Category: MLB (Page 151 of 448)

      Halladay would approve trade to Yankees

      November 28, 2009 /

      According to a report by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, Roy Halladay would approve a deal to the Yankees.

      It always has been a possibility. Now that chance has been upgraded.

      “I don’t know who Toronto will wind up with,” a major league executive said yesterday. “I don’t know when he is going and I don’t know where he’s going.

      “But I do know that Halladay has told the Jays he’ll approve a trade to the Yankees.”

      The unknown wild card in any Halladay talks, as it was prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline when then general manager J.P. Ricciardi attempted to move his best starter, has been Halladay.

      Halladay has a full no-trade clause in his contract, but it would likely take a haul to get him in a deal from Toronto. The Yankees certainly have the money to make Halladay happy, but can they put together a package intriguing enough to entice the Jays?

      That said, Halladay has already stated that he has no interest in re-signing with the Jays and with that in mind, Toronto could be more apt to take a lesser deal so that they get something for “The Doc” before he bolts at the end of the year.

      This situation will be the most intriguing storyline of the year next season.


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      MLB

      Bud Selig to step down in 2012

      November 28, 2009 /

      According to a report by the Boston Herald, baseball commissioner Bud Selig plans to step down after the 2011 season.

      It was the same kind of approach that had been used to convince him to stay in charge at least two other times, the first being after he stepped in as head of the executive council to lead ownership after Fay Vincent was forced to resign as commissioner in 1992. Selig’s tenure most recently had been scheduled to end in 2009, but his deal was extended quietly in early 2008.

      This time, according to sources, Selig told the owners he will step aside after 2012 — not because he is tiring but because he has other things to do while he’s able.

      One of Selig’s top lieutenants, Bob DuPuy or Rob Manfred, might be the best choice if the goal of owners is to continue in the same direction. Baltimore Orioles general manager Andy MacPhail, whose father and grandfather are in the Hall of Fame as executives, would be a popular choice among owners. The list is sure to grow as Selig moves closer to retiring.

      Many will remember Selig for turning a blind eye during the steroid era and calling the 2002 All-Star Game a tie. But he also brought interleague play to baseball, as well as instant replay.

      Whoever takes over for Selig will have to deal with striking a new collective bargaining deal, which is no small task.


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      MLB

      Johnny Damon’s days as a Yankee over?

      November 27, 2009 /

      Ken Davidoff from Newsday writes that Johnny Damon won’t settle (in terms of a contract) in free agency and that’s why Davidoff thinks the outfielder won’t be in pinstripes next season.

      I spent some time with Johnny Damon today, and he spoke forcefully about his free agency and his future. I asked him specifically about Scott Boras’ comments from a couple of weeks ago, and Damon backed his agent 100 percent.

      Damon’s history shows that he’s not going to bend in his free agency. It’s how he became a Yankee in the first place. It’s why I think he’ll be elsewhere, come next season.

      Damon doesn’t want a pay cut, yet he made $13 million last year. I know the guy is durable and has pop, but he’s a liability in the outfield and is 36 years old. Who is going to give him $13 million again next year outside of the Yankees?

      Davidoff knows the Yankees better than I do obviously, but it stands to reason that Damon isn’t going to get more than $10 million from any other team next year. That means he will be taking a pay cut or he will be back with the Bombers for close to what he made in ’09.


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      MLB

      Angels interested in Curtis Granderson

      November 25, 2009 /

      Along with the Yankees and several other teams, the Angels are interested in Tigers’ outfielder Curtis Granderson, whom could be available this winter for the right package of prospects.

      From the Detroit Free Press:

      According to the report, a Tigers executive said the team would rather move Jackson than Granderson. Another person told Foxsports.com that the Angels would be a premier trade partner because of Los Angeles’ depth in areas the Tigers need, namely catcher, shortstop and minimum-salary pitching.

      In other rumor news, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports that a person familiar with the situation said talks between the Tigers and the Mariners regarding Granderson and Jackson have cooled off.

      The book on Granderson is that he’s a five-tool player, but he can’t hit left-handed pitching. Still, he would upgrade any outfield he winds up (if he’s traded) in, while also offering plenty of speed and a fair amount of pop as well.

      If the Tigers do decide to part ways with him, Granderson will be one of the most sought after bats available this offseason. (Along with Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, of course.)


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      MLB

      Red Sox targeting Roy Halladay

      November 25, 2009 /

      According to a report by the New York Daily News, the Red Sox are targeting Blue Jays’ ace Roy Halladay.

      If the Red Sox are serious about dealing for Halladay in the next two weeks, the Yankees will likely have their chance to get involved in the sweepstakes for the Blue Jays ace, although it will take a package of top prospects – as well as a sizeable contract extension for Halladay, who has a full no-trade clause – to get a deal done.

      To land Halladay, Boston would likely have to give up Clay Buchholz, the organization’s top young pitcher, as well as Casey Kelly, the pitcher/shortstop who signed with the Red Sox in 2008 after being recruited by Tennessee to play quarterback. Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is said to be smitten with Kelly, which could be a sticking point in talks with Toronto if Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos insists on the 20-year-old being included in a deal.

      The Yankees would love to acquire Halladay, although Cashman has been reluctant to deal away top prospects such as Austin Jackson and Jesus Montero for a player he would then have to sign for more than $100 million, such as Halladay. Toronto would also likely require either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain in a deal.

      Halladay, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester would form one of the best top 3’s in all of baseball. But is it worth it for Epstein to give up Buchholz and Kelly in a deal with no guarantees that Halladay will re-sign once he becomes a free agent at the end of the 2010 season? One would think that “The Doc” would want to re-sign with a contender like Boston, but again, there are no guarantees and Boston might lose a couple valuable prospects for just one year of Halladay.

      We’ll see if this report has any teeth to it over the next couple of weeks. Storylines like these are created all the time around the winter meetings and some are just fabricated rumors.


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      MLB

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