April 2009 - Baseball Wiretap

Grading The Deadine Deals

Sep 18, 2014 6:11 PM

There wasn't a last minute trade of the same magnitude as 2008 when Manny Ramirez went to Los Angeles with Jason Bay going to Boston, but between Victor Martinez and Jake Peavy, you have a couple of players with All-Star appearances changing addresses. Here are the preliminary grades of Friday's major deals: Martinez to Boston The price for Boston was Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price, but acquiring Victor Martinez will give them an undeniable lift this season and next. Martinez is a career .832 OPS hitter, who is still just 30 and can play both catcher and first base. Boston will be able to play any matchup they want, rotating around Martinez, Kevin Youkilis, Jason Varitek, Mike Lowell, David Ortiz and Casey Kotchman at four slots. He is a better left handed hitter and will also try to catch Tim Wakefield, which is especially valuable in the postseason when Boston has traditionally given up a lot offensively. Boston hasn't been sure what to do with Masterson for quite a few years now and though he still has a promising arm, it was unlikely that he would ever materialize in the kind of pitcher they couldn't live without. Hagadone was the 55th overall selection in 2007, but hasn't advanced past Single-A as he was a Tommy John player in 2008. He had a 2.52 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 25.0 innings, showing he has made a nice recovery. Price was the 45th overall selection in 2008 and he struggled this season, with a 4.67 ERA in 96.1 minor league innings. He has a 9.2 K/9 rate and impressive velocity. Not having to give up Clay Buchholz was the real win for the Red Sox. Grade for Red Sox: A Grade for Indians: A- Peavy to White Sox Ken Williams said 'Let's try this thing again' and landed Jake Peavy on the second time around. The price for Peavy was left-handers Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richard and right-handers Dexter Carter and Adam Russell. Peavy is kind of like the pitching equivalent of Matt Holliday; a player that has benefited from a pitcher friendly park in San Diego. He has a career road ERA of 3.84, compared to a 2.74 mark at Petco Park, a split that cannot be ignored. Furthermore, Peavy hasn't pitched since the first week of June, won't be back for another week or two and has an extremely modest 3.97 ERA. At the same time, Ken Williams is the kind of competitor that more GMs should be. Poreda was the 25th overall pick in 2007 and will become an excellent Petco starter. He has respectable K/9 rates and a career 2.65 minor league ERA. He had a 2.45 ERA in 11.0 relief innings in the bigs. Richard is 25 and gave the White Sox 14 starts this season with a 4.65 ERA, but had been brilliant in his past two starts, giving up one earned run in eight inning outings. Carter is kind of a flier, but has had a nice Single-A season, with a 3.13 ERA and 10.9 K/9 rate. Russell didn't stick last season as a reliever in the bigs, but has put up respectable Triple-A numbers and could become a reliable long reliever. Grade for White Sox: C Grade for Padres: A- Washburn to Detroit Jarrod Washburn was dealt to the Tigers for a pair of southpaw pitchers in Luke French and Mauricio Robles. Washburn is having the finest season of his career and his first truly productive one in Seattle, posting a 2.64 ERA and 1.068 WHIP. He has unquestionably benefitted from the improved defense behind him, as his BABIP has gone from .306 in 2008 to an incredibly low .245 this season. The Tigers don't have a defense that can compare to the Mariners in any way, so there will surely be a dip in his numbers. Washburn will be a free agent this winter and will likely offer him arbitration to at least salvage some form of compensation. Luke French had a 3.38 in 29.1 innings (five starts) and that appeared to be at least a slight aberration given his strikeout rate and WHIP. He is still just 23, but didn't have the kind of numbers in the minors to suggest a future any bigger than a fifth starter. Robles is a small 20-year-old, who hasn't advanced past Single-A, but has had an excellent strikeout rate. He struggles with his command and it will be interesting to see if that continues as he moves up in the Seattle system. Grade for Tigers: A Grade for Mariners: B Cabrera to Minnesota The Twins improved at the plate and in the field by acquiring Orlando Cabrera for Tyler Ladendorf. Cabrera is in many ways a prototypical Minnesota player and though his numbers have dropped in Oakland, he will likely be rejuvenated with the move to the Metrodome, one of his favorite places to play. Ladendorf was a second round pick in 2008 and has struggled in Single-A, hitting .233/.292/.267 in 60 at bats. This deal really only costs Minnesota some money. Grade for Twins: A- Grade for Athletics: B- Reds and Jays swap Rolen and Encarnacion The Jays got younger and out from under Scott Rolen's contract by dealing him to Cincinnati for Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart. Rolen has been having a bounce back season, hitting for an OPS of .846 in 338 at bats, nearly as many as he finished with in each of the past two seasons. But Rolen is 34 and there has to be some factor of sentimentality on the part of Reds' GM Walt Jocketty. The Reds are not in contention this season and would have a more promising chance next season with the players they gave up. Encarnacion began 2009 miserably and then spent two months on the DL, but he had a .941 OPS in the second half and is just 26. Roenicke is a nice pickup, even though he is almost 27 and only has 16.1 career big league innings. He's exhibited promising strikeout rates and could still become a dependable bullpen arm. Stewart was a third rounder last year and has a 1.67 ERA and 7.8 K/9 rate in a total of 91.2 minor league innings in his various stops. Grade for Jays: A Grade for Reds: C+ Yankees land Jerry Hairston Hairston isn't an impact kind of player, but he adds some versatility. He can play virtually any position on the field and will go a long ways in keeping the regulars fresh. Surprisingly, Hairston only has 50 career at bats as a pinch hitter, with an OPS of .432. The Yankees had to give up Chase Weems, who was hitting for an OPS of .664 in 173 Single-A at bats this season. Grade for Yankees: B Grade for Reds: C+

Christopher Reina/RealGM

Tags: Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers

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Boston Lands Victor Martinez

Sep 25, 2014 8:48 PM

Boston has completed a deal for All-Star catcher Victor Martinez, sending three young pitchers, Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price, to the Cleveland Indians. Martinez entered Friday hitting .284 with 15 homers and 67 RBIs. He has a club option of $7 million for next season. In the second half of 2008, Masterson became a major force for the Red Sox out of the bullpen and was used as the primary setup man during the postseason. Masterson, 24, was selected by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft. Hagadone was a teammate of Giants star Tim Lincecum at the University of Washington. The Red Sox selected Hagadone with the 55th overall pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. The lefty missed most of the 2008 season after undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. He returned to the mound in June and went 0-2 with a 2.52 ERA for Class A Greenville.

MLB.com

Tags: Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Official Trade

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White Sox Get Approval, Get Peavy

Oct 5, 2014 7:19 PM

The White Sox acquired right-handed pitcher Jake Peavy from the Padres on Friday in exchange for left-handers Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richard and right-handers Dexter Carter and Adam Russell. Two months after the two teams agreed to what is believed to be a similar trade, only to have Peavy use his no-trade clause to scuttle the deal, Peavy agreed to this particular trade. He is expected to be able to return as early as late August. Richard, the only player who was on the White Sox Major League roster, was 4-3 with a 4.65 ERA in 26 games (14 starts) this season and had been scheduled to start Friday night's game against the Yankees at U.S. Cellular Field. Poreda, 22, is 3-4 with a 2.72 ERA between Triple-A Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham. His contract was purchased from Birmingham on June 9, and he went 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 10 relief appearances with the White Sox before being optioned to Charlotte on July 21. Carter, 23, is 6-2 with a 3.13 ERA and 143 strikeouts in 19 starts with Class A Kannapolis in 2009. Russell, 26, is 2-2 with a 3.20 ERA and five saves in 34 relief appearances this season with Charlotte. He went 4-0 with a 5.19 ERA in 22 relief appearances with the White Sox in 2008.

MLB.com

Tags: Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, Official Trade

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Padres Again Deal Peavy To White Sox

Oct 21, 2014 1:44 PM

The Padres have dealt Jake Peavy to the White Sox for the second time this year and this time, he has approved the trade. Aaron Poreda, Adam Russell, Dexter Carter and Clayton Richard are believed to be on their way to San Diego.

SI.com

Tags: Chicago White Sox, Trade Rumor

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Yankees Trade For Jerry Hairston

Sep 19, 2014 3:41 PM

The New York Yankees today acquired infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston, Jr. from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for minor league catcher Chase Weems. Hairston, 33, batted .254 (78-for-307) with 18 doubles, 1 triple, 8 home runs, 27 RBI and 7 stolen bases in 86 games with the Reds in 2009, appearing at third base (33G), shortstop (31G), second base (9G), left field (9G), right field (5G) and center field (3G). He has hit .271 (71-for-262) with 7 homers in 70 games since May 5 after opening the season with a .156 (7-for-45) average and 1 home run through his first 16 games.

Press Release

Tags: Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Official Trade

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Marlins Make Trade For Nick Johnson

Sep 15, 2014 4:08 AM

The Marlins have acquired first baseman Nick Johnson for the Nationals for Class AA left-hander Aaron Thompson, according to a major-league source. The Nationals will pay the approximately $1.8 million remaining on Johnson's salary. Johnson is a free agent at the end of the season.

FoxSports

Tags: Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, Official Trade, Trade Rumor

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Source: Rockies Acquire Beimel From Nats

Sep 19, 2014 6:40 PM

The Rockies have landed reliever Joe Beimel from the Nationals for two minor leagues, sources told Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman.

SI.com

Tags: Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals, Trade Rumor

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Report: Reds Get Rolen From Blue Jays

Oct 31, 2014 7:19 AM

Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated is reporting that the Reds have acquired Scott Rolen from the Blue Jays. Rolen has a no-trade clause in his contract, but is expected to waive it in order to complete the deal. Toronto will get third baseman Edwin Encarnacion and a minor leaguer from Cincinnati.

Twitter (Jon Heyman)

Tags: Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, Official Trade

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Braves Get LaRoche From Red Sox For Kotchman

Aug 12, 2014 9:13 PM

The Braves have reportedly acquired first baseman Adam LaRoche from the Red Sox. Boston is in the process of trading for Cleveland's Victor Martinez, which makes LaRoche, who the Red Sox acquired just last week, expendable. Atlanta is expected to send Casey Kotchman to Boston in the deal.

CBS Sports

Tags: Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Official Trade

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Yankees Obtain Jerry Hairston

Oct 21, 2014 1:47 PM

The Yankees have obtained Jerry Hairston from the Reds, The Post has learned. Hairston is a righty batter who plays all over and is hitting .254 this year with eight homers.

New York Post

Tags: Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Official Trade

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Masterson Included In Deal Between Sox, Indians
Justin Masterson is expected to be headed to Cleveland as part of the Victor Martinez trade.

ESPN

Red Sox Land Victor Martinez
Cleveland has agreed to trade Victor Martinez to the Red Sox.

SI.com

Marlins Give Up On Getting Nick Johnson
The Marlins have ended their pursuit of Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson.

FOX Sports

Sources: Dodgers Making Run At Gonzalez, Bell
The Dodgers are reportedly making a late run at Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and reliever Heath Bell.

FOX Sports

BoSox Make Deal For Martinez
The Red Sox and Indians are close to a deal involving catcher Victor Martinez.

ESPN

Brewers Reacquire Vargas From Dodgers
The Brewers have reacquired reliever Claudio Vargas from the Dodgers.

ESPN

Source: Twins Get Cabrera From A's
The Twins have acquired shortstop Orlando Cabrera from the Athletics, a source told FOX Sports.

FOX Business

M's Wanted Jackson Or Montero From Yanks For Washburn
When the Yankees called the Mariners about Jarrod Washburn they asked for either outfielder Austin Jackson or catcher Miguel Montero.

ESPN

D-Backs Open To Dealing Davis, Garland
The Diamondbacks aren't willing to trade Dan Haren, but pitchers Doug Davis and Jon Garland are very much on the market.

FOX Sports

M's Rejected Multiple Offers For King Felix
The Mariners have turned down offers from a half-dozen teams for pitcher Felix Hernandez.

ESPN

Rangers Bid For Halladay Appears Over
A major league source claims that the Rangers are "unlikely" to land Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay.

FOX Sports

Tigers Get Washburn For Two Prospects
The Tigers have acquired Jarrod Washburn from the Mariners for two pitchers.

ESPN

Source: Price For Gonzalez Is 'Astronomical'
A league executive has told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that the asking price for Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is "astronomical."

ESPN

Report: Florida Near Deal For Nick Johnson
Peter Gammons is reporting that the Marlins are close to acquiring first baseman Nick Johnson from the Nationals.

ESPN

Yankees, Marlins Eye Bannister
The Yankees and Marlins are believed to be making a push for Kansas City's Brian Bannister.

ESPN

Red Sox Active In Talks For Halladay, Martinez And Gonzalez
The Red Sox won't land all three, but they are active in discussions about Roy Halladay, Victor Martinez and Adrian Gonzalez.

ESPN

Arroyo Believes List Of 104 Includes Him
Bronson Arroyo wouldn't be surprised if his name is on the list of 104 players that tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.

ESPN

Ortiz: Union Told Me Of 2003 Positive Test
Red Sox slugger David Ortiz received confirmation from the Players Association that he did test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.

Yahoo! Sports

Angels, Marlins Interested In Heath Bell
The Angels and Marlins are both talking to the Padres about reliever Heath Bell.

San Diego Union-Tribune

Union In Uproar Over Latest 'Steroid List' Leak
Union officials have asked federal courts to investigate who is leaking the names of the 104 players that tested positive during Major League Baseball's 2003 steroid survey.

New York Daily News