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Red Sox Review

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Red Sox GM Theo Epstein spoke to the press yesterday, resulting in a slew of articles in the Boston papers.

Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe runs through the team’s entire 25-man roster.  Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald looks at Epstein’s to-do list, as does Joe McDonald of The Providence Journal.  Paul Kenyon of the Journal looks at the team’s minor free agents.  An overview of various common topics:

  • Jason Varitek.  Silverman sees an effort to re-sign him for one or two years, while McDonald thinks he will look for three or four.  Massarotti thinks things could get nasty here, with Scott Boras in the middle.  Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald has an article discussing the Varitek situation.
  • Julio Lugo, Jed Lowrie, Jacoby Ellsbury, Coco Crisp.  Four players for two starting spots.  Epstein didn’t tip his hand as to whether he’ll move any of these players and diminish the depth.
  • Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, Jason Bay.  The Sox may explore long-term deals for each.  There’s already been talks with Pedroia, though Massarotti thinks he might prefer to go year-to-year as Youkilis has.  He suggests Papelbon wants a long-term deal but the Sox may choose to play it safe.  McDonald and Massarotti feel the Sox will also explore an extension for Jason Bay.
  • Sean Casey, Mike Timlin, Alex Cora, Mark Kotsay.  Cora might go if Lugo stays.  Timlin may retire.  Massarotti does not think Casey will be re-signed, while McDonald doesn’t see Kotsay returning (he wants to start).
  • Outside options: Epstein could make a big move, or do very little again.  As I mentioned in the Offseason Outlook, C.C. Sabathia might be a better fit than Mark Teixeira.

Cafardo’s Latest: Salty, Renteria, Pudge

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Let’s take a look at the latest column from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

  • The Red Sox are "intrigued" by Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (I believe they have been for some time).  Jamey Newberg would like to see Clay Buchholz in a Rangers uniform, but admits the deal would have to be expanded.
  • The Red Sox will not have to pay the $3MM buyout on Edgar Renteria if the Tigers decline his $11MM option for ’09.  The free agent market for shorstops is weak, but the Tigers will probably look elsewhere given Renteria’s .269/.318/.375 showing.
  • Cafardo wonders if Jason Bay or Matt Holliday will be on the Braves’ radar this winter (both are signed through ’09).  You’d have to think the Sox will want to keep Bay.  The Braves will have $30-40MM to spend, and Bobby Cox expects two starting pitchers to be added.
  • Cafardo talked to a scout who feels Ivan Rodriguez still has something left to offer despite his poor performance for the Yankees.  Ideally he’d sign a one-year deal.  It won’t be with the Yankees; Jorge Posada noted that Pudge is "going to have to go somewhere else."

Odds and Ends: Kazmir, Thomas, Sweeney

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We’ll kick it off with a few links today and add more bullets periodically.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Holliday, Fuentes, Kotsay

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Ken Rosenthal posted a new Full Count video this weekend.

  • Rosenthal believes the Rockies are "almost certain to trade Matt Holliday this offseason."  Should be a hot topic at the Winter Meetings in December.  Rosenthal says to watch out for smaller-revenue sleepers on Holliday like the Nationals, Royals, and Blue Jays.  Holliday, a Boras client, is set to earn $13.5MM in ’09 before he hits free agency.
  • Rockies closer Brian Fuentes has yet to hit the waiver wire, but he will soon.  Rosenthal wonders if the Dodgers would win the claim if their record is worse than Arizona’s when Fuentes hits the wire.  The Marlins, Astros, and the NL non-contenders would have to pass first.  I could see the salary-shy Dodgers passing on Fuentes, but the Phillies probably wouldn’t let him get to the Mets.  At any rate, a team would have to beat two draft picks to pry Fuentes loose in a trade.
  • Somewhat surprising new addition to our cleared waivers list – Braves center fielder Mark Kotsay.  Apparently a number of teams are interested in the resurgent Kotsay, though not enough to take on his remaining salary.
  • The Braves nearly acquired Jason Bay in July, and will be in the market for a slugging outfielder this winter.  They’ll also be looking for a quality starter, likely in the Ryan Dempster/A.J. Burnett/Jon Garland range.  Click here to browse the free agent market.

Stark’s Latest: Manny, Fuentes, Livan, Dunn

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ESPN’s Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up.

  • Some teams won’t go anywhere near Manny Ramirez given the way he exited Boston.  Opinions range on whether he’ll get two, three, or four years this winter.  Will he turn it off again after signing a long-term deal?  And will other players use the same strategy to escape their contracts?
  • The Rays are likely to stand pat, despite recent injuries.
  • Rockies players haven’t hit the waiver wire yet; Dan O’Dowd plans to wait until month’s end.  Stark wonders whether the Cards could win a claim on Brian Fuentes.  Not likely, given the contenders in front of them in waiver order.
  • All kinds of near-deals in the final minutes on deadline day – John Grabow to the Phillies, Ian Snell to the Rockies, and Jason Bay to the Rays.
  • Livan Hernandez’s incentives get expensive in a hurry once he hits 160 innings, and the Twins are on the hook for those.
  • Stark talked to officials from two teams who didn’t think the Reds would’ve offered Adam Dunn arbitration.

Odds and Ends: Bay, Clement, Fuentes, Cabrera

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We’ve got plenty of links today.

  • There is speculation that Andruw Jones could be sent back to the minors.
  • Joel Sherman wonders if MLB should’ve gotten involved when Manny Ramirez decided to orchestrate his own exit.  Kind of reminds me of Gary Sheffield intentionally botching plays to force a trade out of Milwaukee in ’92.
  • Gordon Edes stands by his report that Manny pledged to give full effort if the Red Sox dropped his options.  That phone call between Scott Boras and Theo Epstein occurred within an hour of his trade to the Dodgers.
  • Jon Heyman takes us inside the Manny trade.  He says Ramirez signed an agreement in advance that he’d accept a trade to any team if his options were dropped.  Heyman believes Omar Minaya fibbed in saying he had failed trade discussions with Boston.
  • The Red Sox are still waiting to hear whether Joe Borowski will accept their offer of a minor league deal.
  • Dejan Kovacevic gives as inside look at the Jason Bay trade talks here and here.  Did the Rays offer Reid Brignac and Jeff Niemann?  Reports are conflicting.
  • The Cardinals released Matt Clement on Saturday.  Let this serve as another reminder of how hard it is to come back from shoulder surgery.
  • The Cardinals weren’t willing to trade catching prospect Bryan Anderson plus a pitching prospect for Brian Fuentes.  Also, GM John Mozeliak confirmed failed talks for Bay.
  • RotoAuthority takes a look at young pitchers who may face innings caps this year.
  • Another failed deal: Orlando Cabrera to the Orioles in a Brian Roberts deal.
  • Geoff Baker believes that when inside information related to the Blue Jays leaks out, GM J.P. Ricciardi is likely responsible.
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Week in Review: 7/27 – 8/2

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We saw the non-waiver trade deadline come and go this week, and plenty of action to go along with it. Let’s recap the big moves of the week:

  • The Dodgers, Pirates, and Red Sox completed a three-team, blockbuster trade that sent Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles, Jason Bay to Boston, and Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Craig Hansen, and Brandon Moss to Pittsburgh. The Pirates got a pretty nice haul, and while Bay won’t necessarily replace Manny’s production, he’s much more affordable, signed through ’09, and doesn’t disrupt the clubhouse. The Dodgers add the big bat they need for a push in the NL West, though are now overloaded with overpaid outfielders. All in all, I don’t think any team made a bad deal in this one.
  • The Angels made a big move in adding Mark Teixeira to their lineup, sending Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek to Atlanta in exchange. The Angels didn’t need help at the time – they’re running away with the AL West – but this move will undoubtedly be significant in the postseason. Great boost to the Halos’ lineup.
  • The White Sox and Reds completed a trade that sent Ken Griffey Jr. to Chicago in exchange for Nick Masset and Danny Richar. I don’t understand this trade from the Sox perspective. Griffey was only hitting .245 at the time of the trade, and his range in center field isn’t close to what it once was. Still, he’s a presence in both the lineup and the clubhouse. Will playing for a contender rejuvenate him?
  • The Yankees acquired future hall-of-famer Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers in exchange for Kyle Farnsworth. With Jorge Posada out for the season, New York did a good job of solidifying their catcher’s spot, while the Tigers got some much-needed improvement in their bullpen.
  • The Twins aren’t known for making big trades at the deadline, and they held true to that in 2008. However, they made a move that could be bigger than any trade they might have made, when they designated Livan Hernandez for assignment, and recalled Francisco Liriano from Triple-A Rochester. The Twins DFA’ed Craig Monroe as well. The Rockies are looking for a fifth starter, and could have interest in Hernandez.
  • Relievers on the move: Arthur Rhodes was traded to the Marlins, giving them another effective lefty option in the bullpen. The Astros acquired LaTroy Hawkins, still buying despite being 9.5 games out of the wildcard race at the time.
  • The Nationals released Paul Lo Duca and Felipe Lopez. Both were highly unsuccessful this season, though they could generate interest from other teams.
  • Tim explained the rules behind waiver trades for those who are unfamiliar with how the process works after the July 31st non-waiver deadline. He also takes a look at some noteable names who stayed put at the deadline.
  • Minor moves: The Yankees signed Victor Zambrano to a minor league contract, while the Red Sox did the same with former Cleveland closer Joe Borowski.
  • The Diamondbacks are talking extension with their second ace, Dan Haren.
  • USA Today wrote an article on MLBTR. Check it out!

Odds And Ends: Braves, Orioles, Redding, Dunn, Ryan

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A few more post-deadline notes from the MLBiverse…

  • Apparently the Braves tried to get involved in the Jason Bay sweepstakes in the last hour before the deadline.
  • Andy MacPhail feels that the Orioles will actually be more active in August than in July. Jeff Zrebiec and Dan Connolly suggest that several players, including Kevin Millar, Jay Payton and Ramon Hernandez could be had in August. MacPhail also noted that while there "was a pretty high bar set" for teams asking about Brian Roberts, MacPhail made it clear that Roberts was not off-limits and suggested that a deal this winter is not out of the question.
  • Jim Bowden does not appear eager to trade Tim Redding, who according to Bill Ladson, is the Nat’s only player of value that could be traded in August.
  • Walt Jocketty would not commit to an attempt to sign Adam Dunn to an extension.
  • Terry Ryan, the Twins former GM, penned a piece for SI.com in which he details what a GM goes through in the weeks and days leading up to the trade deadline. Very interesting read.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

Ibanez Trade Unlikely

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6:10pm: Just to wrap up Toronto’s brief venture into the Bay sweepstakes (since it was first reported in this post)…the Jays backed out when the Pirates asked for Shaun Marcum and top prospect Travis Snider.

5:36pm: Geoff Baker has some more details on the failed deal with Toronto although he still is not sure who was offered for Ibanez. Baker has quotes from JP Ricciardi that says it was the Mariners that backed out of the deal. Baker then goes on to speculate that the aquisition of Ibanez was a marketing tool to convince the fans in Toronto that the team was still gunning for the playoffs to keep TV ratings up.

2:48pm: Jayson Stark says the Mariners had second thoughts and will likely keep Ibanez.  It could’ve been a 2-for-1 with Major Leaguers going to Seattle.

2:34pm: Jeff Blair says talks for Ibanez are ongoing.  It’s even possible (though unlikely) an Ibanez trade could allow the Jays to include Adam Lind in a deal.

Blair adds that the Marlins called the Jays about Matt Stairs.

2:20pm: The Jays are left as the sole Ibanez suitor as we draw to within 40 minutes of the deadline.

1:14pm: Stark says the Jays are also eyeing Raul Ibanez.  Eh?  Also, Dejan Kovacevic says the Bay talks ended quickly based on the Pirates’ asking price.  Think Shaun Marcum and Travis Snider.

11:48am: According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Blue Jays have entered the mix for Jason Bay.  Of course, the asking price will be high.  But Bay is Canadian!

The Jays are 6.5 games out of the wild card, that dangerous area where a team thinks it’s a contender.  Bay is under contract for ’09 too though.

Manny To Dodgers, Bay To Red Sox

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4:05pm: Peter Abraham says Manny’s team options were removed and he has agreed to decline arbitration.

3:58pm: Let’s sort through this wild trade.

  • For 1.3 years of Bay, the Pirates receive LaRoche, Morris, Hansen, and Moss.  Moss becomes the regular left fielder, LaRoche takes over at third until Pedro Alvarez is ready.  When that happens, they might have a good problem on their hands.  Future Pirates’ outfield: Moss, McCutchen, McLouth.  The pitchers are a couple of live arms at this point.
  • The Red Sox might be downgrading a bit with Bay replacing Manny, but they get Bay next year for just $7.5MM.
  • The Dodgers will have Manny play every day.  That leaves Juan Pierre, Andruw Jones, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp splitting two outfield spots.  Not ideal, but they didn’t give up a ton to get Ramirez.  One question – can they get Manny to agree to decline an offer of arbitration so they can net draft picks?

3:39pm: Bob Nightengale has the Bucs getting Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss from the Red Sox and Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris from the Dodgers, correcting what looks like a typo in the Rosenthal report.

3:37pm: Rosenthal has details:

Pirates outfielder Jason Bay is headed to the Red Sox. The Pirates will receive Andy LaRoche and right-hander Bryan Morris from the Dodgers and outfielder Damien Moss and releiver Craig Hansen from the Red Sox.

He adds that the Red Sox will pay the $7MM remaining on Manny’s contract.

3:30pm: According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman.  Jack Curry agrees.

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