Dodgers Inquire On Bill Hall
According to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times, the Dodgers asked the Brewers about Bill Hall. Hall, who turns 28 soon, is owed $4.8MM in ’08, $6.8MM in ’09, and $8.4MM in ’10. He could play third base for the Dodgers.
You may also recall that the Dodgers called the Brewers about Ben Sheets recently. We also know that the Brewers have discussed trading for Andy LaRoche. Can Ned Colletti and Doug Melvin find a match?
Hernandez’s article also mentions that Troy Glaus could be an option for the Dodgers, but that may just be speculation.
Jays In On Lincecum, Bedard, Bay
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 12:34am: Blair has updated his article to reflect the Jays’ interest in Cain and Lincecum. He says the Giants spent much of the day watching tape of the two, trying to decide which they prefer. Putting two and two together, maybe the "interesting offer" Brian Sabean spoke of today was Alex Rios?
FROM 12-3-07 at 8:46pm:
The Globe and Mail’s Jeff Blair has several new rumors in his column tonight.
- The Jays’ President, Paul Godfrey, is all about bringing in a big-name Canadian player. Blair rattles off Jason Bay, Erik Bedard, Ryan Dempster, Rich Harden, and Eric Gagne as available Canada natives. Of course, not all of those guys would be draws.
- The Jays are indeed in on Bedard, which is a surprise since starting pitching is a strength of theirs. This idea has been around since at least May though. Blair talked to one exec who said the Jays are planning to get "aggressive and creative." It had been previously thought the Jays would have a low-key winter.
- Blair talks of somehow sending A.J. Burnett to Baltimore in a Bedard deal, which makes little sense for the O’s even if Burnett would like to play there. In my estimation the O’s could ask for Alex Rios or Dustin McGowan for Bedard. The Jays could try to push Adam Lind and Shaun Marcum instead but I don’t see that getting it done. I could see the O’s asking about Travis Snider as well.
- Blair says the Jays could get Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum "right away" if they’d offer Rios to the Giants. Blair even says an expanded deal could send Lind and/or Troy Glaus over to San Francisco as well. Hmmm.
- Jordan Bastian of MLB.com isn’t hearing any of this stuff – but he did connect the Jays to…Paul Bako. Blair and Bastian present two very different stories around the same ballclub.
Rosenthal’s Latest: A-Rod, Glaus, Cordero
Ken Rosenthal’s work is a must for any rumor junkie. Here are some highlights from his latest column.
- Rosenthal gives his take on possible A-Rod destinations, discussing the Mets, Tigers, and Dodgers in depth. He tosses out an idea I hadn’t seen before – moving David Wright to left field and declining Moises Alou‘s option. MetsBlog discusses Scott Boras’ sales pitch to the Mets.
- The Cards want to hire Chris Antonetti, but the Indians don’t want to let him go. Rosenthal says they may have to pay him GM money and/or promise him the post in the future.
- Rosenthal has a new I hadn’t mentioned for the Yankees’ third base vacancy, though I believe several commenters did. That name is Troy Glaus, about whom the Yanks inquired last summer. There are complications aplenty with Glaus: foot problems, $12.75MM owed to him in ’08 and an $11.25MM player option for ’09, a full no-trade clause, and a steroid connection. Sounds like Jason Giambi Part II.
- Francisco Cordero would be priced out of the Brewers’ range if he demands a four or five year deal worth $9-11MM annually. I assume he will, though the Brewers could afford it.
Glaus Implicated For Steroid Use
Here at MLBTR I mostly try to avoid steroid posts unless they have implications for the hot stove. In the case of Blue Jays third baseman Troy Glaus, a steroid connection definitely crosses into our realm. It was recently revealed at SI.com that Glaus received steroids in 2003-04.
It appears that steroid use played a large role in Glaus’s contracts. We may never know whether his home run crown in 2000 was influenced by performance-enhancing drugs. But that season led the Angels to lock him up through his arbitration years at four years, $22MM.
In July of 2003, Glaus landed awkwardly trying to field a Julio Lugo bunt. This was first labeled a bruise, but the ultimate result was a partial tear of his rotator cuff and a frayed labrum. He was shut down for the rest of ’03 but chose rehab over surgery. Glaus actually lost weight that winter. He got off to a decent start in ’04 but by May elected to have the surgery. That he made it back onto the field by September may have been aided by steroids. He hit seven home runs that month.
It’s tough to say whether any teams suspected Glaus of steroid use at that point. I often wonder to what extent these kinds of rumors float around inside the game and whether they influence GM decisions. The Angels decided to let Glaus leave via free agency in favor of Dallas McPherson. Did they know anything? The Dodgers, Red Sox, Mets, Tigers, and Orioles all had interest in Glaus during the winter of 2004-05. He wound up with Arizona for four years, $45MM. That level of interest says to me that teams did not suspect Glaus of steroid use.
Looking to shed salary just one season into Glaus’s contract, the D’Backs sent him to Toronto in December of ’05. An $11.25MM player option for ’09 was added to convince him to waive his no-trade clause.
The Jays made Glaus available this summer, but the lack of interest was surprising. $24MM over 2008-09 isn’t prohibitive for a power bat. Glaus cleared waivers in August – no team risked a claim. Even given Glaus’s full no-trade clause, the market’s apathy toward him seemed odd. I wonder if perhaps there was already a buzz within the game regarding his steroid use.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Damon, Glaus, Wells
Ken Rosenthal has a new column up; here are some rumor-related points of interest.
- As you know, it doesn’t make sense for the Yankees to keep both Bobby Abreu and Johnny Damon around for 2008. It’s just not an efficent way to spend $29MM. Rosenthal says Damon would be open to waiving his no-trade clause, if the Yankees struck a deal with a team that fell under his 12-team protection. Damon is apparently open to regular playing time on teams not located on the West Coast. The White Sox, Phillies, Braves, or Astros might make sense, in my opinion. The Yanks’ ability to pull an exercise-and-trade with Abreu’s 2008 option is hindered by his full no-trade protection.
- Rosenthal believes the Blue Jays might aggressively shop Troy Glaus this winter. Glaus surprisingly cleared waivers recently. Glaus is holding all the cards – he has a full no-trade clause and a player option for 2009.
- The Rockies will pass on David Wells, but the Dodgers are still interested. The Rox might still go for Steve Trachsel if they opt for experience over potential.
- Craig Monroe seems to be an option for second-tier clubs, especially if he becomes a free agent. The Giants will pass.
Stark On Waiver Happenings
Jayson Stark’s column today was a goldmine of waiver-related material. I updated my Players Who Have Cleared Waivers post with his new info. Two thoughts from that group:
- I was surprised to see that no one wanted a piece of Troy Glaus‘s contract, which really isn’t scary at $24MM over 2008-09 (assuming he exercises his player option). I’m sure his no-trade clause would’ve been a pricey obstacle, but what’s the harm in making a claim? Why would the Angels, Phillies, and Dodgers pass on him? Maybe clubs talked to J.P. Ricciardi and decided it just wasn’t worth it. And to be fair, Glaus hasn’t done anything since June and is dealing with plantar fasciitis.
- I wonder if Jim Bowden was embarrassed that no one would touch Dmitri Young‘s silly new contract.
Another group Stark had was the Claimed But Withdrawn. Here they are:
Jon Garland
Scott Hatteberg
Kei Igawa
Jacque Jones
Mike Lamb
Mark Loretta
Corey Patterson
Chad Qualls
David Riske
Richie Sexson
Miguel Tejada
Matt Thornton
Javier Vazquez
Dan Wheeler
Just one jumps out at me here. Richie Sexson is a huge burden at $14MM next year. And Bill Bavasi passed on the chance to unload that contract. The guy is hitting .208/.299/.405 as a 32 year-old; his OPS has cracked .800 in only one month this year. This is a team that can’t find playing time for Adam Jones. What’s the logic here? $14MM could’ve bought something nice in 2008.
Tim Brown’s Latest
Yahoo’s Tim Brown has a new post up; let’s take a look.
- Brown ran all types of starting pitchers by a "large-market assistant," and confirmed that no one good is available. However, Joe Blanton might be switched from "not available" to "available but expensive" on Brown’s list.
- The Diamondbacks have turned their focus to starting pitching. Good luck with that – they should’ve just pushed harder to get Mark Teixeira.
- The D’Backs aren’t interested in Jermaine Dye, although he would seemingly be a nice fit for them.
- The Blue Jays are listening to offers for Troy Glaus, but interest is surprisingly low. I have to say, I’m really surprised that we’re not hearing more about Glaus and Adam Dunn right now with Teixeira off the market. The Padres, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, and others could all use a power bat.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Dye, Lamb, Jennings
Ken Rosenthal has a new article up. Let’s see what’s in there beyond the Teixeira stuff.
- The Angels have a few alternatives to Mark Teixeira in Jermaine Dye and Mike Piazza. However, the team isn’t exactly bursting with open outfield/DH spots, especially once Juan Rivera returns. Troy Glaus still makes a ton of sense, but the Blue Jays would want a lot. Probably 2/3 of the Teixeira package.
- Aside from Mark Loretta, the Padres would also like to acquire Mike Lamb from the Astros. Even tossing aside his awful April, Kevin Kouzmanoff has been about average for his position offensively (.271/.328/.476 since May 1). If the Padres instead used Lamb against southpaws and Kouzmanoff against lefties, they’d have a nifty platoon.
- The Mets have inquired on Joe Blanton and Jon Garland but have found the price prohibitive. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that both are just innings eaters. They’re just elevated by a terrible market for starters.
- The Phillies also asked about Blanton, but are more likely to settle for Kyle Lohse or Jason Jennings. Phil Garner decided to offer Jennings’ ERA up for sacrifice today, leaving him in to allow 11 earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. That was a several million-dollar decision, as Jennings is a free agent after the season.
- The Mets seem to have only mild interest in Luis Castillo and Mark Grudzielanek due to salary and injury concerns.
Pirates Ask For Glaus In Jack Wilson Deal
The Pirates are shopping shortstop Jack Wilson, and the Blue Jays are known to be interested. One would expect the Bucs to be happy with the salary relief and maybe ask for a token prospect. Instead, Dave Littlefield asked about Troy Glaus.
Now, it was just an inquiry, and the Jays quickly shot it down. Obviously we don’t know how the phone call went, so Littlefield might’ve devised a reasonable trade scenario involving additional players. The Pirates could definitely use a big bat like Glaus, but he does not seem likely to approve a trade to Pittsburgh even if the two sides did agree on the players.
It’s hard to tell just how available Glaus is, but a recent report indicates that he can be had. A return to the Angels still seems most likely.
Troy Glaus Available
The general feeling, based on comments from Troy Glaus and J.P. Ricciardi, has been that Glaus is staying put. However, a Toronto Sun article from Bob Elliott quotes an NL scout saying that Glaus is indeed available. The 31 year-old third baseman would be hard to replace, so he won’t come cheap. No reason Ricciardi shouldn’t at least field offers.
Glaus, of course, has a full no-trade clause. When he was last traded, he required an $11.25MM player option for ’09 be added to his deal. At present he will make another $4.4MM this year and $12.75MM in ’08. If he were to concede to another trade, maybe he’d want $26-30MM guaranteed for 2009-10. Just a guess.
The common sentiment is that Glaus would end up back in California if traded. Elliott names the Padres and Angels as teams in need of a power-hitting third-sacker. But let’s give some props to rookie Kevin Kouzmanoff, who is hitting .283/.338/.500 since May 1st. Elliott says the Dodgers aren’t in on Glaus, leaving a return to the Halos are the most feasible scenario. He’d be a perfect addition for the Angels, who are ninth in the league in slugging.