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Carroll’s Latest: Duchscherer, Burnett, Ibanez, Cabrera

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Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus has some rumors to consider this afternoon.

  • The Tigers are 5.5 games out, but are still on the fence about buying or selling.
  • Carroll says there’s "much more substance to rumors of the White Sox going after Justin Duchscherer" as compared to the one about the A’s pursuing Jason Bay.
  • The Phillies could jump back in on A.J. Burnett if the price comes down.  Also – could Burnett clear waivers in August?
  • The Rockies’ demands for Brian Fuentes might be holding up the relief market.
  • Regarding Raul Ibanez, the Mariners either want to tack Jose Vidro on in a deal or get back premium prospects.
  • The White Sox have become aggressive, and apparently had failed talks about Orlando Cabrera with the Red Sox.  Josh Fields is not considered untouchable.

Stark’s Latest: Teixeira, Padilla, Sheffield, Beltre

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ESPN’s Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings up.  You may want to grab a glass of water or something, because this is a beast of a column.

  • If the Braves have a bad weekend and decide to trade Mark Teixeira, a deal could come together quickly.  Stark says the Braves have already touched base with the Rays, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels and Yankees.  Where Tex fits on the Rays, I’m not sure.  Additionally, interest in Will Ohman is said to be "massive."
  • A Jorge Posada move to first base could affect the Yankees’ interest in Teixeira this winter.
  • Though Brian Fuentes has many suitors, the Rockies have actually exchanged names with only the Marlins and Yankees.  GM Dan O’Dowd has not dropped his price.  By the way, Todd Helton’s injury takes Garrett Atkins off the market.  As for Matt Holliday, many execs believe the Rockies will never trade him.
  • The Phillies are focused on a left-handed reliever, with Fuentes, Damaso Marte, George Sherrill, and Jack Taschner in the mix.
  • The Phillies were scared off by the asking prices on Holliday and Xavier Nady, and never even made an offer.  They still could acquire a lesser hitter.
  • The Pirates are inspiring much grumbling with high asking prices for Jason Bay, Nady, Marte, John Grabow, and Jack Wilson.
  • The Rangers are looking for young, controllable starting pitching.  Vicente Padilla is available, with the Tigers and Yankees showing mild interest.  Eddie Guardado and Jamey Wright are not available.
  • In pursuing Jarrod Washburn, Bronson Arroyo, and Padilla, the Yankees are demonstrating their plan to reduce the prospect price for pitching by taking on a decent-sized contract.
  • While A.J. Burnett is "eminently available," no trade talks are cooking.  The Jays apparently won’t deal him within the division.  Other Jays veterans might be available, though Roy Halladay isn’t among them.
  • The Tigers are looking for pitching and a long-term shortstop.  They’d be willing to move Gary Sheffield, though they’d have to eat salary.
  • Top Rays prospects such as Wade Davis, David Price, and Jeremy Hellickson are off-limits. Rays Index recently ran through the more likely trade candidates.
  • The Braves asked the Royals about Jose Guillen, but Dayton Moore is asking for a ton.
  • Stark says the Twins’ talks for Adrian Beltre are "far from dead."  The Twins are zeroed in on a third base upgrade.  Beltre, by the way, has the Dodgers on his no-trade list.  Joe Christensen says the Twins have found the asking price prohibitive for various third basemen.
  • The Rangers are looking for a young pitcher for Hank Blalock, who is drawing interest from the Twins, Giants, and Dodgers.  The Dodgers also like Casey Blake, who is likely to be traded somewhere.

Molony’s Latest: Francoeur, Bay, Blalock

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MLB.com’s Jim Molony has a new column up.

  • The Braves will listen to offers for Jeff Francoeur and Will Ohman, and maybe Mark Teixeira if the Braves struggle in the next week.  The Royals are said to be interested in Francoeur.  Mike Gonzalez is unavailable.
  • The Braves have scouted Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, in case they decide to become buyers.
  • The Phillies had an exec scouting the Pirates recently.  The Phils are looking for a lefty reliever.  The Phillies also may be looking at relievers on the Jays and Orioles.
  • Molony rattles off Freddy Garcia suitors: Astros, Cardinals, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox, Royals, Tigers, Mets, White Sox and Yankees.  The Royals might be a new one.
  • At least five teams are in on Casey Blake, including the Twins.  However the Twins seem to prefer Hank Blalock.  I like the Blalock idae for the Twins.
  • Molony sees A.J. Burnett staying put.

Jays Quietly Discussing Halladay?

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According to Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger:

Roy Halladay is apparently unhappy in Toronto and has let management know it, and management has apparently responded by doing some quiet surveying of teams (such as St. Louis and the Dodgers) that are far, far away from the AL East in an effort to see what it could get for the 2003 Cy Young Award winner.

Apparently, the returns other teams are getting for top-talent pitchers such as CC Sabathia, Rich Harden and Erik Bedard has inspired the Blue Jays to at least find out what it could get for one of the best pitchers in the American League. It remains unlikely that they’d deal him, but you never know.

Halladay has been ridiculously good this year, and he is signed through 2010 at a below-market rate.  Doc is the face of the franchise, though, and if anything the Jays might try to extend him further.

Yankees Looking At Catchers

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Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger says the Yankees have inquired on four catchers: Gerald Laird, Paul Lo Duca, Miguel Olivo, and Rod Barajas.

  • Laird, 28, is expected to rejoin the Rangers Saturday after his hamstring injury.  He’s a Boras client with a $1.6MM salary this year.  He’s under team control through 2010, and Ken Rosenthal says the Rangers want young pitching for him.
  • Lo Duca, 36, will be a free agent after the season.  He’s got about $1.9MM left on his contract this year.  He understands that he’s a strong trade candidate.
  • Olivo, 30, is splitting time with John Buck in Kansas City.  Olivo has hit lefties quite well.  He has a $2.7MM club option for ’09.  Rosenthal says the Royals are "aggressively shopping" him.
  • Barajas, 32, is slumping currently.  He has a $2.5MM club option for ’09.  Eddie Bajek took a stab at projecting the Elias rankings for catchers, and Barajas seems to be right on the border of Type B status. However, he might choose to accept an offer of arbitration.  Peter Abraham says that the Blue Jays might be reluctant to trade within the division.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Teixeira, Burnett, Sherrill

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Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, who should probably take a vacation in August.

  • The D’Backs inquired on Mark Teixeira, but a trade is unlikely.  Tex might be the best available hitter, as Matt Holliday seems likely to stay put.
  • The Rockies scouted Nick Adenhart’s last start.  The Angels have more interest in Brian Fuentes than Holliday.
  • Tons of scouts converged on Camden Yards last night to watch A.J. Burnett and George Sherrill pitch (those hoping to see Sherrill were disappointed).  The Cardinals, Phillies, Yankees, Brewers, Marlins, Dodgers, and Tigers all had scouts there to watch at least one of the pitchers. 
  • Rosenthal says trade interest in Burnett "remains minimal," as teams fear the pitcher’s contract.
  • The Orioles are taking a look at the Brewers’ Triple A team, but it is believed that they are reluctant to part with more prospects.
  • The A’s chose first baseman Chris Carter over Emilio Bonifacio in the Dan Haren trade.

Phillies Scouting Burnett?

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Let’s check in with the Phillies.

  • Robert MacLeod notes the presence of the Phillies’ director of Major League scouting at A.J. Burnett’s start tonight in Baltimore.  Would the Phillies add another starter?
  • Jim Salisbury talked to Phils GM Pat Gillick about the rumored Matt Holliday blockbuster.  Gillick rolled his eyes at the rumor. 
  • In general, Gillick seems higher on catching prospect Lou Marson than pitching prospect Carlos Carrasco.
  • Gillick’s top target is a left-handed reliever, with a bat on the radar as well.  Some kind of acquisition is a "good possibility."

Yankees Eyeing A.J. Burnett?

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Back on July 10th, ESPN’s Jayson Stark said it was "dubious that Toronto would even talk to [the Yankees] about A.J. Burnett." Presumably this is because the Yankees and Jays are division rivals.  It should be noted, though, that J.P. Ricciardi and Brian Cashman matched up on a July ’02 trade that sent Raul Mondesi to New York for prospect Scott Wiggins.

Yesterday, CBSSports.com’s Danny Knobler wrote:

Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi told Toronto reporters that he now doesn’t expect to trade A.J. Burnett. But Burnett’s Friday night start at Tampa Bay attracted more than a dozen scouts, including two from the Yankees. Several of the scouts in attendance didn’t stay for the rest of the weekend series, a clear indication that they were in town strictly to watch Burnett.

So while we have nothing concrete, there are signs that the Yankees are looking at Burnett.  The Cubs reportedly had a guy watching him, too.  He and Justin Duchscherer are the two best remaining starters who could conceivably be pried loose via trade.

Week in Review

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Another week in the history books! Here’s a look back from July 13-19:

  • The Phillies acquired Joe Blanton from the A’s for a package of three minor leaguers: Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman, and Matthew Spencer. Cardenas and Outman were the Phils’ #2 and #4 prospects. Personally, that seems like a lot to bring a pitcher who’s already struggling to a much smaller park. Blanton is a much better pitcher than he’s showed this season, however.
  • Francisco Rodriguez will test the free-agent market this offseason. I don’t think anyone would be surprised to see K-Rod sign a record-setting contract for a reliever.
  • The Yankees signed Richie Sexson.
  • Francisco Liriano – or at least his agent – is not pleased that the Twins still have him in AAA. The Twins won’t blame Liriano for the investigation. Upsetting a player who’s that young and that talented seems like a bad idea to me…
  • The Padres traded Tony Clark to the Diamondbacks for minor leaguer Evan Scribner. The D’Backs have looked like they can use all the help they can get lately.
  • A.J. Burnett likes Toronto and doesn’t want to be traded. My advice: Don’t talk to Chicago reporters anymore, A.J.
  • Tim updated the third base and second base markets.
  • Erik Bedard’s injury looks like it will keep him in Seattle. And if you don’t believe me yet, here’s another one for you.
  • The Twins balked at Seattle’s asking price for Adrian Beltre. And considering they asked for one of Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Glen Perkins, or Kevin Slowey as well as other minor league prospects, can you blame them?

Heyman’s Latest: Street, Durham, Holliday

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SI.com’s Jon Heyman just posted a new column.

  • The Brewers and White Sox inquired on A’s closer Huston Street.  However, A’s GM Billy Beane said "there is nothing going on" in regards to Street.  The Sox were linked to both Street and Jon Rauch today, so Kenny Williams is clearly monitoring the relief market.
  • Heyman says the Rays have not discussed Street with the A’s, and the Dodgers "aren’t believed to be heavily involved."
  • Heyman is on board with the recent rumors about Ray Durham and Jack Taschner possibly heading to Milwaukee.
  • Heyman also confirms Ken Rosenthal’s report of the Phillies’ interest in Matt Holliday.  He agrees that these talks have cooled, but notes a good relationship between GMs Dan O’Dowd and Pat Gillick.  Gillick and O’Dowd have matched up for three deals, two occuring while Gillick worked for the Mariners.
  • The Dodgers continue to consider shortstop a priority.  Heyman wonders if Cristian Guzman would be a fit, especially if extension talks sour.  Jack Wilson and David Eckstein are other possibilities.
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