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AL East Notes: Bowden, Chavez, Cliff Lee

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AL East notes, as Jon Lester gets the Opening Day nod for the Red Sox…

  • Michael Bowden told WEEI's Mike Petraglia he knows he has a slim chance to make Boston's bullpen, so he hopes to create an opportunity for himself in Triple-A.  The 24-year-old former first-round pick could be a nice trade chip for the Red Sox should a need arise; he could start for another club.
  • Athletics GM Billy Beane explained to Joel Sherman of the New York Post why he felt Eric Chavez was on a Hall of Fame career path when he locked up the third baseman for $66MM seven years ago.  Now 33 and operating on a minor league deal, Chavez appears likely to have his contract purchased by the Yankees to begin the season.  In a blog post, Sherman notes that Andruw Jones, unlike Chavez, "is creating no buzz in Yankee camp."
  • Talking to Brian Costello of the New York Post, Yankees GM Brian Cashman responded to Cliff Lee's comment that "it seems like some of the Yankee guys are getting older."  Lee never raised that issue to Cashman, who concluded, "It doesn't really matter.  It was a marriage that was not meant to be. That's life."

Odds & Ends: Chipper, Cubs, Lowell, Mets, Tigers

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Links for Thursday, as Ubaldo Jimenez keeps winning…

Odds & Ends: Hardy, Tejada, Cardinals, Mariners

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Here's a few links to close out the night…

  • Tony Massarotti of The Boston Globe says that the Red Sox "had been engaging with the Brewers in on-and-off discussions involving (J.J.) Hardy since the trading deadline." Massarotti's source says the Brewers wanted either Clay Buchholz or Daniel Bard, but Boston was only willing to part with Michael Bowden.
  • MLB'com's Brian McTaggart tweets that Astros' GM Ed Wade said “At this point, we’re prepared to commit to Tommy Manzella playing shortstop," but noted that Miguel Tejada could return as a third baseman.
  • Matthew Leach of MLB.com takes a look at some outfield options for the Cardinals should Matt Holliday depart as a free agent.
  • The Mariners don't really have any non-tender candidates, according to Larry Stone of The Seattle Times. He also mentions that Brandon Morrow, Jason Vargas, and Jack Hannahan fell a little short of qualifying as Super Twos. 
  • ESPN's Peter Gammons says it's possible, though highly unlikely, that the Red Sox and Josh Beckett's agent Michael Moye are so far apart during contract ngotiations that the team would consider dealing their ace. He also says that unless there is "some unexpected understanding," Beckett will hit the free agent market after 2010.
  • J.C. Bradbury debunked some common Hot Stove Myths.

Boston’s Roy Halladay Offer

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5:29pm: ESPN's Peter Gammons echoes Heyman's report, and adds that Josh Reddick is the positional prospect that would have gone to Toronto.

MONDAY, 3:01pm: So what did the Red Sox actually offer for Halladay?  SI's Jon Heyman heard Buchholz, Masterson, Bowden, Hagadone, and a positional prospect.  Should Ricciardi have pulled the trigger on this 5-for-1 blockbuster?

SUNDAY, 1:12pm: Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe reports that Epstein has denied the rumors. When asked if there was any truth to the rumored offer for Halladay, Epstein responded with a simple "Nope."

10:14am: Last month, Theo Epstein said Boston aggressively pursued Roy Halladay at the deadline and that their final offer was "probably the best offer [J.P. Ricciardi] received." According to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, that  may have been a 6-for-1 offer of Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson, Daniel Bard, Michael Bowden, Felix Doubront, and Nick Hagadone.

One National League scout is quoted having "zero idea why they didn't take the Boston offer." Elliott cites a Toronto scout who says the Jays didn't take the offer for two reasons: 1) They weren't confident Masterson would succeed as a starter, and 2) they were afraid of Halladay beating them in 2010.

The same scout is quoted, "We don't have a quality arm like Halladay," said the scout, "but I've seen four of those (Red Sox) arms and they're quality. Hit on three of six and you'd be fertile for a long time."

What do you think? Does this seem uncharacteristic of Theo Epstein?

Heyman On Red Sox, Davis, Padilla

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Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Red Sox are "thought to have offered a five-prospect package of [Clay] Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and a position player" for Roy Halladay. The club apparently offered the Mariners an even better deal for Felix Hernandez. Here are the rest of Heyman's rumors:

  • The Brewers offered nothing more than salary relief for Doug Davis, so the D'Backs held on.
  • There's a decent chance the Blue Jays will find a new GM. As one exec points out, no one gets to rebuild twice without making the playoffs.  
  • The Rangers gave up on Vicente Padilla because they consider him a bad teammate.  

Felix & Gonzalez Were Part Of Failed Deal

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You thought the Jake Peavy deal was a surprise? The Red Sox, Mariners and Padres discussed a trade that would have made the Peavy acquisition look like the Jason Hirsh deal, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Baker hears that the Red Sox gave the Mariners the chance to choose five of the following players in exchange for Felix Hernandez:

  • Clay Buchholz
  • Daniel Bard 
  • Justin Masterson 
  • Nick Hagadone 
  • Michael Bowden 
  • Felix Doubront 
  • Josh Reddick 
  • Yamaico Navarro 

The Mariners apparently turned down the deal, at which point the Padres became involved in discussions about a possible three-way trade. The Mariners would have received Adrian Gonzalez, Buchholz and prospects in the deal. They would have sent Felix to the Red Sox and dealt Brandon Morrow, Phillippe Aumont and Carlos Triunfel to the Padres, who would have received prospects from the Red Sox as well. In the end, Baker says the Mariners nixed the deal.

Roy Halladay Rumors: Thursday

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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…

Roy Halladay Rumors: Tuesday

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11:02pm: It appears we've passed J.P. Ricciardi's self-imposed deadline to deal Halladay. We probably should just pack it in, huh? Nah. MLB.com's Jordan Bastian has the word from Ricciardi, who dismisses the "soft" deadline he laid out. Still, Bastian reports that they're no closer to making a decision, and that it appears more and more likely Doc remains a Blue Jay. And so it goes.

9:11pm: Gordon Edes at Yahoo has a pretty big update on the discussions. It appears the Red Sox have amped up their efforts to obtain the Doc, and they're willing to include Buchholz, one of Lars Anderson, Justin Masterson or Michael Bowden, and lesser prospects to fill out the rest of the offer.

Edes also reneges on his earlier report that Westmoreland had been part of a Red Sox proposal, and thinks that any reports about the Red Sox involving a third team to get a shortstop to Toronto are untrue.

7:07pm: Jon Heyman tweets an AL executive's comment that Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Ryan Westmoreland "won't get it done" to obtain Halladay.

6:44pm: T.R. Sullivan at MLB.com says that the Rangers are reluctant to part with their top prospects for Halladay. The Blue Jays reportedly asked for a king's ransom of Derek Holland, Justin Smoak and Julio Borbon.

5:00pm: ESPN.com's Keith Law hears that the Red Sox have no intention of including Westmoreland in any deal. 

4:40pm: Jayson Stark reports that the same Blue Jays scout who watched Kyle Drabek pitch last night will be in Lehigh Valley to watch as shortstop Jason Donald comes off the DL for his first start since June. Both minor leaguers could be part of a Phils-Jays trade.

3:59pm: Dan Roche, an anchor for WBZTV, hears that the Red Sox did not offer Buchholz, Bowden and Westmoreland for Halladay.

1:57pm: Yahoo's Gordon Edes reports that the Red Sox offered "at least" Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Ryan Westmoreland to the Blue Jays for Halladay.  In my opinion, that is a very strong offer.  Edes says the Jays would like to acquire a shortstop since they are "vigorously shopping" Marco Scutaro.  That means the Sox might need to get creative.

Edes says Daniel Bard and Casey Kelly "have been declared off-limits by the Red Sox."  And while the Dodgers deem Clayton Kershaw untouchable, they've at least discussed internally the possibility of moving Chad Billingsley.  Billingsley might be the best name we've heard yet in connection with Halladay, though remember that Edes labeled that an internal discussion.

1:29pm: The Associated Press (via ESPN) reports that Rogers Communications, the company that owns the Blue Jays, wants to bring its costs under control. The Blue Jays have said they don't have to deal Halladay, who has over $20MM left on his contract, for financial reasons.

1:12pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says the Blue Jays and Phillies both need to complete a Roy Halladay trade. Ruben Amaro Jr. will be criticized if he can't get Halladay and J.P. Ricciardi's chance to get more than one impact player for his ace disappears at 4:01 EST on Friday.

12:53pm: Sherman says the Rangers are very much involved in the Halladay talks. The Jays want three of the Rangers' best prospects. Not only is GM Jon Daniels reluctant to give up that much talent, he has limited financial flexibility and the Blue Jays are refusing to take on salary.

The Jays want high-ceiling, MLB-ready players instead of many players who are further from contributing in the majors.

10:55am: Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail says many top Blue Jays people are deciding whether to trade Halladay. It's not just Ricciardi's decision.

Meanwhile, SI's Tom Verducci weighs in.  He talked to a scout who spoke of an organizational "tug of war" in Philly, with Pat Gillick and Charlie Manuel pushing the win-now move for Doc while Ruben Amaro Jr. and other player development guys are reluctant to move top prospects.

Verducci says Carlos Carrasco doesn't do anything for the Jays, and they'll require either Drabek or Jason Knapp.  The Angels and Dodgers are the other top suitors for Halladay, in Verducci's opinion.

10:07am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the Blue Jays insist on receiving Drabek because they consider Happ a middle-to-back-of-the-rotation starter. They want Happ, but may relent if the Phillies give up Drabek.

The Phillies remain favorites to add Doc, but the Red Sox and Rangers could still acquire him.

9:04am: Here's a quick summary of yesterday's Roy Halladay rumors, 15 updates and nearly 400 comments later. The Phillies and Jays reached an "impasse" in their negotiations since neither side wanted to change its offer. The Red Sox are planning a big move, but the Jays would ask the Red Sox or Yankees to give up more than other teams. And what about those other teams? Don't expect the Twins to trade for Halladay, and the Dodgers don't seem likely either. Here are today's rumors:

Tim Dierkes also contributed to this post.

Cafardo’s Latest: Martinez, Boston, Pitching

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In his latest piece for The Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo reports that the Indians turned down an offer of Clay Buchholz for Victor Martinez according to an NL scout. The Red Sox then countered with a package of Michael Bowden, Justin Masterson, and an outfield prospect, but the Indians turned that down as well.

Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…

  • In addition to Boston, the Indians are also fielding offers from the Rays and Giants for Martinez, but aren't inclined to make a deal unless a team's best prospects are involved.
  • Cafardo runs through the list of other pitchers that "could be pried away," including Scott Kazmir, Cliff Lee, Erik Bedard, Jarrod Washburn, and George Sherrill. He says it'll take "a blockbuster package" to land Lee.
  • Aubrey Huff and Kevin Millar are also available.
  • The Red Sox will "dip in the (Roy) Halladay sweepstakes" if the price comes down, but otherwise will look for a righthanded bat that can play the outfield.
  • Cafardo says it will be interesting to see if the Yankees, Phillies and Dodgers are aggressive at the deadline or take a pass, considering all three clubs are playing well right now.
  • The White Sox could pull off something big because GM Kenny Williams "has a bit of gambler in him."
  • It'll be interesting to see if the Giants' plans to add a bat are put on hold after the sudden death of principal owner Sue Burns.
  • Twins GM Bill Smith may add a middle infielder and/or a reliever before the deadline. Last night we learned that they were "deep into talks and talking composition of a deal" with the A's about Orlando Cabrera. The team might be able to stretch it's normal payroll with Target Field opening next year.
  • Cafardo proposes a "swap of underachieving Scott Boras clients," J.D. Drew and Magglio Ordonez.
  • While there is some uneasiness about there not being any substantive talks between the Nationals and Stephen Strasburg, those kind of deals can come together quickly. The signing deadline is August 17th.
  • The Rangers are unable to add payroll, which will hamstring their efforts that the trade deadline.

Heyman On V-Mart, Red Sox, Chapman

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Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Red Sox will come calling if the Indians are willing to part with Victor Martinez. And take this for what it's worth, but the Indians were scouting Boston's best prospects this week. Here are details on those two clubs and the rest of Heyman's rumors:

  • Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson and Michael Bowden are just the sort of MLB-ready pitchers the Indians seek.
  • Still, the Indians would require a stunning amount in return for Martinez or Cliff Lee, since both players can be part of a contending Indians club for affordable 2010 options.  
  • Generally speaking, the Red Sox are reluctant to deal their top young pitching.
  • The Indians are relatively deep at catcher, with Kelly Shoppach and prospect Carlos Santana.  
  • Red Sox first base prospect Lars Anderson could also appeal to the Indians. 
  • The Pirates initially asked for Craig Stammen or Garret Mock in their recent deal with the Nats, but Mike Rizzo wasn't willing to deal them. 
  • The Phillies discussed Pedro Martinez, since there are few good fits for them on the trade market now. 
  • Heyman says Doug Davis makes sense for the Brewers. 
  • A D'Backs person says "[Dan] Haren stays," even though many of his teammates are believed to be available.
  • Heyman names the Yankees as the early favorites to sign Aroldis Chapman.  
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