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Heyman On Santana

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SI.com’s Jon Heyman has the latest on the Johan Santana trade talks.

  • The Twins want Melky Cabrera plus one of Chamberlain/Hughes/Kennedy from the Yankees.  If the Yanks can surrender Kennedy rather than Hughes or Joba, they’ve done a nice job.  Sounds like they would consider giving up Hughes though.
  • The Twins want one of Clay Buchholz or Jon Lester plus Jacoby Ellsbury.  Lester seems to be the only one of the three the Red Sox would part with, while they’d also be fine with sending Coco Crisp over.
  • Heyman names the Mets, Dodgers, Angels, and Mariners as interested parties.  First I’ve heard of the Ms or Halos being in the mix.  Regarding the Dodgers, check out an interview with Ned Colletti.  For what it’s worth, he doesn’t seem anxious to deal 3-5 kids for a guy like Santana or Miguel Cabrera.

Morning Yankees Rumors

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Just a few things I found scouring the Internets this morning.

  • The team has finalized their marketing deal with Alex Rodriguez regarding his breaking of home run milestones. He’ll receive $6 million for reaching the home run totals of Willy Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds. And then he’ll get another $6 million for homer No. 763. Yes, that’s $12 million for two homers. The deal has been approved by MLBPA and the Commissioner’s office.
  • Peter Gammons, via Buster Olney, reports that the Twins will be seeking three players in any trade to the Yankees of Johan Santana: Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera, and Austin Jackson. Olney thinks that when combined with the $150 million financial commitment that will come along with the deal, the Yankees will not do it. I’d personally not like to give up Jackson, a highly regarded prospect when drafted who just had a breakout season in 2007.
  • Steve Serby of the New York Post has a Q & A with Hank Steinbrenner. If you liked Hank before, you’ll like this. If you think he’s a braying ass, you’ll continue thinking the same.
  • Ian O’Connor thinks that Omar Minaya needs to steal the Yankees thunder and beat them to the punch for Johan Santana. Personally, I think that’s the worst reason to do anything.

Joe Pawlikowski is co-author of River Ave. Blues.

Jake Peavy For Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera?

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This is barely a rumor, but I have been getting emails about it.  Buster Olney said today in his blog that trade talk has run rampant at the GM meetings, even stretching towards deals with little chance of happening. 

Olney says the Padres and Yankees briefly discussed a trade that would send Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera to the Padres for ace Jake Peavy.  He also said that trade "almost certainly won’t happen."  Peavy makes $6MM in 2008 and $8MM in 2009, with another possible $3MM in incentives over those two years.  Peavy expects to be traded before reaching free agency – he knows the Padres won’t pony up $18MM a year.  You have to figure Kevin Towers will at least listen.  Michael Silverman has heard whispers that Peavy might be available.

Even though it’s highly unlikely, would this be a fair trade?

Yankees Could Pursue Miguel Cabrera

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Clark Spencer writes of the possibility of the Yankees going after Miguel Cabrera to fill their third base vacancy (assuming M-Cab can hold up at the position for a few more years).

Cabrera’s salary will jump from $7.4MM past $11MM this year through arbitration.  A year from now he could be looking at $15-17MM.

Spencer sees a partial match in center fielder Melky Cabrera; the Marlins have had instability at that position since Juan Pierre was dealt.  Add Phil Hughes to the package and I think this could get done.  The Yankees seem to favor Joba Chamberlain over Hughes (I don’t have any proof for that) and Chien-Ming Wang will be getting pricey.  Ian Kennedy is solid but the Marlins are going to want a front-rotation guy like Hughes. 

One consideration is that if Cabrera can’t stay at third base, they might have to move him to first and pass on Mark Teixeira next winter.  But as I said earlier, maybe the Yanks will take a break from Boras clients anyway.  Hank Steinbrenner seems primed to make all sorts of petty/irrational decisions.  That should be fun to watch.

Santana for Melky, Hughes, and Prospect?

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Tim recently posted about the Yanks inquiries into the Twins organization for Johan Santana.  Peter Abraham shares what he’s heard of the rumors for the lefty ace.

Melky Cabrera would give Minnesota a center fielder to replace Torii Hunter if he bolts. The Yankees could then offer the Twins Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy along with a second prospect.

If Melky and Kennedy plus a prospect can land Santana, I can’t see why the Yankees wouldn’t do that, even if only for the opportunity to get a leg up on signing baseball’s best pitcher to a long term deal.  But I would assume it would take a lot more.  Lots of names are being tossed around along with Philip Hughes, particularly Robinson Cano, names that are most likely the premium the Twins would demand and perhaps a deal-breaker for the Yankees.

Posted by Nat Boyle

Joba The Starter?

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It’s been a slow Saturday in the rumor mill so as it grinds down, I thought I’d see where everyone would put Joba Chamberlain next season if you were the Yankees.

Experts and statisticians feel that Joba must be in the rotation because 180 innings of Joba next year is more valuable than around 60.  Frank Neville for The Sporting News thinks "health permitting, [Joba] can be a 20-game winner and rack up 200-plus strikeouts a year."  Now wait, where have we heard that argument before?  Ah yes, with Jonathan Papelbon. 

Papelbon has become the most dominant closer in the majors with a 13.3 k/9 and I wonder if everyone still feels that 180-200 "starter" innings are as valuable to the Sox as his 56.1 "closer" innings have been.  Nobody seems to be suggesting otherwise!  Most if not all projections have Papelbon slated to close in ’08, not start, and they’re probably right.  With the emergence of Clay Buchholz, the Sox have remained mum.  And fans/reporters don’t seem to bring it up as if Papelbon might overhear and remember that he actually once wanted to start.   Well that story has come full circle and Paps wants to close now.  Chamberlain, meanwhile, seems to be running the same hamster wheel with one major difference:  the Yankees actually have a closer.

It’s an interesting conundrum.  In a way, Mariano Rivera is the reason to put him in the rotation while on the other hand Mariano Rivera is the reason to continue his development in relief.  The presence of Rivera provides reasoning to both keep him in the bullpen to be his successor or move him out because, hey, they already have Rivera.  There’s an obvious divide in thought here.

I’m of the belief that if Todd Jones can close, Rivera is not done.  Therefore Rivera, Luis Vizcaino, and Edwar Ramirez (in due time) plus one or two more effective relievers (and specialists, etc)  would be solid for 2008.  And I think everyone would be impressed by a sudden rotation of Wang, Pettitte, Hughes, Kennedy, and Joba the Starter.

 

Posted by: Nat Boyle

Trade Rumor Roundup: 7 Days Left

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Here’s the latest from around baseball…

Dejan Kovacevic mentions that the A’s are considering Sean Casey.  Casey’s doing his usual good batting average/low slugging thing and he’s getting $8.5MM for it.  The combined efforts of Dan Johnson and Nick Swisher have been inadequate at first, but would Casey really help?  Johnson is hitting .485/.575/.848 in 33 Triple A at-bats; maybe he deserves another look.  The Athletics, who are dead last in the AL in slugging, wouldn’t be helped by adding the powerless Casey.  They need Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, Pat Burrell, or even Raul Ibanez to make a difference. 

The Yankees have decided to hold on to Philip Hughes, and the Phils aren’t biting on whatever else they offered.  According to George King, the Yanks think assuming Abreu’s contract and exercising his option should be enough.  Still, it would be cool to see a nasty young Phillies rotation in 2008 with Hughes, Cole Hamels, Gio Gonzalez, and Scott Mathieson.

Also, I’m hearing that WPEN in Philadelphia has mentioned a trade rumor: Tom Gordon for Trot Nixon.  Nixon is a good hitter (.400 OBP), though he’s 32 with declining power numbers.  Given that Flash would be hands down the best reliever on the market, I’d expect the Phils to get more.   

Kenny Williams didn’t deny the recent Soriano rumor, so now you know it’s legit.  Kenny has been pretty shrewd with the media, so this is probably all part of his plan.  Despite word of a possible contract extension with Washington, Buster Olney all but assured us of a Soriano trade in today’s blog.

Also, Olney nixed the A-Rod to the Cubs idea, explaining that Rodriguez is a bargain in the Yankees’ world.  This column is kind of weird to me.  Phil Rogers almost seems like he’s just cooked up a brilliant scenario or something, with Aramis Ramirez and Jacque Jones being swapped for A-Rod.  Thing is, Bleed Cubbie Blue broke out this exact trade rumor three weeks ago.

RotoAuthority has a look at which pitchers have been abused this season.

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