Blue Jays Rumors

Boston’s Roy Halladay Offer

By Nat Boyle | September 14, 2009 at 4:29pm CDT

5:29pm: ESPN's Peter Gammons echoes Heyman's report, and adds that Josh Reddick is the positional prospect that would have gone to Toronto.

MONDAY, 3:01pm: So what did the Red Sox actually offer for Halladay? SI's Jon Heyman heard Buchholz, Masterson, Bowden, Hagadone, and a positional prospect. Should Ricciardi have pulled the trigger on this 5-for-1 blockbuster?

SUNDAY, 1:12pm: Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe reports that Epstein has denied the rumors. When asked if there was any truth to the rumored offer for Halladay, Epstein responded with a simple "Nope."

10:14am: Last month, Theo Epstein said Boston aggressively pursued Roy Halladay at the deadline and that their final offer was "probably the best offer [J.P. Ricciardi] received." According to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, that may have been a 6-for-1 offer of Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson, Daniel Bard, Michael Bowden, Felix Doubront, and Nick Hagadone.

One National League scout is quoted having "zero idea why they didn't take the Boston offer." Elliott cites a Toronto scout who says the Jays didn't take the offer for two reasons: 1) They weren't confident Masterson would succeed as a starter, and 2) they were afraid of Halladay beating them in 2010.

The same scout is quoted, "We don't have a quality arm like Halladay," said the scout, "but I've seen four of those (Red Sox) arms and they're quality. Hit on three of six and you'd be fertile for a long time."

What do you think? Does this seem uncharacteristic of Theo Epstein?

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Pitching, Rays, Padres, DeRosa

By Mike Axisa | September 12, 2009 at 5:30pm CDT

Let's see what Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has for us in his latest Full Count video…

The free agent market for starting pitching doesn't look very enticing, but the trade market could be intriguing. Toronto will almost certainly field offers for Roy Halladay again, the Cubs could trade Carlos Zambrano, and the Braves could deal Javier Vazquez if they decide to keep Tim Hudson.
The Astros might finally be ready to move ace Roy Oswalt. While he does have a full no-trade clause, Oswalt has told the club in the past that he'd be willing to consider moves to St. Louis, both Chicago teams, Texas, and Atlanta.
Tampa Bay moved Scott Kazmir when his value was high, so perhaps it's unlikely they'd move B.J. Upton when his value is low. Regardless, many teams covet the elder Upton brother because at his best he's a righty slugger with superior defense in center field. In his place, the Rays could go in-house with Fernando Perez or Desmond Jennings.
Keep in mind that if Tampa were to trade an outfielder, they might prefer to deal Carl Crawford. Upton is three years away from free agency; Crawford just one.
The Padres' recent surge has GM Kevin Towers thinking the team could be a surprise contender next year. The question is this: how low will the team's payroll go? The subtraction of Brian Giles would leave the payroll in the mid-$30MM range, but there are some that believe the team will move either Adrian Gonzalez or Heath Bell and get down into the mid-$20MM range. Ownership has yet to give the front office a firm payroll number for 2010.
The Cardinals want to re-sign Mark DeRosa, but his offseason wrist surgery changes the equation. DeRosa is fully expected to be ready by the start of Spring Training, but he'll come with some risk. If he was fully healthy, he would be nearly as coveted as Chone Figgins, but supply and demand will work in DeRosa's favor because there are very few quality third baseman available. Plus, he can also play a ton of other positions.

Will Rod Barajas Return To The Jays In 2010?

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 11, 2009 at 9:03am CDT

Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston doesn't expect Rod Barajas to return to the team next year, according to Shi Davidi of the Canadian Press (via the Toronto Sun). Barajas, who will hit free agency after the season, told reporters he's surprised his manager doesn't expect him back.

"I enjoy it here," Barajas said. "I have fun here and I don't see any reason for someone to make that assumption about me coming back."

Barajas says he wants to re-sign with Toronto after the season. The 34-year-old made $2.5MM this year and figures to be a Type B free agent. The Blue Jays could let him walk and obtain a compensation pick if he rejects arbitration to sign with another club.

Barajas has 16 homers this year, but his OBP is just .270. The Blue Jays have an alternative to Barajas at Triple A with similar on base skills. J.P. Arencibia, a first round pick two years ago, has just a .284 OBP. Like Barajas, he has power. The 23-year-old hit 21 homers and 32 doubles in Triple A this season, so the Jays could rely on him and Raul Chavez next year if Barajas departs.

Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox Shortstop Options, Griffey, Suppan, Mulder, Glavine

By Mike Axisa | September 6, 2009 at 10:42am CDT

The Red Sox have been trying to find a long term solution at shortstop ever since the Nomar Garciaparra trade back in 2004, and while the recent pickup of Alex Gonzalez has provided some stability, the team still needs to find a solution for next year and beyond. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe says that first, the Sox have to decide if "they can afford to carry a light-hitting, great-fielding shortstop or sacrifice a bit of defense to aim for a more balanced lineup."

He presents some possible solutions to their seemingly perpetual shortstop issues, so let's round 'em up…

Marco Scutaro: The 33-yr old has enjoyed a tremendous season for Toronto (.282/.380/.411), and projects to be a Type-A free agent. He made just $1.1MM this season, and it seems likely that the Blue Jays would offer him arbitration.
Hanley Ramirez: Cafardo mentions that it still remains to be seen if Hanley can stick at short long term, but there is no question that he's one of the five best players in the game today. Given his team friendly contract that will pay him $64.5MM between now and 2014, the Sox would have to offer a bounty of young talent just to get their foot in the door.
Miguel Tejada: A projected Type-B free agent this offseason, it seems unlikely that the Astros would offer him arbitration. He could be a one year stopgap at shortstop, and perhaps enjoy an offensive resurgence similar to Mike Lowell thanks to Fenway Park and the Green Monster.
J.J. Hardy: As Cafardo notes, it "would take a leap of faith to think that his horrid season is an aberration." However, he did hit .280/.333/.470 from 2007-2008, and they'd definitely be buying low.
Jose Reyes: We've seen plenty of talk that the Mets should trade Reyes, but it remains to be seen if they actually will. Can you imagine Reyes and Jacoby Ellsbury on the bases?
Troy Tulowitzki: Cafardo admits it's a long shot, but everybody has a price. Considering that Tulo is guaranteed just $29.25MM between now and 2014 and is hitting .283/.363/.526 this year, doesn't it seem like it might be easier to acquire Hanley?
Cafardo also throws out the names of several other possible options, including Adam Everett, John McDonald, Omar Vizquel, Stephen Drew, and Brandon Wood.

The Red Sox still have Jed Lowrie in-house, but he's missed considerable time this year with wrist problems. It would be a stretch to think that 19-yr old Cuban signee Jose Iglesias could fill in next year, but stranger things have happened. I'll throw the name of one more impending free agent out there: Felipe Lopez. He last played shortstop regularly in 2007, but it's at least worth considering.

Here's the rest of Cafardo's non-Red Sox rumors…

Ken Griffey Jr. would like to return to Seattle for another year, and "probably can if his price is right." Junior is hitting .218/.325/.393 in 382 plate appearances this year, almost exclusively as a DH.
The Brewers placed Jeff Suppan on trade waivers last week, and Cafardo says it'll be interesting to see "if any contending team still looking for an experienced starter puts in a claim or tries to make a deal for him." Considering there's still $14.5MM in guaranteed money left on his contract, I'd guess no one puts a claim in.
Hardy was also placed on trade waivers.
Free agent pitcher Mark Mulder has decided not to make a comeback this year even though he made progress with his throwing program. He's likely to play winterball though.
Agent Gregg Clifton says client Tom Glavine is unlikely to attempt a comeback next year, and has started to field calls about broadcasting opportunities.

Odds And Ends: Grabow, Brewers, Blue Jays

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 3, 2009 at 10:54am CDT

Time for another round of links…

John Grabow tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that he enjoys playing for the Cubs and likes the city of Chicago. Grabow, who becomes a free agent after the season, sounds open to re-signing with the Cubs.
Manager Ken Macha thinks the Brewers could use some power arms, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Tyler Hissey of Around the Majors argues that the J.D. Drew contract- $70MM over five years- isn't quite as bad as people think.
Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi tells Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star that he takes full responsibility for the Blue Jays' disappointing play. The club has faded steadily since its 27-14 start.

Odds & Ends: Scutaro, Hardy, Glaus, Giants

By Mike Axisa | August 31, 2009 at 10:55pm CDT

Just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and link to something like this… and totally redeem yourself!

MLB.com's Drew Davison mentions that Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston expressed his desire about having shortstop Marco Scutaro around next year. "Well, I hope we get him back," Gaston said. "I don't know, maybe we have got a shot. It's just one of those things." Scutaro projects to be a Type-A free agent, so the Jays could stand to gain two draft picks if they offer him arbitration and he signs elsewhere.
Anthony Witrado of The Journal Sentinel has a quote from Brewers shortstop J.J. Hardy, who felt like his demotion to Triple-A was a punishment. Because of how long he was sent down, Hardy's free agency was delayed by a year until after the 2011 season. As you can imagine, he's upset about it.
Meanwhile, Tom Haudricourt tweets that he's not "expecting any last-minute deals tonight involving the Brewers," and that "all is quiet" on their front.
Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post Dispatch notes that one of the Cardinals first callups will be third baseman Troy Glaus, who's been out all season due to injury.
After signing Brad Penny earlier today, Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News says that he's "told the Giants don’t expect any more moves this evening." There was some speculation that the Giants could be interested in one of the White Sox veterans that suddenly became available tonight.
Last night we learned that the Mets cancelled fall instructional league in a cost cutting move, but today Adam Rubin of The NY Daily News noted that the team will instead have its minor leaguers work out at their academy in the Dominican because "there's not enough competition in Florida, especially with the Cards purportedly no longer fielding an instructional league team in nearby Jupiter."

Rosenthal On Competing In The AL East

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 28, 2009 at 2:39pm CDT

When you're in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox, you only have so many chances to win. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports presents the long-term strategies the Rays and Jays are likely to adopt as they try to compete with their richer division rivals:

Rosenthal says the Rays would likely trade Carl Crawford if they were in another division.
They'll listen to offers for him this offseason, but they may decide they need to capitalize on their chance to win now and hold onto Crawford, even if it means they only obtain compensation picks in return.
Like Crawford, Carlos Pena will be a tough sign when he hits free agency after the 2010 season.
The Rays were serious about their pursuit of Roy Halladay, Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee because they sense that they can win now.

The Blue Jays, will likely build for the future around their young pitching, plus Adam Lind, Aaron Hill and Travis Snider.

Rosenthal expects the Jays to trade Roy Halladay after the season.
He doesn't expect them to re-sign Marco Scutaro (a likely Type A free agent) or Rod Barajas (a likely Type B free agent). Instead they can take compensation picks in next year's draft.

Stark On Holliday, Lee, Yankees, Hoffman

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 27, 2009 at 2:13pm CDT

ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports that the Cardinals and Phillies may be better off letting their respective deadline acquisitions walk once they hit free agency. Here are the details and the rest of his rumors:

We know that Matt Holliday's interested in staying in St. Louis. But one AL exec doubts the Cards can afford to tie up $40-50MM per year in Holliday and Albert Pujols. It could work short-term, but could prevent the Cardinals from keeping Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. Plus, the pair of sluggers may not be worth a combined $50MM in a few years.
One team official believes Cliff Lee's agent will be looking for a $100MM payday once the lefty hits free agency after next season (assuming the Phils pick up his 2010 option). The official says the Phillies should consider letting Lee walk after next year, instead of committing long-term to him.
The teams that considered dealing for Johan Santana after the 2007 season aren't surprised to hear that he's having elbow trouble now, though it's not something they anticipated with any sense of certainty. However, Mets assistant GM John Ricco says he doesn't regret the way the team handled its ace.
There are increasing indications that the Yankees don't plan on being big buyers in the free agent market this offseason. The Yankees seem more likely to keep Johnny Damon and let Austin Jackson grow into a full-time player than pursue Matt Holliday or Jason Bay.
Stark hears that the Red Sox were the only team to claim Billy Wagner. We heard the Angels had interest, but apparently they never made a claim.
One executive believes AL teams would have very little interest in Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman has value because of his status as a Type A free agent, which could factor in to teams' claims.
Rival clubs expect the Blue Jays to try dealing Edwin Encarnacion after the season. He makes $4.75MM in 2010, so it won't be easy.
The Royals are still trying to deal Ron Mahay and at least one scout expects a team or two to have interest in ther veteran lefty.

Crasnick On Sheffield, Smoltz, Giambi, Pedro

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 26, 2009 at 2:05pm CDT

ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick presents some of the players, managers and executives who can start earning next year's job by finishing the season strong:

Gary Sheffield is hitting well, but in the words of one NL official, "he has some explaining to do" if he wants a job next year after last week's drama.
Barring a September collapse, Jerry Manuel seems likely to return next year.
John Smoltz is "definitely interested" in pitching next year, according to his agent.
Jason Giambi can prolong his career if he plays well for the Rockies this month.
One NL exec believes Pedro Martinez can still contribute.
Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi says he knows some people want him out of Toronto. However, Crasnick believes the GM has a strong relationship with team president Paul Beeston. Once Beeston hands authority over to a new president, Ricciardi could lose his job.
Crasnick says managers Eric Wedge (Indians), Jim Riggleman (Nationals), Dave Trembley (Orioles) and Cecil Cooper (Astros) don't have much job security.

Odds And Ends: Padres, Jays, Pineiro

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 21, 2009 at 11:46am CDT

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