With Cliff Lee off to the Phillies, and Matt Holliday already making himself at home in St. Louis, the trade market has lost a bit of luster.
But there is still a lot going on out there as we march closer to Friday's trade deadline. Let's take a look at what's going on:
ROY HALLADAY
The self-imposed deadline for the Blue Jays to trade ace Roy Halladay has passed, but that doesn't mean someone might still pry him away. The Yankees, for their part, are watching with amusement, hoping Halladay won't be waiting in Toronto next Tuesday when they travel north but certainly not wishing to see him in a Red Sox uniform, either. So what will happen with Halladay?
*The Yankees, reluctant to add to their bloated payroll, say they're not an option.
*Halladay reportedly hasn't ruled out waiving his no-trade clause to join the Rangers, but they seem to be a long shot, given their financial woes.
*The Dodgers have said they won't deal anyone off their major league roster, but might be willing to part with Chad Billingsley.
*The Angels don't want to break up their team for Halladay, despite the lobbying of John Lackey.
*With the Phillies most assuredly out of the running, that leaves the Red Sox as the likeliest option. They've been the most aggressive, and have reportedly made the best offer to date.
*… unless the Blue Jays keep him.
ELSEWHERE
*The Giants shored up their infield with the Pirates' Freddy Sanchez.
*The Mariners dealt five players to the Pirates for Ian Snell and Jack Wilson.
*Staying busy, they also sent outfielder Wladimir Balentien to the Reds for pitcher Robert Manuel.
*Is Jarrod Washburn the next Mariner to go?
*The Red Sox might be after the Indians' Victor Martinez and the Padres' Adrian Gonzalez. Consider Martinez the more likely option. He'd be a nice upgrade over Jason Varitek.
*The Marlins are pushing hard for Padres closer Heath Bell.
*There is a lot of interest out there in Orioles closer George Sherrill.
*For the latest, check out our rumors page. You can also find myself, Aaron Gleeman and Matthew Pouliot on Twitter.
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If he wants to play for a contender, maybe Halladay should reconsider the Chicago White Sox trade.
Don't count the phillies out yet! Still have all of the players in their original offer. Toronto may cave...
I keep reading that the Red Sox are pursuing Victor Martinez & Adrian Gonzalez to bolster their offense. If true, these pursuits make no sense to me. They are only suited to fill 3 positions: catcher, first base, DH. The Red Sox don't need anyone at those positions. To switch catchers at this point in the season would be illogical. You can't expect a new catcher to take over responsibility for a pitching staff he's never caught. Veritek has many years of experience handling Red Sox pitchers; & you don't trade for Martinez or Gonzalez to be backups.
You can't put them at first because th Sox already have Youkilis & LaRoche. Would you make Lowell the odd man out despite his hitting well? Putting one of them at DH would mean giving up on Ortiz who has been doing much better the last month, & would mean an intent to abandon him after the season is over. It would make less since to split the DH or any role since that would mean the new player would only get limited at bats. None of these options makes sense to me.
If the Sox want to add a power hitter to play full-time, best get someone who plays the outfield. Drew & Bay have been in major slumps. At least Bay had an outstanding first half. Drew has been underperforming all year, & I think he was a bad investment to start with. His history shows non-consecutive good years; frequent trips to the DL; & hasn't been worth $14 million a year.
Besides, giving up prospects like Bucholtz or Bard (technically they're not prospects anymore since they are on the roster) would damage the future. Also, the injuries or sub-par performances of Matsuzaka, Smoltz, & Wakefield, & questions about their production in '10 makes young pitchers that much more important.
Perhaps Boston isn't strong enough right now to go all the way; but they are committed to be constant contenders, & frantically trying to win it all this year with questionable trades doesn't sound wise.