More Trade Reactions
A few more trade discussions on a calm Saturday afternoon…
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer believes the Scott Rolen deal has left the Reds with no payroll flexibility heading into 2010. "That's not good," he writes, "when you need a shortstop and an outfielder with some pop — among other things."
- Tracee Hamilton of the Washington Post writes the Nationals "did absolutely the right thing" in shipping off left-hander Joe Beimel and first baseman Nick Johnson.
- Longtime Padres beat writer Tom Krasovic has a look at the Jake Peavy trade: "This looks like a potentially big victory for the Padres and new CEO Jeff Moorad — if, and it's a big if, the club can parlay the $56 million saved into good investments throughout its baseball operations and future payrolls."
- Michael Salfino of SNY thinks the Mets should have made a move or two at the deadline. "The frustrating thing for Mets fans," Salfino writes, "is that catcher Victor Martinez was there for the taking. The cost reportedly was one of two Double-A pitchers Brad Holt or Jenrry Mejia plus Jon Niese."
- For all full look at the deals that went down Friday, check out MLBTR's transactions-only archive.
More Trade Reactions
Lots of ink and keystrokes are being spent on analyzing yesterday's big deals. Here are a few, with more to be added on throughout the day:
- The Peavy deal, despite its earlier iteration in May, came "out of nowhere," says Scott Miller at CBS Sports. A rival executive says that White Sox GM Kenny Williams has "the biggest balls in sports," according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, who calls it one of his "all-time favorite" trades. Both of these stories, though similar, are good reads.
- Jayson Stark at ESPN lays out his top winners and losers at the deadline.
- South Side Sox notes that since the Peavy deal had the future in mind as well as the present, they "can't complain in the slightest" about the trade.
- Keith Law at ESPN thinks the Jays came out "extremely well" in the Scott Rolen deal. He also likes the versatility now afforded to the Red Sox in acquiring Victor Martinez.
- Rob McQuown at Baseball Prospectus says that in the Rolen deal, "Walt Jocketty undersold his assets. Badly."
Odds And Ends: Hudson, D’Backs, Expos, Jays
More links to look through for the evening, including a little history…
- MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports that Tim Hudson was scratched from his rehab start tonight with a sore groin.
- D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes told MLB.com that he expects a "pretty active" August around the league, trade-wise. It'll be interesting to see if Doug Davis and Jon Garland clear waivers; if they do, the D'Backs could be among the teams making trades.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says Nick Johnson was the last member of the Nationals to play for the Expos.
- Erik Manning of FanGraphs doesn't get the Scott Rolen deal from the Reds' perspective. Neither does Tyler Hissey.
- You thought the Roy Halladay saga was over, but it's merely on hold. J.P. Ricciardi says he'd "have to listen" to offers for his ace after the season, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Next time, the GM hopes the offers are "a little better."
Reds Acquire Scott Rolen For Edwin Encarnacion
6:09pm: Blair also hears that the Jays will send about $4MM to the Reds.
4:50pm: Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star reports that the Jays will pay all of Rolen's 2009 salary, nearly $4MM. Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi report that an undisclosed amount of cash is changing hands.
4:26pm: The Jays will pay some of the $4MM Rolen makes between now and the end of the season, according to Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail.
4:25pm: MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports that Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi says Rolen asked to be traded for "personal reasons."
3:14pm: Rolen approved the deal, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter). ESPN's Keith Law says Yonder Alonso is not in the deal. Instead, it'll be Encarnacion, Josh Roenicke, and Zach Stewart heading to Toronto according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
2:56pm: FOX Sports says the Blue Jays will get Edwin Encarnacion and a minor leaguer. Rolen is expected to approve the deal. It's a massive upgrade for the Reds defensively.
2:40pm: The Reds acquired third baseman Scott Rolen, according to SI's Jon Heyman (via Twitter). The next step is Rolen approving the trade. He's owed $4MM this year and another $11MM in 2010. The slick-gloved 34 year-old has bounced back to hit .320/.370/.476 in 373 plate appearances this year.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Thursday
5:07pm: Ricciardi tells Ed Price of AOL FanHouse that he's not ruling out a trade. "We're waiting 'til 4 o'clock tomorrow," Ricciardi said.
4:23pm: Jack Curry of the New York Times has additional comments from Ricciardi on Halladay:
"We've got nothing going on. We expect him to be with us."
The Phillies are out, and the other suitors failed to wow Ricciardi.
3:19pm: Rosenthal and Morosi say the Dodgers have enough in their system to make a competitive offer for Halladay, even after acquiring Sherrill. And for Evan Grant's thoughts on the Rangers and Halladay, click here.
However, in another entry Rosenthal and Morosi talk to J.P. Ricciardi and label the Halladay sweepstakes "all but over." Ricciardi's comments indicate the same. Toronto's GM seems intent on keeping Scott Rolen, Marco Scutaro, and others if Doc stays.
2:23pm: Morosi says Halladay is looking unlikely for the Angels, who shot down a Toronto proposal that included Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar, and Brandon Wood.
The Halos are also looking for bullpen help, with names such as Heath Bell and George Sherrill in play (their offer for Mike Wuertz fell short).
1:26pm: Rosenthal and Morosi have a source saying things are "very quiet" on the Halladay front. Still, the Dodgers, Angels, Rangers, Rays, and Red Sox remain interested.
1:14pm: Yahoo's Tim Brown sees the Dodgers and Red Sox as the frontrunners for Doc in what is shaping up as a two-team race. Brown says the only Major Leaguer in the Dodgers' offer is James McDonald, while the Sox will part with Clay Buchholz, one of Justin Masterson, Michael Bowden, and Lars Anderson, and some lesser prospects. My guess is that the Red Sox find a way to get this done, given the quality they're already offering. ESPN's Jayson Stark says one Dodgers prospect who is off-limits is shortstop Devaris Gordon.
Meanwhile, Lynn Henning of the Detroit News says the Jays wanted Rick Porcello, Ryan Perry, and Casey Crosby from the Tigers for Halladay. Henning says the Tigers bowed out upon that request. Henning adds that the Tigers would consider adding Adam Dunn or Josh Willingham but the price is steep on the sluggers as well.
12:59pm: A Rosenthal/Morosi source with knowledge of the Jays' thinking discusses a package of Dodgers minor leaguers that could catch Toronto's attention in a Halladay deal.
12:21pm: Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal sees the Dodgers in the lead for Halladay, with the Rangers in the mix and talks with Boston calming down.
9:09am: Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe feels the chances of the Red Sox acquiring Halladay are "remote," and believes that Boston has yet to increase their initial offer for him. And in an earlier column, Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald said the Blue Jays and Red Sox have not been in contact over the last three days.
8:37am: SI's Jon Heyman says the Dodgers balked at the Blue Jays' asking price for Halladay and are moving on to Orioles closer George Sherrill. Check out yesterday's Sherrill info here.
Meanwhile, Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun finds Halladay unlikely to be traded. ESPN's Buster Olney says there are "no active talks" at present.
7:55am: We'll start with a review of yesterday's Roy Halladay rumors. The Phillies acquired Cliff Lee instead, cutting into J.P. Ricciardi's leverage for Doc. Ricciardi now has the Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers, Dodgers, and possibly Angels and Rays to work with. The Blue Jays' GM is thinking about keeping Halladay for 2010, based on his comments to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. On to a few new links…
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports say the Jays are not requiring the Dodgers to include Clayton Kershaw or Chad Billingsley. Instead, they'd just take five or six of the team's top prospects.
- Mark Feinsand and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News say Ricciardi is trying to get the Yankees and Red Sox into a bidding war. Kind of cliche, J.P. The authors imply the Yanks may be more focused Jarrod Washburn, who obviously wouldn't require as big a bounty.
- Halladay's plan for today, according to Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer – lock himself in his hotel room. Might want to unplug the TV and disable the Internet. Doc is understandably drained from pitching last night amid all the rumors.
Reds Back Off Rolen Deal
4:13pm: ESPN's Peter Gammons says the Reds "backed off a potential deal" for Rolen. The Reds are actually hoping to move some contracts, and will listen on Bronson Arroyo, David Weathers, Aaron Harang, and Arthur Rhodes. Plus there's the issue of the Jays not wanting to trade Rolen if they keep Halladay.
2:00pm: CBSSports' Danny Knobler says the Jays would get Edwin Encarnacion and others, if this does get done. The sticking point appears to be how much of Rolen's remaining $15MM the Jays would assume.
Meanwhile, Bastian (via Twitter) has a source saying all is quiet here.
1:39pm: A Ken Rosenthal/Jon Paul Morosi source says the Reds-Rolen talks are "going nowhere." The writers suggest a Halladay trade could help move things along.
1:19pm: Via Twitter, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian says his source would not deny the Rolen-Reds talks (hat tip Drunk Jays Fans).
12:34pm: No mention of Alonso from him, but Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun tweets, "Looks like Rolen to Reds has a 'good chance' of getting done."
12:20pm: Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal says the Reds and Jays are talking about a Rolen-Yonder Alonso swap. Say what? Alonso, who signed on August 15th of last year, would have to be a player to be named later in the unlikely event he's dealt.
9:07am: The Blue Jays have many trade targets aside from Roy Halladay, so let's collect that information in one post.
Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun says the Twins are still chasing shortstop Marco Scutaro, after Freddy Sanchez landed with the Giants. Elliott adds that the Reds "met last night to decide to come up with a package to land third baseman Scott Rolen."
Reds Still Eyeing Scott Rolen
TUESDAY, 11:14am: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Reds "haven't ruled out" a Rolen acquisition, but must wait to see what the Jays do with Roy Halladay first.
MONDAY, 3:57pm: Danny Knobler of CBS Sports says the Reds are not sellers and have continued discussions with the Blue Jays about Scott Rolen. Knobler says there's a chance they'll acquire him to solidify their light-hitting lineup.
The Reds have had discussions with other teams about trading pitchers, but Knobler hears they would only make a deal that helps the team this year.
2:29pm: Jeff Fletcher of AOL FanHouse hears that the Reds are close to making a deal after top team officials spoke on a conference call this morning. The Reds, fifth in the NL Central, are sellers and have pitchers like Bronson Arroyo, Aaron Harang and Francisco Cordero who could all appeal to teams seeking pitching.
Blue Jays Rumors: Scutaro, Rolen
12:23pm: Ed Price of AOL FanHouse reports that the Jays are scouting the Reds. Could the Rolen-Reds rumors have legs or are the Jays just doing their homework?
10:37am: The Blue Jays aren't expected to move anyone until they determine whether to trade Roy Halladay. But, as Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun reports, some other Jays are drawing interest:
- The Twins, who are interested in Orlando Cabrera, inquired about Marco Scutaro. Both shortstops are likely to be Type A free agents after the season.
- It doesn't look like the Reds will acquire Scott Rolen, now that they're nine games below .500 and in fifth place. A few weeks ago the Reds wanted to trade for Rolen, but asked the Jays to pay half of his $11MM salary next year.
Blue Jays, Reds Discussing Rolen
6:08pm: AOL FanHouse's Ed Price tweets that it's possible for the Reds to acquire Rolen, "but a lot would have to happen," according to a source.
3:59pm: According to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com, a source has indicated that the Blue Jays and Reds are discussing a trade involving third baseman Scott Rolen. As Morosi writes,
"The sides are still trying to determine which players would head to Toronto in the deal, but the source said that third baseman Edwin Encarnacion would be included."
Rolen is enjoying a nice resurgence this season after spending the last several years battling injuries. As of Saturday afternoon, he's batting .317/.372/.469 with seven home runs and 37 RBI in 322 at-bats. He is owed $11MM next season and about $4.5MM for the rest of '09. That's a high price for Cinci, but the Reds are quickly falling out of contention, and adding Rolen's veteran presence and Gold Glove defense would help them in their chase of the NL Wild Card.
The Other Blue Jays Trade Candidates
Roy Halladay's on the block, but the Blue Jays could deal a number of players, so Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports breaks down the rest of the team's trade candidates:
- Marco Scutaro – The Mariners and Red Sox are following Scutaro, who makes just $1.1MM. The Blue Jays will have every reason to ask for a lot in return, because Scutaro profiles as a Type A free agent. The Jays can obtain a first rounder and a sandwich pick for losing Scutaro if they offer him arbitration, so they figure to demand a lot.
- Jason Frasor – Most contenders have at least some interest in Frasor, who becomes a free agent after next year.
- Scott Downs – A solid late-inning reliever, Downs also becomes a free agent after 2010.
- Rod Barajas – A free agent-to-be, Barajas could draw interest from the Cubs.
- Scott Rolen – A number of contenders would love to add Rolen's bat and glove, but he's out of reach for some teams because his contract pays him $11MM this year and as much in 2010.
But remember, the Jays believe they can contend next year, especially if Halladay's around, so there's no guarantee any of these players will be traded.