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Jarrod Washburn Rumors: Thursday

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11:05pm: Executives from three teams that have spoken with the Mariners tell ESPN.com's Buster Olney that they get the sense the Mariners won't move Washburn. The Mariners made a request earlier today, without asking for Hughes or Chamberlain, but the two sides haven't spoken since.

10:33pm: Heyman says the Yankees and Mariners are now "talking Washburn." The Yankees won't part with Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Austin Jackson, Austin Romine or Jesus Montero, but with those exceptions, Heyman says the M's have their pick of Yankees prospects.

9:05pm: Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he expects the Mariners to hold onto Washburn.

8:05pm: Tyler Kepner of the New York Times reports that the Yankees are still talking to the Mariners about Washburn.

Talks with the Yankees are still in their early stages, according to Rosenthal and Morosi, and it's unclear whether the Mariners would actually move Washburn. The Tigers are interested and the Brewers could become involved again, according to FOX's sources.

3:26pm: ESPN's Buster Olney rejects the idea that the Ms asked for Chamberlain or Hughes.

2:19pm: SI's Jon Heyman says that in their initial conversation, the Mariners requested Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes for Washburn.  That pair and other top Yankees prospects figure to be off limits, but Heyman still sees New York as the favorite.  He notes that the Angels would have interest in bringing Washburn back, but the Mariners might balk at the same-division issue.

1:11pm: Ken Davidoff of Newsday says the Brewers are no longer in on Washburn.  And the Rangers are seen as a long shot, say Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports.  According to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, about ten teams have called the Mariners on Washburn.

12:30pm: Lefty Jarrod Washburn would be one of the better available starters, should the Mariners decide to sell.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post chatted with Ms GM Jack Zduriencik about the possibility.  Jack Z's quote:

"I am not giving this guy away.  He is a valuable piece to us.  He shouldn't come cheap if he is moved.  No one in the league is pitching better than (Washburn).  So if we move him, we need to get good pieces. Because if we keep him he is a very, very good piece for us."

Sherman says the Yanks have checked in on Washburn but have not exchanged names.  Unlike last year, the Yankees are reluctant to take on salary.

Heyman On Blue Jays, Indians, Crawford

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Believe it or not, there's more to this year's deadline than Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Jon Heyman of SI.com has the latest on some other trade possibilities:

  • Scott Downs, Jason Frasor and Brandon League are coveted around the league, but the Jays want to figure out what to do with Halladay before dealing secondary players.
  • The Dodgers are "pressing hard" for George Sherrill.
  • Chad Qualls and Michael Wuertz are likely to stay put.
  • The Yankees aren't involved in the Cliff Lee talks after hearing the Indians wanted Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes in return.
  • It's becoming more likely that the Indians will deal Lee and Victor Martinez.
  • The Nationals requested Jonathan Sanchez for Nick Johnson.
  • One GM says the Rays briefly dangled Carl Crawford a few weeks ago. Sounds like they'll consider anything.

Heyman On Washburn, Halladay, Red Sox

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1:21pm: Heyman hears that Adrian Gonzalez may be Boston's top target now, especially since discussions about Victor Martinez aren't progressing.

11:51am: Jon Heyman of SI.com has the latest on Roy Halladay and the next-best options for pitching-starved teams. Here are the details:

  • The Yankees called the Mariners about Jarrod Washburn over the weekend. The Mariners say they aren't selling now, but that could change this week.
  • The Yanks would have to give up "a top prospect or two" to acquire Washburn.
  • Bronson Arroyo could be an option for the Yankees, but the Reds haven't offered to take on any of the $17MM remaining on his deal.
  • The Yankees have a miniscule chance of acquiring Halladay. They wouldn't part with both Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain for him, but they might trade one.
  • An executive involved in the Halladay talks says "it's early," since no one's taking tomorrow's pre-deadline too seriously. 
  • Sensing they don't have much of a chance at Halladay, the Dodgers are more focused on Cliff Lee.
  • The Red Sox could still make a big move, but don't expect them to deal for Halladay. The Blue Jays could ask for Clay Buchholz, Jed Lowrie and Daniel Bard, according to one of Heyman's sources.  
  • Victor Martinez remains an option for the Red Sox, who talk with the Indians "all the time."
  • The Red Sox are keeping an eye on Adrian Gonzalez, who's not available now. 
  • Bud Selig says he won't prevent the Rangers from taking on payroll even though the commissioner's office has helped Rangers owner Tom Hicks make payments. 
  • The Rangers have inquired on Halladay and Lee. 
  • The Cardinals will try hard to extend Matt Holliday.
  • The Rockies are still looking for a reliever. 
  • The Giants scouted Nick Johnson and Josh Willingham this weekend.

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.

Heyman On Halladay, Holliday, Indians, Nats

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9:34am: Heyman says the Yankees inquired about Cliff Lee and were told they'd have to give up Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes, plus other players.

8:34am: Jon Heyman of SI.com has the latest on the biggest stars available:

  • The Phillies are the frontrunners to acquire Roy Halladay. Heyman says the Jays are expected to ask for one of J.A. Happ and Kyle Drabek, one of Dominic Brown and Michael Taylor, plus others.
  • The Brewers may be the Phillies' biggest threat, but they'd probably have to part with Alcides Escobar, and maybe Mat Gamel, too. 
  • The Mets bowed out of the Halladay talks once Fernando Martinez's name came up. 
  • There's a "good chance" the Cardinals trade for Matt Holliday, according to one of Heyman's sources.  
  • Indians GM Mark Shapiro wonders if teams are holding onto their prospects too tightly: "It's almost to the point where there's an over-evaluation of these guys. There's almost an over-correction."
  • Heyman says the Nats should trade Nick Johnson, Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham. 

Odds & Ends: Betancourt, Francoeur, Halladay, Angels

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We managed to find some rumors in between all of the Jonathan Sanchez no-hitter coverage this morning. Congrats to Jonathan, hopefully Juan Uribe will be buying him a very big and expensive steak dinner. Or ten. On to the links…

  • ESPN's Keith Law doesn't like the Yuniesky Betancourt trade for the Royals, saying he might be the worst everyday player in the big leagues.
  • David Lennon of Newsday says that Mets GM Omar Minaya wanted to send a message by acquiring Jeff Francoeur, but it's "more like a gentle poke than a full-blown shake-up."
  • SI's Jon Heyman tweets that he'd include the struggling Joba Chamberlain in a package for Roy Halladay "no problem."
  • ESPN's Jorge Arangure writes that the Angels efforts on the international market stalled this year after the firing of international scouting supervisor Clay Daniels, who is under investigation by Major League Baseball for his part in the bonus-skimming scandal. Arangure also has notes on several other big name international signees, including Cuban shortstop Jose Iglesias, who received $8.2MM from the Red Sox.
  • MLBTR's own Ben Nicholson-Smith will be on 940 ESPN Radio at 10am CST this morning talking rumors. Click the link to give a listen.

Odds And Ends: Tazawa, Hoffman, Halladay

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Links for Saturday…

  • Junichi Tazawa is expected to announce early next week that he will sign with the Red Sox. He turned down offers from the Rangers, Mariners and Braves.
  • The Padres recently offered to talk with Trevor Hoffman, but he hasn’t responded.  Tom Krasovic also has a Sandy Alderson quote that the Padres are "highly unlikely" to offer Hoffman arbitration.
  • Robert MacLeod talked to Blue Jays insiders who believe trading ace Roy Halladay would send "the wrong signal" to fans since the Jays want to compete in 2009.
  • Rob Neyer wonders how C.C. Sabathia’s weight will affect his performance going forward.
  • Joba Chamberlain tops Peter Abraham’s list of the 20 most important people to the Yankees organization.
  • Peter Gammons asks five post-Thanksgiving questions about free agents and trades.  Also within that blog post, Gammons mentions that Kevin Towers went to Sunday’s Chargers game with Brad Ausmus and hopes to sign him.
  • Larry LaRue writes that the Mariners could use a couple good outfielders to go along with Ichiro.
  • Bob Verdi expects a quiet retirement accouncement from Greg Maddux.

Perrotto’s Latest: Peavy, Unit, Joba

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John Perrotto has his Every Given Sunday column up over at Baseball Prospectus. Here’s some highlights from his "Rumors and Rumblings section" this week:

  • Perrotto expects a Jake Peavy deal to be done before the Winter Meetings, stating that the Braves, Yankees, and Dodgers seem to be the leaders in the race right now. He notes that the Yankees will be willing to include Phil Hughes, while the Braves are willing to move Yunel Escobar. I personally like the Escobar idea for San Diego, as it would allow them to make Atlanta take on Khalil Greene’s salary. A package around Escobar and Tommy Hanson would certainly be tough to ignore.
  • Perrotto reiterates that a move to the Dodgers or Angels for California-native Randy Johnson seems like a strong possibility. Johnson posted a fine season for the Diamondbacks, despite being 45 years old. He’s maintained a very solid strikeout-rate even at this stage in his career, fanning 8.46 batters per nine innings.
  • The Yankees are planning on using Joba Chamberlain in their rotation next year, but are not planning on settling for what they have. Perrotto states that the Yankees will "go all-in" on the free agent market, making aggressive offers to C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe, and Mark Teixeira. Add in the pursuit of Peavy, and decisions on numerous free agents, and it looks like a very busy offseason for the Bombers.

Odds and Ends: Soto, Joba, Colletti, Tazawa

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Let’s dig in with today’s links!

Odds and Ends: Livan, Maddux, Meredith, Fielder

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Here are today’s links.

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