The Marlins, Dodgers, Brewers, Angels and Cubs all have some interest in Orioles closer George Sherrill, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Orioles would listen to offers, but one rival GM says they're "playing the 'don't-have-to-move-him-so-make-us' card." However, others are confident the O's will move him.
Archives for July 2009
Indians Release Masa Kobayashi
According to Japan's Sponichi, via NPB Tracker, Masahide Kobayashi was granted his release from the Indians on Sunday afternoon. The 35-year-old right-hander was demoted to Triple-A in mid-May and there were rumors at the time that his release might be imminent. Here's what Tim said back then:
The Indians signed Kobayashi to a two-year, $6.25MM deal in November of 2007. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but he posted a 5.10 ERA and 5.4 K/9 in 65.3 innings in his Tribe career.
And here's what Kobayashi shared with the media Sunday: “Nothing is decided at the moment and I am having my agent look for a team for me (in the United States). In the meantime I will just keep myself ready to pitch.” It sounds like he's aiming to sign on with another MLB club. Here's our impressively lengthy Masa Kobayashi archive.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Sunday
9:01pm: Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com has a view of the Brewers' credentials. "Rival teams say the Brewers have enough prospects to make a Halladay deal," writes Knobler, "even though they've suggested they won't trade Alcides Escobar or Mat Gamel."
8:21pm: It's probably worth noting that Halladay collected his 11th win of the season this afternoon, tossing a one-run complete game against the AL East-leading Red Sox. The picture of consistency, he's done nothing but help his trade value these past few weeks.
8:07pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman believes the Phillies are still the front-runners to land Toronto's ace, but notes the Giants are now "kicking the tires." The Angels, on the other hand, "appear to be characteristically reluctant to trade their prospects, hurting their chances."
If the Phillies want to make this deal happen, it sounds like they'll need to include top pitching prospect Kyle Drabek in the package to Toronto. Some experts have deemed him "untouchable."
11:49am: There's a great pitching matchup in Toronto today; Roy Halladay and Jon Lester match up in about 20 minutes. A number of top officials are at Rogers Centre to watch and it's safe to say they're not there because of Lester. Here are today's Halladay rumors:
- Top officials from the Phillies, Brewers, Rangers and White Sox were in attendance at yesterday's Jays-Red Sox game and figure to watch this afternoon, according to Ken Fidlin of the Toronto Sun.
- The last two Toronto GMs are expected to watch: Pat Gillick on behalf of the Phils and Gord Ash, who drafted Halladay, for the Brewers.
- As Tyler Kepner of the New York Times notes, Brian Cashman is glad he didn't give up the farm to acquire Johan Santana a couple winters ago. He doesn't sound willing to deal top prospects away for Halladay, though he doesn't discuss specific players.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Jays should learn from the Twins, who waited too long and didn't obtain any sure things from the Mets for Santana. Olney argues that if the Jays deal now, instead of after the season, they can acquire top talent while it's still available to them.
Odds & Ends: Marlins, Pirates, Gammons
A fresh batch of links on a busy Sunday evening around the baseball world…
- Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post suggests the Marlins may quickly turn into trade-deadline "sellers" if they continue to fall back in the NL East. We probably won't see one of those classic "fire sales," but a few chips may be dealt.
- According to MLB.com's Jennifer Langosch, the Pirates are having a little trouble agreeing to terms with a few of their younger draft picks because the Commissioner's Office "frowns on clubs that offer above-slot money." It's an interesting read.
- If you're into moving images, ESPN's Peter Gammons has a new video up previewing the July 31 trade deadline. He talks Giants, Rockies, Red Sox, Phillies, Astros and, of course, Roy Halladay.
- The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto is confused as to why the Indians continue to give playing time to Jhonny Peralta while Andy Marte is at Triple-A, and just a phone call away.
O’s, Padres Swap Salazar and Meredith
6:51pm: As several readers have pointed out, this deal may be a precursor to a Danys Baez or George Sherrill trade.
Both have been floated as possible trade chips recently.
6:29pm: Kubatko reports the Orioles have acquired submariner Cla Meredith in return. He was 4-2 with a 4.17 ERA and a 20/13 K/BB ratio in 36 2/3 innings for the Padres.
"He gets a lot of ground balls and can pitch every other day," O's president Andy MacPhail said Sunday evening. "The ground ball ratio becomes more important later in the summer in our ballpark."
5:22pm: According to MASN's Roch Kubatko, the Orioles have traded infielder Oscar Salazar to the Padres. The 31-year-old was 13-for-31 with two home runs and six RBI for the O's since his call-up in early June.
We're waiting to hear who (or what) Baltimore got in return. It's apparently not a "player to be named later," so we should have something shortly. Stay tuned.
Week In Review: 7/12/09 – 7/18/09
With the All-Star Game behind us and the trade deadline coming fast, let's look back at the last week:
- The Nationals shook things up last week, firing Manny Acta as their manager. It's hard to imagine that anyone could have turned the Nats around, but Jim Riggleman will get the next chance at the job.
- The Phillies roster looks a little different now, but not because of a trade. They signed future hall-of-famer Pedro Martinez this week. Pedro will receive a base of about $1MM with another $1.5MM possible via incentives. Does Pedro have enough left in the tank to make a big impact for the 2008 World Champs?
- The player to be named later from the Scott Hairston trade was announced this week: Sean Gallagher. The A's landed Gallagher in last year's Rich Harden deal with the Cubs. While he's struggled in Oakland, Gallagher is still just 23 and has quite a bit of potential. The Padres got a pretty nice haul for Hairston.
- You can add the Cardinals to list of teams that will make a run at Roy Halladay. The Jays were big on 2008 first-rounder Brett Wallace, whom the Cardinals took at the number 13 spot, four ahead of the Blue Jays. An interesting thought: could Halladay demand a trade following the 2009 season if he's moved by Toronto?
- The Red Sox made a few headlines this week, opening extension talks with Jason Bay and also designating shortstop Julio Lugo for assignment. Talks about a new deal for Bay have stalled until the offseason it seems, while the Sox have received calls from a number of teams about Lugo, including the Cubs, Cardinals, and Mets.
- The Cubs signed B.J. Ryan this week, following his release from the Blue Jays. Can the former dominant closer revive his career with the Cubs, or have injuries taken too much of a toll for him to make a significant impact?
- The Orioles are looking to deal before the deadline, and names like Danys Baez, George Sherrill, Melvin Mora, and Aubrey Huff are up in the air. The Angels are said to have interest in Sherrill; where can you see the rest them going, or do the Orioles hold onto a player like Huff to collect the draft picks?
Nationals DFA Julian Tavarez
MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports the Nationals have designated right-hander Julian Tavarez for assignment.
Tavarez, a true journeyman at this point in his career, had a 4.89 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP in 35 innings with the Nats. He's 35, but a club desperate for bullpen depth might decide to give him a shot. Either that, or he'll end up back at Washington's Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse.
Brewers Land Felipe Lopez
According to B.J. Rains of MLB.com, the Diamondbacks have dealt Felipe Lopez to the Brewers for two minor-leaugers: outfielder Cole Gillespie and pitcher Roque Mercedes.
Lopez, batting .301/.364/.412 with six home runs, 25 RBI and six stolen bases, should help shore up the top of Milwaukee's lineup. The utilityman is playing mostly second base these days, and should easily usurp the 38-year-old Craig Counsell of his starting duties.
Mercedes, 22, was 1-1 with a 1.08 ERA in 29 relief appearances this season while playing in the Florida State League. Gillespie, a 25-year-old stuck at the Triple-A level, was batting .242 with seven home runs and 27 RBI for Nashville. It's a decent haul for an Arizona ballclub that continues to fall back in the NL West standings.
Freddy Garcia Will Throw Bullpen Monday
According to Scot Gregor, Freddy Garcia was at U.S. Cellular Field today and will throw a bullpen session for the White Sox tomorrow. If all goes well, he'll attempt to pitch his way back to the Major Leagues.
Garcia, 33, pitched some of the better years of his career with the White Sox, including 2005 when they won the World Series. He was traded to Philadelphia for Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez, though he he only won one game for Philadelphia before shoulder surgery derailed his career.
Garcia was released by the Mets after struggling this season, and cited the cold weather in New York as part of that reason. He claims to be better now, after a month of rest, however:
Sano Investigation Not Done Yet
MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch writes that Major League Baseball's investigation of Dominican phenom Miguel Angel Sano's age is not done yet, despite previous reports.
It was reported yesterday that Sano's age had been verified at 16, however the investigation will run into the middle of this week. The Pirates made an offer back on July 2, and the Orioles, Twins, and Rangers have all expressed interest in the top prospect as well.