Rays Rumors

Odds & Ends: A’s, Hammel, Manny, McPherson

By Tim Dierkes | April 7, 2009 at 9:58am CDT

Links for Tuesday…

Chat today, 2pm CST.
Yahoo's Tim Brown says there was never a mandate from A's owner Lew Wolff to remake the team into a contender. The strategy this winter was Billy Beane's idea.
Tyler Hissey of Around The Majors examines the Jason Hammel trade from both sides.
Manny Ramirez responds to Ken Rosenthal's comments, talking to T.J. Simers of the L.A. Times.
The SoftBank Hawks seek a foreign third baseman, and Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker suggests Dallas McPherson.
A look at the slugging percentage leaders of Spring Training 2009.
In a Wall Street Journal article, Russell Adams and Tim Marchman write about newspapers cutting money spent on the baseball beat.

Rays, Rox Agree On Deal For Hammel

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | April 5, 2009 at 1:02pm CDT

SUNDAY 1:02pm: Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times reports Jason Hammel has been notified that he's been dealt to the Rockies. Jeff Niemann will be the Rays fifth starter.

11:00am: Renck is reporting, "The Rockies and Rays have agreed on the parameters of a deal that would land Colorado right-handed reliever Jason Hammel, but Tampa Bay is still mulling other offers." The agreement is still involving Aneury Rodriguez.

SATURDAY 7:21pm: Renck says there "is growing momentum" behind the deal. Hammel would apparently be used as a reliever initially, and could also spot start.

6:03pm: Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times notes that Hammel is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game on Sunday morning. The Rockies and Rays could be waiting for that outing to conclude, as to not throw off his schedule.

5:01pm: Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies has learned from a Tampa Bay source that the sides are currently working out the details of the deal. He has confirmed that the Rays would get Rodriguez in return.

1:52pm: Troy Renck of the Denver Post says there is "growing momentum for a trade to transpire between Tampa Bay and the Rockies involving Hammel." The Rays are thought to be eyeing Double-A starter Aneury Rodriguez.

11:49am: According to Ed Price of MLB Fanhouse trade talks between the Rays and Rockies have resumed. Jason Hammel or Jeff Niemann could be dealt to the Rockies this weekend, according to Price's sources.

Hammel and Niemann are both out of options so the Rays would have to give the 29 other teams a chance to claim one of the pitchers before demoting him to the minors. Since they would likely be claimed, the Rays could try to deal one pitcher to get something in return.

The Jason Bay Trade Revisited

By Nat Boyle | April 5, 2009 at 11:43am CDT

Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsbugh Post-Gazette recounts the details of the deadline deal that sent Jason Bay to Boston, specifically the final 7 minutes that reshaped the future of the Pirates organization. It's a really interesting read for any rumor-enthusiasts. Some points of interest:

According to Kovacevic, before finally dealing Bay at the buzzer, Pittsburgh had been working on dealing Bay for over a year and a half.
Before the 2008 season, the Bucs had come close to dealing Bay and catcher Ronny Paulino to Cleveland for Cliff Lee, Franklin Guttierez, and Kelly Shoppach. The Pirates did not feel it was enough and killed it.
Just 20 minutes before the 4p.m. deadline, Kovacevic says the Braves and Rays were considered the primary trading partners, particularly the "prospect-rich Rays." But with only 15 minutes left, "the Pirates called each [team] to insist upon a specific prospect package and summarily were rejected," writes Kovacevic.

The Rays Index takes a look at this article from a Tampa Bay perspective.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Sheffield, Rays, Red Sox, Yankees

By Cork Gaines | April 3, 2009 at 9:42am CDT

On this date 43 years ago, Tom Seaver signed with the Mets for a $50K signing bonus. Seaver originally agreed to a deal with the Braves, but the contract was voided due to Seaver's status as an amateur at USC. After being ruled ineligible at USC, and the Braves were forbidden from signing Seaver, any team willing to match the original $50K signing bonus were included in a lottery for the rights to the future hall-of-famer. The Phillies, Indians and Mets literally had their names placed in a cap and the Mets were selected. The regular season is only days away and inevitably a former Mets pitcher will throw a no-hitter. Let's see what is being written in the Blogosphere…

The Detroit Tigers Weblog reflects on the release of Gary Sheffield.
The Rays Party takes a look at what the Rays can expect to receive in return for either Jeff Niemann or Jason Hammel.
Simon on Sports chronicles a lecture given by Donald Fehr to an MBA class.
The Blue Jay Hunter interviewed our very own Tim Dierkes.
Sox and Pinstripes concludes their look at which team (Yankees or Red Sox) is more homegrown. Personally I vote for the Rays, but I might be biased.
More Hardball looks back at the #1 picks from the last 10 years.
Fire Brand of the American League wonders why the Red Sox did not pull the trigger and trade for Miguel Montero or Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Jorge Says No! has updated their all-released team.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Minor Deals, Catalanotto, Gwynn Jr.

By | April 2, 2009 at 12:07pm CDT

Your Thursday links, with more to come…

Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Phillies have acquired RHP Manny Ayala from the San Diego Padres for a player to be named later. Ayala will probably spend the entire '09 season in the minors.
According to Steve Holley of Scout.com, the A's have plucked right-hander Rocky Roquet from the Cubs for a player to be named later. He's another minor league guy.
The Boston Globe's Tony Massarotti would like the Red Sox to pursure Frank Catalanotto, but writes that there's "no indication that they plan to do so."
Marc Hulet over at BaseballAnalysts.com reviews the production of the 2008 Rule 5 Draft class. It's not a very impressive group.
SI.com's Jon Heyman explores the Rays' and Phillies' offseasons.
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wonders if Tony Gwynn Jr. could be on the way out.
Even with the loss of Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes, the Rockies will come close to setting a franchise payroll record this season.

Odds & Ends: McPherson, Izzy, Hammel

By | April 1, 2009 at 9:31pm CDT

Happy April Fools, or something. Here are your Wednesday night links…

Mike Axisa over at River Ave. Blues believes the Yankees should take a long look at former top prospect Dallas McPherson.
Sam A. Miller of the Orange County Register presents some best-case scenario projections for the 2009 Angels.
Jason Isringhausen is going to stick it out with the Rays. He'll be placed on the disabled list to start the season, but could be pitching for Tampa by mid-May.
Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus discusses some of the Rays' offseason moves with RaysProspects.com. He also touches on Jason Hammel's trade value.
Pirates president Frank Coonelly hosted a chat with fans at MLB.com on Wednesday.
Mariners Rule 5 pick Jose Lugo, a reliever, has been returned to the Twins.
Another Rule 5 pick, catcher James Skelton, has been waived by the Diamondbacks.
If you missed it, take a look at Tim's Tuesday chat.
Join the fun! Add MLBTR to your Twitter following tonight. And hey, while you're at it, why not check out your (attention craving) friend Drew Silva as well?

Rockies Rumors: Podsednik, Hammel, Gaudin

By Tim Dierkes | April 1, 2009 at 11:38am CDT

Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post has the latest on the Rockies.

With Dexter Fowler making the team, the Rockies will release Scott Podsednik. The Brewers have shown interest in bringing him back to Milwaukee.
Renck notes that Sal Fasano, Josh Fogg, and Matt Belisle all have out clauses in their contracts.
The Rockies are looking for pitching. The top target is Jason Hammel of the Rays, while the Cubs' Chad Gaudin is also on the radar. It's possible Gaudin will clear waivers due to his $2MM salary, though.

Tigers Release Gary Sheffield

By Tim Dierkes | March 31, 2009 at 7:37pm CDT

7:36pm: MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says Sheffield has interest in the Marlins, but Frisaro believes Geoff Jenkins would be a better fit.

5:12pm: Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer learned from a team source that the chances of the Phillies signing Sheffield are "very slim." Martino did learn from Sheffield's agent Rufus Williams that a part-time role is not off the table for his client.

SI.com's Jon Heyman looks at the situation, and has a hard time finding a match for Sheffield.

2:49pm: Zolecki learned from Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. that the team did contact Sheffield's agent. The Reds haven't discussed it, says Walt Jocketty.

1:15pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Rangers and Blue Jays will pass on Sheffield. In talking to J.P. Ricciardi, Jeff Blair confirms the Jays' lack of interest.

9:15am: More from Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press. He says this isn't even a club record – the Tigers ate $14.3MM on Damion Easley back in '03. Morosi says Sheffield said "it ain't close" to the end of his career, and he has a preference for the Rays.

MLB.com's Todd Zolecki wonders whether the Phillies could be a fit for Sheffield.

8:41am: According to Tom Gage of the Detroit News, the Tigers released DH Gary Sheffield. They'll eat the $14MM owed to him for '09. It's quite surprising to see the team assume all that money to make him go away, especially since he's healthy right now. Plus he's just one home run shy of 500 for his career.

Let the speculation begin on where Sheff will end up. Obviously his options will open up if he can play the outfield. To kick off the discussion…would the Blue Jays make sense?

Odds & Ends: Colletti, Youkilis, Turnbow

By Tim Dierkes | March 31, 2009 at 11:40am CDT

Links for Tuesday…

Chat today, 2pm CST.
Rays info from Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times: they're trying to figure out a way to keep Jason Isringhausen, and they've released pitcher Chuck Tiffany (part of the Danys Baez trade in '06).
In talking to Ramona Shelburne of the L.A. Daily News, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti explained his success reading the market this offseason. He also said, "I believe there will be some players available on July 31st that normally would never be available."
Ken Davidoff of Newsday reminds us of past trade discussions involving Kevin Youkilis, before he was highly regarded.
Baseball America's Jim Callis notes that the Cubs released "three of their top picks from the last six drafts this spring: outfielder Ryan Harvey, the sixth overall pick in 2003; righthander Grant Johnson, a second-rounder in 2004; and lefty Mark Pawelek, the 20th overall choice in 2005."
According to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, Rangers reliever Derrick Turnbow's opt-out date is Thursday. He's talking to his agent about whether he should head to Triple A Oklahoma.
MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince says lefty reliever Juan Lara signed a minor league deal with the Indians – "just 16 months after a car accident nearly took his life."

Rosenthal On Matthews, Thomas, Hammel, Niemann

By Tim Dierkes | March 31, 2009 at 9:05am CDT

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new column…

The Angels attempted to sell the Reds on Gary Matthews Jr., but it was a one-sided discussion. The Reds have no desire to trade Bronson Arroyo or Aaron Harang for Matthews. Angels GM Tony Reagins told Rosenthal, "We haven't had much discussions with respect to trades and trade possibilities." UPDATE: Reds GM Walt Jocketty told John Fay he hasn't talked to the Angels since the Winter Meetings.
Free agent DH Frank Thomas is still waiting for an offer. He intends to delay a decision about retirement until at least the All-Star break. My thought – his situation just got a bit tougher with Gary Sheffield becoming available.
Rosenthal says the Rays could keep both Jason Hammel and Jeff Niemann and cut Lance Cormier, if trade offers for the first two aren't acceptable. Rosenthal adds the Rangers, Nationals, and Indians to the already known suitors (Padres, Pirates, and Rockies). He names the Brewers as "yet another possibility." Rosenthal says the Angels attempted to acquire Niemann a year ago but learned from Reagins that they're not actively looking for pitching.
The Phillies ate Adam Eaton's contract, but team president David Montgomery is unwilling to do the same to make Geoff Jenkins go away.
Rosenthal says the offers received for Rockies infielder Jeff Baker "have not been enticing." They may elect to keep him.

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