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Joe Saunders

Yankees Consider Left-Handed Pitchers

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The Yankees, who heard this week that Andy Pettitte will retire, have considered exploring trades for other left-handers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Joe Saunders, Scott Kazmir, Wade LeBlanc, Clayton Richard and Gio Gonzalez are among the possible targets some Yankees people have "kicked around."

The Yankees will, in all likelihood, wait and hope for better things from A.J. Burnett instead of pursuing another arm, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The Yankees could pursue Joe Blanton via trade or make a play for free agent Kevin Millwood, but the club seems likely to let Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, Sergio Mitre and Ivan Nova battle for rotation spots. With prospects Andrew Brackman, Dellin Betances and Manuel Banuelos on the radar, the Bronx Bombers aren't desperate for pitching, even without Pettitte.

Yankees fans may be frustrated that the front office did not sign Cliff Lee or retain Pettitte, but their club is still strong. As one American League East executive tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post, “People would love to have their problems. On paper they are still about as good as you want to see."

Players To Avoid Arbitration: Tuesday

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Today is the deadline for players and teams to submit arbitration figures. The sides will then settle on a salary between the team's proposed number and the player's proposed number or go to an arbitration hearing. Arbitration eligible players are under team control, so the clubs don't risk losing them – it's a question of how much the players will earn.

Yesterday, 11 players avoided arbitration. We could see just as many agreements trickle in today and we'll keep you posted on them right here and with our Arb Tracker. The latest updates will be at the top of the post:

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Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Dobbs, Paulino, Hawpe

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Links for Saturday, as Ubaldo Jimenez prepares for his third attempt at his 18th win….

Reactions To The Dan Haren Trade

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Earlier today, the Angels came out of left field to win the Dan Haren sweepstakes.  Let's see what everyone has to say about what this deal means for both sides..

  • ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription required) has a hard time believing that this is the best deal the D'Backs could get for Haren.  As for the Angels, he writes that they have set themselves up beautifully for 2011.
  • "We can’t deny the volume and the depth that this brings us as an organization. The names involved in the deal on a prospect level, particularly Corbin, and the player to be named, give us extreme prospect depth, at a position, left-handed pitcher, that anybody would covet," Arizona interim GM Jerry Dipoto told Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic.  Dipoto talked a lot about the pitcher win statistic in relation to Joe Saunders and Patrick Corbin while trying to justify the trade. 
  • Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner tweets that Saunders isn't worth the $6MM or so that he will earn in arbitration next year.
  • While some are saying that this move was a salary dump for the D'Backs, Jeff Passan of Yahoo (via Twitter) theorizes that Arizona may like Corbin and Tyler Skaggs more than most.
  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels isn't surprised to see the Angels improve their club, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
  • Fangraphs' Matthew Carruth tried to present Arizona's side of things, but couldn't.  He calls the trade "horrendous" for Arizona, even if the club's intention was to dump payroll.
  • Zach Sanders of Fangraphs doesn't think that Haren will have trouble adjusting to the American League.  The righty had success in the AL pitching for the A's and won't encounter great offense in his return to the AL West.
  • The deal could have ramifications for other teams looking to make moves.  Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun wonders if the deal freed things up to allow the O's to move some of their pieces.
  • Acquiring Haren won't help the Angels catch up with the Rangers this season, writes CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler.
  • The Halos sent a message to their fans by acquiring Haren, telling their fans that they're not ready to concede anything to Texas, tweets Lyle Spencer of MLB.com.
  • "I'm obviously sad to go from here, all the guys and I had a good time here.  That said, I'm really excited for the chance to go there and win," Haren told Piecoro.
  • Jorge Arangure of ESPN (via Twitter) can't remember seeing a player as excited to be traded as Haren was during his introductory press conference.
  • "I like the trade," said Angels outfielder Torii Hunter. "I also like Joe Saunders. But baseball doesn't operate that way; it's a business." (Lyle Spencer of MLB.com reporting).

Angels Acquire Dan Haren

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It took some time, but the Angels got even. Two weeks after the Rangers acquired Cliff Lee, the Angels traded for a highly-coveted pitcher of their own, obtaining Dan Haren from the Diamondbacks, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. In exchange for Haren, the Angels gave up Joe Saunders, Patrick Corbin, Rafael Rodriguez, and a player to be named later (Twitter link).  The player to be named later is going to be Tyler Skaggs, barring something unexpected, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter). 

The deal brings an end to months of speculation surrounding Haren, who became the most desirable hurler on the trade block after the Mariners shipped Cliff Lee to the Rangers.  Unlike Lee, Haren's contract extends beyond this season.  Haren is under contract for 2011 and 2012 at $12.75MM per season with a club option for 2013 of $15.5MM ($3.5MM buyout).  The righthander has a 4.60 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 21 starts thus far in 2010.

Saunders, a former first round pick of the Angels, will change teams for the first time in his career.  The lefty owns a career-high 4.62 ERA with 4.8 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 on the season.  The 29-year-old will earn a shade over $1MM for the rest of this season, after which point he is arbitration-eligible. The D'Backs will control his rights in 2011, but Saunders will hit free agency after 2012.

Skaggs was the Halos' supplemental first-round selection (40th overall) in 2009.  The 19-year-old signed for $1MM in early August.  According to Baseball America, Skaggs is armed with a fastball in the 88-91 mph range that could reach 91-93 mph when his upper body matures.  Skaggs, in their estimation, projects as a solid mid-rotation starter.

Corbin, who turned 21 on Monday, is a lefthander with "much of his value tied to the development of his fastball", according to Baseball America's Prospect Handbook.  At 6'3", the super-athletic hurler can dunk a basketball without a running start.  Rodriguez, soon to be 26 years old, saw some time with the varsity squad in 2009, turning in a 5.58 ERA with 10 Ks and 9 BBs in 30.2 innings.  Baseball America writes that he "features two plus pitches" at his best.

The Phillies, Cardinals, Tigers, Yankees and Dodgers were among the many teams connected to Haren this summer. The Angels did not appear to be a frontrunner for his services, but GM Tony Reagins pulled the deal off nonetheless. His counterpart, D'Backs interim GM Jerry Dipoto, faced the same challenge Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos faced last winter: his first major trade involved his team's best pitcher.

It was first reported by Bill Plunkett and Dan Woike of the Orange County Register that Saunders was involved in a trade. 

Players To Avoid Arbitration: Friday

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Here's a round up of the players that have agreed to deals avoiding arbitration today…

Odds & Ends: Balfour, Orioles, Chapman, Lowe

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Rounding up the first batch of miscellaneous Sunday links….

  • The Rays agreed to terms with reliever Grant Balfour, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Balfour signed a one-year, $2.05MM deal, avoiding arbitration.
  • The Baltimore Orioles are still searching for a closer, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Zrebiec suggests that Fernando Rodney and Kevin Gregg could be atop the O's list of targets.
  • MASN's Roch Kubatko runs down the Orioles' closing options too, adding new free agent Matt Capps to the mix.
  • Meanwhile, Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reaction from GM Neal Huntington, who says that media reports of the 26-year-old being non-tendered hurt his trade value.  Huntington also said that the Bucs would "love" to have him back in the bullpen – at the right price.  Capps isn't on the Yankees radar, says Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger (via Twitter).
  • John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Tigers' closer search also continues. The team was looking at J.J. Putz, but backed off because of health questions, not money concerns.
  • Tuesday could be "Judgment Day" for Aroldis Chapman, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. Chapman will throw a session with a slew of teams expected to be in attendance.
  • Within a piece which focuses on yesterday's non-tender decisions, ESPN.com's Buster Olney mentions that a handful of clubs are interested in Brian Giles, including the Yankees and Reds. It's still up in the air whether teams will be willing to offer Giles more than a minor league contract.
  • One interesting tidbit from the latest article by Newsday's Ken Davidoff: An AL West official tells Davidoff that he'd like to see Jered Weaver, rather than Joe Saunders, leaving the division in a potential Roy Halladay trade offer. I have to think Jays fans would agree. Both pitchers were selected 12th overall in their respective drafts: Saunders in 2002 and Weaver in 2004.
  • Speaking of the AL West, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports thinks it's the most intriguing division for hot stove news this winter.
  • David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter) says that the Angels are a possible destination for Derek Lowe if they cannot re-sign John Lackey.  Other possibilities include the Mariners, Red Sox and Yanks.  O'Brien also suggests the Mets, provided that the Braves are willing to trade within their division.

Roy Halladay Rumors: Thursday

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11:36pm: One baseball source tells Tom Verducci of SI.com that the Phillies have been "very aggressive" in their efforts to obtain Halladay. Apparently the Phils are trying to find the players the Blue Jays want, even if that means looking on other teams.

10:00pm: Angels GM Tony Reagins didn't comment on the reported offer of Saunders, Aybar and Bourjos, but two sources shot the rumor down when Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times asked them about it.

Reagins said the Blue Jays have targeted Saunders, Bourjos and Mike Napoli. It's even "possible" that the deal could be expanded to send more Blue Jays to Anaheim.

"They have a lot of pieces that are attractive," Reagins said.

8:33am: Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. had this to say to Scott Lauber about acquiring Halladay:  "I don't think there's any likeliness. None."

6:01am: Mark Feinsand of The NY Daily News spoke to a source who said "Don't rule out them including Cole Hamels" in a potential Halladay deal. I'm not sure it's wise for Philly to sell low on Hamels for only one year of Halladay, but that would be something.

4:47am: Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com says that the Angels and Phillies have emerged as the frontrunners in the Roy Halladay sweepstakes. Philadelphia is prepared to offer a package that will likely include J.A. Happ, plus either Michael Taylor or Domonic Brown. Echoing a report from yesterday, Rosenthal says the Angels offered Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar, and Peter Bourjos to the Blue Jays.

Halladay will likely require a contract extension in exchange for waiving his no-trade clause according to Rosenthal, and the Phillies would almost certainly have to make another move to fit Halladay into the payroll. Joe Blanton is a prime candidate to be that sacrificial lamb. Meanwhile, the Angels are trying to re-sign John Lackey, and could withdraw from the Halladay pursuit if he returns.

Roy Halladay Rumors: Wednesday

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10:32pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark hears that Halladay would approve a deal to the Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox and Angels. The Rays and Dodgers are possibilities, and one person "who knows [Halladay] well" doesn't think he'd go to the Mets. Check out Stark's entire article for a detailed breakdown of the "Doc on the block" part two.

10:26pm: One GM tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that the Jays should take the offer of Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar and Peter Bourjos if it's really on the table. Ed Price of AOL FanHouse says the Jays prefer minor leaguers to major leaguers.

9:00pm: Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that he's not likely to trade for a big-time starting pitcher. Such a deal would not be impossible, however.

7:30pm: A major league source tells Bastian that Halladay might waive his not-trade clause to join the Angels.

7:19pm: The Angels have made an offer, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. They'd give up Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar and Peter Bourjos for Halladay. Saunders and Aybar are set to become free agents after 2012. Halladay, of course, would have to approve any deal, but one unnamed executive implies the Angels believe Halladay would accept.

6:56pm: Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the Phillies are "joining the fray" for Halladay. MLB.com's Todd Zolecki said yesterday that the Phils have the pieces to complete a deal.

5:52pm: MLB.com's Lyle Spencer reports that the Angels could bring on two elite pitchers this offseason. It's "possible, but not likey," according to GM Tony Reagins. 

5:30pm: Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos says the Jays aren't currently likely to make a deal at the Winter Meetings, according to Bastian. If they do make a trade, they'll look for above average players, not average ones. And what does the manager think? Cito Gaston expects Halladay to leave, he's just not sure when it'll happen.

2:12pm: SI's Jon Heyman says the Blue Jays requested Jesus Montero and one of Phil Hughes/Joba Chamberlain plus more from the Yankees for Halladay.

1:13pm: MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tweets that we should not count out the Phillies for Halladay – they're "still quietly in the mix."  MLB.com's Todd Zolecki did an informal poll and determined that they do have the pieces to get it done.  Still, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. finds a major trade for a pitcher unlikely.

7:05am: ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter) hears from officials involved in the Halladay discussions that the Jays are still in "info-gathering mode" and aren't close to a deal with any team yet.

6:50am: The New York Yankees remain very much in the hunt for Roy Halladay, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Sherman considers Doc to be the Yankees' Mark Teixeira, in that he's not their priority but Brian Cashman will monitor the situation.

In yesterday's round of Halladay rumors, we heard, among other things, that the Yankees' acquisition of Curtis Granderson would make it harder for them to trade for Halladay, since they parted ways with outfield prospect Austin Jackson. However, Sherman suggests that the Yanks have continued discussions with the Blue Jays, with their efforts to acquire Halladay even "intensifying."

The Blue Jays likely don't want to deal Halladay within the division, but according to Sherman's sources, Toronto "loves" New York catching prospect Jesus Montero. If the Yankees were willing to part with Montero and either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain, the Jays would definitely be listening.

Los Angeles Rumors: Halladay, Matthews, Pierre

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Mike DiGiovanna and Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times pass on a few interesting notes related to the Dodgers and Angels. Here are the highlights:

  • If the Angels were to make a run at Roy Halladay, it would cost them at least one big-league arm from the Joe Saunders/Jered Weaver/Ervin Santana group, which could help offset Halladay's 2010 salary.
  • Angels' owner Arte Moreno has said in the past that he's willing to bump the club's payroll a little for a potential franchise player. This could give the team some financial maneuverability if they tried to trade for Halladay or sign a free agent like Jason Bay.
  • The Dodgers don't want to give up any major league pitching to acquire Halladay, making them an unlikely trading partner for the Jays.
  • Both the Dodgers and Angels have a handful of salaries coming off their books, but will owe plenty of players raises through arbitration, restricting their ability to make much impact in free agency.
  • The Angels will look into dealing Gary Matthews Jr., but would probably have to eat too much of his salary to make a trade worthwhile.
  • The Dodgers have their own outfielder with an oversized contract: Juan Pierre. The team might try to trade Pierre for an equally overpriced back-of-the-rotation pitcher.
  • If the Angels were to retain one of their big free agents (John Lackey, Chone Figgins), they could attempt to backload the contract, helping themselves out financially in the short term.
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