 1. Yanks set sights on high-priced Haren
2. Oswalt says he's willing to restructure deal if traded
3. Lilly could be traded before weekend's over
4. Leyland: Tigers trade must be for 'difference-maker'
5. Ned Colletti says Dodgers are serious buyers
6. Oswalt wants to play for Cardinals
1. Yanks set sights on high-priced Haren
The Ny Post is reporting The Yankees and Diamondbacks have discussed a deal that would bring right-handed pitcher Dan Haren to The Bronx, but according to a Yankees official, nothing was close to happening last night even though Arizona wants to move the expensive pitcher quickly.
Though the Yankees believe their biggest need as the July 31 trade deadline approaches is a bat, they have been following Haren. Yankees scout Kendall Carter watched Haren pitch against the Mets on Wednesday in Phoenix.
"They are looking to move him, but that's a lot of money," an NL executive said of the 29-year-old Haren, who is owed $12.75 million in 2011, $12.75 million in 2012 and a $3.5 million buyout in 2013 if a $15.5 million option isn't picked up.
Since the Yankees refused to part with pitching prospect Ivan Nova as part of the Cliff Lee deal and have told clubs Dellin Betances isn't available, it's not likely they would use them to acquire Haren, who is 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA this year and has a career record of 86-70 with a 3.71 ERA.
Pitcher Zach McAllister, whose father works for the Diamondbacks, is a possibility but even then the money is an obstacle."
To read more..
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/diamond_smugglers_h9f7Vca03BKELwPMyHv77L
2. Oswalt says he's willing to restructure deal if traded
The Houston Chronicle is reporting "Fans from Clear Lake to Conroe and from coast to coast are atwitter and in some cases, a Twitter.
Writers and broadcasters formed a herd three lockers wide in search of answers, which proved mostly elusive.
And Astros General Manager Ed Wade has been fielding phone calls that could affect the future of multiple franchises in the major leagues.
About the only person handling the Roy Oswalt situation with any sort of nonchalance is Oswalt himself, and he has enough of it to compensate for all the busybodies.
Unmoved by the possibility of being moved, Oswalt revealed little about his preferences heading toward the July 31 trade deadline and politely expressed his reverence for the Astros' all-time wins record, which he could tie tonight against the Cincinnati Reds.
But he did address reports that a team would have to pick up his $16 million 2012 option to get him to waive his full no-trade clause.
"The money part I can work out with anybody, that's no big deal," Oswalt, 32, said. "We can work on doing different things as far as restructuring; whatever they want to do. "
To read more..
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/7122439.html
3. Lilly could be traded before weekend's over
The Chicago Sun Times is reporting "With contenders struggling to find the right match for available starters Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren on the trade market, interest in Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly has stepped up dramatically and a trade could be completed by the end of the weekend, major-league sources said Friday.
Lilly's trade value skyrocketed after he held the Houston Astros to one run in 7 1/3 innings Wednesday. His next scheduled start is Tuesday in Houston, and sources say the Cubs would like to complete a deal before that outing.
The struggling New York Mets have shown the most interest in Lilly. The Detroit Tigers are also believed to be shifting their attention to Lilly after hitting a wall in talks with the Arizona Diamondbacks centering on Haren. Scouts from the Mets, Tigers, Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers were at Wrigley Field on Wednesday for Lilly's start against Brett Myers, who is being shopped by the Astros. Myers has also drawn interest from the Mets.
Lilly would give the Mets three lefties in their rotation and allow beleaguered manager Jerry Manuel to move Hisanori Takahashi to the bullpen."
To read more..
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/2529356,CST-SPT-cubnt24.article
4. Leyland: Tigers trade must be for 'difference-maker'
The Detroit Free Press is reporting "Before Friday night's rainout against the Blue Jays, the intended left side of Detroit's infield seemed to be an obvious indication that the Tigers will look to be buyers as the July 31 trade deadline looms.
It's not a knock against third baseman Don Kelly or shortstop Danny Worth, but common sense says the young guys won't be leading the charge to a playoff berth. (Regular third baseman Brandon Inge likely will be out at least a month with a broken left hand.)
With the Tigers battling the White Sox and Twins for the Central Division crown, manager Jim Leyland said the team would have to acquire a special player for him to be OK with the team parting with young, highly touted prospects.
"For us to do something and give up a pretty good young player or players, it would be something that we would all have to feel we're getting a difference-maker," Leyland said Friday. "Not just making a deal where you're getting somebody that might be a little tad better than what you got.""
To read more..
http://www.freep.com/article/20100724/SPORTS02/7240364/1050/Sports02/Leyland-Trade-must-be-for-difference-maker?GID=a3orregN93p46C7ziF8OyUZ3zPmrqdwqS7/JFbE0uYA%3D
5. Ned Colletti says Dodgers are serious buyers
The LA times is reporting One week to go before the non-waiver trading deadline and Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti is like a kid waiting for his birthday.
"It's a fun time of the year. Because now you get a chance to see who's serious and who isn't," he said.
"We make far more calls than we get. It shows we're active. Shows we're trying to be active. We're buying."
The Dodgers buying?
That concept doesn't mesh with moves that have cut their payroll to about $83 million for current players. Or with owner Frank McCourt and his estranged wife, Jamie, spending nearly $20 million on acrimonious divorce proceedings.
But Colletti said the Dodgers' deficit in the NL West, which was 5 1/2 games before they played the New York Mets on Friday, "is not insurmountable by any means" and he's willing to assume some salary before next Saturday's deadline and the Aug. 31 deadline to trade players who have cleared waivers.
"I'm not inclined to take on a huge salary and unload a bunch of top-end prospects at the same time," he said. "For good or for bad, there's always a balance in every deal."
The balance hasn't been right for the Dodgers to acquire Houston Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt, who's guaranteed $25 million over the next season and a half and has a $16-million option for 2012. The Astros want front-line players and top prospects. Colletti won't do that.
The depth in the Dodgers' farm system, he said, is "from the middle down," which worked against them in their pursuit of left-hander Cliff Lee. They didn't have the major league-ready players Seattle wanted and got from Texas in first baseman Justin Smoak and three minor leaguers.
Colletti's priorities are adding stability to the back end of the rotation, help for the bullpen, and outfield depth because Manny Ramirez's calf strain and Reed Johnson's back problem have lingered.
TO read more..
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0724-elliott-dodgers-20100724,0,4182788.column
6. Oswalt wants to play for Cardinals
THe Stl Today is reporting In search of an impact arm, the Cardinals are exploring the possibility of trading for Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt, and their chances are helped by the fact that Oswalt, a longtime rival, also has eyes for them.
The Cardinals are Oswalt's "first choice," according to a league executive with knowledge of what Houston told an interested team other than the Cardinals. At least one team that has spoken to Houston about the righthander has been told that Oswalt, who can veto any trade, expressed a preference for the Cardinals over the other contending teams he may consider.
Cardinals officials declined to discuss Oswalt, citing tampering rules that forbid them to talk about a player on another team.
"You want to have the (payroll) flexibility to add an impact (player) if it's possible," chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said Thursday when talking in general terms about the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline. "A deal for any premium player is a long shot. We are very reluctant to give up high-end talent (prospects). The marketplace has changed. I think there are few deals where you can be sure you're getting value back."
DeWitt and other Cardinals officials have said the team is in a position to add salary not just this year but in future years if it enhances the quality of player they could get at this year's trade deadline.
If a team is able to land Oswalt, that team would owe him the remainder of his $15 million salary this season and $16 million in 2011. He also has a $16 million option for 2012, and a report on ESPN.com said Oswalt wants his new team to exercise that option before he'll waive his no-trade rights. The Post-Dispatch reported Thursday that, according to a source, the Cardinals have been told Oswalt would discuss alternatives to the option if it would ease a trade.
TO read more..
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_e6bcb945-7945-5e92-a9da-7d0c1eebfa6e.html
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