Rays Rumors

The Scott Kazmir trade caught a few of us by surprise. Let's check out what the wider world of sports has to say about the move:

• Rob Neyer at ESPN says the Rays' rotation shuffle from Kazmir to Wade Davis cuts their playoff chances from 10 percent to 8 percent and opines, "Giving up two percent in exchange for three talented young players … well, on paper that's a move you'd be thrilled to make, every day of the week."
• Torii Hunter is happy he doesn't have to face Kazmir anymore, and he and his teammates are excited about the addition, reports Rhett Bollinger at MLB.com.
• Bill Shaikin at the L.A. Times believes Kazmir is "just what the Angels needed" and that his joining probably spells the end of the John Lackey era.
• Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman says money was not the primary reason for the deal, and he and Rays manager Joe Maddon express faith that the current crop of talent still keeps the team in contention, reports Marc Topkin at the St. Petersburg Times.

9:31pm: The deal was as expected, according to Bill Shaikin of The LA Times. The Angels get Kazmir in exchange for minor leaguers Torres and Sweeney, plus a PTBNL. The 25-yr old Kazmir is under contract for two more seasons, plus a team option for 2012. With 144 career starts under his belt, the southpaw has put up an impressive 3.92 ERA and 9.8 K/9 while honing his craft in the AL East, and he even has World Series experience.

9:21pm: And we finally have confirmation: Topkin says the Rays have made the trade official.

6:17pm: Man on the scene Marc Topkin hears that the Rays may also receive a player to be named later in addition to Torres and Sweeney.

5:59pm: It's the deal that just won't be made official. Topkin says there won't be a trade announcement made until after tonight's Rays-Tigers game in Detroit. Naturally, the game is in a rain delay.

5:00pm: Topkins tweets that the deal should be finalized within an hour.

4:40pm: Sherman says that no money is changing hands in the deal, so the Angels are absorbing the over $20MM owed to Kazmir over the next two years.

4:33pm: Joel Sherman of The NY Post hears from a source that the deal is done, and Kazmir is "definitely going to the Angels."

4:23pm: The original report from MLB.com's Lyle Spencer has been changed, and now says that the proposed deal has fallen through.

4:17pm: Topkin tweets that there still has been no confirmation of the trade, and that Kazmir is just walking around the clubhouse talking on his phone. I suspect that's not out of the ordinary, though.

3:59pm: Topkin now reports that manager Joe Maddon's usual pre-grame media session has been pushed back.

3:43pm: Marc Topkin reports that Kazmir remains in the Rays clubhouse. He hasn't been told anything about a trade and actually thought the writers who asked him about one were kidding.

3:34pm: Jon Heyman of SI.com and ESPN.com's Buster Olney confirm that the Angels are close to acquiring Kazmir. There's at least $23.5MM remaining on Kazmir's deal and Heyman says the Rays want to spend that on other players. Kazmir receives $800k if he's traded.

2:58pm: The Angels are close to acquiring Scott Kazmir from the Rays, according to MLB.com's Lyle Spencer. Spencer reports that the Rays are "on the verge" of sending Kazmir west for a pair of prospects, Alexander Torres and Matthew Sweeney.