Mike Cameron-to-Yankees Dead?
6:07pm: Kat O’Brien just got off the phone with Brewers GM Doug Melvin:
He said: "Nothing new. At this point, I don’t anticipate it’s something that we would (do). … I haven’t talked to Brian (Cashman) since last week." Melvin said they had originally looked at moving Cameron to gain some flexibility on the pitching front but that is no longer such a need.
Melvin added that trading Cameron was "not something that we’re pushing at this time." Sounds like it’s dead. (For now, anyway.)
TUESDAY 3:09pm: Ed Price says the Yankees are discussing this deal internally and don’t feel like they have to rush. Price’s source says a tentative deal has been reached and it’s up to the Yankees now. Tom Haudricourt says the Brewers haven’t heard from the Yanks this week and assistant GM Gord Ash is starting to wonder whether they’re still interested. Yahoo’s Tim Brown says the Brewers will get in on Brian Fuentes if they’re able to move Cameron.
12:10pm: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the Mike Cameron for Melky Cabrera deal is on the backburner for now. Still, he says the Brewers agreed to take Kei Igawa and pay a small amount of the $12MM he’s owed. That amount is not enough for the Yankees, currently.
Sarah Green also contributed to this post.
Mike Cameron-Yankees Rumors
8:48pm: Tyler Kepner of the New York Times spoke to people involved with the deal and he gets the feeling that "the Yankees are backing away" for baseball reasons, not financial ones. Kepner adds that the Yankees know they don’t have to make this trade immediately if they don’t want to.
6:18pm: MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy heard from a source that talks between the Brewers and Yankees are at a "stalemate," and did not resume today.
Peter Abraham writes that Igawa may no longer be a part of the deal.
Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News wrote earlier today that the two teams have agreed on which players to trade. He heard from a source that the Yankees would likely send Igawa, Melky Cabrera and cash to the Brewers for Cameron.
A second source told Feinsand that the Brewers could send Bill Hall along too, an idea Tom Haudricourt suggested last week.
11:54am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the Yankees’ talks for Brewers center fielder Mike Cameron are expected to resume soon. He says the Yankees still want the Brewers to either pick up a few million of Cameron’s $10MM salary or take on some of Kei Igawa‘s contract. The Brewers don’t want to do that.
I’m not sure how the Yankees have managed to steer the conversation toward Cameron being overpaid. He’s not, and a fair baseball trade would involve the Yankees paying all of Cameron’s salary while giving up something useful.
Mike Cameron Yankees Rumors
SUNDAY, 1:51pm: George A. King III with the New York Post writes that the Yankees want the Brewers to take on Igawa’s contract as well, but that Milwaukee doesn’t want to pay much of the $12MM he has left. The Brewers are trading Cameron to trim payroll, and don’t want to unload $10MM for Cameron just to take on another $4MM for Igawa.
New York has told Milwaukee that no pitcher on their 40-man roster is available. Both sides still expect a deal to get done eventually; Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt talks will resume tomorrow. River Ave. Blues thinks the Yankees should hold off, for now.
FRIDAY, 3:50pm: Haudricourt heard this might get tabled until Monday, though now with Burnett signed maybe the Yankees will switch their focus. Or maybe they’ll spend the weekend working on Andy Pettitte/celebrating the Burnett signing.
THURSDAY, 5:40pm: Haudricourt now writes that the Cameron negotiations are back underway after a "hiccup". Haudricourt heard from Doug Melvin that there’s a "strong possibility it could still happen." The clubs are negotiating over finances and whether a second player would go to the Brewers with Cabrera.
1:01pm: Cameron’s agent told Tyler Kepner nothing has been completed. Kepner says the Brewers have actually been asking about Igawa.
11:49am: Joel Sherman talked to a top exec involved in the talks who called the chances of a deal "remote." Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times was told the deal is done, however.
11:17am: Ken Rosenthal says the potential deal hit a roadblock over the Yankees’ desire to have Milwaukee pick up part of the tab on Cameron. Also, the Brewers want a second player after Cabrera. Tom Haudricourt says the Yankees tried to unload Kei Igawa on them.
9:28am: The Cabrera for Cameron deal is close but not done, according to Joel Sherman’s source. He says the Brewers could receive a pitcher as well, with the quality depending on whether they’ll assume salary.
8:41am: Tom Haudricourt is not sure this is done. He says the Yankees like Bill Hall as well. The Brewers could gain quite a bit of payroll flexibility here. It’d be interesting to see all three Brewers friends (including Sabathia) move to the Yanks.
7:15am: Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News says the Yankees are set to acquire Cameron for Cabrera.
12:55am: According to Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger, the Yankees met with the Brewers Wednesday to resume trade talks for Mike Cameron that began at the GM Meetings. Whatever mild concern the Brewers reportedly had about trading away a friend of C.C. Sabathia‘s is gone.
On November 7th, Peter Abraham wrote that Ian Kennedy and Melky Cabrera were on the Brewers’ radar. Clearly the Brewers want to add a starting pitcher.
Yankees Rumors: Teixeira, Igawa, Sabathia
The Yankees chatter died down a bit today, but here’s what we’ve got.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes buzz about Robinson Cano going to the Dodgers amid Yankee interest in Russell Martin and Matt Kemp. He admits it’s unlikely.
- Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News talked to one big league exec about whether Mark Teixeira could handle the pressures of New York.
- Brian Cashman says nobody has asked him about Kei Igawa, who has three years and $12MM left on his contract.
- Cashman would not rule out the possibility of bringing back both Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte.
- Mark Hale of the New York Post talked to Mariano Rivera, who would definitely like the Yankees to sign C.C. Sabathia. Why wouldn’t he?
Odds and Ends: Happ, Igawa, Hawkins, Lowe
Rounding up rumors and links from the weekend…
- SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the Mariners are asking the Mets for Jon Niese for Raul Ibanez. Not likely.
- ESPN’s Buster Olney says the Braves would require Conor Jackson from the D’Backs in a Mark Teixeira deal, but Arizona is not biting.
- Another quick hit from Olney: the White Sox are surveying the relief market in the wake of Scott Linebrink‘s shoulder injury.
- Several readers have written in about Phillies’ lefty J.A. Happ being pulled early from a Triple A start (2.2 scoreless innings) with no sign of injury. Something to keep an eye on, as the Phillies hunt for a lefty reliever on the trade market. UPDATE: Happ may be getting the call to replace Adam Eaton.
- Even on the DL, Phil Hughes has been in high demand.
- The White Sox let Esteban Loaiza go.
- No team claimed Kei Igawa off waivers. Also, the Yankees designated LaTroy Hawkins for assignment.
- Ned Colletti on the possibility of trading Derek Lowe: "No."
- Jim Bowden and Chad Cordero patched things up, making a re-signing possible this winter.
- The emergence of Jeff Samardzija this weekend may make Scott Eyre or Jon Lieber expendable.
- At least 20 teams have called about one of the Rangers’ catchers.
- Jamey Newberg wrote a few days ago that most likely the only way Kevin Millwood can lock in his $12MM for 2010 will be to pitch 180 innings next year.
Yankees Still In Talks For Washburn
Updating a rumor that seems to have died down in the last few days, the Yankees and Mariners are still having serious discussions about Jarrod Washburn, reports Dan Graziano.
Up until a few days ago, the Yankees wanted to include Kei Igawa and Melky Cabrera in the deal but the Mariner’s didn’t particularly appear interested in neither player.
The Mariners asked about Austin Jackson, but were turned down, and now two other prospects have been thrown into the hat: Brett Gardner and Justin Christian.
Washburn has a no-trade clause, but Graziano thinks he would waive it for a shot at a pennant race.
Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com. Comments? Rumors? alexo05 [at] umpbump [daught] com.
Jarrod Washburn Rumors
3:09pm: Jayson Stark says the Yankees view Washburn as a salary dump, and won’t include even low-level prospects unless the Mariners eat money or take Igawa.
1:27pm: Peter Abraham says the Yankees are trying a new way to get Washburn. Neither Abraham nor Geoff Baker believes Washburn’s no-trade clause will be an issue or something the Yankees would compensate for.
9:59am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says Seattle’s request of Cabrera and Gardner for Washburn is "a non-starter for the Yankees."
FRIDAY, 9:21am: Joel Sherman says Igawa is not part of the Washburn discussions.
THURSDAY, 5:36pm: According to Ed Price of the Newark Star-Ledger, talks have progressed on a possible Washburn-Yankees trade. Price says the Ms aren’t sold on Kei Igawa, but the Yankees are willing to discuss Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner.
4:56pm: This is a bit out of order, since Abraham’s info below actually came out after this Seattle PI column from John Hickey.
Hickey says the Yankees, Cardinals, White Sox, and possibly Brewers have talked to the Mariners about Washburn. The pitcher’s no-trade clause allows him to block a deal to the Yankees but not the Cards or Sox. He seems willing to waive the clause, anyway.
11:12am: According to Peter Abraham:
One trade the Yankees could make now if they wanted would be Kei Igawa and a B-level prospect to Seattle for LHP Jarrod Washburn and DH/1B Jose Vidro. The Yankees would take on $16 million (plus a $500,000 buyout for Vidro) while shedding the $9.4 million owed to Igawa.
So for roughly $7.1 million, you get Washburn for this year and next and Vidro for this season. Washburn would likely want something to waive his no-trade clause, which includes the Yankees.
I agree with Abraham – that seems pretty reasonable. As he says, you can just DFA Vidro. Washburn alone is worth it, as long as the prospect isn’t anyone special and he doesn’t demand a ton for the no-trade compensation.
Yankees In Trade Talks For Washburn
11:38pm: SI.com’s Jon Heyman checks in on these talks. He says the Yankees want to ship Kei Igawa to Seattle, but then the Mariners could see that and raise them a Jose Vidro.
It would probably be easier for the Yankees to eat all of Washburn’s contract while just sending the Mariners a marginal prospect.
9:34pm: Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger reports that the Mariners are scouting the Yankees’ Double A club. The Ms aren’t big on Melky Cabrera, but may be willing to take minor leaguers if New York takes on all of Washburn’s contract.
1:36pm: According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Yankees are "taking a serious look at Seattle lefty Jarrod Washburn."
Washburn, 34 in August, has a 4.75 ERA in 110 innings this year. For what it’s worth, he has a 3.03 ERA in 62.3 innings since May 25th. That’s cherry-picking, though – 4.50-4.75 is Washburn’s level. He can chew up 190 innings at the back end of a rotation.
Washburn is owed $10.35MM in ’09, and has limited no-trade protection. Olney believes it would mainly be a salary dump, and the Mariners might consider something like Kei Igawa and a secondary prospect. Yankees GM Brian Cashman hasn’t struck a deal with the Ms since ’03, when he worked with Pat Gillick on an Armando Benitez for Jeff Nelson swap.
Stark’s Latest: Braves, Robertson, Igawa
Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up. Let’s take a look.
- While Greg Maddux is not out of the question, the Braves are more interested in a younger starter they can control for multiple years.
- One possibly available starter who hasn’t gotten much buzz: Nate Robertson. The 30 year-old southpaw hasn’t pitched well since ’06, and he’s signed through 2010.
- The Mariners will probably talk about Miguel Batista and Jarrod Washburn, but not Erik Bedard. No big surprise there. Both Batista and Washburn are signed through ’09.
- Stark rattles off a bunch of available relievers. Mostly names you’d expect, but click through and take a look.
- Kei Igawa, signed through 2011, asked the Yankees if they could find a way to ship him back to Japan during the winter. They couldn’t find a way to make it work.
Odds and Ends: Millwood, Posey, Igawa
Here’s the latest link collection.
- Former Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta is now blogging for the public. He currently works for the Padres as Special Assistant for Baseball Operations.
- In his words, Kevin Millwood felt a stabbing pain even though he hadn’t been stabbed. He’s on the shelf with a groin injury, taking him off the trade market temporarily.
- Rays Index had some quality draft links yesterday about the Rays and their #1 pick. Jim Callis of Baseball America says catcher Buster Posey is "the current favorite."
- Joel Sherman wonders what might’ve been if the Yankees had signed Ted Lilly instead of Kei Igawa.
- Ken Davidoff reminds us of the Padres’ past claim on Igawa, and also notes Boston’s interest.
- Giants owner Peter Magowan may move on.
- This email exchange between Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger and Carlos Delgado‘s agent David Sloane is entertaining.
- Here’s a valuable free agent to consider: Leo Mazzone.