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Heyman On Blue Jays, Indians, Crawford

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Believe it or not, there's more to this year's deadline than Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Jon Heyman of SI.com has the latest on some other trade possibilities:

  • Scott Downs, Jason Frasor and Brandon League are coveted around the league, but the Jays want to figure out what to do with Halladay before dealing secondary players.
  • The Dodgers are "pressing hard" for George Sherrill.
  • Chad Qualls and Michael Wuertz are likely to stay put.
  • The Yankees aren't involved in the Cliff Lee talks after hearing the Indians wanted Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes in return.
  • It's becoming more likely that the Indians will deal Lee and Victor Martinez.
  • The Nationals requested Jonathan Sanchez for Nick Johnson.
  • One GM says the Rays briefly dangled Carl Crawford a few weeks ago. Sounds like they'll consider anything.

Cliff Lee Rumors: Tuesday

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11:21pm: Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal at FOX Sports have some new bullet points on the Lee situation, most involving the Dodgers:

  • The Dodgers, Red Sox, Phillies and Angels have all inquired, and the Angels hadn't until the last day or two.
  • The Rangers want a starter, but haven't asked about Lee just yet.
  • The Dodgers have enough prospects to acquire both George Sherrill and Lee, but officials haven't green-lighted giving up too much of their talent.
  • The Dodgers like the idea of getting Lee, as it will likely mean they won't have to depart with Clayton Kershaw or Chad Billingsley in a deal.
  • It's unclear if the Dodgers would deal third base prospect Josh Bell.

10:41pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki gives a rundown of the Phillies' leanings toward Lee. Yahoo's Gordon Edes says that recent Phillies call-up Kyle Kendrick is "one of the pieces expected" to head to the Indians should the Phils commit to obtaining Lee.

9:27pm: Word from Paul Hoynes at the Cleveland Plain-Dealer is that the Phillies are indeed focusing their attention on Lee. The Indians have intimate knowledge of the Phils' system after scouting them for a potential C.C. Sabathia deal last summer as well. However, one source from the Indians says the team is likely "closing up shop" on deals before the deadline. We'll see about that.

4:50pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the Phillies and Indians are doing extensive background work on minor leaguers to prepare for a possible Lee trade. The Indians want top pitching that could contribute in the majors soon. Kyle Drabek would appeal to the Indians, but the Phillies have been reluctant to trade Drabek, even for Halladay. 

However, the Phillies may have enough high-upside pitching to meet the Indians' demands without including Drabek.

10:53am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that there's a 25-50% chance the Indians trade Cliff Lee. Here are more details on the Indians' ace:

  • The Phillies, Dodgers, Angels, Rays and Rangers all have interest in Lee.
  • If no one offers the Indians multiple prospects, including a high-upside pitcher, they won't deal him.
  • The Indians discussed an extention with Lee this spring, but never made him an offer, so Lee told the team he'll test free agency after 2010 (assuming the Indians pick up his $9MM option for next year).
  • Lee says he understands he might be traded. Unlike Roy Halladay, he has no say in where he ends up, however.

Rays, Red Sox Talking Blockbusters With Tribe

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4:33pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hear that the Rays may be shying away from a blockbuster deal. They're 5.0 games behind Boston in the Wild Card race, so their next two games against the Yankees could determine the team's direction.

If the Rays are discouraged after the Yankees series, they could make Dan Wheeler, Chad Bradford, Grant Balfour, Joe Nelson and Lance Cormier available, according to the FOX Sports source.

12:59pm: The Rays have shopped Scott Kazmir to the Mets and Rangers, according to Joel Sherman. The Rangers turned down an offer from the Rays and the Mets just had initial interest. The Rays would consider dealing Kazmir, Carlos Pena and even Carl Crawford to free up enough salary to make a blockbuster deal for Martinez and Lee.

The Rays still have interest in Halladay.

TUESDAY, 11:16am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has more dish on the idea of a team acquiring both Lee and V-Mart in a blockbuster trade.  The idea has been considered in Cleveland but is considered very unlikely due to the magnitude of prospects required.  While the Red Sox could technically pull it off, the Rays wouldn't have the payroll space.

MONDAY, 4:35pm: Ed Price of AOL FanHouse hears the Rays are still "in on" V-Mart and Lee. There's still a chance that they'll trade Scott Kazmir to the Angels, too.

1:35pm: The Rays and Red Sox are each discussing blockbuster deals with the Indians for both Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Here are the details and the rest of Sherman's rumors:

  • The Rays would deal Wade Davis, but the Red Sox are hesitant to deal Clay Buchholz.
  • The Phillies, Brewers and Rangers have interest in Lee and the Giants have interest in V-Mart.  
  • One executive is "1,000%" confident the Indians will move Lee and Martinez to free up money.
  • An AL executive says the Phillies will acquire Lee, Roy Halladay or Jarrod Washburn by Friday afternoon.
  • The Padres may be more willing to deal Heath Bell than expected. As one official says, Bell will be an expensive closer on a bad team if the Padres don't trade him.   
  • The Yankees have been interested in Bell, whose value is higher than ever. 

Heyman On Washburn, Halladay, Red Sox, Rangers

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Let's dig into the latest from SI's Jon Heyman.

  • The Yankees called the Mariners Saturday to inquire on Jarrod Washburn, and were told at the time that the Ms weren't ready to sell.  Perhaps that has since changed, based on today's report from Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi.  Here's my question: was Seattle's decision to hold on to Washburn last summer prudent, or did they just get lucky?  Heyman says Bronson Arroyo is a "fallback option" for the Yanks should the Reds change course and offer to eat significant salary.
  • Heyman gives his take on the Roy Halladay situation, explaining where suitors such as the Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Rangers, and Dodgers sit.  Heyman still sees the Phils as the favorite.  He says the Dodgers "are more focused on Cliff Lee than Halladay" but don't want to break up their Major League roster.  Good luck with that.  One Heyman source suggested the Red Sox would need to give up Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, and Jed Lowrie (Gordon Edes says Bard is off-limits).
  • Heyman also talks a bit about Boston's interest in major bats Victor Martinez and Adrian Gonzalez.
  • Heyman finds the Rangers unlikely to acquire Halladay or Cliff Lee, though they have expressed interest.  The Rangers won't be restricted, at least by MLB, because of Tom Hicks' financial woes.  I don't see why the money owed to Halladay would be an issue for any club.  He's a massive bargain.
  • The Angles have yet to cop to interest in Rays starter Scott Kazmir.  Heyman guesses Tampa Bay would love to be free of Kazmir's contract ($24.8MM through 2011 doesn't seem too burdensome though).  Earlier today the lefty was connected to the Rangers and Mets by Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • Heyman speculates that one reason the Cards would like to extend Matt Holliday is to impress Albert Pujols.

Odds & Ends: Holliday, Red Sox, Pirates, Kazmir

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Things are picking up, so we've got a fresh batch of links for you…

  • The recently acquired Matt Holliday was non-committal when talking about his impending free agency, according to R.B. Fallstrom of the AP. "I'm going to enjoy myself and try to help this team get to the playoffs and to the World Series and work every day I can to be the best player I can be," Holliday said. "And leave it there. I think there's a time and a place for all those other things and when that time comes is when I'll do my evaluating."
  • Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse tweets that the Red Sox have told people "they are trying to pull off something huge." Earlier today we learned that the Sox were talking about Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez with the Indians.
  • Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review asked Pirates team president Frank Coonelly about the possibility of re-opening extension talks with Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson should they remain with the team past Friday's trade deadline, to which Coonelly responded "At this juncture, I wouldn't say anything is definitely closed. We'd have to see where we are. But, developments in the organization could create a situation that could make it less likely, or more likely, we'd want to extend Jack or Freddy."
  • Scott Kazmir's agent, Brian Peters, reached out to Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman about recent trade rumors involving his client. Friedman indicated the rumors were "merely speculative," according to MLB.com's Zach Schonbrun.
  • Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times writes that Jarrod Washburn has "let it be known he is open to a contract extension to stay in Seattle," but indicated that there has not been much discussion.
  • Bruce Miles of The Daily Herald said he expects the Cubs to look for bullpen help before anything else. He names Joe Beimel and George Sherrill as players of interest.
  • The Cubs have signed third round pick Austin Kirk according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat, while Bill Ladson reports that the Nats have signed seventh rounder Andrew Weaver.

Cafardo’s Latest: Martinez, Boston, Pitching

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In his latest piece for The Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo reports that the Indians turned down an offer of Clay Buchholz for Victor Martinez according to an NL scout. The Red Sox then countered with a package of Michael Bowden, Justin Masterson, and an outfield prospect, but the Indians turned that down as well.

Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…

  • In addition to Boston, the Indians are also fielding offers from the Rays and Giants for Martinez, but aren't inclined to make a deal unless a team's best prospects are involved.
  • Cafardo runs through the list of other pitchers that "could be pried away," including Scott Kazmir, Cliff Lee, Erik Bedard, Jarrod Washburn, and George Sherrill. He says it'll take "a blockbuster package" to land Lee.
  • Aubrey Huff and Kevin Millar are also available.
  • The Red Sox will "dip in the (Roy) Halladay sweepstakes" if the price comes down, but otherwise will look for a righthanded bat that can play the outfield.
  • Cafardo says it will be interesting to see if the Yankees, Phillies and Dodgers are aggressive at the deadline or take a pass, considering all three clubs are playing well right now.
  • The White Sox could pull off something big because GM Kenny Williams "has a bit of gambler in him."
  • It'll be interesting to see if the Giants' plans to add a bat are put on hold after the sudden death of principal owner Sue Burns.
  • Twins GM Bill Smith may add a middle infielder and/or a reliever before the deadline. Last night we learned that they were "deep into talks and talking composition of a deal" with the A's about Orlando Cabrera. The team might be able to stretch it's normal payroll with Target Field opening next year.
  • Cafardo proposes a "swap of underachieving Scott Boras clients," J.D. Drew and Magglio Ordonez.
  • While there is some uneasiness about there not being any substantive talks between the Nationals and Stephen Strasburg, those kind of deals can come together quickly. The signing deadline is August 17th.
  • The Rangers are unable to add payroll, which will hamstring their efforts that the trade deadline.

Gammons’ Latest: Duke, Halladay, Reds, Rays

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ESPN's Peter Gammons has a new blog post up, writing about how teams are reluctant to part with their top young players, even if they are overvaluing them. He also mixes in a little rumory goodness, so let's take a peek…

  • The Pirates have indicated that it'll take "a gaggle of prospects" to move Zach Duke.
  • When inquiring about Roy Halladay, the Yankees were told the price was Phil Hughes plus prospects Austin Jackson and Jesus Montero.
  • One GM says "Cincinnati wants to move a few contracts, like either Bronson Arroyo or Aaron Harang, but we're not interested in giving players or taking on their money. Harang hasn't been the same guy since last May." Harang has a 4.99 ERA since a 63-pitch relief appearance on May 25th of last season.
  • Another GM said "We've looked at Doug Davis, Jon Garland, Kevin Correia, Ian Snell and the long list of available starting pitchers and do not see anyone we would give A- or B-list prospects to get."
  • Teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, and Dodgers are at an advantage because they can afford to restock their farm systems quickly by spending big in the draft or on the international market.
  • The Rays are likely "to see what they can get" for Carl Crawford after the season, and will hold onto prospects they consider keepers.

Trade On The Way In Tampa?

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3:11pm: Baseball America's Ben Badler reports Brignac will play in the second game of Durham's Saturday doubleheader.  His "right leg was bothering him" this afternoon.

1:54pm: Marc Lancaster of the Tampa Tribune tweets, "Word from Durham is Reid Brignac was pulled from the game for not hustling to first base."  Well, that's that.

1:51pm: As a handful of readers have noted, 23-year-old shortstop Reid Brignac was pulled from Triple-A Durham's lineup in the third inning Saturday for a non-injury reason.  He's definitely a potential trade chip, so we'll keep an ear to the grindstone.

Kazmir Not On Angels’ Radar?

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Mark Saxon at the O.C. Register reports that there have been no discussions in team meetings to pursue Scott Kazmir from the Rays. This conflicts with earlier reports that the Rays were scouting the Angels' farm teams and that Kazmir's name was indeed of interest, with goading from pitching coach Mike Butcher.

Saxon says GM Tony Reagins still has his sights set on a frontline starter, a la Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee, and a reliable setup man. Saxon also speculates that the Angels could have interest in some of the Rays' relievers, including J.P. Howell, Randy Choate and Grant Balfour.

Rosenthal’s & Morosi’s Latest: Halladay, Cabrera, Glaus

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Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com say that the Phillies and Blue Jays are getting closer on a potential Roy Halladay deal, but nothing is imminent. The Rangers and Dodgers have both expressed interest in Halladay, but did not talk with Toronto on Friday. The Angels have reportedly improved their offer for the former Cy Young Award winner, but it's unlikely they'll match Philadelphia's package. The Yankees have also expressed interest, but Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi has yet to engage them in discussions.

In a separate column, Rosenthal and Morosi fork over a slew of rumory goodness…

  • Don't be surprised if the Red Sox "show renewed interest" in shortstop Orlando Cabrera before the deadline. O-Cab was hitting .365-.377-.500 in his last 30 games coming into tonight.
  • The addition of Matt Holliday ensures that the Cardinals will look to move Troy Glaus. The Giants, Braves, Rangers and Tigers are expected to show interest in the former AL homerun champ.
  • One GM had this to say about the Holliday deal "In light of the current climate, good return on a 70-game guy. All based on what (Wallace) turns out to be. We are not high on the other two guys."
  • Meanwhile, a scout offered this about Brett Wallace: "He can hit but he throws like a girl. They acquired a DH — I think he might be Jack Cust Jr. with fewer Ks. (Outfielder Shane) Peterson is the hidden gem!"
  • The Jays are pushing Scott Rolen and Kevin Millar in trade talks, while a number of their bullpen arms are drawing interest.
  • The Marlins expressed interest in Holliday at one point, but wanted the A's to pick up most of the money owed to him this year. The Reds also inquired.
  • A bid to get Holliday ended for the Tigers when the A's asked for prospects Casey Crosby and Scott Sizemore.
  • Anaheim is indeed interested in Scott Kazmir, spurred on by input from pitching coach Mike Butcher, who once held the same position with Tampa.
  • The Cubs don't appear to be in any serious talks to acquire another catcher.
  • One scout familiar with the Reds said they "are listening on about everyone."
  • The Rangers have interest in lefty relievers George Sherrill and Scott Downs.
  • Sherrill is also on the White Sox's radar.
  • Oakland is reluctant to move reliever Michael Wuertz, but there is so much interest in him that the team might get the return it desires.
  • A number of clubs are expected to watch Justin Duchscherer on his rehab assignment as he comes back from elbow surgery.
  • The article closes with an amusing text message exchange between Skip Schumaker and Mark DeRosa.
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