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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Trade Deadline

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Some random links as we head toward the trade deadline, from the Blogosphere…

  • One writer at Bugs and Cranks thinks that the Rockies should not lower their demand for Brian Fuentes and feels that the Cardinals are the most likely team to land the closer.
  • UmpBump wants the Rockies to keep Matt Holliday and would prefer moving Garrett Atkins, allowing Ian Stewart to play third.
  • Meanwhile, another writer at Bugs and Cranks wants the Cardinals to pass on Matt Holliday and Jason Bay, but think St. Louis should go after George Sherrill and/or Fuentes.
  • Outs Per Swing does not feel that the Rays need to add a player like Xavier Nady, but they are also skeptical that Rocco Baldelli can be the right-handed bat the team needs.
  • MetsBlog does not see the Mets landing George Sherrill or Huston Street, noting the O’s are asking for too much and the Mets will not meet the A’s demands. MetsBlog also feels the Mets have more obvious holes than relief pitcher.
  • River Ave. Blues says the recent success of Ian Kennedy in Triple A has given the Yankees a very big chip in the trade market.
  • Drunk Jays Fans says Roy Halladay will not be traded, despite recent reports that the Jays were secretly shopping him.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex and can be reached here.

Sherman’s Latest: Bay, Nady, Holliday, Fuentes, Blake

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The New York Post’s Joel Sherman is working hard today, filing blog posts here and here.

  • Multiple teams are in the hunt for a right-handed hitting outfielder: the Mets, Rays, and maybe the Yankees.  The Pirates are asking for too much for Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, while the Rockies are waiting to see what Bay costs so they can ask for more for Matt Holliday.  The Rays’ might find their solution internally, with Rocco Baldelli.
  • Holliday as a replacement for Manny Ramirez this winter?  Right now it’s just a couple of execs speculating to Sherman.
  • The Rockies want either Jon Niese from the Mets or Ian Kennedy from the Yankees for Brian Fuentes, but the two New York clubs aren’t having that.
  • Nolan Ryan doesn’t want to punt on ’08 with the Rangers.
  • Sherman wonders if the Marlins could match up with Texas on a catcher.
  • Juan Rivera is not available at this point.
  • Casey Blake is likely to be traded, partially because the Indians probably wouldn’t offer him arbitration after the season.  The Mets and Yankees are said to have "at least mild interest."

Odds And Ends: Baldelli, Rincon, Clemens

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  • The Tampa Tribune is reporting that Rays OF Rocco Baldelli (60-day DL, mitochondrial disorder) is close to joining a minor-league team for a 20-day rehabilitation assignment. Baldelli thinks he can return to the Rays this season, but he has yet to hold any workouts in the outfield and hinted he could return as a DH. "Obviously, I’d like to be playing the field," Baldelli said. "But realistically, I’m trying not to look too far ahead."
  • Juan Rincon has declined the Twins’ offer of an assignment to Class AAA Rochester, and the team formally designated him for assignment. In all likelihood, that means Rincon will become a free agent in 10 days. Rincon has been with the Twins for his entire career and had a couple of good years in 2003-2006, but he’s fallen on hard times lately.
  • If anybody out there harbored hopes that Roger Clemens would return to pitch this season, here’s some cold water to splash on your face. A former federal prosecutor tells the New York Daily News that the evidence against Roger Clemens – testimony from Andy Pettitte and Brian McNamee, as well as the bloody gauze pads, used syringes and steroid vials McNamee turned over to authorities in January – is more than enough to indict Clemens.

Coley Ward writes for Umpbump.com and can be reached here.

Rays To Stay Flexible

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Some Rays notes to report on from Marc Lancaster:

  • A quote from Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg:  "We have room to cut payroll, we have room to grow payroll.  We’ll be opportunistic. I know you guys have heard it, but we’re never going to take our eye off of that. If somebody happens to want a high-priced talent of ours and we can get low-priced talent, great. And if they want a low-priced talent and we get high-priced talent that we think is very additive, that’s fine, too."
  • According to Lancaster, just because the Rays didn’t pick up Rocco Baldelli’s option doesn’t mean they’re not committed to the player.  Rays Executive VP Andrew Friedman says, "We’ll do anything in our power to keep him in a Rays uniform as long as possible." If Baldelli can recover and get back on track, he could possess the same relative injury risk and upside at a fraction of the cost.

By Nat Boyle

Rays Notes: Crawford, Baldelli, Wheeler

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Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times has the latest on the Rays’ moves today.  The first two were expected.

  • Carl Crawford’s $8.25MM option for ’09 was exercised.  The Rays still have a $10MM club option for ’10 that is highly likely to be exercised.  After that, it’s anyone’s guess.
  • The Rays chose Rocco Baldelli’s $4MM buyout over his $6MM option.  It’s a sad situation but it had to be done.
  • Dan Wheeler was signed to an extension.  His ’08 contract was replaced; the new three-year deal runs through 2010 and is worth $10.5MM.  He would’ve been a free agent after the season; think of it as a two-year, $6.7MM extension.  It’s not a bargain for the 30 year-old, whose 5.30 ERA in ’07 was worse than his 3.5 K/BB would indicate.  He’ll need to return to his 2005-06 level to be worth the money.   

Odds and Ends: Dan Johnson, Baldelli, Soria

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Let’s round up some linkage.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Roberts, Horacio, Willits

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Rumor guru and baseball insider Ken Rosenthal has a new column at FOX Sports.  Let’s discuss.

  • Rosenthal does not see the Cubs taking on the salaries of both Brian Roberts and Coco Crisp, even if they shed their Jason Marquis commitment.  Roberts remains the focus.
  • Horacio Ramirez’s agent says seven clubs have already expressed interest in his client.  Perhaps he meant to say 0.7.
  • Rosenthal runs through many Rocco Baldelli replacement options for the Rays: Reggie Willits, Kenny Lofton, Gabe Gross, and Reed Johnson.  Only Willits seems the perfect fit, and the Angels aren’t making him available. Willits and his .393 career OBP could be headed to Triple A.
  • The Phillies are looking for middle relief help; Rosenthal suggests a possible match with Arizona.  Or, how ’bout signing Bob Wickman?  Is he officially retired?

Odds and Ends: Baldelli, Salcedo, Piazza, Rivera

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Time for today’s linkage.

Odds and Ends: Loretta, German, Belliard, Baldelli

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  • An update to the Ken Rosenthal article discussed earlier suggests that either Esteban German or Ron Belliard would be better, cheaper alternatives for the Dodgers than Joe Crede or Brandon Inge. It would take less to get Belliard or German, they’re paid less, and either of them could back up Jeff Kent, 40, at second base in addition to playing third. Both players are "attracting the Dodgers’ interest" according to Rosenthal.
  • The Baltimore Sun is now reporting that the Orioles have an interest in Mark Loretta. Hopefully this is a sign that the Brian Roberts-to-Chicago saga will soon mercifully come to a conclusion. Loretta apparently isn’t slated for regular duty in a Houston infield that now features Miguel Tejada, Kaz Matsui and Ty Wigginton, which is why he might be in play. The Astros sent a scout to watch the O’s on Sunday.
  • Rocco Baldelli spoke with Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal about his myriad health problems, and dispelled some of the more creative speculation about him. He didn’t, however, address the big decision on his future that the Rays will be forced to make in the coming weeks. As discussed here a couple of days ago, and again in Sunday’s St. Petersburg Times, the decision on whether the team will pick up Baldelli’s 2009 option has to be made by April 1st. The Times suggests the Rays will pass, meaning a $4MM buyout.

Posted by Andrew Stoeten of Drunk Jays Fans.

Baldelli’s Hamstrings May Open Door For Lofton

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With Rocco Baldelli appearing only twice in spring games this year, the Rays may consider reviving talks with free agent outfielder Kenny Lofton. Tampa Bay’s right field and fourth outfielder depth is light enough that they’ve begun to look at infielders Joel Guzman and Ben Zobrist at left and right field, respectively.

Ray’s manager Joe Maddon won’t even guess when Baldelli will return to full-time play. Baldelli is nursing sore hamstrings this spring. He’s expected to play right field, if he can run, and will split time with Cliff Floyd and Jonny Gomes at DH.

Given Floyd’s fragility, the Rays will be taking quite a chance if they depend on that combination.  Floyd has appeared in 150 games once in the last ten years. Baldelli appeared in 150 games in his rookie year but hasn’t in the three years since.

By Big Mike Glab

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