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Angels Rumors: Aybar, Harang, Bell

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Mike DiGiovanna at the L.A. Times talked to Angels GM Tony Reagins, who said "There are various scenarios we're working on." DiGiovanna says they're still very much in the mix for Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, but summarizes a bit of news and lists intriguing potential targets should talks for the aces fail:

  • The Blue Jays reportedly asked for Erick Aybar, Jered Weaver or Joe Saunders, Brandon Wood, and one of either Trevor Reckling or Peter Bourjos.
  • The Angels might not have the top-flight pitching prospects the Indians desire in return for Lee.
  • The second tier of their pursuits for a starter could include Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Jarrod Washburn, Jon Garland, or Ian Snell. Chances for this kind of deal are slim, DiGiovanna notes.
  • Among relief help being sought by the Angels: Brandon League, Scott Downs, George Sherrill and Chad Qualls. The Halos' offers for Michael Wuertz and Heath Bell have apparently been turned down.

Angels Turning Their Attention To Lee

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Tim Brown and Gordon Edes of Yahoo! Sports report that the Angels have "shifted their emphasis" to Cliff Lee after being frustrated in their pursuit of Roy Halladay. The Halos do not want to part with Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood, and another prospect for a single pitcher, even one as great as Halladay, and they believe they can land Lee with a lesser package.

The article also mentions that the Angels are also looking for a power arm to add to their pen.

Ricciardi: Chances Of A Deal “Very Slim”

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8:00pm: FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal just heard from Ricciardi that the chances of Halladay leaving Toronto at this point are "very slim."  Here's more from the general manager:

"We've said that we would listen, but that we would have to be motivated and 'wowed.  Right now we haven't been. I've said all along my gut tells me I won't be. I still stand by that."

"If we get to the last week," Ricciardi added, "and haven't really made any progress with anybody, I'm not going to say it's 100 percent certain, but I would have to pretty much think it's not going to get done."

It sure sounds like the Blue Jays aren't going to lower their asking price.

7:38pm: Olney notes that the Rangers have also been handed a "this-is-what-it-would-take proposal by the Blue Jays in the last 72 hours."  It's more about salary for Texas, though, than it is about prospects.  Sources have deemed them "semi-alive."

7:18pm: Christian Caple of MLB.com passes along this little note: 

[Halladay is] scheduled to pitch on Wednesday, but whether he makes that start is up in the air. Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi said last week he wants Halladay assured of his future when he takes the hill for that outing — in other words, if Halladay does pitch on Wednesday, supposedly, he won't be traded before the deadline.

This goes back to the self-imposed pre-July 31 deadline that Ricciardi suggested in early July.  It'll be interesting to see if they stick to it.

5:21pm: According to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, the prospect-heavy Rangers "are talking to the Blue Jays about Halladay and they have asked the Indians about Lee… but financial considerations may make any deal tough.  As Sullivan adds, "The Rangers are unlikely to take on a significant salary in any deal."

4:54pm: FOX Sports reports that the Red Sox remain in the mix for Halladay as well, and the Jays have made a multiple-prospect proposal in recent days. The Jays still prefer not to deal within the division, however.

2:05pm: Jon Heyman provides an update, via Twitter, stating that the Phillies are beginning to consider Cliff Lee as an alternative to Halladay. Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer confirms this, and adds that the Phillies are expected to have a scout watching Lee in Seattle. Martino also tweets that Toronto is scouting Dominic Brown today.

11:16am: ESPN's Jayson Stark is reporting that the Blue Jays have rejected the Phillies latest offer of Carrasco, Donald, J.A. Happ and outfielder Michael Taylor. The Jays are telling interested teams they are only going to deal Halladay if they are "wowed" by an offer.

9:45am: Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports says that as of Saturday night, the Angels "were of the mind to remove themselves from the Roy Halladay talks, believing they were never going to come close to the Blue Jays’ asking price of Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood and a prospect such as outfielder Peter Bourjos."

9:36am: Late last night we learned that the Phillies were "trying to steer" the Blue Jays towards a package centered around prospects Carlos Carrasco and Jason Donald for Roy Halladay, but no agreement was imminent. Let's start the day off with a a few Halladay-related links, and add to them as we go. Make sure you check back in for updates throughout the day.

  • Helene Elliott of The LA Times reports that "Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti has said the Blue Jays have identified three players on the Dodgers' major-league roster that they'd take for Halladay, but Colletti hasn't exuded optimism that a deal will get done."
  • Andy Martino of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes about how all the trade talk has impacted the Phillies clubhouse.

Roy Halladay Rumors: Saturday

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10:19pm: Heyman tweets that the Yankees might consider giving up Chamberlain for Halladay, but won't entertain both Chamberlain and Hughes.

8:14pm: Ray Parrillo and Jim Salisbury of The Philadelphia Inquirer report that the Phillies "were trying to steer the Blue Jays" towards a package centered around Carrasco and infielder Jason Donald.

7:53pm: Heyman tweets that the Jays suggested to the Yankees today that it would take Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and two more for Halladay.

7:36pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com report that the Jays countered the Angels offer by asking for a four player package that included Joe Saunders, Brandon Wood, Erick Aybar, and one prospect from the group of Trevor Reckling, Peter Bourjos, and Sean O'Sullivan. They also mention that as many as five teams are talking with Toronto about Halladay.

4:17pm: According to Gordon Edes of Yahoo! Sports, the Angels "did indeed make a run at Halladay, offering Jered Weaver plus the Blue Jays' pick of outfield or infield prospects" Bottom line, it wasn't enough.

3:47pm: Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse has more. Here's his most recent tweet: "Source: 'I'd be shocked' if Phillies reverse course and include Happ [and] Drabek for Halladay. But [second] source [says] Blue Jays 'got to' have both."

3:08pm: ESPN's Jayson Stark reports the Blue Jays have presented similar proposals (or lists of desired prospects) to the Dodgers and Angels.  "The ball is in their court," as Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi said Friday.

2:40pm: Jeff Blair of the Toronto Globe and Mail heard from a Jays scout that "there's one big team yet to make a play for Doc."  Blair hints that one "big team" might be the Red Sox.

1:04pm: According to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian, the Phillies have formally rejected the Blue Jays' proposal.  Philadelphia is reportedly opposed to giving up both Drabek and Happ.

12:43pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports are reporting that the Angels have "intensified their bid" for Halladay. The Jays are said to be asking for one player from the Halos' major-league roster and "another who could make an impact in 2010."

Additionally, Jays officials are said believe Halladay's past two brilliant outings make their recent offers "reasonable." Sources don't believe a deal will be completed this weekend.

10:46am: Jayson Stark at ESPN says that the Phillies are now balking at the Blue Jays' asking price, which was formally presented Thursday as J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek and Dominic Brown. It's believed they're hoping to substitute Carlos Carrasco for one of Happ or Drabek, particularly Drabek.

9:25am: Talks might be heating up. Jon Heyman at SI says "there's no way he stays" with the Blue Jays, as discussions with the Phils have become "intense." MLB.com's Jordan Bastian saw Halladay emerge from the clubhouse in uniform, though, so nothing's imminent for now.

3:30am: Check out the latest from Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  He says that while the Jays want Drabek, Happ, and Brown for Halladay, they did send assistant GM Tony LaCava to watch Phils prospect Carlos Carrasco pitch.

Salisbury adds that the Phillies have interest in Cliff Lee, Erik Bedard, and Jarrod Washburn as backup plans, and will scout Lee Sunday.

12:20am: We learned yesterday that Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi is in serious discussions with four teams about ace pitcher Roy Halladay.  The Phillies are known to be the favorite.  A piece of info to kick off the Saturday post from Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail:

Know this: Halladay has told people that the Phillies are his preferred choice if he were to be traded. The Blue Jays want pitchers J.A. Happ and Kyle Drabek and one of two outfield prospects: Michael Taylor or Dominic Brown.

That's important, given Halladay's full no-trade clause.  Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports agree that Halladay would approve a trade to Philly.

The Phillies and Yankees were in Toronto last night scouting Halladay's gem against the Rays, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.  Rosenthal and Morosi say "Ricciardi has yet to engage" the Yanks in trade talks though. 

Despite the rumors, Doc told Bastian and other reporters after the game he feels like he's going to remain a Blue Jay.  He doesn't feel the urgency for a trade on his or the team's part.  Halladay also clarified his stance on free agency, for which he's eligible after the 2010 season.

Stark On Rockies, Angels, Pierre

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In his latest article, Jayson Stark also discusses the many Rockies and Angels thought to be available. Here are the latest rumors:

  • The Phillies are "hunting quietly" for right-handed outfielders. Ryan Spilborghs is on their radar.   
  • One official said Dan O'Dowd would consider moving "anyone" on the Rockies.
  • The Rangers are believed to be watching Huston Street closely.  
  • Jason Marquis could become available too, but some think the Rockies should hang on, given his success. 
  • The Angels seem willing to listen on Mike Napoli, Jeff Mathis and their entire infield, which consists of Kendry Morales, Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar and Chone Figgins.
  • They appear to have interest in young, high-upside pitchers, which could mean they're unsure they'll re-sign John Lackey after the season. 
  • The Dodgers are "sending out signals" that Juan Pierre could be available when Manny Ramirez returns. It's unclear whether the Dodgers would pick up any of the $15MM or so remaining on Pierre's contract.  
  • Among top starters, Erik Bedard is "most frequently connected with the Phillies," but many people around baseball doubt he would fit in Philadelphia.
  • Phillies prospects Lou Marson and Michael Taylor are likely available, but J.A. Happ, Antonio Bastardo, Dominic Brown, Kyle Drabek, Jason Knapp, Jason Donald and Carlos Carrasco would be much harder to acquire.
  • One scout thinks the Pirates may have acquired three future stars for Nate McLouth.   

Rosenthal On Spilborghs, Peavy, Aybar

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that teams began calling the Rockies about Ryan Spilborghs last week when Carlos Gonzalez was called up. Here are the details from Rosenthal's column:

  • The Phillies, Red Sox and Tigers were among the teams inquiring about Spilborghs. 
  • The Rockies will likely take their time fielding offers for Spilborghs and their other trade candidates. Jason Marquis, Huston Street and Brad Hawpe could all be dealt, but the Rockies aren't in a hurry to part with them.
  • Rosenthal finds it hard to imagine the Padres trading Jake Peavy before the offseason unless the Cubs get permission to take on his contract or a surprise bidder emerges.
  • The Angels could trade Erick Aybar for a bat or a reliever and make Brandon Wood their everyday shortstop. The Red Sox, Mets, Royals and Cardinals could use help at short.
  • The A's, riding a seven game win streak, are not involved in any trade talks right now.  
  • The Angels would love to deal Gary Matthews Jr. for another overpaid player, but it's tough to match up bad contracts.  
  • The Mets made a "blunder" when they paid $36MM for Oliver Perez when they could have gone after, Randy Wolf, who's only guaranteed $5MM.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Tejada, Laird, Renteria, Sherrill

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New one from Ken Rosenthal…

  • The Padres will ask Greg Maddux again to consider accepting a trade to a team not located on the West Coast.  The Dodgers haven’t shown interest.
  • One big league source told Rosenthal that the Astros have had "absolutely no dialogue" about Miguel Tejada. 
  • The Marlins are the most aggressive suitor for Gerald Laird.  The Brewers, Reds, and Yankees are also in on the Rangers’ catcher.  Rosenthal points out a Doug Melvin connection – Melvin acquired Laird as the Rangers’ GM back in ’02.  [UPDATE: Rangers guru Jamey Newberg tells me that it was actually John Hart and Grady Fuson who acquired Laird in ’02, not Melvin.]  The Rangers continue to target young starting pitching in return.
  • Looks like speculation, but Rosenthal wonders whether the Cardinals would consider re-acquiring Edgar Renteria.
  • So far the Orioles have had no success trying to acquire shortstops like Erick Aybar, Alcides Escobar, and Reid Brignac for George Sherrill.

Stark’s Latest: Eyre, Sherrill

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ESPN’s Jayson Stark has been burning up the phone lines today.  New blog posts can be found here and here.

  • Brian Fuentes and Damaso Marte are off the market, but lefty relievers remain plentiful.  The Cubs would like to move Scott Eyre, perhaps to an AL club like the Rays, Red Sox, or Tigers.  Eyre is in the last year of a three-year contract and can block trades to ten clubs.
  • The Orioles would like to pry a young shortstop loose if they are to trade George Sherrill.  Erick Aybar, Maicer Izturis, and Jason Donald are names of interest, but the Angels and Phillies aren’t biting.

More Rosenthal

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Ken Rosenthal’s been a busy man today.  He’s got another column up for FOXSports.com; go read it.  The high-level version:

  • Rosenthal sees the Yankees declining Bobby Abreu’s 2008 option and turning to Melky Cabrera or a big name free agent for right field.  I agree; you can check out my other assessments of 2008 club options here.  Might be time to switch my predictions on Juan Uribe, Jose Guillen, and Paul Byrd.  I can now see Uribe declined and the other two exercised. Byrd has come alive, and Guillen’s strong May has sparked the chance of the Ms taking their $9MM option for ’08.
  • Torii Hunter’s having a well-timed career year, but the Twins can’t trade him unless they’re out of contention.  Tough situation.  The Twins are 7.5 games back in the Central, 7 out of the wild card.  If it’s double digits in July the decision gets easier.
  • It wouldn’t be easy for the Cardinals to trade Scott Rolen right now, based on the factors outlined here.
  • Erick Aybar remains an excellent trading chip for the Angels.  His .600 OPS doesn’t help his value, but it’s pretty much what PECOTA expected.  There’s a small chance Aybar becomes Barry Larkin, but to me he looks like the next Cesar Izturis.

White Sox Considering Erick Aybar?

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In his latest blog post at ESPN, Peter Gammons mentions that the White Sox might pursue Angels shortstop Erick Aybar if Juan Uribe’s future remains unclear.  Joe Crede could be the trade candidate.

Aybar, who turned 23 yesterday, hit .283/.327/.413 in Triple A last year (equivalent to .234/.269/.328 in the Majors).  Baseball America ranks Aybar as the Angels’ third best prospect, behind Brandon Wood and Nick Adenhart.  Aybar has come up in many trade rumors already in his career.  According to BA, Aybar handles the bat well and his glove, arm, and speed are plus tools. They see him as more of a bottom-of-the-order, defensive-minded SS.

My feeling is that swapping out Uribe and Crede for Aybar and Fields would make the Sox significantly worse in 2007…but it is just a trade rumor right now.

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