers will listen on Fielder (he is about to get expensive).  The Giants are known to like the big first baseman.  The hangup is Brian Sabean’s reported unwillingness to trade Tim Lincecum or Cain.
  • The Giants also have their eye on Adrian Beltre.  The Mariners want starting pitching, but one year of Beltre is not equal to four of Jonathan Sanchez.
  • The Phillies still don’t want to go past two guaranteed years for Pat Burrell.  Stark points out another complication – Burrell would gain 10-and-5 rights early in a Phillies contract.  Any NL team inking Burrell for four years is a risky proposition given his defense.  If Burrell leaves the Phillies, Stark doesn’t expect the team to sign a major free agent as his replacement.
  • The Indians deserve props for acquiring Anthony Reyes.  Let’s not overdo it though – it’s only been five starts, and his strikeout rate is just 4.0 per nine in Cleveland.
  • The Indians talked to multiple teams about Cliff Lee last winter.  Interestingly, they thought the hardest about swapping him for Carlos Quentin.
  • The Astros were quite willing to trade Ty Wigginton, prior to his massive August.
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