I thought the Loaiza deal was for a box of doughnuts.

Keep Esteban in New York! Please!!!

Jayson Stark had an article about a week ago on which players he believes cleared waivers (and thus can be traded) and which did not. See: The Waiver Wonderland.

According to Stark, Frankie Cat isn't going anywhere but Justin Speier may be.

This isn't a rumour, but I've been meaning to ask everyone why Texas didn't throw their hat into the RJ sweepstakes in July. Or why RJ didn't suggest a trade to the Rangers.

1. Rangers desperate for pitching for playoff stretch -- check.
2. Rangers have lots of prospects to trade for pitching -- check.
3. Dallas reasonably close to Phoenix -- check.
4. Rangers a credible playoff contender -- check.
5. RJ played in Texas already? Yes, for Houston -- check.

Given the strength of their offense, RJ, Rogers, and Drese (and an untouchable Francisco Cordero) might have been enough to push the Rangers to a World Series title.

So why didn't this happen?

Mostly because Randy doesn't want to pitch in Texas. You don't hink TOm HIcks tried to give him stupid money when he was last a free agenT?"CHan Ho Park money" and the chance to work with Nolan Ryan didn't lure him then ... besides, you'd think he'd have spoken up if he was a big fan of playing BuckyBall. Arlington>? He couldn't get out of Houston fast enough, and he actually got to the playoffs with them, so number 5 on your list isn't "check" so much as "ohhhh ...."

If we're allowed to start rumours here, I hear that the Blue Jays are going to trade Simon Pond and Josh Banks for Adam Dunn and a player to be named later.

I thought the Loaiza deal was for a box of doughnuts.

As unimpresive as Loiaza has been, he does represent a healthy, warm body that the Yankees can ill afford to give away.

Is the PTBNL Austin Kearns? Might have to include a Chris Gomez to get something like that done.

As unimpresive as Loiaza has been, he does represent a healthy, warm body that the Yankees can ill afford to give away.

Perhaps they will throw in a pot of coffee, too, then.

Hey, I heard this rumor that the Cubs want to send us Nomar for Woody and Dave Berg!

http://www.thewolfshack.com
Is the PTBNL Austin Kearns? Might have to include a Chris Gomez to get something like that done.

Depends on how much Dunn gets in arbitration. If it's more than $5 million, we get Wily Mo Pena. Between 4 and 5 we get a minor league player, and under 4 we get $100,000.

I have a feeling tha WIily Mo -- another ex-Yankee farmhand, by the way -- is going to be a superduperstar for a long long time.

http://www.thewolfshack.com
I have a feeling tha WIily Mo -- another ex-Yankee farmhand, by the way -- is going to be a superduperstar for a long long time.

I think you're probably rigth. JP is a pretty shrewd cat!

Who would you rather have Pena or Rios?? At first glance it has to be Pena because he is outhomering Rios 20 or so to 1.

But Pena's strike out rate is twice that of Rios. And everybody keeps on saying Rios will develop the power.

You've gotta figure the Astros are ready to pull the plug. They're behind the Cubs, Marlins, Giants and Padres in the Wild Card race, and with Pettitte gone for the year, they just don't have the horses to recover. Accordingly, we could see Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltran dealt -- maybe Kent to DH for the Twins, Beltran to play CF for the Padres? But then again, Gerry Hunsicker, who will very likely be fired if the 'Stros don't make the playoffs, may try to buy rather than sell in an attempt to keep his job.

Might the Astros hang on to Beltran as a "good will" show of their interest in re-signing him?

If Hunsicker does elect to move bodies, how about Kent to Oakland? He'd fit in nicely with all those LH bats.

Gammons mentioned Kent to OAK, so scratch that off the list.

THe idea of Wily Mo in TOronto would provide Cheer Club with great banner possibilities every fifth day: "Wily and Lily!"

I wonder why JP wont move Cat.... Unless he plans on trying to resign him? I know Florida was interested in Cat/Zaun before the LA deal.

Speier also cleared Waivers last week... I think thats more of a sign for the market for Speier... none.

Depends on how much Dunn gets in arbitration.

Oh, you were being serious? And here I was getting all sarcastic.

Waiver-wire finds packaged with AA-pitchers won't add up to an Adam Dunn, not in my books. If payroll is that much of a concern for the Reds, there are about 10 other teams who would gladly take Adam Dunn on and give up a much better package than the one you're proposing. The competition for Dunn would drive the price pretty high.

Ive now heard JP refer to Speier more than once as "a guy we might be interested in keeping for next year". His 1yr deal is up this year, but I think the Jays have his arbitration rights.

And it's not that JP wouldnt trade Cat, it's that he tried to send him through waivers and somebody claimed him. I guess the fact that he's still here means that JP and this mystery team were unable to reach a deal within the alloted 48hrs and so the Jays pulled him back. Any guesses on which team it was?

Of course it's also possible that Stark's sources are wrong and Cat was never put on waivers in the first place.

Dunno if people noted this in another thread but a couple of days ago DePodesta acquired Tom Wilson for minor league catcher Tony Socarras.

Depends on how much Dunn gets in arbitration. If it's more than $5 million, we get Wily Mo Pena. Between 4 and 5 we get a minor league player, and under 4 we get $100,000.

If the Jays got Adam Dunn and Willy Mo Pena for just Josh Banks and Simon Pond then I'd be surprised. So surprised that I have a hard time believing it. Where would you get such precise details from anyway?

CaramonLS: I don't think Cat cleared waivers, which means (I assume) that the Jays can no longer trade him.

They can trade him but he has to clear waivers first but, if he is claimed the second time through waivers, the Jays couldn't pull Cat back. This type of trading can occur at any time but if it happens after September 1st, the player/s involved are inelidgeable for the post season.

While we're on the topic of phoney rumors, I recently checked the phone taps I've installed in the office of every GM and there were some good conversations

Hicks: No I'm serious, what will it take for Loiza?

The Boss: A pitcher of this magnitude and intelligence?

Hicks: Hmmm... how about a BAKERS dozen?

The Boss: Well.... what KIND of doughnuts?

Hicks: Well, original glazed of course.

The Boss: Listen, Im a busy man I dont have -

Hicks: Alright.... chocolate glazed.

The Boss: He'll be on a plane by the hour.

and this one

JP: So, what will it take to bring Nomar to Toronto

Cubs GM I dont know name of: Listen, Im not like... a stupid, you know, like a stupid guy who is stupid, and you can say stupid things too. So... Shut up!

JP; Allright, I'll give you my DELICIOUS utility infielder for your crummy old shortstop.

Cubs Guy: YEA! DELICIOUS! YEA! OKAY!

Dave Berg looking up from a box of doughnuts: YEA!!

I'll give you my DELICIOUS utility infielder for your crummy old shortstop.

They just picked up Neifi Perez. They have their delicious utility infielder.

It was reported on a station here in Chicago that the cubs are close to getting Shigetoshi Hasegawa from Seattle to shore up the bullpen

Hasegawa's been terrible this season, and he plays half his games as Safeco. His 6.94 and 7.20 ERAs in July and August should be scaring the Cubs off, right? His 16 saves last year didn't get him Proven Closer status, did they?

the cubs are close to getting Shigetoshi Hasegawa from Seattle to shore up the bullpen

This is obviously some new definition of the phrase 'shore up'.

Hasegawa had a great year last year, maybe a change of scenery will do him some good, the Mariners are having a terrible year just like blue jays , maybe he is not as bad as he has been so far

I'll put it this way: I'm a mild fan of Shiggy. Nothing major, but I follow the Mariners, and he hasn't been good at all, and 60% of his appearances are at Safeco.

So far, at home, in 30 innings, batters are hitting .241 off of Shiggy, he has 13 walks and 23 Ks.

Anywhere else, in 20 innings, batters hit .309 off of him, with 12 walks, 10 strikeouts, and an ERA of 9.15.

Shiggy's a 36 year old finesse pitcher whose stats are buoyed by a good pitchers park. Chances are, he's done. Sure, he might be helped by getting out of Seattle, and into a better situation. But I really don't see how much help he can be. June has been his only month with an ERA below 5. In April and August, his ERA was above 7, and in July, his ERA was 6.94.

Wanting Adamm Dunn is a bit of a wish. First he will be making a ton of money but more important they will ask the world from our farm system for him, which im sure the Jays are not willing to give up. The most likely people to trade are Spier and Zaun but good look getting anything great for those players. Zaun might not even be traded because they probably won't tender Cash a contract. It's a tough call to trade any of the Blue Jays with their whole roster really underachieving.

Paul D: Nice "rumour." Dreaming things up and posting them are great, but they're not rumours. They're suggestions. No way the Reds and Jays are already planning a trade like that to occur in the off season. Far too many variables... injuries crop up, etc. And Banks/Pond for Dunn. I think any GM would do that in a flash, even if Dunn was awarded $5 or $8 million. Pond was outrighted off the roster earlier in the season. If anyone wanted him, they could have had him for free. So basically the trade is Mr. Homerun Power for a pitcher struggling in Double A? Mind you it is the Reds... next to the Brewers and Pirates they are one of the worst run teams....

Just to clarify: the thread said what rumours would you like to start. I assumed that meant we could be ridiculous. So I was being ridiculous. I wasn't trying to be serious for a second. I thought my post suggesting that we also might get Wily Mo Pena would have cleared that up, but I guess not.

Not much thought put into this but here goes...

The Oakland-Toronto pipeline continues...

Dan Johnson 1B Oak and Graham Koonce 1B Oak for Russ Adams 2B/SS Tor...

or

Chris Woodward and Orlando Hudson to the Cubs for 1B/OF Jason Dubois, Todd Wellemeyer RHP, Brian Dopirak 1B...
C.

Of course it's also possible that Stark's sources are wrong and Cat was never put on waivers in the first place.

If you read the article, he never actually says that Cat was waived.

Besides, would any team really claim a gimpy Cat making good money? I'd be surprised.

Who would you rather have Pena or Rios?? At first glance it has to be Pena because he is outhomering Rios 20 or so to 1.

But Pena's strike out rate is twice that of Rios. And everybody keeps on saying Rios will develop the power.

Pena.

He looks like the next Sammy Sosa...

jc

If you read the article, he never actually says that Cat was waived.

Say what? To quote the article:

"Beltran....Catalanatto...Clemens...etc

...Some of the most talked-about names were claimed and pulled back.

Those seven players we've mentioned so far fit into that category"

Unless my understanding of the english language is flawed (which I admit is entirely possible) yes he did say Cat was waived and pulled back.

He says "some of the most talked-about names were claimed and pulled back." He never says which names those were specifically. He mentions Cat once in the lead to the article and never says it again. And we haven't seen Cat being pulled back mentioned anywhere else.

It just doesn't make sense to me. He's hurt, and he's not cheap. No NL team would claim him. I'm not sure any AL contender would claim him either.

He says "some of the most talked-about names were claimed and pulled back." He never says which names those were specifically.

Well the part that comes directly after, where he says "Those seven players we've mentioned so far fit that category" leads me to believe he's talking about Catalanatto, seeing as how at that point in the article he has mentioned exactly seven players and Cat is one of them. I honestly dont know how you can interpret it any other way.

Sorry to break this news to Scott Lucas, resident Rangerphile, but Texas is apparently looking to "bolster" its starting rotation by re-acquiring one Esteban Loaiza in exchange for "a minor league pitcher."

Call me crazy, but this doesn't bother me too much. Loaiza is obviously nothing special, but all he would need to do is improve on the dreadfulness of John Wasdin, Mike Bacsik, Sam Narron, Nick Regilio, etc. Under those dampened expectations, Loaiza has value.

Also, the four prospects mentioned (pitchers Sam Narron and Ryan Snare, 2B Jason Bourgeois, and OF Ramon Nivar) are all second-rate. Texas should've traded Nivar last fall when he was worth something.

As for Randy Johnson, Texas offered essentially the same contract as Arizona to no avail. Fortunately, the same thing happened with Todd Stottlemeyer. Sometimes you win when you lose.

the jays should put some serious consideration into signing orlando carbrera as he would be an obviess improvment over woody