Dec 10
Let’s use this post for minor updates on previous rumors we have heard from the winter meetings and other minor tidbits. Unless something new or substantial comes along, we will continue to update this post the rest of the day.
[Update: 3:09pm] According to Ken Rosenthal the Cardinals have offered Rick Ankiel to the Mariners for closer JJ Putz. No word yet on whether the M’s are considering the offer, but even if it is rejected this sheds some light on what the Cardinals are looking for in return for Ankiel.
[Update: 2:34pm] Marc Topkin chimes in on the Nelson Cruz and Jeremy Hermida rumors. Topkin says the Rays do not like Cruz enough to give up Edwin Jackson. Topkin also is skeptical about the report that the Rays “rejected” the Marlins trade proposal but adds “if the Marlins truly seek…two pitching prospects…they should have rejected it, given Hermida’s thus-far unimpressive numbers.”
[Update: 1:26pm] Mike Berardino is now reporting that the Marlins offered Jeremy Hermida to the Rays for two pitching prospects. The Rays rejected the offer and it appears that discussions are now dead and unlikely to be revisited. Berardino speculates that the two pitching prospects came from a list that includes Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson and Mitch Talbot…Two of those pitchers? Wow, that was ballsy.
[Update: 12:24pm] Mike Berardino of the Miami Sun-Sentinel confirms the Rays interest in Jeremy Hermida but a source is telling him that it will take more than Edwin Jackson and that Andy Sonnanstine “would interest the Marlins.” Berardino says the Rays will first “exhaust several other offensive options.”
[Update: 11:23am] T.R. Sullivan is reporting that the Rays have interest in Nelson Cruz. Sullivan speculates that the Rangers are not likely to do the deal for Edwin Jackson. Cruz had a breakout season in 2008, hitting .342/.429/.695 with 37 home runs in 103 triple-A games and .330/.421/.609 and 7 home runs in 31 games with the Rangers. 2008 was his 8th pro season with four different franchises. (thanks bossman)
[Update: 10:36am] The Blue Jays are apparently looking into acquiring an infielder. Bob Elliot of the Toronto Sun (via MLB Trade Rumors) says Jason Bartlett is one player they have looked at…We wonder if the Rays have reached a level as contender where they would not trade within the division.
Dec 09
[Update: 10:05am] Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says Bradley is “in intense discussions with the Cubs.” That makes a little more sense.
[9:29am] As we reported yesterday, Milton Bradley had lunch with Andrew Friedman and Joe Maddon. Maddon said Bradley was “very honest, open and intense. I liked all three.” Madon added that the Rays have plans to meet with other outfielder/DH types.
According to Ken Rosenthal (via MLB Trade Rumors), Rangers officials believe the Rays and Royals are the leading candidates to land Bradley.
Dayton Moore of the Kansas City Star says the Royals are not involved. That might leave the Rays as the leading candidates for Bradley. In fact, we are yet to hear any other teams with serious interest. Surprising for a guy that hit .321/.436/.536 last year with an OPS+ of 163.
However, Bradley does have a history of knee problems and last year’s 126 games marked only the second time in 9 seasons in which Bradley played more than 110 games. Significant playing time at DH could go a long ways to keeping Bradley on the field.
Milton Bradley Has Lunch With Andrew Friedman And Co. [Rays Index]
Rays smitten by Bradley’s ‘honesty’ [Yahoo! Sports]
9:56 p.m. — Bradley seeking new home? [Fox Sports]
Bradley To Rays Or Royals? [MLB Trade Rumors]
Royals still searching for ways to add impact free agent [Kansas City Star]
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Tyler Hissey of Rays Digest will debut “The Rays Rundown”, a live call-in show this morning at 11:00. [Rays Digest]
- Does anybody else find it strange that Marc Topkin will report on some rumors from the winter meetings and he “will ignore” others? How does he decide which rumors are worth reporting? Does Topkin have some special power of deduction that can tell which rumors are true and which rumors are not? Aren’t all rumors from the winter meetings at least somewhat newsworthy, in that each rumor has at least some people are talking about it (usually other people like Topkin), even if some are ridiculous? Or does Topkin pass on some rumors because they come to him while he is busy watching “The Bachelor”? [The Heater]
- Yesterday we learned that the Rays might be involved in the Padres efforts to move Jake Peavy to the Cubs. Later we heard that the Padres and Cubs had figured out a way to make the deal happen without a third team. Now, Corey Brock is reporting that the particulars of the deal have been agreed upon and that there is a third team involved and possibly a fourth. Might the Rays be one of the other teams? [Hot Stove Blog]
- MLB Trade Rumors says a third team is the Orioles, but there is no word if a fourth team is confirmed to be involved, noting that attempts to get a third team involved included talks with “four to five clubs.” The Padres are said to want major league-ready pitching. If the Rays were involved, it almost certainly means the Rays would send the Padres Andy Sonnanstine, Edwin Jackson or Jeff Niemann. [MLB Trade Rumors]
- Buster Olney says he would “be shocked” if Rocco Baldelli does not sign with the Red Sox. [ESPN]
- Joe Maddon spoke highly of free agent Garret Anderson and Kevin Baxter of the LA Times wonders if Anderson might be a good fit for the Rays. [LA Times]
- We are surprised there are not more rumors involving the Cardinals and the Rays. The Cardinals would like to move a left-handed hitting outfielder (Rick Ankiel, Skip Schumaker, Chris Duncan, Colby Rasmus) and are looking for pitching. Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the two teams would be a good match. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
- Mike Berardino of the Miami Sun-Sentinel shoots down the possibility of the Marlins targeting Jason Bartlett in a Jeremy Hermida deal. Berardino says that the Marlins would prefer to keep Hanley Ramirez at shortstop rather than move him to the outfield. [Miami Sun-Sentinel]
- Joe Maddon let it be known that he has been invited to a small dinner with President George Bush and his wife at the White House. [Rays Report]
- Joe Maddon spoke with reporters from the Winter Meetings. [MSN Video]
- Joe Maddon said he hoped to see Rays fans on his honeymoon in Europe. He succeeded. [Big League Stew]
- The Hudson Valley Renegades will pay tribute to Stephon Marbury next season. [Rays Prospects]
- And yes, this is the first time in the history of Rays Index in which a post referenced President George Bush and Stephon Marbury. Yes. We Love Lamp.
Dec 08
According to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com the Rays would only move Jayson Bartlett in a ‘major deal’.
The Rays are telling clubs that ask about their shortstop, Jason Bartlett, that they’re only willing to trade him in a “major deal.” Would Jeremy Hermida be “major” enough? Stay tuned.
Our guess is that Jeremy Hermida would not be major enough.
Stark also touches on the recent rumblings that the Rays talked to the Twins about the possibility of bringing Delmon Young back.
Yes, they kicked Delmon Young’s name around when the Twins approached them to express interest. But according to one source who talked to the Rays’ brass, they would “never” take Young back.
We were surprised when Young’s name was first mentioned, but it also does not surprise us that Andrew Friedman is exhausting all possibilities. The Rays need a right fielder and Young is still a potential 7-tool player. Unfortunately, the 6th and 7th tools are “Bat Tossing” and “Bitching”.
Phillies, Moyer haggling over money [ESPN]
Rays Talked To Twins About Bringing Back Delmon Young [Rays Index]
Dec 08
Andy Sonnanstine, Bobby Abreu, Brian Giles, David Price, Edwin Jackson, Jason Bartlett, Jeremy Hellickson, Jeremy Hermida, Nick Barnese, Rocco Baldelli, Tim Beckham, Wade Davis Cork Gaines
[Update: 3:40pm] Now it looks like the Cubs and Padres have figured out how to move Peavy without a third team. Of course, the Rays could still try to work with the Padres on a deal for Giles, but this seems less likely now.
[9:56am]In case you missed it late last night, there is a rumor going around the winter meetings that the Rays may be getting involved in the Jake Peavy talks as a third team, with their eyes set on Brian Giles. There was talk last August that the Rays tried to land Giles but were blocked when the Red Sox put in a claim on the outfielder.
There is no mention of what the Padres would want from the Rays, but the holdup in a potential Cubs deal (for Peavy) is the lack of Cubs prospects that are close to the majors. The Padres were also looking for a major league shortstop from the Braves.
So we have to believe the Padres will be asking for something like Andy Sonnanstine. The Rays would probably rather a package include Jeff Niemann and Reid Brignac. Would Edwin Jackson get the deal done?
It seems unlikely that the Rays would be willing to part with a top pitcher for Giles (136 OPS+ in ’08) if the Rays could potentially land a free agent like Bobby Abreu (120 OPS+, 3 years younger) for the same price and without having to give up any prospects. The Padres could make it more enticing by eating some of the $9 million salary [Ed. note: As per the comments, Giles' salary goes to $11 million in '09 if he is traded]. Giles is in the last year of his deal.
Of course, all this means nothing if Giles is unwilling to be traded. Giles has full veto power as a 10-and-5 player (10 year veteran, 5 years with current team) and vetoed two deals (Red Sox and A’s) late last season.
Rays Rumored Third Team In Peavy Deal; Possibly Targeting Giles Again [Rays Index]
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
- Jayson Stark says the Jeremy Hermida is exactly the type of player the Rays are looking for and wonders if a deal can be had for Jason Bartlett and either Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson…Considering what else is out there, this seems like too steep a price. [ESPN]
- Ryan Fagan of The Sporting News says Rocco Baldelli’s best option is to stick with the Rays…This is something we have long said. With the Rays, Rocco has a team that has been loyal when most would not and with the Rays, Rocco has a team that is very familiar with his condition and how best to utilize his talents at this point of his career. This is why the Rays will slow-play this hand, waiting out the market and Rocco. [The Sporting News]
- Dayn Perry says the Rays have “fewer needs to address [this offseason] than any other team in baseball.” We are not sure what attendance has to do with the Rays offseason plans but Perry brings it up out of leftfield at the end of the piece noting that teams usually show an attendance spike the year after a successful playoff run. [Fox Sports]
- Marc Lancaster reports that the Andrew Friedman is getting calls from players that would not normally be interested in signing with the Rays, noting that these players want to play with the Rays and are willing to accomodate the Rays (ie. switching positions) to make it happen. [Tampa Tribune]
- Marc Lancaster says the Rays greatest asset right now is their pitching depth and if a trade is made at the winter meetings it will probably involve a starting pitcher. [Tampa Tribune]
- Mets Fever says the Mets will have a hard time landing Edwin Jackson, noting the Metropolitans don’t have outfield depth. [Mets Fever]
- Rays Digest takes a look at pitching prospect Nick Barnese, who was #22 on our most recent Trade Value Index. RD compares Barnese’s makeup to Matt Garza and analyzes his pitch repertoire. If you are not into reading the usual rhetoric about the depth of pitching in the organization and just want to read about Barnese, skip to the 9th paragraph. [Rays Digest]
- MLB.com has their list of the top 50 prospects. The list is topped by David Price and includes four Rays farmhands in total. Tim Beckham (22), Wade Davis (31) and Jeremy Hellickson (39) are also on the list. [MLB]
- Rays Prospects is profiling the top hitting prospects in the organization. #13 is… [Rays Prospects]
- David Chalk continues to crank out his list of the top Devil Rays of all time. #18 is… [Bugs and Cranks]
- Bud Selig and Major League Baseball make too much money and are too concerned about the image of the sport to ever put a team in Las Vegas. Still, it is a bit disheartening to hear the mayor of Las Vegas salivating over the Rays. [St. Pete Times]
- Montgomery Biscuits GM Greg Rauch is at the winter meetings in Vegas to find a radio broadcaster. [Montgomery Advertiser]
