Cafardo’s Latest: Martinez, Boston, Pitching
In his latest piece for The Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo reports that the Indians turned down an offer of Clay Buchholz for Victor Martinez according to an NL scout. The Red Sox then countered with a package of Michael Bowden, Justin Masterson, and an outfield prospect, but the Indians turned that down as well.
Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…
- In addition to Boston, the Indians are also fielding offers from the Rays and Giants for Martinez, but aren't inclined to make a deal unless a team's best prospects are involved.
- Cafardo runs through the list of other pitchers that "could be pried away," including Scott Kazmir, Cliff Lee, Erik Bedard, Jarrod Washburn, and George Sherrill. He says it'll take "a blockbuster package" to land Lee.
- Aubrey Huff and Kevin Millar are also available.
- The Red Sox will "dip in the (Roy) Halladay sweepstakes" if the price comes down, but otherwise will look for a righthanded bat that can play the outfield.
- Cafardo says it will be interesting to see if the Yankees, Phillies and Dodgers are aggressive at the deadline or take a pass, considering all three clubs are playing well right now.
- The White Sox could pull off something big because GM Kenny Williams "has a bit of gambler in him."
- It'll be interesting to see if the Giants' plans to add a bat are put on hold after the sudden death of principal owner Sue Burns.
- Twins GM Bill Smith may add a middle infielder and/or a reliever before the deadline. Last night we learned that they were "deep into talks and talking composition of a deal" with the A's about Orlando Cabrera. The team might be able to stretch it's normal payroll with Target Field opening next year.
- Cafardo proposes a "swap of underachieving Scott Boras clients," J.D. Drew and Magglio Ordonez.
- While there is some uneasiness about there not being any substantive talks between the Nationals and Stephen Strasburg, those kind of deals can come together quickly. The signing deadline is August 17th.
- The Rangers are unable to add payroll, which will hamstring their efforts that the trade deadline.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Saturday
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.
Odds & Ends: Sano, Marlins, Beattie, Mariners, Reds
Saturday night (link) fever…
- Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com reports that Orioles director of international scouting John Stockstill met with representatives for Miguel Angel Sano in recent days. "We certainly expressed an interest in him becoming a Baltimore Oriole," Stockstill said.
- After speaking with president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest, Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald says that the Marlins are definitely not sellers as the trade deadline approaches.
- Former O's GM Jim Beattie was on 96.3 The Big Jab in Portland, ME earlier today, and told a story about a deal that would have sent A.J. Burnett and Mike Lowell to Baltimore at the 2005 trade deadline had it not been shot down by owner Peter Angelos.
- MLBTR's own Ben Nicholson-Smith was on the same station earlier today talking trade deadline. Give it a listen.
- Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times says that if the Mariners get a really good offer for Erik Bedard, Jarrod Washburn, or Russell Branyan, they should take it considering the team's recent swoon.
- Tyler Hissey at Around The Majors wrote about some of the Reds' deadline options.
- With the deadline now less than a week away, make sure you follow MLBTR on Twitter to get your updates even faster.
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Mariners, Cardinals, Indians
Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has a new Full Count video up. Let's round up the rumors…
- With the Mariners fading out of contention, they could make lefties Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn available. If they do, it could cloud the market for Roy Halladay because teams will have more options.
- One GM tells Rosenthal that the Mariners are likely to play out the weekend before deciding to sell.
- The Yankees have been in touch with Seattle, and would love to see Washburn made available again after expressing interest in him in the past.
- The Brewers remain "on the periphery" of the Halladay sweepstakes, but they aren't playing well enough to justify such a major trade.
- After moving five players and adding $6MM in salary to acquire Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa, Albert Pujols shouldn't have any questions about ownership's commitment to winning. However with Holliday likely to leave as a free agent after the season, the team will be in the same situation again, looking for a bat to protect Pujols.
- Indians ownership would need to sign off on a deal involving catcher Victor Martinez or lefty Cliff Lee, neither of which is imminent. The team knows the Red Sox will not trade them Clay Buchholz in a package for Martinez, and moving Lee would be an even bigger blow given how thin their pitching staff is right now.
In a separate video, Rosenthal says that the Phillies and Blue Jays are still haggling over which players would be included in a potential deal for Halladay. The Angels have made a strong offer for Doc, and the Jays expect other teams to get involved this week. Meanwhile, Lee's agent Darek Braunecker says Lee has told his team that he will test the free agent waters at the end of next season after being told "no" when asking about a contract extension last spring. If traded, Lee prefers it to happen sooner rather than later.
Odds & Ends: Braves, Orioles, Arroyo, Strasburg
Some links to check out on the night Derek Jeter tied Ted Williams on the career hits list with 2,654…
- MLB.com's Mark Bowman writes that if the Braves make a move before next Friday's trade deadline, "the best bet is that they'll add a reliever." He mentions Danys Baez, Takashi Saito, Ron Mahay, and John Grabow as available options.
- Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun took a look at the Orioles' main trade chips, including Baez, Aubrey Huff, George Sherrill, and Ty Wigginton.
- Bronson Arroyo is officially on the trading block, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman,
- The camp of top pick Stephen Strasburg has expressed concern over the Nationals' uncertain general manager situation, reports Chico Harlan of The Washington Post.
- Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times says that despite the Matt Holliday haul, the Mariners shouldn't expect as big of a return for Erik Bedard or Jarrod Washburn because they only project to be Type-B free agents after the season.
- Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said ""We'll be aggressive but we won't be stupid," when it comes to making trades according to Tom Haudricourt.
- Scott Lauber of The News Journal wrote about the dilemma of trading prospects.
Odds & Ends: Garland, Washburn, Giants
Lots of interesting rumblings from around the league–could be an exciting evening here at ol' MLBTR. Here are some intriguing links to feed the insatiable frenzy:
- After Mark Reynolds criticized his D'Backs teammates a few weeks ago, Jon Garland took it a step further Wednesday, saying he "doesn't see any fight" in his teammates. As Bob Romantic at the East Valley Tribune notes, this could accelerate trade rumors already surrounding Garland.
- The Dallas Morning News asks Rangers fans who they'd deal for Cliff Lee.
- Buster Olney at ESPN gives a video-blog rundown of what the Red Sox have done in the trade market and what they plan to undertake.
- Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse says that a number of scouts reported to the Dodgers' Double-A affiliate, including two from the Braves.
- Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times talked with trade target Jarrod Washburn, who expresses interest in signing a contract extension with the Mariners.
- Henry Schulman at the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Nationals are scouting the Giants' Double-A affiliate, and speculates that Adam Dunn, Joe Beimel, Ron Villone or Nick Johnson might be on the Giants' radar.
- Chris Haft at MLB.com answers fans' questions about the Giants' stance at the upcoming deadline.
- Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com wonders if improved play would make Ryan Garko the next to leave the Indians, as Matt LaPorta waits in the wings.
Zduriencik: No Pressure For Mariners
The Mariners are six games over .500, trailing the Angels and Rangers for the AL West lead just a year after losing 101 games. GM Jack Zduriencik has to decide whether to deal now, in August, or hope his team can win as-is. Here are the details from his conversation with Larry Stone of the Seattle Times, a chat that ended when the sight of Ken Griffey Jr. tickling Ichiro distracted the GM:
- Zduriencik doesn't feel pressure, even ten days before the trade deadline.
- He expects some deals to go down in August.
- He's open to re-signing his own free agents after the season, though he has only had casual conversations on the subject so far. Adrian Beltre, Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn headline the Mariners' crop of free agents.
- The Mariners are glad to have 2008 trade candidate Washburn around this year.
Odds & Ends: Yankees, Marquis, Washburn
A fresh batch of links for your Saturday afternoon enjoyment…
- Sweeny Murti of WFAN gathered a quote from Yankees GM Brian Cashman on the club's starting pitching depth: "Right now I don't feel like we need a guy…because we're going internal and waiting to see how that works out." In other words, they probably won't take part in the Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee sweepstakes.
- Tracy Ringolsby, writing for FOXSports.com, notes how a change of scenery has benefited 30-year-old right-hander Jason Marquis, who was named to his first All-Star team earlier this month.
- Mike Lipka of the Associated Press, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer, suggests Jarrod Washburn's chances of being moved hinge on the Mariners' play over the next few weeks. If the M's begin to slip back in the AL West, the left-hander will almost definitely be wearing a different uniform in August.
- Rickey Henderson, 50, acknowledged Friday that his playing days are over. But, as the all-time stolen base leader told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, he would love to pursue a career in coaching.
- Crasnick appeared on Portland, Maine's CMSB this morning and touched on several of the topics we've been throwing around here the past few weeks. He, like other experts have echoed recently, called the chances of a Halladay deal "50-50."
Taking Stock Of Seattle’s Trade Chips
The Mariners are in the playoff hunt with a 46-42 record, though many expected them to be sellers this month. As Gregg Bell of the AP reports, Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu and trade candidate Jarrod Washburn say they want to keep the team together and attempt to win now.
- Miguel Batista – Baker says it makes sense to move Batista, who makes $3.3MM before the end of the year. He could offset salary coming to Seattle.
- Relievers Sean White and Mark Lowe would atract interest and the Mariners may feel they have enough depth to part with one of them, especially with prospect Phillippe Aumont on his way.
- Unless the Mariners fall from contention, Baker suggests it makes sense to hold Erik Bedard, whose value is limited because of his time on the DL.
- Dealing Jarrod Washburn is a "no-brainer" if the M's fall out of it.
- Brandon Morrow, Wladimir Balentien and Jeff Clement could all be moved as well.
Olney On Halladay, Bay, Mulder
Any team with serious plans to acquire Roy Halladay cannot approach the Blue Jays with a list of untouchable players, as ESPN.com's Buster Olney points out. Here are the details:
- If the Phillies want Halladay, they'll have to be prepared to discuss players like Michael Taylor, Dominic Brown, Kyle Drabek and Jason Knapp.
- The Nats have a powerful young catcher in SIngle A. Derek Norris has already clubbed 20 homers, one for every year he's been alive.
- If Jason Bay signs a contract extension early, he'll determine how much Matt Holliday receives on the open market after the season. Bay's older than Holliday, but he has 12 more homers and an OPS that's 100 points better than Holliday's, so he figures to sign for more.
- The Mariners could think about extending Jarrod Washburn, Erik Bedard and Russell Branyan after the season if they don't trade them.
- Mark Mulder wants to pitch in the majors soon and he expects to begin auditioning for scouts in the next week or ten days.