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Stark: Cliff Lee Is “Quasi-Available”

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ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says the Indians could deal Cliff Lee, but don't particularly want to. In other words, he's "quasi-available." We heard that the Rays and Indians discussed Lee and Stark says it's "not impossible" that the Rangers could pursue the Indians ace. Both teams would be able to trade the Indians the young, high-upside talent they seek. 

Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Indians are more willing to part with Victor Martinez than Lee.

Odds And Ends: V-Mart, Tigers, Mets

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Some links for the morning…

Roy Halladay Rumors: Wednesday

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6:49pm: ESPN's Peter Gammons says the Dodgers are still in the mix for Halladay. Pros for the Dodgers are a number of Single-A and Double-A prospects and the willingness to take on Halladay's contract. Cons are a lack of near-ready pitching prospects, and absence of Toronto scouts at Dodger games.

5:02pm: ESPN.com's Tim Kurkjian says he doesn't expect the Jays to deal Halladay because their asking price is "enormously high."

3:40pm: Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd told MLB.com that Halladay is not a fit for his team because the cost would be "devastating" financially and in terms of talent.

12:59pm: Wondering what kind of haul the Jays might bring in? ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick looks back at nine trades for top pitchers and shows that not all blockbusters are created equal.

11:08am: Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Brewers appear to be a threat to acquire Halladay. He's hearing Manny Parra's name and suspects Mat Gamel or Alcides Escobar would have to be involved, too.

11:06am: Ricciardi told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that talks are expected to intensify early next week. The Blue Jays haven't exchanged names with interested teams yet, but Ricciardi expects to tell teams what he's looking for by Monday.

That wouldn't leave much time before Tuesday's self-imposed deadline, but Ricciardi said it's a soft deadline.

Ricciardi says four teams are "really, really serious" about Halladay. The Phillies are believed to be one of his top suitors and Ricciardi confirmed that the Jays will scout Kyle Drabek's upcoming start.

8:33am: Here's what we heard yesterday: the Yankees and Mets aren't major threats to acquire Roy Halladay; the Cards are still involved; the Phillies are considering other options and may have told the Jays Kyle Drabek is off-limits; the Jays have imposed a pre-deadline of July 28th on the negotiations and GM J.P. Ricciardi says a trade is becoming "unlikely." 

All that in one day? Sure, and there are more Roy Halladay rumors for you today:

Odds And Ends: Gonzalez, Giambi, Mets

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Some links for the morning…

Rosenthal On Penny, Yankees, Dodgers, Rays

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Red Sox are open to dealing Brad Penny, even with Tim Wakefield and Daisuke Matsuzaka on the DL. They could add a bat or a prospect for Penny, but it's unlikely they'll actually move him. Here are the rest of Rosenthal's rumors:

  • The Yankees could use some rotation depth, as it makes sense to keep Phil Hughes and Alfredo Aceves in the 'pen, but you can rule out a Carl Pavano acquisition. As one Yankee official says, the players would "go crazy" if the Yanks added Pavano.
  • Rosenthal says Russell Martin wouldn't qualify as the centerpiece of a Roy Halladay trade because he's faltered offensively and the Jays have J.P. Arencibia in the minors.  
  • The Phillies could trade Rodrigo Lopez if Pedro Martinez takes over in the rotation. 
  • The Rays are interested in Halladay and Cliff Lee, even if they don't have financial flexibility. However, a trade seems highly unlikely.

Roy Halladay Rumors: Tuesday

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9:27pm: David Lennon of Newsday cites two baseball officials who say that talks between the Mets and the Blue Jays never reached a point of a concrete offer from the Mets. Lennon adds that the Mets "do not expect to make a push" for Halladay.

6:55pm: Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeted the following: "Source: Cards 'still in the mix' for Halladay."

4:56pm: Ricciardi told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that "it's unlikely Halladay will be dealt."

1:44pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says the Phillies have enough talent to obtain Halladay without including Kyle Drabek. 

1:06pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Phillies should overpay for Roy Halladay because he is perfect for them "in every way possible."

12:09pm: As MLB.com's Tom Singer points out, Jason Schmidt's 2009 debut showed that the Dodgers could use Doc.

11:43am: Jon Heyman of SI.com hears from an acquaintance of Halladay's that he's "emotionally gone." Sounds like Doc would approve a trade. Heyman also hears that the Phillies have decided not to include Kyle Drabek in a deal for Halladay.

11:33am: Ricciardi told Jack Curry of the New York Times that he won't trade Halladay at the last minute. The Jays are considering imposing a July 28th deadline on the negotiations.

Ricciardi says he receives "a new call from another team every day," so it will be a busy, franchise-defining week for the Jays.

10:48am: A Blue Jays official involved in the Halladay talks told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Yankees and Mets are not serious threats to acquire the Jays righty. 

The Yanks and Jays only had introductory discussions and there's "absolutely nothing" going on with the Mets and Jays. Sherman hears that there is "no truth" to the rerport that the Mets rejected an offer from Toronto.

9:44am: The latest rumors on the American League leader in wins, strikeout to walk ratio and WHIP…

  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Phillies are considering options other than Roy Halladay.
  • Mike Rutsey of the Toronto Sun says the Phillies, Brewers, Giants and Dodgers are still "kicking the tires" on Halladay.
  • Joey Fosko of the Boston Herald believes a deal's more likely after the season.
  • Yahoo's Tim Brown hears that the Blue Jays will model possible trades after the Erik Bedard deal- only they want more.
  • Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi told Brown that some of the teams talking to the Jays have enough to acquire Halladay, but may be reluctant to give up their talent.
  • Wallace Matthews of Newsday says Halladay won't play for the Bronx Bombers this year.
  • Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog heard from four baseball people who all believe Omar Minaya would have agreed to deal Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jon Niese and Ruben Tejada for Halladay.

Jays-Indians Series Attracts Red Sox Scouts

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Earlier tonight, we heard from Bob Elliott that a number of teams have scouts on hand to watch the Indians play the Blue Jays in Toronto. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe elaborates on this from the Red Sox's perspective, reporting that they "have one of their top pro scouts on hand."

We learned today that Sox All-Star Tim Wakefield was moved to the DL with a back strain. Cafardo mentions this and adds that "John Smoltz and Brad Penny haven't pitched at a high level." The implication seems to be that the Sox are kicking the tires on Toronto's Roy Halladay and Cleveland's Cliff Lee.

Cafardo lists a number of hitters that the Jays and Indians might make available as well, noting the the Red Sox "certainly have an interest in [Cleveland's Victor] Martinez."

The Other Blue Jays Trade Candidates

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Roy Halladay's on the block, but the Blue Jays could deal a number of players, so Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports breaks down the rest of the team's trade candidates:

  • Marco Scutaro – The Mariners and Red Sox are following Scutaro, who makes just $1.1MM. The Blue Jays will have every reason to ask for a lot in return, because Scutaro profiles as a Type A free agent. The Jays can obtain a first rounder and a sandwich pick for losing Scutaro if they offer him arbitration, so they figure to demand a lot.
  • Jason Frasor – Most contenders have at least some interest in Frasor, who becomes a free agent after next year.  
  • Scott Downs – A solid late-inning reliever, Downs also becomes a free agent after 2010.  
  • Rod Barajas – A free agent-to-be, Barajas could draw interest from the Cubs. 
  • Scott Rolen – A number of contenders would love to add Rolen's bat and glove, but he's out of reach for some teams because his contract pays him $11MM this year and as much in 2010.

But remember, the Jays believe they can contend next year, especially if Halladay's around, so there's no guarantee any of these players will be traded. 

Heyman On Halladay, Lee, Rockies

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Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the Phillies have decided not to include prospect Kyle Drabek in a package for Roy Halladay. If they haven't informed the Blue Jays of their decision, they're about to. Here are the rest of Heyman's rumors:

  • Heyman's sources say the Mets rejected a four-player package centered around Fernando Martinez for Halladay. Others have since disputed this.
  • The Angels and Red Sox appear unlikely to part with their young prospects for Halladay.
  • One Jays person believes it's unlikely they deal their ace at all. 
  • The Indians are becoming more open to dealing Cliff Lee, who doesn't have a no-trade clause and would have little say in the matter. 
  • However, they need pitching, so some Indians people believe the team is more likely to move Victor Martinez. 
  • The Rockies have considered pursuing Chad Qualls, George Sherrill, Danys Baez and Takashi Saito. 

Rosenthal On Lee, Reds, D’Backs, Buchholz

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggests the Phillies may find Cliff Lee nearly as appealing as Roy Halladay because the Indians lefty makes just $11.5MM through 2010 and Halladay makes over $20MM before the end of next year. Rosenthal says the Phils could package rookie standout J.A. Happ with Carlos Carrasco and Dominic Brown to get the Indians' attention. Here are the rest of his rumors:

  • Though some say the Jays need to acquire Brown or Kyle Drabek in any deal for Halladay, Rosenthal points out that some scouts like Jason Knapp and Michael Taylor just as much.
  • The Reds would like to move some of their expensive starters and relievers to make room for younger pitchers, Rosenthal says. 
  • Bronson Arroyo, Aaron Harang and Francisco Cordero make enough to scare some suitors away, and while a salary swap is possible, Rosenthal says the Reds are more likely to make offseason deals. 
  • Jon Garland, Doug Davis and Carl Pavano are drawing little attention. Teams' unwillingness to take on salary limits interest in the two D'Backs starters.
  • Michael Wuertz and Rafael Betancourt are drawing "heavy attention," but the A's seem likely to keep Wuertz.  
  • It would be tough for the Angels to give Brandon Wood up for George Sherrill, especially since Wood could start at third next year if the team doesn't re-sign Chone Figgins. 
  • It seems unlikely that the Red Sox would trade Clay Buchholz for Victor Martinez. If he's moved at all, Buchholz would likely be dealt for a premium young hitter.  
  • Orlando Cabrera's hitting better and he could interest the Mariners, Cardinals, Twins, Reds and Mets.  
  • The Mariners are one of many teams interested in Josh Willingham. 
  • The Rockies are reluctant to deal Ryan Spilborghs, and refused a Phillies offer that included two quality prospects. 

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