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Scott Rolen

Odds And Ends: Rolen, Gonzalez, Buchholz

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Time for more links as we wrap up the weekend after a rain-shortened Futures Game. Well really a rain-prolonged Futures Game, but here are the links either way…

  • As Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com points out, there was a time when GMs made a point of attending All-Star Games. This week, many will spend time with their families and message one another from a distance. 
  • Blue Jays Assistant GM Alex Anthopoulos says the Jays plan on keeping Scott Rolen around through the end of next season, when his contract's up, according to MLB.com's Brian Eller.
  • Yahoo's Tim Brown reports that Adrian Gonzalez will continue to be a Padres fan whether he plays in San Diego or not. Gonzalez seems to have confidence in the team's new CEO, Jeff Moorad. 
  • Clay Buchholz told WEEI.com's Alex Katz that he'll focus on process, not results when he pitches for the Red Sox in Toronto after the break.

Odds & Ends: Berroa, Futures Game, Yankees, Pedro, Rolen

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There's no such thing as too many links…

  • Most fans expressed their displeasure with the move in our comments, but Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus defends the Mets' signing of Angel Berroa.
  • ESPN's Keith Law tell tells you everything you need to know about the prospects playing in this year's Futures Game, and then some. The game is tomorrow at 1pm CST.
  • Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer comfirmed to NoMaas' Lane Meyer that the team has signed two draft picks, including seventh rounder Sean Black. Black was the highest unsigned pick in the 2006 draft, heading to Seton Hall instead of signing with the Nationals as the 59th overall selection.
  • MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that Pedro Martinez "has said the parties are negotiating a deal," referring to his representatives and the Phillies.
  • Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail says he's "hearing some interest in (Scott) Rolen." He mentions that there are a dozen scouts at tonight's Blue Jays game, including two from the Dodgers.

Jays And Reds Talked; No Rolen Deal Likely

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10:18am: Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News says the Reds are not trading for Rolen. The Blue Jays and Reds talked, but the Jays are not interested in Encarnacion and the Reds would have trouble taking on Rolen's contract.

McCoy spoke with a Reds official who says the team has no room for Garrett Atkins.

9:42am: The Reds are interested in hot-hitting third baseman Scott Rolen, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. They've discussed him internally, scouted him and dangled Edwin Encarnacion to the Blue Jays. Elliott says J.P. Ricciardi would like prospects in return for Rolen, whose contract the Jays wouldn't mind shedding. Rolen's on a 25-game hit streak, with a .330 average and an .876 OPS, so the $16.5MM remaining on his deal before the end of next year is palatable, especially when you consider his strong defense.

Encarnacion is much cheaper than Rolen, but he's hit poorly in the few games he hasn't missed due to wrist problems this year.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Atkins, Rolen, Rios, Davis

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FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal has a fresh column up.  Let's dive in and explore some of the juicier details…

  • The Red Sox and Rockies have discussed a Garrett Atkins swap, but "both teams continue to explore other options."  It sounds like Boston may have sent the Rox a feeler, trying to gauge the third baseman's price tag.
  • Along with ace Roy Halladay, the Blue Jays are also taking offers for outfielder Alex Rios and third baseman Scott Rolen.  They both carry hefty contracts, however, so deals could be tricky.
  • The Diamondbacks are seeking first-to-second round talent for Doug Davis, "which is what they will receive if they offer him arbitration and he departs as a free agent," notes Rosenthal.  The Brewers have shown mild interest.
  • The Rockies currently consider Ryan Spilborghs, who's hitting .351 in the month of July, too valuable to trade.

Morosi’s Latest: Blue Jays, Sanchez, Correia, Holliday

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Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com suggests the Blue Jays might want to set their sights on 2010, after which they stand to lose Lyle Overbay, Scott Downs, Scott Rolen, and Roy Halladay to free agency. Not to mention Cito Gaston and J.P. Ricciardi, whose contracts will both expire barring an extension. Morosi writes,

"Six pitchers currently reside on the disabled list, and ace Roy Halladay was a recent visitor. Vernon Wells and Alex Rios, signed through 2014, haven't been hitting. The team is in fourth place and would probably need to climb the standings quickly in order to convince ownership that additions to an $80 million payroll are warranted this month."

Morosi adds the following:

  • Halladay is not going anywhere.
  • Ricky Romero and Scott Richmond are most likely staying put, says Morosi, and I doubt anyone here disagrees.
  • Pitching is not a need for 2010 with the anticipated return of Jesse Litsch, Shaun Marcum, and Dustin McGowan.
  • The Jays are almost certain to keep Downs, who has become a premier reliever in the American League.

Morosi suggests, the Jays trade a pitcher or two to boost their team OPS which lags in the AL East behind the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays. Given the above, Morosi suggests Brian Tallet as a trade chip. "Tallet could be looked upon as a viable option for teams looking for a mid-rotation left-handed starter, particularly if the Mariners stay in the race and elect not to move Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn."

They may also look at dealing from their collection of right-handed setup men, such as Casey Janssen, Jeremy Accardo, Brandon League, or Jason Frasor. Just speculating here but Janssen may be the most attractive since he can start. As a reliever in 2007, Janssen had a 2.35 ERA in 72.2 IP with 6 saves before missing 2008 with a torn labrum.

Morosi has a few more bullet points to discuss:

  • Freddy Sanchez's contract contains an $8MM option for 2010 that automatically vests after 635 PAs, or only 600 if he makes the All Star team. So, it stands to reason that Sanchez will either make the All Star Team or see his trade value increase. This may be moot given Sanchez is on pace for 660 plate appearances. Morosi says one Mariners official doesn't think Pittsburgh is considering trading Sanchez. The M's have need for a pure hitter as well as a second baseman given concerns about Jose Lopez ability to stay at 2B long term.
  • The M's asked about Jeremy Hermida, but there wasn't a lot of movement. Morosi notes Hermida's trade value has fallen significantly.
  • Kevin Correia is pitching fantastically but the Padres haven't put him on the open market. Morosi doesn't report much excitement among other clubs.
  • Morosi says "one person in the industry who knows Oakland general manager Billy Beane well," guessed Matt Holliday will stay with the team so Beane could collect the compensatory draft picks. Morosi quotes the source: "Billy loves the draft."

Odds and Ends: Dice-K, Varitek, Rolen

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Links for Monday…

  • Tim Brown and Peter Abraham offer their takes on the top free agents.
  • A note from Abraham – if Daisuke Matsuzaka finishes top three in the AL Cy Young vote, he’ll get an extra $2MM in each of the ’09 and ’10 seasons.
  • The Mariners could hire their new GM as soon as tomorrow.  Geoff Baker discussed the merits of the four candidates in two recent posts.
  • Jason Varitek was mum on his future last night.
  • Joe Frisaro has the Marlins’ 2009 payroll in the $30-35MM range.  They have 15 arbitration-eligible players.
  • I came across an interesting note about B.J. Upton.  Back in 2004, Devil Rays GM Chuck LaMar wanted to sign Upton to an unprecedented eight or nine-year contract before he reached the Majors.  The new Rays regime eventually succeeded with a similar deal for Evan Longoria.
  • The Diamondbacks signed a Korean high school catcher named Kim Jae-yoon for $150K.
  • Jordan Bastian would be stunned if Scott Rolen exercises his right to opt out of his contract or demand a trade.
  • T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers are not in the running for C.C. Sabathia.
  • SI.com’s Jon Heyman looks at how the Phillies were built.

Odds and Ends: Choo, Inge, Lohse, Francona

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Let’s round up some rumors and links.

Rolen, Glaus Can Opt Out After ’08

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As a player traded in the middle of a multiyear deal, new Blue Jays third baseman Scott Rolen has the right to opt for free agency or demand a trade after one year with Toronto.  This right has since been eliminated but players who signed their deals before October ’06 are grandfathered in.  Troy Glaus has the same right.

The stipulations make it less likely for players to opt for free agency or demand a trade.  If the player chooses free agency he has to wait until mid-March to leave and also give up three years of free agent eligibility.  If he chooses a trade he can only block six teams.  That said, we have seen this happen before when a guy just wants out.  The most recent example I can think of is Javier Vazquez in November of ’05.

It seems the Jays still expect to have Rolen through 2010, and he’d have to really hate it there to back out of his deal.

Glaus Asked For Trade

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According to Buster Olney, Troy Glaus told J.P. Ricciardi several months ago that he’d like to be traded.  Apparently he really wanted to get away from artificial turf.

Olney says Ricciardi made no promises, and set about finding good value for Glaus.  Glaus had wanted to play for St. Louis for years, and Scott Rolen’s rift with Tony La Russa created an opportunity.

Rolen For Glaus Finalized

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UPDATE, 1-14-08 at 5:44pm: And it’s official, news conference Wednesday.

UPDATE, 1-14-08 at 2:15pm: Both players passed their physicals, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  This could be officially a done deal later today.  By the way, the Belleville News-Democrat discusses some of the failed Rolen scenarios here (including one that involved Jhonny Peralta, Cliff Lee, and Anthony Reyes).

UPDATE, 1-14-08 at 10:57am: A small amount of money will change hands – the Jays will send $1.8MM to the Cards, pending commissioner approval.  Given that Rolen has more money on his contract, it’s surprising to see the Jays sending money.

UPDATE, 1-13-08 at 12:12pm: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick says the agreement has been reached; the deal will be done if both third basemen pass physicals on Monday.  The Cardinals required that Glaus exercise his $11.25MM player option for ’09 as part of the trade – they didn’t want him to have a big ’08 and then opt for free agency.  No money changed hands, which makes the deal look like a win for St. Louis.

FROM 1-12-08 at 11:00am:

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Blue Jays and Cardinals are "closing in" on a trade of Troy Glaus for Scott Rolen.  Both would have to pass physicals first.  Rosenthal adds that both players agreed to waive their no-trade clauses and the Cardinals might need to cough up some cash as well.

Glaus, 31, hit .262/.366/.473 in an abbreviated 2007 season.  He had nerve decompression surgery for his foot in September, which will hopefully relieve his plantar fasciitis.  Also that month, Sports Illustrated reported that Glaus received multiple shipments of steroids as a member of the Angels.  Glaus is set to earn $12.75MM in ’08 and $11.25MM in ’09.

Rolen, who will turn 33 in April, hit .265/.331/.398 in a similarly abbreviated season.  He also had September surgery, a shoulder cleaning that involved removing scar tissue.  Rolen also had shoulder surgery in ’05, but did show good power for the first five months of ’06.  His other wart is a strained relationship with Tony La Russa.  He’ll earn $12MM in ’08, ’09, and ’10.   

It’s hard to say which team won the swap, though I lean towards the Cardinals.  They get a younger player with a less serious health issue and a shorter commitment.  The reason I think it’s close is that Rolen is a superior defender.  Can you imagine hitting a groundball to the left side when Rolen and John McDonald are both on the field?

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