MLB Trade Deadline Thread

[Flickered Flame]

13 days until the trade deadline. Trade talks are probably starting to heat up and the teams that should be selling are starting to become clear. The A's already moved Kendall and my buddies in Oakland said the A's may not be finished cleaning house. It will be interesting to see how many trades, and better yet how many big named player will actually change teams.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[flames_1987]

I defintley think Beane has some more moves up his sleeve before the deadline comes. Always exciting to see what the guy is going to do

[Antithesis]

ESPN's Rumor Central section for the MLB lists some interesting stuff ... you need an Insider subscription though. If anyone is interested, I would be glad to make some periodic updates.

The Dodgers are looking for a 3rd baseman reportedly. Troy Glaus has some ties to the area but he says that the Jays have not approached him to waive his no-trade clause.

The Rangers are apparently looking at offers for Mark Teixeira, but have not received any appropriate offers. Interested teams apparently include the Yankees, Dodgers, Angels, Mariners, and Braves.

The Yankees are also interested in acquiring Wilson Bettemit from the Dodgers and tried to get him last year.

Finally, Rumor Central has a bit on Jermaine Dye being frustrated by the situation in Chicago:

Originally Posted by ESPN Rumor Central

Jermaine Dye has exhibited very distant behavior since White Sox management refused to talk about extending his contract, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. In the wake of pitcher Mark Buehrle getting a four-year, $56 million contract extension, Dye and his camp approached the club with an offer over the All-Star break but did not receive a very positive response. Since then, Dye has become quiet in the clubhouse.

[flames_1987]

Anithesis thanks for the update, would be awsome if you could update us from time to time, for those of us who don't have the insider.

Can't really see the Jays doing much, with the win now philosphy the Jays had tried to adopt I can't see them being sellers. I think JP is hoping to get everyone back and healthy next year and basically give it one last kick at the can with this group. Glaus has started to really swing the bat well though this week, and he's really been the only rumoured Jay in trade talks, so who knows

[Antithesis]

ESPN Rumor Central items of the day:

The Brewers are apparently close to acquiring free-agent-to-be slugger Adam Dunn from the Reds, in exchange for Tony Gwynn Jr., reliever Matt Wise and an infield prospect.

The Red Sox are interested in acquiring a left-handed reliever and are focussing on Damaso Marte from the Pirates. "Marte is holding lefty batters to an .087 batting average (four hits in 46 at-bats). The Red Sox's present lefty specialist, Javier Lopez, hasn't been nearly as effective against left-handed batters as they are batting .286 (14 hits in 49 at-bats) against him."

Keith Law has an interesting column up where he lists the teams he thinks are on the borderline for being buyers or sellers ... so anyone below them is a seller, while anyone with a better record is a buyer.

Buyers

Phillies (46-45)
Cubs (46-43)
Yankees (45-44) "strategic buyers"
Twins (48-43) "strategic buyers"

Sellers

Rockies (45-46)
Blue Jays (45-46) "strategic sellers"
A's (44-47)

Law says this specifically about the Jays: "A comeback this year isn't impossible, but it's unlikely, especially with the Mariners and Twins in front of them in the wild-card race and the Yankees at their side. So it makes sense for the Jays to sell, but to do so strategically, with an eye toward their 2008 playoff chances rather than a longer-term rebuilding process, which wouldn't make sense given their very thin farm system."

[Flickered Flame]

More rumors from mlb.com

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[Flames in 07]

Can someone who understands the MLB explain how there are two trade deadlines?

We always have the deadline then there are trades done for a couple weeks after.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

Can someone who understands the MLB explain how there are two trade deadlines?

We always have the deadline then there are trades done for a couple weeks after.

The first trade deadline is non waiver deadline.

This is where you can trade any one any where provided there's no ntc's involved.

The second trade deadline is the waiver deadline.

you have to put players you want to trade on waivers, if they're claimed, you can trade the player to that team, let him go outright, or pull the player entirely but they can't be put back on.

The deadlines are a month apart.

[Sylvanfan]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7045738?MSNHPHMA

Mets could be in the market for a second baseman now that Valentine looks to be out for awhile with a broken leg. I wonder if they'll look to Jorge Cantu from Tampa, or if they can find out a better option?

[socalwingfan]

Minor deal just announced on the Yankees broadcast - NY gets catcher Jose Molina from the Angels for minor league relief pitcher. Good move by Cashman - Nieves was a horrible backup catcher. There's also a rumor of NY RP Scott Proctor to TB for Ty Wigginton!

[Flickered Flame]

Yeah very good move by Cashman, Molina is at least capable of playing every now and than. Would Wigginton play first base for the Yanks or be a guy to come off the bench?

[socalwingfan]

Originally Posted by Flickered Flame

Yeah very good move by Cashman, Molina is at least capable of playing every now and than. Would Wigginton play first base for the Yanks or be a guy to come off the bench?

I see Wigginton as a bench guy - spelling Phillips and Cano at 1st and 2nd. I don't know why TB would want Proctor but after watching the Yanks pound out 24 runs in a double header today, I can see why they would need him. I feel bad for TB - they have some good young talent on that team and absolutely 0 pitching.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

Buyers

Phillies (46-45)
Cubs (46-43)
Yankees (45-44) "strategic buyers"
Twins (48-43) "strategic buyers"

Sellers

Rockies (45-46)
Blue Jays (45-46) "strategic sellers"
A's (44-47)"

Its amazing that the Yankees have spent what close to $275M on payroll this year and they are still buyers, but boy do I love watching them lose!

[Flickered Flame]

Just over a week until the deadline. More from mlb.com

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[Antithesis]

Today's roundup from ESPN:

Yankees are apparently interested in acquiring Jon Gardland from the White Sox as well as left-handed reliever Matt Thornton. No mention of who might be going back the other way in such a deal.

The Dodgers are the front-runners to acquire Octavio Dotel from the Royals. The Royals' preference in return is second baseman Tony Abreu but the Dodgers are reluctant to send him. Apparently, another possibility in this deal is a minor-league shortstop prospect. Other teams listed as interested include the Mets, Red Sox, and Indians.

Oh, and Mike, you might like or not like this: the As are looking to move Joe Kennedy. The teams interested include the Dodgers, Phillies, and Brewers.

From yesterday, this notable thing: the Jays are apparently interested in Pittsburgh SS Jack Wilson. The article only notes that the trade would likely only happen after the non-waiver deadline passes because the Jays will want Pittsburgh to pick up the bulk of his remaining salary.

Peter Gammons posted a blog on Friday, regarding the deadline, titled "Don't Expect Race-Altering Moves". Here is an excerpt:

Originally Posted by Peter Gammons

So while the Mets, Braves, Phillies, Red Sox, Dodgers and Padres would like a starter, nothing race-changing is likely to occur. And while the Astros convene next week to decide whether or not to weigh their options on Brad Lidge, Chad Qualls and Dan Wheeler, while the Rangers continue to market Eric Gagne and Akinori Otsuka, while the Pirates shop disgruntled Salomon Torres and the Royals take bids on Octavio Dotel, what general managers like Omar Minaya, Pat Gillick, Dave Dombrowski and Mark Shapiro won't do is make a deal similar to Jeff Bagwell for Larry Andersen.

"I don't know of anyone who will trade a potential impact everyday player for a relief pitcher, especially one who isn't a dominant closer," says Minaya. Another contending GM says, "I don't blame Dayton Moore for trying to rebuild, but he wants a major league-ready positional player for Dotel."
Hey, what outsiders don't understand is ownership pressure. Drayton McLane has to sign off on rebuilding before Astros GM Tim Purpura can even begin to market Lidge, who could mean the World Series to Detroit, Cleveland, Boston or the Mets. Those kinds of pressures are on Moore, Wayne Krivsky in Cincinnati, Jon Daniels in Texas and Andrew Friedman in Tampa Bay, pressures no one else knows who hasn't sat in their chairs in buildings operated by their respective owners.

As odd as it may seem, Brian Cashman in many ways is the most relaxed of the GM bunch. On Friday morning, the Yankees are six games behind the Indians in the loss column for the wild card and seven games behind the Red Sox in the AL East (in New England, that's Anxt Legion), and Cashman on Wednesday took a leisurely drive to Trenton, N.J., to watch Philip Hughes. Cashman is looking to add a first baseman if it isn't Shea Hillenbrand, find someone to take Kyle Farnsworth, maybe move a Scott Proctor for depth (the NY Post has been on Wilson Betemit), and await the reconstruction of the Yankee pitching staff.

Now, one wonders why Cashman might not be interested in Shea Hillenbrand? Well ... he IS a head case ... and he has been doing terribly since leaving the Jays.

I wonder what a team could acquire in terms of promising young minor-leaguers in exchange for a young, cheap, MLB positional player? You'd think, if the market was as hot for these guys as it apparently is, that some brave and enterprising GM would take advantage and get a number of prospects a year or two away and hope that you can turn that one guy into two or three ...

Gammons also lists these points I selected at the end of his blog (I've quoted easily less than half of the article, mods, hope that is fine):

Originally Posted by Peter Gammons

- Has the window of opportunity on trading Dontrelle Willis begun closing on the Marlins. "As much as we all like and respect Dontrelle, there are major doubts about him now," says one GM. "An ERA over 5.00 pitching in that park? Come on. Right-handers hitting .330 with a .927 OPS against him? I have to believe the innings and the delivery may have worn him down, and the novelty has certainly worn off."

- The Wily Mo Pena era may soon come to an end, but unless something falls in their laps, Boston's right-handed-hitting outfield addition will be from the list floating: Bobby Kielty, Lew Ford, Reggie Sanders, et al.

- No, the Dodgers will not entertain trading James Loney, Matt Kemp, (obviously) Russell Martin, Chad Billingsley or Jonathan Broxton. Ned Colletti is looking for a starter or reliever, expecting Randy Wolf back around the deadline. A numer of teams, including Boston, have been trying to get in on Andy LaRoche.

- Yes, the Cubs are really enthused about Kerry Wood, expecially because he is so revered by teammates. Not only did Wood hit 95 Thursday in Arizona, but, in a better indicator of his health, he had exquisite command.

- But the Mets seem to be backing off their intrepid predictions on Pedro Martinez's return. Not a good sign.

- Two great GM trade deadline quotes: 1. "Hopefully, the names we're discussing on July 31 are different from the ones on July 20"; and 2. "Just because someone's available doesn't mean he's good."

Interesting that perpetually-injured Kerry Wood actually seems to be putting things together. I always enjoyed watching him pitch, he seemed like the next Roger Clemens. And that comment about the talent available is awesome.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

From yesterday, this notable thing: the Jays are apparently interested in Pittsburgh SS Jack Wilson. The article only notes that the trade would likely only happen after the non-waiver deadline passes because the Jays will want Pittsburgh to pick up the bulk of his remaining salary.

"We have no interest in Jack Wilson -- absolutely no interest," Ricciardi said emphatically. "None. I have Jack Wilson. I have John McDonald."

Link

I just have to say, thank god for that. Wilson simply isn't an upgrade, what an awful contract they gave him. 3 years, 20 million (starting next season I guess).

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

From yesterday, this notable thing: the Jays are apparently interested in Pittsburgh SS Jack Wilson. The article only notes that the trade would likely only happen after the non-waiver deadline passes because the Jays will want Pittsburgh to pick up the bulk of his remaining salary.

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

"We have no interest in Jack Wilson -- absolutely no interest," Ricciardi said emphatically. "None. I have Jack Wilson. I have John McDonald."

Link

I just have to say, thank god for that. Wilson simply isn't an upgrade, what an awful contract they gave him. 3 years, 20 million (starting next season I guess).

Huh, this is all interesting context wise. I heard a Riccardi comment last night...he was asked about the potential of trading Troy Glaus. His answer? "Well, I won't be trading Troy for Jack Wilson, I can tell you that much". I thought it was kind of an odd comment, but I didn't know about the Wilson rumours at that point in time.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by RedHot25

Huh, this is all interesting context wise. I heard a Riccardi comment last night...he was asked about the potential of trading Troy Glaus. His answer? "Well, I won't be trading Troy for Jack Wilson, I can tell you that much". I thought it was kind of an odd comment, but I didn't know about the Wilson rumours at that point in time.

JP comment "I won't be trading Troy for Jack Wilson, I can tell you that much" was in regards to the article from Pittsburg rumouring the Jays inquired about Wilson the Pirates asked for Glaus. JP stomped on that rumour with his comments last night.

[Sylvanfan]

I suspect that next to nothing is going to happen. Sounds like MLB GM's are being pretty stubborn in not wanting to give up either decent players, or decent prospects to get a decent player. There might be a couple of mediocre middle relief guys moved for so so prospects but other than that I don't see much happening.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

I suspect that next to nothing is going to happen. Sounds like MLB GM's are being pretty stubborn in not wanting to give up either decent players, or decent prospects to get a decent player. There might be a couple of mediocre middle relief guys moved for so so prospects but other than that I don't see much happening.

I agree, if a major trade does happen the buyer is going to pay a steep price....