Nationals Rumors

Deadline Roundup: Cabrera, Astros, Nats

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 31, 2009 at 6:14pm CDT

More links as we sift through all the trades and slowly realize that there are actual games to be played, too:

MLB.com's Kelly Thesier passes on a nice line from the Twins' latest addition, Orlando Cabrera. When asked why he's happy to join the team, Cabrera said "Who doesn't like M&Ms?"
Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle says the Astros did the right thing by holding onto the players that could help them win this year and the prospects that could help them win in the future.
The Angels had no restrictions from owner Arte Moreno, but weren't comfortable making any deals, according to MLB.com.
SI.com's Tom Verducci lists the Tigers, Red Sox and Phillies as his deadline winners.
Acting GM Mike Rizzo says the Nats are in building mode, not rebuilding mode, acccording to MASN's Pete McElroy. Pretty soon they'll have to be in Stephen Strasburg mode, since they have just over two weeks to sign their top pick.

Deadline Roundup: Mets, Washburn, Nats, Rays

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 31, 2009 at 4:53pm CDT

Two Cy Young Award winners were traded this deadline and neither one of them was Roy Halladay. It's been a wild few days. Here's a recap of the action and here are some more details and reactions:

Omar Minaya told Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post that the Mets couldn't find a trade partner because of what other teams were asking for.
MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo says Aaron Thompson is a pretty good return for Nick Johnson. it sure beats losing him for nothing after the season.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mariners told the Yankees they had to give up an Austin Jackson-type player for Jarrod Washburn, who was dealt to Detroit.
The Brewers were told they'd have to surrender Manny Parra, Alcides Escobar or Mat Gamel for Washburn, Sherman reports.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that Washburn is open to returning to the Mariners in the offseason, when he hits free agency.
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski tells MLB.com's Jason Beck that the Tigers were "not close at all" to completing any other moves.
Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times says the Rays will look for help on the waiver wire in August.
Any bobblehead collectors? Tomorrow night is still Victor Martinez bobblehead night in Cleveland, according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.
The Phillies, Cardinals, Red Sox and Tigers are Jon Heyman of SI.com's deadline winners. His losers? The Nats and Royals.

Rockies Acquire Joe Beimel

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2009 at 4:08pm CDT

4:08pm: MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports that the Nats get righty Ryan Mattheus and Robinson Fabian in the deal.

2:20pm: The Rockies acquired lefty reliever Joe Beimel from the Nationals, according to Chico Harlan of the Washington Post. The Nats received two minor leaguers, says SI's Jon Heyman via Twitter. Beimel, 32, has allowed a .233/.288/.417 line to lefties this year. He has about $800K left on his contract and projects as a Type B free agent after the season.

Marlins Acquire Nick Johnson

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2009 at 3:00pm CDT

3:00pm: A 180 in this rumor – FOX now says the Marlins acquired Johnson for Double A lefty Aaron Thompson, with the Nats paying Johnson's remaining salary.

2:37pm: Rosenthal and Morosi report that the Marlins are no longer pursuing Johnson or Heath Bell.

2:15pm: Via Twitter, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says the Marlins are not expected to complete any trades by the deadline, which is in 45 minutes.

11:29am: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports say the Marlins increased their offer for Johnson by adding another minor leaguer along with Tucker.

11:07am: ESPN's Peter Gammons reports that the Marlins "appear to be moving closer" to a Nick Johnson trade. Last we heard, the Fish offered pitcher Ryan Tucker to the Nationals and asked Washington to pay part of Johnson's contract (he has $2MM remaining). At the same time, Danny Knobler of CBSSports says the Marlins are growing frustrated with the trade talks and may move on.

Johnson, a free agent after the season, currently projects to fall short of Type B status, so it makes sense for the Nats to take what they can get. At the same time it'd be big for the Marlins to put a .408 OBP player in front of Hanley Ramirez.

Heath Bell Rumors: Friday

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2009 at 2:54pm CDT

2:54pm: USA Today's Bob Nightengale, via Twitter, says the Twins' talks for Bell are all but dead. However, they're in on Arizona's Jon Rauch.

2:38pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Marlins are no longer pursuing Bell or Nick Johnson. That should leave the Angels or Dodgers if anyone.

2:11pm: ESPN's Buster Olney says the Twins have interest in Bell, as well as Oakland's Michael Wuertz.

1:18pm: Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times says the Angels and Dodgers are battling for Bell.

9:19am: Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says the Padres wanted Cameron Maybin and Miller for Bell. The Fish have seen other trade ideas dry up as well, leading Rodriguez to suggest "it might be Nick Johnson or bust for the Marlins." SI's Jon Heyman agrees.

7:02am: The latest on Padres closer Heath Bell, who is under team control through 2011…

Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune says that "late Thursday night, both the Angels and Marlins were still talking to the Padres regarding Bell." We learned yesterday that the Padres requested Andrew Miller or Sean West from the Marlins, and Florida declined. Marlins president David Samson appeared on the radio yesterday to discuss the trade deadline, and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald has a nice summary of that.

Marlins Make Offer For Nick Johnson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 31, 2009 at 1:00am CDT

1:00am: Rosenthal and Morosi report that the Marlins are waiting to see if the Nationals accept their proposal for Johnson. They offered minor league pitcher Ryan Tucker and asked the Nats to pay part of the $1.8MM remaining on Johnson's contract.

5:50pm: The Marlins are making a "strong push" for Nats first baseman Nick Johnson, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Marlins have offered minor league pitchers to the Nationals, but the sides haven't come to an agreement on which players Washington would receive. They're discussing Aaron Thompson and Ryan Tucker.

Roy Halladay Rumors: Thursday

By Tim Dierkes | July 30, 2009 at 5:07pm CDT

5:07pm: Ricciardi tells Ed Price of AOL FanHouse that he's not ruling out a trade. "We're waiting 'til 4 o'clock tomorrow," Ricciardi said.

4:23pm: Jack Curry of the New York Times has additional comments from Ricciardi on Halladay:

"We've got nothing going on. We expect him to be with us."

The Phillies are out, and the other suitors failed to wow Ricciardi.

3:19pm: Rosenthal and Morosi say the Dodgers have enough in their system to make a competitive offer for Halladay, even after acquiring Sherrill. And for Evan Grant's thoughts on the Rangers and Halladay, click here.

However, in another entry Rosenthal and Morosi talk to J.P. Ricciardi and label the Halladay sweepstakes "all but over." Ricciardi's comments indicate the same. Toronto's GM seems intent on keeping Scott Rolen, Marco Scutaro, and others if Doc stays.

2:23pm: Morosi says Halladay is looking unlikely for the Angels, who shot down a Toronto proposal that included Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar, and Brandon Wood.

The Halos are also looking for bullpen help, with names such as Heath Bell and George Sherrill in play (their offer for Mike Wuertz fell short).

1:26pm: Rosenthal and Morosi have a source saying things are "very quiet" on the Halladay front. Still, the Dodgers, Angels, Rangers, Rays, and Red Sox remain interested.

1:14pm: Yahoo's Tim Brown sees the Dodgers and Red Sox as the frontrunners for Doc in what is shaping up as a two-team race. Brown says the only Major Leaguer in the Dodgers' offer is James McDonald, while the Sox will part with Clay Buchholz, one of Justin Masterson, Michael Bowden, and Lars Anderson, and some lesser prospects. My guess is that the Red Sox find a way to get this done, given the quality they're already offering. ESPN's Jayson Stark says one Dodgers prospect who is off-limits is shortstop Devaris Gordon.

Meanwhile, Lynn Henning of the Detroit News says the Jays wanted Rick Porcello, Ryan Perry, and Casey Crosby from the Tigers for Halladay. Henning says the Tigers bowed out upon that request. Henning adds that the Tigers would consider adding Adam Dunn or Josh Willingham but the price is steep on the sluggers as well.

12:59pm: A Rosenthal/Morosi source with knowledge of the Jays' thinking discusses a package of Dodgers minor leaguers that could catch Toronto's attention in a Halladay deal.

12:21pm: Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal sees the Dodgers in the lead for Halladay, with the Rangers in the mix and talks with Boston calming down.

9:09am: Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe feels the chances of the Red Sox acquiring Halladay are "remote," and believes that Boston has yet to increase their initial offer for him. And in an earlier column, Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald said the Blue Jays and Red Sox have not been in contact over the last three days.

8:37am: SI's Jon Heyman says the Dodgers balked at the Blue Jays' asking price for Halladay and are moving on to Orioles closer George Sherrill. Check out yesterday's Sherrill info here.

Meanwhile, Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun finds Halladay unlikely to be traded. ESPN's Buster Olney says there are "no active talks" at present.

7:55am: We'll start with a review of yesterday's Roy Halladay rumors. The Phillies acquired Cliff Lee instead, cutting into J.P. Ricciardi's leverage for Doc. Ricciardi now has the Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers, Dodgers, and possibly Angels and Rays to work with. The Blue Jays' GM is thinking about keeping Halladay for 2010, based on his comments to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. On to a few new links…

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports say the Jays are not requiring the Dodgers to include Clayton Kershaw or Chad Billingsley. Instead, they'd just take five or six of the team's top prospects.
Mark Feinsand and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News say Ricciardi is trying to get the Yankees and Red Sox into a bidding war. Kind of cliche, J.P. The authors imply the Yanks may be more focused Jarrod Washburn, who obviously wouldn't require as big a bounty.
Halladay's plan for today, according to Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer – lock himself in his hotel room. Might want to unplug the TV and disable the Internet. Doc is understandably drained from pitching last night amid all the rumors.

Rockies Interested In Hendrickson, Downs, Nick Johnson

By Tim Dierkes | July 30, 2009 at 4:54pm CDT

4:54pm: Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports says the Rockies also have an eye on Washington's Nick Johnson as a bench bat. A .410 OBP bench bat.

11:00am: Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post wrote earlier today that the Rockies "increased their pursuit" of Orioles southpaw Mark Hendrickson (.253/.303/.422 against lefties this year). Renck confirms that the Rox balked at the asking price – Eric Young, Jr. – for John Grabow and Joe Beimel. By the way, in case you missed it, Renck notes that the Rockies signed 43 year-old righty Mike Timlin to a minor league deal.

Via Twitter, Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun throws another name into the mix for Colorado: Blue Jays closer Scott Downs. Downs, signed through 2010, would certainly exact the highest price of all the relievers linked to the Rockies.

Cubs Acquire John Grabow, Tom Gorzelanny

By Tim Dierkes | July 30, 2009 at 4:50pm CDT

4:50pm: The Pirates' return of Hart, Ascanio, and Harrison is confirmed by a press release from the Cubs. Gorzelanny will head to Triple A Iowa. The Pirates keep adding arms; I guess this means they like Hart more than Gorzelanny.

4:47pm: ESPN Chicago says the Cubs sent pitchers Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio to Pittsburgh for Grabow and Gorzelanny. Ed Price, via Twitter, says the Cubs are also sending third baseman Josh Harrison.

4:43pm: Finally a possible name as part of the package going to Pittsburgh. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus, via Twitter, hears pitching prospect Jay Jackson may be in the deal. Jackson, a starting pitcher, was a ninth-round pick last year and ranked ninth on Baseball America's list of Cubs prospects.

3:22pm: Via Twitter, Kovacevic says Grabow and Gorzelanny to the Cubs is almost or "just about" done, while Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times says they closed the deal for Grabow. ESPNChicago's Jon Greenberg says the Cubs are "in the process of finalizing" the deal for Grabow. Heyman terms the deal for both hurlers as "very close."

Gorzelanny, who is from Evergreen Park, IL, has a 2.48 ERA in 15 Triple A starts this year. He won 14 games in the bigs in '07, but was derailed by back, shoulder, and finger problems in '08. We still don't know what the Pirates will get back in this deal, but it ought to be something decent.

2:56pm: Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Cubs and Pirates are discussing a deal that would send Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny to Chicago. No deal is in place and other teams remain interested in Grabow.

2:21pm: Heyman (via Twitter) thinks the Cubs are getting closer on Grabow, and could acquire another pitcher as well.

1:27pm: SI's Jon Heyman says the Cubs and Pirates are in "serious discussions" about Grabow.

11:58am: ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Cubs are "strictly mining the lefthanded reliever market" and not looking for a bat. Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald concurs.

10:51am: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports say the Cubs prefer Pittsburgh's John Grabow over Washington's Joe Beimel, and they continue to discuss the lefty reliever with the Pirates. The FOX report suggests the Cubs will stay internal for their Reed Johnson replacement.

Grabow currently ranks as a Type A free agent in the wacky world of Elias, but for his team to have a chance at draft picks they'd have to offer him arbitration and risk paying him more than $2.3MM if he accepts.

9:02am: The Cubs are looking for a left-handed hitter who can play right field, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. While they're not optimistic about a deal, the plan would be to create a platoon with the disappointing Milton Bradley. Wittenmyer says the Cubs have about $2-3MM of payroll room to work with.

Two players on the radar: Mark Teahen of the Royals and Jeremy Hermida of the Marlins. The Royals are looking for a center fielder in return, however. Teahen has $1.37MM left on his contract. Hermida has $847K remaining. Both players can be under team control through 2011. Either player would still leave some wiggle room for the Cubs to acquire a left-handed reliever.

Heyman Talks Giants

By Tim Dierkes | July 30, 2009 at 1:52pm CDT

In a new blog post, SI's Jon Heyman discusses the Giants' plans.

The Giants "haven't ruled out trading for more offense" after getting Freddy Sanchez and Ryan Garko. Heyman says that at some point the Giants scouted Miguel Tejada, Carlos Lee, Josh Willingham, Nick Johnson, Mark Teahen and Marco Scutaro. We can probably cross Johnson off the list. And we've seen no sign the Astros would sell.
The Giants would like to add a fifth starter, given the loss of Randy Johnson for at least August. Heyman speculates on a few names such as Bronson Arroyo, Doug Davis, and Jon Garland.

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