If he's done, Bradford would finish with a 3.26 ERA over 515.6 career innings.  He pitched in the playoffs seven different years, allowing just one earned run in 23.3 innings.  He'll have earned just under $15MM for his efforts, according to Baseball Reference.  Of course, Bradford is best known for being chronicled in Michael Lewis' 2003 book Moneyball.

If the Rays are discouraged after the Yankees series, they could make Dan Wheeler, Chad Bradford, Grant Balfour, Joe Nelson and Lance Cormier available, according to the FOX Sports source.

12:59pm: The Rays have shopped Scott Kazmir to the Mets and Rangers, according to Joel Sherman. The Rangers turned down an offer from the Rays and the Mets just had initial interest. The Rays would consider dealing Kazmir, Carlos Pena and even Carl Crawford to free up enough salary to make a blockbuster deal for Martinez and Lee.

The Rays still have interest in Halladay.

TUESDAY, 11:16am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has more dish on the idea of a team acquiring both Lee and V-Mart in a blockbuster trade.  The idea has been considered in Cleveland but is considered very unlikely due to the magnitude of prospects required.  While the Red Sox could technically pull it off, the Rays wouldn't have the payroll space.

MONDAY, 4:35pm: Ed Price of AOL FanHouse hears the Rays are still "in on" V-Mart and Lee. There's still a chance that they'll trade Scott Kazmir to the Angels, too.

1:35pm: The Rays and Red Sox are each discussing blockbuster deals with the Indians for both Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Here are the details and the rest of Sherman's rumors:

Putz, 32 in February, posted a 3.88 ERA in 46.1 innings this year.  He struggled with his control, and hits dropped it at an inordinate rate.  His average fastball velocity remained around 95 mph despite ribcage and elbow injuries.  He’s set to earn just $5MM in ’09 with an $8.6MM club option for ’10.  Putz could be a great pickup, as he was flat-out dominant from 2006-07.

Sherman adds that the Rays offered Chad Bradford to the Mets, hoping to move his $3.5MM salary.  His salary doesn’t suit the Mets either, though.

• MetsBlog feels the reported interest in C.C. Sabathia is overblown. Rather, they see the Mets waiting for Sabathia to sign before making a move of their own for starting pitching.
• River Ave. Blues still sees the Yankees pursuing Mark Teixeira or Adam Dunn, even with the acquisition of Nick Swisher.
• Where have you gone, Andy Van Slyke speculates on what the Pirates will do this winter while finding humor in this recent quote from the Buccos’ GM: "we’d love to upgrade the offense, upgrade our pitching, and rebuild the bench."
• MVN Outsider takes the role of Andrew Friedman in their "Being the GM" series and proposes three moves for the Rays including trading Andy Sonnanstine and Chad Bradford for Andre Ethier.
• With the Rays likely to trade pitching this winter, Rays Prospects takes a closer look at how the starting pitchers throughout the organization performed in 2008. Sonnanstine was clearly a better pitcher than Edwin Jackson.
• Pinstripes Published has started a series looking at some of the cheaper alternatives that can be found in the free agent market. First up, starting pitchers.
• Ump Bump is taking a look at what each team needs this offseason. They have already gone through eight teams including the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Phillies.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

The Rays have 10 days to make a move. I’m on the fence here; on the one hand, Reyes is 38 and has shoulder problems and a terrible ERA for a reliever. On the other, he had 26 saves last year, and with the way that saves are currently valued in baseball, I feel like some team is bound to roll the dice with him.

• Craig Monroe has cleared waivers and become a free agent.
• ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick talks to Pirates GM Neal Huntington about his deadline deals.
• Pirates players Chris Duffy and Franquelis Osoria cleared waivers and will head to Triple A.
• Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi says manager Cito Gaston will be back next year.
• Yesterday Dan Shaughnessy wrote a few sentences about the commissioner’s office investigating Manny Ramirez’s final hours with the Red Sox.  It’s become a national story. More on the situation from the L.A. Times.
• Sean McAdam wonders if the Red Sox could acquire Toronto shortstop John McDonald.  He’d have to get past ten other AL teams first.
• In regards to the Chad Bradford deal, Andy MacPhail said, "I can use the dough."  MacPhail said the Orioles will receive a prospect, to be determined in the offseason.
• Jack Etkin of the Rocky Mountain News believes Rockies reliever Kip Wells is expendable.
• Tracy Ringolsby heard speculation that Nationals VP of baseball operations Mike Rizzo could replace GM Jim Bowden.

Bradford, 34 next month, has a 2.45 ERA in 40.1 innings this year.  His strikeout rate is dangerously low, but he’s not walking anyone or allowing home runs.  He also has a very strong groundball rate.

Bradford has $1.05MM left on his contract this year plus $3.5MM in ’09.  Aside from the Angels, all the other American League teams passed on the chance to claim Bradford.

• The price for Raul Ibanez may be too high for the Mets as Stark reiterates what we heard previously, that Fernando Martinez and Jon Niese are not available…Ken Rosenthal added Robert Parnell to that list of untouchables.
• The Mets may no longer be in the running for Brian Fuentes as they are not willing to part with Aaron Heilman.
• Stark says other relief pitchers the Mets have shown some interest in include Cla Meredith, Chad Bradford and Jeremy Affeldt.
• The Dodgers are said to be interested in several relief pitchers, including Fuentes, George Sherrill, David Weathers and Alan Embree, but they are not interested in Huston Street. The other possibility is Greg Maddux, who would allow the Dodgers to move another starter to the bullpen.
• The Indians’ primary goal now is to deal Paul Byrd.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

• Carroll believes Orioles relievers Jamie Walker and Chad Bradford would clear waivers.  Bradford isn’t striking anyone out, but he does have a 2.45 ERA by virtue of good control and tons of grounders.  He has a reasonable $3.5MM commitment for ’09.
• Casey Blake suitors: Mets, Rays, and Twins.
• Carroll wonders if the Rangers could send an outfielder to Atlanta for closer Mike Gonzalez.  MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan also linked the Rangers to Gonzalez.  Gonzalez is under team control through ’09; I’d be surprised to see him traded.
• The Marlins are "very aggressively" pursuing Rockies closer Brian Fuentes.

• The Mets are talking to the Rangers about Brad Wilkerson, not Eric Gagne.  This makes sense, as Wilkerson has hit lefties well this year and can play right field.
• The Mets are also talking to the Reds; could’ve been about Ken Griffey Jr. or David Weathers.  From what we’ve heard, though, Weathers is not available.  And would Junior approve a trade to the Mets?  He vetoed a trade there once before.
• The Pirates want Alan Horne from the Yankees for Damaso Marte.  Given that Brian Cashman didn’t seem to want to give him up for Gagne, I don’t see this happening.
• The Orioles are shopping Chad Bradford, but the Yankees aren’t allowed in the store.

• The authors name Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel, and Eric Gagne as relievers on the radar.  However it seems the asking price is too high for Gagne and the Indians have become the frontrunner for Dotel (they may have passed the Dodgers).  Shawn Chacon doesn’t catch the Mets’ eye, and they don’t want Chad Bradford’s three-year commitment.  They had that option with Bradford this winter.  I think that logic is silly – Bradford’s pitched well this year, and acquiring him now would be akin to a two-year contract.  Sometimes it seems GMs pass over certain players because they simply want to add a fresh name.
• You can add Al Reyes to the mix for the Mets, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
• The Mets think many of the available starting pitchers could be traded in August – Jose Contreras, Kyle Lohse, and Steve Trachsel for example.  I don’t agree on Lohse – he’ll be traded today or tomorrow.  But Contreras’s contract would probably get through waivers without a claim.
• The Post reports no substantive talks to the Royals about Mark Grudzielanek.  An inquiry has been made on Mark Loretta. 
• Meanwhile, Newsday says the Twins are open to trading Luis Castillo but don’t want any of the current Major League Mets.  Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger seems to disagree, citing a Twins scout at Shea yesterday.  Graziano does not believe Castillo would get through waivers unclaimed.  He believes the Twins want Double A starter Kevin Mulvey and then some (perhaps Ruben Gotay).
• Graziano says a deal for Castillo could be expanded to include 28 year-old righty reliever Juan Rincon.  Rincon had been consistently solid for three years (perhaps aided by steroids) but has seen his strikeout rate and overall performance plummet in 2007.  Rincon is under control next year and will make at least $2MM again.
• Graziano notes that the Mets have talked to the A’s about Joe Blanton, but Billy Beane wants Lastings Milledge.  The Mets can’t do that without damaging the current team.  The Mets could actually add an outfielder in Jay Payton; the Cubs’ interest has waned.  The Sammy Sosa rumor also has some legs, as the Mets could bring him in to platoon with Shawn Green if they decide they can tolerate the sideshow.

• The Mets are being asked too much for both Chad Cordero and Octavio Dotel, causing them to take another look at Eric Gagne.  They are also looking at Matt Thornton (White Sox), Shawn Chacon (Pirates), Chad Bradford (Orioles) and Jon Rauch (Nationals).  I think they should go for Chad Bradford, silly contract be damned.
• We’ve all heard about second base possibilities in Mark Grudzielanek, Mark Loretta and Luis Castillo.  I think that of these candidates, Grudzielanek is the best defender, while Castillo is the best offensive player, even though Loretta is putting up better numbers this year.  All three will be free agents this off-season, with the exception of Grudzielanek if he earns the $4M player option for 2008 which vests with 500 plate appearances, a slim possibility.  Castillo is the youngest player and the best choice for the Mets, if they can get him.  He’s likely be a Type A free agent if the Mets let him go; if they don’t, he could be their 2008 second baseman.  All in all, though, I’d prefer the Mets stick with Damion Easley and Rubén Gotay.
• Now the kicker.  This is what makes trade deadlines fun (and painful).  From McConnell:

And, finally, the hot, completely unsubstantiated rumor floating around my workplace was that the Mets and D-Rays were discussing a Lastings Milledge and "a Minor League pitcher" (probably Pelfrey, maybe Humber) for Carl Crawford. It didn’t pass my smell test — I’d think Tampa would command a lot more for their stud outfielder — but it’s fun to think about regardless. Plus, for what it’s worth, a Met scout was spotted at Tropicana Field last week.

It doesn’t pass my smell test either, but it’s still fun to think about, unless you’re convinced that Lastings Milledge is the next Gary Sheffield, like I am.

John Peterson writes for the Met-blog Blastings! Thrilledge.

• Second base remains an area of focus.  A Twins scout was at Shea recently, presumably trying to figure out what to ask for from the Mets for Luis Castillo.  The Mets were recently scouting the Twins as well.  The problem is that Castillo is not yet officially available.  A couple of Marks, Grudzielanek and Loretta, remain on the radar.  The Astros might consider signing Loretta to an extension, though no details have been discussed.
• The Devil Rays hosted the Red Sox last night, and a Mets scout was on hand.  Speculation on my part, but possible targets include Ty Wigginton, Jonny Gomes, Edwin Jackson, Al Reyes, and Casey Fossum.  The Mets had some interest in Jackson way back in November.
• According to Dan Graziano, the Mets are still pushing for Chad Cordero or Jon Rauch.  Graziano is skeptical that the Nationals can arrive at a trade.  Matthew Cerrone believes the Mets might give up Mike Pelfrey to get Cordero.
• Will Carroll has some other relievers the Mets are considering: Matt Thornton, Chad Bradford, and Shawn Chacon.
• The Mets had a scout in attendance yesterday to watch Jon Garland.  He gave up ten hits but only three runs in 7.1 innings to the Blue Jays.

• The Yankees have an eye on big-name 1Bs like Mark Teixeira and Todd Helton.  But more realistically, they’re looking at Tampa Bay’s Carlos Pena.  He’s got the defense, so even if he regresses to a 20 HR bat it’s a nice pickup.  Healey’s source believes Tyler Clippard is too much but the Rays like Sean Henn.  The Yanks have also inquired about the versatile Ty Wigginton.
• The Reds, Rockies, and others have been scouting the Yankees’ Double A Trenton affiliate.  Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, and Brett Gardner are probably the most desirable players on that roster.  Gotham Baseball has previously connected the Yankees to Brian Fuentes and David Weathers.  Another reliever the Yankees like is Chad Bradford, though the O’s price may be too high.
• Gotham quotes an NL scout who doesn’t believe the Mets will acquire a starter by trading Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, or Fernando Martinez.  That scout believes the return of Pedro will supply the needed boost.  Personally, I can see Milledge going.
• Some former Mets on the radar: Brady Clark, Jay Payton, and David Weathers.
• Healey says the Mets sent scouts to look at Randy Winn this weekend.  They must not be pleased with Moises Alou’s progress.  As I mentioned earlier, Winn is signed through 2009.  He has a full no-trade clause this year.  For 2008-09 he can block deals to ten teams.
• The Pirates have some vets to trade, and have contacted the Mets regarding Shawn Chacon and Damaso Marte.  Marte is quietly having a fine season with a 1.21 ERA and 1.03 WHIP.  Marte earns $2.45MM this year, and $2MM in ’08 with an odd $6MM club option for 2009.  He can also earn incentives based on games finished.