Archive for the 'Trade Rumors' Category

Dec 07

Royals Want Shields, But The Rays Want The Farm

James Shields, Joakim Soria, Trade Rumors Cork Gaines 7 Comments »

According to Bill Chastain, the Royals have asked the Rays what it would take to land James Shields in a trade. The answer was “a lot”…

The Royals are interested in [James] Shields, but to get him, the Rays want closer Joakim Soria, top position prospect Wil Myers and shortstop/second baseman prospect Christian Colon in return

We are still waiting to hear if the Royals have been able to get their jaws up off the floor.

Joakim Soria, a closer, is a two-time All-Star with at least 28 saves each of the last four seasons. His career ERA/FIP is 2.40/2.90. He has two years and $14.75 million remaining on his contract. There is also an option for 2014 at $8.75 million.

Wil Myers is a former catcher that played Read the rest of this entry »

Dec 07

Rays And Reds Are Discussing Trade Possibilities

Trade Rumors, Yonder Alonso Cork Gaines 15 Comments »

You guys want to talk about attendance? Didn’t think so. What season is it? It’s Hot Stove season! So let’s grab that net and catch that beautiful butterfly!

The Reds want a starting pitcher. And now we learn that the Rays and Reds have discussed a deal, and that the name of the Reds top first base prospect has come up in those conversations (via @JimBowdenESPNxm).

Joe Maddon just told us [on MLB Network Radio] that Yonder Alonso’s name has come up in mtgs & they realize they may have to trade one of their SP

Yonder Alonso hit .330 with 5 home runs and a .398 OBP (.409 wOBA) in 47 games for the Reds in 2011. He hit .296 with 12 home runs (.373 wOBA) in 91 triple-A games.

Obviously the Reds are going to ask for James Shields or maybe even Matt Moore. And the Rays would probably be willing to give up Jeff Niemann or Wade Davis. None of those scenarios are likely to happen without other players being involved. But what about Jeremy Hellickson? The Reds might do that. But would you?

Nov 10

Kidnapping Could Impact Rays Off-Season Plans

Hot Stove Season, Trade Rumors, Wilson Ramos Cork Gaines 7 Comments »

Yesterday afternoon, Wilson Ramos, a rookie catcher for the Washington Nationals was kidnapped near his home in Venezuela. And while the impact on the Rays is far from the most important thing associated with this case, it could have a huge impact on the Rays off-season plans.

The Nationals have long been considered the team most interested in trading for BJ Upton. And it is no secret that the Rays would love to acquire a big league catcher this off-season. So it is not a stretch to think that Ramos’ name has come up in negotiations between the two sides.

Ramos, 24, hit .267 with 15 home runs and a solid .332 wOBA* in 113 games this past season. As a comparison, John Jaso had a .288 wOBA in 89 games and Kelly Shoppach was .274 in 87 games.

And even if Ramos would not have been the Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 27

OPEN THREAD: Trade Rumor Hysteria, 5 Days Left

BJ Upton, James Shields, Trade Rumors Cork Gaines 18 Comments »

If you want the latest news and rumors, keep checking back here throughout the day. As we hear trade rumors, we will add them below. We will keep the most recent on top. If something really juicy comes along, we will give that its own post. But all the other stuff will go here.

Also, if you see or hear something that we haven’t reported yet, feel free to leave it in the comments and we will check it out.

Let’s go…

[6:30pm] Joe Strauss is now reporting that the Cardinals insisted on either James Shields or Jeremy Hellickson for Colby Rasmus.

[3:57pm] Even though we heard yesterday that the Rays won’t trade James Shields, Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Reds are “targeting” Shields. Rosenthal later added that the Rays are still unlikely to move Shields, but that the Reds have a deep minor league system, suggesting they are one team that might be able to change the Rays’ mind.

[1:50pm] Tim Kurkjian is reporting that the Giants are close to landing Carlos Beltran. That means there is one less team interested in acquiring BJ Upton. By our count, that leaves the Nationals, Royals, Indians, Pirates, Reds, and to a lesser extent, the Braves. We have also heard conflicting reports that the Phillies might be interested.

[7:30am] This is what we know about BJ Upton so far. Just about everybody thinks it is a lock that BJ will be traded by Sunday’s deadline. And most of those people feel that the Nationals are the front-runner. The Rays were even scouting the Nationals triple-A team the other day.

It looks like the Nationals are holding on tight to their top pitching prospects. However, shortstop Ian Desmond may be available.

As far as James Shields goes, it looks like he is off the table for now and for the foreseeable future.

Jul 21

Do The Rays Care What We Think?

Buster Olney, Trade Rumors Cork Gaines 20 Comments »

And the hits just keep on comin’…

Buster Olney tackled the Rays and what they might do at the trade deadline in this column for ESPN Insider.

Within the piece are some good nuggets like:

  • “They will listen to just about every trade proposal thrown their way, regardless of who is involved…”
  • “The perception among other teams is that Tampa Bay is ready to move [BJ Upton]. Now.”
  • “Rival evaluators say they definitely could see [Johnny] Damon moving to another team in the last nine weeks of the season.”
  • “[James Shields'] performance would probably be the most crucial for a late rush by Tampa Bay. The Rays really don’t buy into Hail Marys and fairy-tale finishes, and the fact is that Shields’s trade value may never be higher than it is right now.”
  • The Rays have been scouting the Reds minor league system and the Reds are interested in James Shields. Olney adds that the Rays could be interested in 1B prospect Yonder Alonso and/or C Devin Mesoraco.

But maybe the most interesting comment was about how much of a factor public perception is… Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 07

Rays Deadline Activity Unlikely To Be Influenced By Next Two Weeks

Andrew Friedman, Trade Rumors Cork Gaines 7 Comments »

Starting tonight, the Rays will play their next 11 games against the Yankees (8 games) and the Red Sox (3 games). Many talking heads believe that these 11 games will decide whether the Rays will remain contenders and whether they will be “buyers” or “sellers” at the trade deadline.

This might be true for most teams, but the Rays have never been “most teams” and there is no reason to think they will start acting like most teams in the next three weeks.

Will the Rays be “buyers” or “sellers”?

First of all, by their very nature, the Rays will always be “sellers.” The Rays prefer cheap, young talent with upside. And those are the type of players that you get by selling older, more expensive pieces like Scott Kazmir, or Matt Garza.

This is the Rays Modus Operandi. And it will never change, no matter what time of year or what the standings look like.

So the question then becomes: Will the Rays also be “buyers”? Ken Davidoff suggested as much when an official from a National League club told him that the Rays “are buying and selling.”

The Rays could certainly add
Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 31

Deadline Day: Rays Trade Rumors (UPDATE)

Trade Rumors Cork Gaines 16 Comments »

The Rays already made one move this morning, picking up reliever Chad Qualls from the Diamondbacks. We will use this thread to keep you updated on any rumors the rest of the day. You can also follow us on Twitter where we include all the rumors as well as the thoughts and opinions of members of the media.

[4:20 pm] Marc Topkin just called it. Time of death for any other deals is 4:20: “No other deals for Rays today.”

[3:59 pm] Closing in on the deadline and Marc Topkin says it is “unlikely [Rays] make a deal.” Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Adam Dunn is going to stay with the Nationals. And Dan Connolly is hearing that teams “haven’t been too aggressive” for Luke Scott and that the O’s are probably looking for a big return.

[3:25 pm] Here is where trade deadline news gets nutty…First we hear from Jayson Stark that the Rays are not likely to land Brandon League from the Mariners and that the Rays are “unlikely to make another deal today.” But just a few minutes later, Tom Krasovic reports that the Rays are “in the mix” for Luke Scott from the Orioles.

[2:17 pm] Two hours to go and the chatter is Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 29

Rumors Du Jour: Dunn, Werth (UPDATE)

Adam Dunn, Jayson Werth, Trade Rumors Cork Gaines 6 Comments »

[Update] Here is a quote (via Tommy Rancel) from Dunn about DHing…

I don’t want to DH. I don’t want to DH. If I have to DH, I’ll probably go home.

[10:17am] The non-waiver trade deadline is Saturday, so let’s get caught up on what the Ray may or may not do…

  • Earlier we heard that the Rays are still a possibility for Adam Dunn. However, Ken Rosenthal reports (scroll to 12:55am) that Dunn is “adamant about his reluctance to become a designated hitter.” You have to wonder about a player that is not willing to DH for two months in exchange for a shot at going to the World Series. Dunn will be a free agent at the end of the season.
  • Rosenthal also adds that Jayson Werth is no longer available after Shane Victorino was injured and placed on the DL.
Jul 23

More Rumors Du Jour: Werth, DeJesus And Greinke…Yes, Greinke

David DeJesus, Jayson Werth, Trade Rumors, Zack Greinke Cork Gaines 29 Comments »

First from Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter) we learn from the Rays that they don’t think they will acquire Jayson Werth and that they might have been close to trading for David DeJesus at one point…

Rays source: Seriously doubt we get Werth. DeJesus was the better bet until he ran into the wall.

DeJesus just went on the 15-day DL with a sprained thumb.

The trade info is interesting, but what is particularly interesting to us is that Brown got this straight from somebody inside the Rays front office. The Rays have a very small and a very quiet circle in the front office. Almost all trade rumors involvoing the Rays come from source on or near other teams.

But the rumor that caught our attention Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 23

Rumors Du Jour: Upton, McDonald And Werth

BJ Upton, Desmond Jennings, James McDonald, Jayson Werth, Trade Rumors Cork Gaines 11 Comments »

We continue to get conflicting stories on BJ Upton. Ed Price reports this morning that the Rays are shopping Upton “hard.” This is not the first time we have heard Bossman’s name linked with a trade rumor. But it is the first time we have heard that the Rays are actively trying to trade him.

This is telling for a couple of reasons. First, it means that the Rays believe they have a better shot at the playoffs without Upton. It also means that the Rays believe Desmond Jennings is ready to step in and play center field right now. The other possibility is that the Rays believe they will acquire Jayson Werth and that he would play the outfield. However, there is a problem with that scenario. While Ben Zobrist or Sean Rodriguez can play center, it is not an ideal everyday situation.

Price adds that the Rays are still trying to trade for Read the rest of this entry »