Tagged: Victor Martinez
No movement on Gonzalez and Bell for Padres …
With less than an hour before the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline it’s looking more and more like San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez might be staying put.
The Red Sox have moved on, trading for Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez for some players who might have been in the Gonzalez deal had their been one.
FOXSports is reporting the Dodgers might have interest in Gonzalez and/or Bell, though Bell might be the easier piece to move.
The Angels, who have some players who intrigue the Padres — possibly second baseman Howie Kendrick — could be another fit for Bell.
A week ago, Padres general manager Kevin Towers said that if nothing got done this week he would have a better idea of what he might get in return for Gonzalez and Bell if the team should decide to move either player in the off-season.
From all the reports out there, it sounds like Towers asked for the moon for Gonzalez and Bell, two players he doesn’t have to move by any means.
We’ll know more in less than an hour, but don’t be surprised if Gonzalez stays put. The same could be said for Bell, though the team could move the All-Star closer a lot easier.
— Corey Brock
Buchholz is the bait
If the Red Sox are going to pull off a blockbuster trade by Friday’s deadline to land one of the marquee players they have targeted — Roy Halladay, Victor Martinez, Adrian Gonzalez or Cliff Lee — it stands to reason that Clay Buchholz is probably going to have to be included.
Knowing this, Buchholz took the hill for the Sox on Tuesday night for the last time before the deadline and seemed unfazed by the circumstances. He allowed nine hits over 5 2/3 innings, but just two runs. Buchholz would have gotten the win if not for the implosion of the bullpen.
After the game, he seemed unfazed by his name continually churning in the rumor mill. Perhaps this is because Buchholz has been the subject of rumors at this time of year for three seasons in a row.
“Those are things that you can’t control and I’m a firm believer in doing the things that you can do to help a team win and not really think about anything else,” Buchholz said. “It doesn’t matter what I want or what I say, it’s what the organization needs. So i just let it go in one ear and out the other until somebody in here tells me something about it. I really don’t pay any attention to it.”
Yahoo Sports! reported Tuesday that the Red Sox made a couple of proposals to the Jays for Halladay that included Buchholz. However, Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi told the Web site that he is still not close to a deal.
“Nothing is close,” Ricciardi said. “Nothing is happening.”
In the meantime, enticing highly-touted prospects around the league like Buchholz will have to wait another few days before being sure of their fate.
— Ian Browne
Giants, Indians a fit?
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Cleveland Indians have extensively scouted the San Francisco Giants’ farm system. This heightens speculation that the Giants and Indians could be talking about a deal.
The Chronicle reminded that catcher-first baseman Victor Martinez and first baseman Ryan Garko of Cleveland might be targeted by the Giants.
Martinez’s $5.7 million salary rises to $6.2 million if he’s traded, and his club option of $7 million for 2010 would increase to $7.5 million. Regardless, he’s extremely affordable, and he’d give the Giants a presence behind the plate — assuming they don’t re-sign Bengie Molina — until Buster Posey’s ready. And if Posey proves he’s ready during the 2010 season, Martinez can play first base.
Tribe trade talk
His team is the subject of much trade talk in advance of the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, but Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said he has “zero sense” as to whether or not the Indians will get a deal done.
“We’re extremely busy and active right now,” Shapiro said.
The two names on the lips of fans and writers alike are Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez. The Indians hold affordable options on both cornerstone players for 2010, and trading either or both of them before the ’10 season would be a tough sell to the fan base. But the Indians have to be open-minded about all serious offers for the Cy Young winner and the switch-hitting catcher because of the potential returns they could bring in.
That being said, if the Indians are active in the trade department this summer, it appears more likely that guys like Carl Pavano or Jamey Carroll — both of whom are eligible for free agency at season’s end — would be shopped. Reliever Rafael Betancourt can also be had, as the Indians aren’t likely to exercise his $5.4 million option for next season. The Tribe would listen to offers for closer Kerry Wood, but the $10.5 million he’s owed next year makes it doubtful that such offers exist.
Third baseman Jhonny Peralta and first baseman Ryan Garko could be deemed expendable by the Tribe, but those names, as well as those of Lee and Martinez, might be names to watch moreso in the offseason than at the deadline.
As far as how the deadline will shake out, Shapiro said the non-waiver component is perhaps less meaningful this year than in years past. Given the financial constraints holding back many teams right now, he expects the trades of very few players being blocked by the waiver system.
“This year, the [non-waiver] deadline is going to be far less relevant,” Shapiro said. “[The market] will probably be active all the way through August.”
What are the Indians searching for in the trade market? That’s easy. It’s pitching, pitching and more pitching.
— Anthony Castrovince
Trade Talk 