Blue Jays Trade Rumors

"As he looks forward to the 2009 season, Jays manager Cito Gaston seems resigned to playing it without A.J. Burnett. “It certainly looks like A.J. won’t be here,” Gaston said before Saturday’s game as he reflected on next year’s rotation. “I don’t know, but we might have a few guys who can pick that slack up.” Burnett denied that he’s made up his mind one way or the other. “I'm going to wait. I haven't made up my mind. I haven't talked to my family. I haven't talked to anyone about it. I don't want to be distracted with anything right now,” the 31-year-old pitcher said. Burnett can opt out of the final two years of his Toronto contract and file for free agency at the end of the year. ..."

"Hours before tomorrow's trade deadline, the Blue Jays now have a checklist they can consult before making any deals. Gregg Zaun: Wants out. Roy Halladay: Wants to stay put. Zaun became the first Jay to openly express interest in leaving the club yesterday when he told mlb.com it would "probably be a good thing" if he were traded to a contender. After beginning the season as the team's frontline catcher, Zaun has recently been relegated to the backup's role by the emergence of Rod Barajas. "I'm just disappointed that he went to the media with this," general manager J.P. Ricciardi said when told of Zaun's comments. "We have a good enough relationship that he can talk to me." After Toronto's ..."

"According to general manager J.P. Ricciardi, A.J. Burnett "isn't going anywhere." In the short term that means for the rest of this season the right-hander will remain in the Blue Jays' fold. At the end of the season, Burnett has the right to opt out of the final two years of his contract, waive goodbye to the Jays and $24 million US they owe him, and go on the free agency market to receive riches beyond his wildest dreams. That will be his first choice. Burnett, who never has looked better in his 21/2 seasons with the Jays, is in a motivated frame of mind as he is on a pace that can have him end the season with 16 to 17 victories, which would signal a career year. With each mounting ..."

"After a month of awkward speculation, the Blue Jays called a temporary hiatus on the A.J. Burnett trade saga yesterday. Prior to an impressive 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, general manager J.P. Ricciardi addressed the issue of whether Burnett will still be wearing powder blue following Thursday's non-waiver trade deadline. "He's not going anywhere," Ricciardi said, appearing to bury a distracting issue just as the club begins to find its form. "That makes me take a deep breath. It definitely makes me happy," Burnett said when told of Ricciardi's categorical comment. "For him to make that statement ... now I can really take a look at my next start, instead of wondering what's going ..."

"It's been 60 days since Aaron Hill became a human bobblehead in a collision with shortstop David Eckstein's right elbow while chasing a fly ball in Oakland. Doctors still have no idea when he will be able to return to even the most basic baseball activities, running and hitting. Hill's '08 clock is ticking. "It's so much better than what it was, which is great," Hill said, sounding upbeat. "It's getting better, but I never would have thought it would be like this. (The doctors) said that 80-something per cent of guys with concussions come back in a couple of weeks. But there's this few that if you hit it in the right spot it's how the brain heals and it just takes a long time. ..."

"In baseball, trades happen when teams "fit." When one club has an abundance of outfielders and needs a reliever, for example, its general manager will seek a trade partner with an arm to spare and need for outfielders. So, four days before baseball's non-waiver trade deadline, which teams are most compatible with the Tigers? Pittsburgh and San Francisco, which are trying to accumulate all the young talent they can, belong on the list. Both have at least one appealing left-handed reliever: John Grabow and Jack Taschner, respectively. Seattle may also do business with Detroit. The Mariners are in the midst of an organizational makeover, and Sean Green or Arthur Rhodes could help the Tigers' ..."

"In conversation with Shaun Marcum recently, the subject of Aaron Hill arose. Marcum, who’d spent time with Hill during his rehabilitation in Florida, said he doubted the second baseman would play again this year. Hill collided with David Eckstein during a blow-out victory in Oakland on May 29th, and hasn’t played since. According to Marcum, Hill is still experiencing dizzy spells. And that’s frightening. Hill is a talented young player with a multi-million dollar contract extension, a shiny new wedding ring, and a bright future. One hopes that future is playing baseball, though recent retirements raise a red flag. Take Corey Koskie: The Brewer third baseman back-tracked on a pop-up July ..."

"The whispers just won't go away. Halladay is apparently unhappy in Toronto and has let management know it, and management has apparently responded by doing some quiet surveying of teams (such as St. Louis and the Dodgers) that are far, far away from the AL East in an effort to see what it could get for the 2003 Cy Young Award winner. Apparently, the returns other teams are getting for top-talent pitchers such as C.C. Sabathia, Rich Harden and Erik Bedard has inspired the Blue Jays to at least find out what it could get for one of the best pitchers in the American League. It remains unlikely that they'd deal him, but you never know. Key Stat: Halladay has pitched 33 complete games since ..."

"Between now and the end of the month, there figures to be at least a few big names being shipped around the league. Unlike in years past, trading partners aren’t waiting until the deadline to deal for big names like CC Sabathia or Rich Harden. But it still is fun to wait and see what happens July 31, when teams have to make moves without the players first clearing waivers. So who could be going to a new team between now and then? Here’s an educated (as in a Texas A&M education) guess regarding six big names who could have a new address by Aug. 1."

"Chase Utley says he's paying attention to trade rumors that could affect the Phillies. “You want to know what the possibilities are out there,” Utley said Tuesday before playing in his third All-Star Game. “I know our organization wants to win, and if they can find a piece that will fit into our puzzle to give us a better chance, they'll do that.” The latest has the Phils hoping San Francisco, an NL West pretender, will shop 23-year-old right-hander Matt Cain. Word is the Giants might part with Cain, who is 5-7 with a 4.06 ERA in 20 starts, if offered an intriguing package of young talent. Meantime, a Phillies source shot down continued rumors that they're hot for Toronto righty ..."

"Paul Godfrey says Roy Halladay is the Toronto Blue Jays' Derek Jeter. In other words, he won't let him go without a fight. "He's the Derek Jeter of our organization because he epitomizes everything you want in a player on and off the field," the Blue Jays president and chief executive officer said yesterday before the All-Star Game, referring to Jeter, the New York Yankees' captain and shortstop. "He's a role model. To be quite honest, the things he said [Monday] were just Roy expressing the opinions and concerns he, I and a lot of people have with respect to the way the club has functioned in the last few years. "It's not for lack of money. It's not for lack of trying. But you don't ..."

"Pitching for the Blue Jays is getting to be like the film Groundhog Day for Roy Halladay. And that's bad news for Jays management. If Halladay, the face of the franchise, is finding pitching for the Jays repetitive, tiresome and frustrating, how long will he be with the Jays? A.J. Burnett and Scott Rolen may earn more, Vernon Wells may have longer security, but Halladay has given the Jays the best return on their investment. Halladay, 31, was asked yesterday during the American League all-star players' briefing if the time was near that he'd have to move on to win a World Series. "I don't know if I'll move on, but I want to play for a team that can win a World Series," ..."

"A.J. Burnett had undergone elbow surgery six months earlier, leaving him unable to pitch when the Florida Marlins won the 2003 World Series. Thus, the crowning moment of Burnett's career remains his nine-walk no-hitter on May 12, 2001. His pitching coach that night: Rich Dubee. Burnett and Dubee could be headed for a reunion later this month if the Phillies and Blue Jays can make a deal before the July 31 trade deadline. The Phillies are interested in adding a starter to their rotation, and the Jays have been scouting a few of the Phils' prospects at Class AA Reading. But is Burnett really the best available pitcher? And would he make a difference for the Phillies?"

"Here's an idea for the 2009 Orioles and beyond.It's one you heard back in 2005 - in both July and November.It's time to float it againA.J. Burnett coming home as a member of the Orioles' rotation. Could it happen? Sure.Will it happen? Most likely not.Should it happen?The jury is definitely out on that one.It depends whether you like to roll the dice, whether you'd rather gamble on stunning talent than boring mediocrity. It matters whether you could stomach another, slightly shorter, version of Daniel Cabrera, dominating one start, imploding the next. Hoping and praying the light can stay on for an extended period of time."

"A.J. Burnett and his boss J.P. Ricciardi have more in common that just going by their initials. Allan James Burnett is heading toward the end of Year 3 of a five-year, $55-million US contract. But the right-hander can opt out at the end of this season. John Paul Ricciardi is in the first season of a three-year extension, his second. The general manager, who earns more than $1 million each year of the contract, has an out clause and can depart if president Paul Godfrey leaves the Jays. Ricciardi signed his latest deal on Dec. 6, 2005 in Dallas at the winter meetings, the same week the deal to bring Burnett to the Rogers Centre was finalized. They were locked at the hip then. ..."

"Yesterday, in a curious reversal, Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi recanted his Tuesday declaration where he waved the white flag on this year's hopes. He is now claiming his team and his front office are not giving up. That in fact, he expects to contend for the remainder of "oh-eight, oh-nine and oh-10." If Ricciardi continues to insist on that same defiant posture, then last night's news about McGowan should put an end to any imminent Burnett trade speculation. Think about it. If they couldn't even find a replacement fifth starter they could trust while Shaun Marcum was on the shelf, how are they going to compete if they are forced to use John Parrish, David Purcey and Jesse Litsch as the ..."

"Seeking to fill what has become the team's most glaring deficiency, the Orioles have engaged in talks with the Toronto Blue Jays regarding shortstop David Eckstein, according to industry sources.Eckstein, 33, is hitting .273 with one home run and 18 RBIs in 198 at-bats. However, he has become expendable on a roster that includes infielders Marco Scutaro, John McDonald and Joe Inglett, who has seen his role increase with regular second baseman Aaron Hill injured."

"The latest ESPN.com rumor has the Phillies exploring a deal for Mariners pitcher Erik Bedard. Other rumblings of late have connected the Phils with lefty re liever Brian Fuentes (who has many suitors) and starters ranging from the unlikely (C.C. Sabathia) to the risky (including A.J. Burnett, who is often hurt). The primary problem and reason to get nervous? The pricetag if it includes outfielder Shane Victorino, a critical and underrated piece of the Phillies lineup, both on offense and defense. Remember the old saying about robbing from Peter to pay Paul? The Phils might seriously regret trading the scrappy Victorino, at least until the offseason, when his roster spot can be ..."

"It's clear J.P. is no longer in charge. The belief is that at the end of the season, as Godfrey already has indicated, Ricciardi's role will be re-evaluated. So what are the options? The first option is a calculated return to the past, with Gaston remaining as manager or else taking over as GM in '09. It could be his choice. Which would he prefer? Gaston is 64 years old and has not managed in 11 years. Three months as skipper may be enough. But if it is going to simply be three-months-and-out for Cito, explain how on earth he would ever have convinced another couple of retired geezers, Gene Tenace and Nick Leyva, to take the plunge with him? There needed to be a second promise. ..."

"Cito Gaston was named Friday to replace the fired John Gibbons. But unless there is a stunning turnaround, that is likely to be just an interim position. Toronto very well might remove long-time general manager J.P. Ricciardi, whose unseemly public criticism of Cincinnati's Adam Dunn last week hardly helped his cause. Blue Jays CEO/President Paul Godfrey is known to be intrigued by Valentine, and Valentine's time in Japan could only help his candidacy in a cosmopolitan/international city such as Toronto. Plus, Valentine's personality and energy could be seen as a major asset for an organization trying to reconnect with its fan base."

"When staring death in the face, they say your life passes in front of your eyes. So it speaks volumes that, at the moment of his professional demise on Friday, John Gibbons was asked his favourite memories from his 305 victories and four years as manager of the Blue Jays. His answer was short, sweet and bordering on temporary amnesia. "Probably No. 1 will be the first win in Yankee Stadium, that's big," Gibbons said. "And just the guys I got to work with – Roy Halladay, B.J. Ryan, Vernon. So many good things happened. Nothing great really happened. That's what the organization was looking for. "That didn't happen." Just the fact Gibbons' only truly memorable moment came 1,412 ..."

"The logjam of major league managerial firings has been broken with the dismissal of Willie Randolph by the Mets. With the heat on the New Yorkers for their thoughtless bungling in that Randolph firing, the window of opportunity has been opened for Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi to follow up. The end of John Gibbons' tenure as manager may be at hand. Nothing that Ricciardi does in any eventual firing of his own manager will possibly be as embarrassing as Omar Minaya flying to Anaheim for his late-night delivery of the pink slip to his embattled skipper well after midnight in the East, following a road victory over the Angels. After all, Ricciardi messed up both previous managerial firings of ..."

"Another day, another ex-Blue Jay biting them in the butt. On Saturday, it was Reed Johnson sinking the Jays with a three-run home run. Yesterday, it was lefty Ted Lilly's turn to extract revenge. In the future, it could by A.J. Burnett. Thanks to Lilly's brilliant one-hitter over six innings, the Cubs won yesterday's series tiebreaker 7-4 to conclude a most disappointing homestand. Against Baltimore, Seattle and the Cubs, the Jays swooned to a miserable 3-6 record. The mood in the Jays clubhouse didn't receive a boost from the comments by Burnett in yesterday's edition of the Chicago Sun-Times. "As of right now, I'm a Blue Jay, and I'm going to pitch to the best of my ..."

"If Toronto's ship is sinking, or at least leaking, count A.J. Burnett as the first one to don a life jacket and get a foot into the lifeboat. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Burnett "liked the idea of a trade to the Cubs so much he might as well have said, `Please.'" Burnett reportedly said: "If something were to happen and I'd have the opportunity to go to a place where baseball is breakfast, lunch and dinner, that would be awesome. Right now, my focus is with this club. But if something like that were to happen, I'd accept it with open arms." Put your foot in your mouth, much, A.J.? Breakfast, lunch and dinner? The Jays have been picking up Burnett's meal tab, and then ..."

"It's minutes to midnight for John Gibbons because the Rogers Centre feels the way it did during the dying days of Buck Martinez's tenure, with a baseball crisis on the verge of transforming itself into an issue of consumer confidence. So there are more issues for the Toronto Blue Jays this morning besides A.J. Burnett's honest answer to an honest question about whether he'd accept a trade to the Chicago Cubs. The fact that Burnett's openness to a trade is a talking point now as opposed to closer to the trade deadline is less a contributing factor than it is an indicative one. Burnett sensed he'd created an issue, to the point where, according to Vernon Wells, the two ..."

"One day after beating the Cubs in Toronto, Blue Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett liked the idea of a trade to the Cubs so much he might as well have said, ''Please.'' ''As of right now I'm a Blue Jay, and I'm going to pitch to the best of my ability as long as I'm part of this club,'' he said. ''But if something were to happen and I'd have the opportunity to go to a place where baseball is breakfast, lunch and dinner, that would be awesome. ''Right now my focus is with this club, but if something like that were to happen, I'd accept it with open arms.''...The Cubs already have strongly denied a loose-hinged rumor that they were pursuing a trade for another such pitcher, the Kansas City ..."

"Jays catcher Gregg Zaun, eligible to come off the disabled list after missing time with an elbow injury, will likely rejoin the team by the weekend after two games of rehab at Triple-A Syracuse – DHing tonight, catching tomorrow."

"Erik Bedard continues to be a topic of interest in Toronto, which is about a three-hour drive from his Navan, Ontario, home. Bedard is set to become a free agent after the 2009 season, and there is widespread speculation he could sign with the Blue Jays. But sources in Toronto indicated on Monday that the team has cooled on Bedard and may no longer be interested in acquiring him - now or later. The Jays have had some public-relations issues the past few seasons with A.J. Burnett, a pitcher expected to use an escape clause to opt out of his five-year deal with Toronto after this season. Several Toronto-area writers requested to speak with Bedard during this series, but he declined ..."

"Cuban baseball's brightest star, Dayán Viciedo, has escaped from Cuba and is now in Miami, following the footsteps of talented island colleagues who have found their way into the major leagues. Viciedo left Cuba on a boat bound for Mexico on May 20, accompanied by his family. Several days later he crossed the border from Mexico and traveled to Miami to reunite with friends and relatives. ''Dayán is going to spark a lot of talk in the majors,'' said his agent, Puerto Rican lawyer Jaime Torres."

"It has reached a point with the Jays, surrounding the tenuous job status of manager John Gibbons, where travelling conspiracy theorists tend to see a puff of smoke from every grassy knoll. But still, the beleaguered Gibbons manages to survive. Yesterday, some two hours prior to the start of the Jays' first doubleheader in almost three seasons, there was GM J.P. Ricciardi talking on his cellphone while standing just outside of the visiting manager's office. Sitting at the manager's desk instead of Gibbons was bench coach Brian Butterfield. Ricciardi had just arrived in town. Hmm! The GM continues to insist that he has faith in the manager and his staff. That there's really nothing ..."

"As the season approaches the quarter pole, more moves will be made. There's too much money to be made in baseball for owners to sit idly by as their teams fall further behind in the standings...Teams are also more willing to dump expensive players in the interest of moving forward with prospects. It happened with Pittsburgh starter Matt Morris. So who's on the hot seat now? Here's a look:"

"It was another loss, a hard-to-watch 2-1 verdict to the Kansas City Royals. When it was over, John Gibbons made a statement instead of answering reporters' questions... If Gibbons is fired, it would come down to the law of the jungle in professional sports: when a team with high expectations goes sour, it's the manager or coach who pays the price, not the players."

"It's amazing. The Jays just dumped Frank Thomas, a future hall of fame hitter with a great on-base percentage who can't play a position any more and is more concerned about personal goals than team achievement. And with the Big Hurt less than 48 hours out the door, there's a groundswell of Jays fans looking to sign Barry Bonds, a player with a lot of the same stuff on his resumé, just more of it. That's crazy."

"Frank Thomas's career as a Toronto Blue Jay ended quietly yesterday morning after a closed-door meeting with GM J.P. Ricciardi... The veteran star, who was mired in an early season slump, will be paid the full remainder of what he's owed on his $8 million (U.S.) 2008 salary. He is now free to sign with another team. Rumoured favourites to procure his services include Seattle, Tampa Bay and Oakland."

"Thomas is certain something is afoot – about $10 million (all figures U.S.) of something. That chunk of his future earnings rests on his ability to stay in the lineup for a total of 376 trips to the plate in '08. He believes the Jays' motive for benching him is to save that money."

"Frank (The Big Hurt) Thomas has been benched. Thomas, the Blue Jays' giant designated hitter, wasn't in the lineup against the Detroit Tigers in yesterday's 3-2 victory and he was told by manager John Gibbons that he won't be back in the near future. In fact, his days as a Blue Jay could be all but over."

"Last year at this time, he was given a $650,000 (U.S.) extension to cover this season. There has been no extension this spring. The message is fairly clear – if this team stumbles early, it will be Gibbons' head on the block."

"Yet not only have negotiations on Alex Rios's reported six-year, $65-million contract (all currency U.S.) dragged on — the paperwork as of yesterday still hadn't made it to the sausage machine that is the Rogers Communications accountants — but negotiations on an extension for Aaron Hill were stillborn. Ricciardi said on Monday that the door was still open for Hill to get a deal done. But Hill sure doesn't think so."

"Alex Rios was one of the stragglers. The all-star right fielder emerged from his post-game workout to reveal that his long-awaited long-term deal is done, except for a few details."

"The scheduled deadline for the signing of Alex Rios came and went. This was before yesterday afternoon's 2008 season opener was cancelled due to rain. The Blue Jays are so close to an agreement on a six-year extension that general manager J.P. Ricciardi extended the deadline."

"The deal to lock up Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Alex Rios long term is close to getting done. "It looks better today than it did yesterday," Paul Kinzer, Rios's agent, said yesterday in a telephone interview."

"Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi left Yankee Stadium following yesterday's workout, "cautiously optimistic" a deal would get done with right fielder Alex Rios on a six-year contract extension -- believed to be worth $65 million US -- before today's opener."

"Year VII of the J.P. Ricciardi era begins this afternoon at the big ball park in the Bronx. It's also the fourth full season for manager John Gibbons. For Ricciardi, Gibbons and the Jays, it is a put-up-or-shut-up season."

"Negotiations between Rios and the Blue Jays on a long-term contract are at a stalemate. The Jays have offered a six-year deal worth $65 million US."

"He was not Paul Godfrey's first choice. Or his second, or third. As J.P. Ricciardi went about his business this spring, the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays was asked one day whether he thought his job was in jeopardy after six years without a playoff berth."

"The money is sitting on the table. Alex Rios has until the pre-game warmup at Yankee Stadium on Opening Day to grab it. The Blue Jays have been locked in negotiations with their 27-year-old all-star right fielder since last October, trying to secure him to a long-term deal. Neither side would deny the figures floating around yesterday – six years, $65 million (all figures U.S.), plus an option for a seventh year that would push the package to $80 million."

"Alex Rios should be cashing his ticket any day now. The Blue Jays and their gifted right-fielder are closing in on a multi-year, multimillion-dollar deal, one that could come together as early as today."

"Despite Internet rumours to the contrary this morning, the Toronto Blue Jays and Alex Rios deny that the 27-year-old's long-term extension with the club is done. But it's close. "It's just numbers," Rios said. "And some other stuff." Nobody denies the numbers floating around right now – six years, $65 million (U.S.) and a possible seventh year option that would bump the deal to $80 million."

"The Blue Jays were described as "aggressive" by several scouts in their attempts to trade Reed Johnson. Though they crave a right-handed hitting complement to Ryan Church, the Mets have been mild at best in their interest. It is possible the Mets also want the righty hitter to be able to play first. But a player who fits that description, the available Xavier Nady of the Pirates, also has drawn almost no interest from the Mets."

"Reed Johnson hears trade rumours all the time. The drumbeats became even stronger after the Jays signed left fielder Shannon Stewart as a free agent in late February. He isn't scared of being dealt, but he is unsettled by the thought that after nine years in the same major-league organization, he could be gone."