Jays, Cubs most interested in Papelbon

[dagger]

According to Rosenthal, the Phillies are pretty much ready to actual deal their closer, and would pay part of his salary, etc. The Jays and Cubs have held recent talks the Phillies, as in last week. Both teams want to pay as little in cash and prospects as possible – not surprisingly. Phillies have stepped up their scouting of Jays farm teams (presumably Cubs, too). Theory is Phillies would prefer to deal Papelbon back to the AL, either because it means they won't face him, or because the Jays have more decent prospects that are get-able.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/phil ... ubs-061015

I don't know if the Cubs interested was sated by signing Soriano.

[polo007]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/608766855625453568[/tweet]

the philadelphia phillies are ready to trade closer jonathan papelbon. They are willing to pay a significant portion of his contract. The only question is how the story ends.

The phils have engaged in recent trade discussions with both blue jays and cubs about papelbon, according to major-league sources. No deal with either club appears close; the talks are at an “impasse,” one source said.

Papelbon, 34, is guaranteed more than $8 million for the rest of this season, and his $13 million option for next season will vest if he finishes 26 more games; he has finished 22 thus far.

The trade talks hinge on a sliding scale. The phillies are willing to pay a large percentage of papelbon’s remaining money to land better prospects. The jays and cubs want to pay as little as possible in both dollars and players.

Here, according to sources, is where the conversations stand:

The most recent talks between the phillies and jays were late last week. Since then, the phils have increased their scouting of the jays’ minor-league affiliates, trying to identify players they might want in a trade.

Papelbon has a limited no-trade clause that allows him to block a deal to the blue jays, but the jays do not believe that would be an issue.

[Xaos]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/report-blue-jays-still-interested-in-papelbon/

[Michael Bradley]

Pros: He would be a huge upgrade in the pen and the Phillies would probably eat some of the contract.

Cons: We would have to cheer for Jonathan Papelbon.

[Skin Blues]

Papelbon's current contract, and probably the one after it, will have expired before the Phillies ever play a meaningful game of baseball. Pretty sure they don't care who they trade him to. I've never understood that "don't trade within the division" logic.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Hopefully Rogers agrees to take on more of his contract so we can give up less of a prospect package.

[Schad]

Must we?

[Sifu]

How does papelbon compare to Soriano?

Seems like Soriano would cost less in both dollars and prospects.

[dballislife]

Let's go for it now, Jose and ee ain't getting any younger, injuries are catching up already

[dagger]

How does papelbon compare to Soriano?

Seems like Soriano would cost less in both dollars and prospects.

Soriano would have cost nothing but a few dollars, except that he signed with the Cubs

[Scott Hall]

Yes please

[Schad]

Hopefully Rogers agrees to take on more of his contract so we can give up less of a prospect package.

There's no dealing with Amaro cheaply, though...he wants the moon, and given the season Papelbon is having, someone will get desperate enough to give it to him (as Baltimore did last year in moving Eduardo Rodriguez for a couple months of lefty setup work). Even if we take the majority of his salary, Pompey is probably the absolute floor of what Amaro would take, and it wouldn't be surprising if he's demanding Norris or Hoffman. Hence, impasse.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Hopefully Rogers agrees to take on more of his contract so we can give up less of a prospect package.

There's no dealing with Amaro cheaply, though...he wants the moon, and given the season Papelbon is having, someone will get desperate enough to give it to him (as Baltimore did last year in moving Eduardo Rodriguez for a couple months of lefty setup work). Even if we take the majority of his salary, Pompey is probably the absolute floor of what Amaro would take, and it wouldn't be surprising if he's demanding Norris or Hoffman. Hence, impasse.

Yeah I'm not sure if the 1 win that Papelbon will likely add to our total is worth it. Given the improvements of some of our other OF prospects, I'd consider Pompey, but hells no to Norris or Hoffman.

[Schad]

Yeah I'm not sure if the 1 win that Papelbon will likely add to our total is worth it. Given the improvements of some of our other OF prospects, I'd consider Pompey, but hells no to Norris or Hoffman.

Our other OF prospects are pretty far away (like, 3+ years from contributing) or struggling at the moment; Dwight Smith is in a six-week slump.

But that's really what we need to consider here: getting a guy like Papelbon would move the needle, but pretty marginally, so we better bloody well be certain that this is our year. Because if we're wrong, trading one of our best prospects for a 34 year old reliever immediately becomes one of the worst deals we've pulled in many an age. That Orioles - Sox deal is the downside: you get a handful of innings (and in their case, an ALCS appearance that they might not have gotten otherwise), but perhaps at the cost of a guy who's turning into one of the elite young pitchers in the game.

[BigLeagueChew]

Axford! Shouldn't cost as much as Paps , FA after this year.

[Schad]

Axford! Shouldn't cost as much as Paps , FA after this year.

Or Ziegler if the Diamondbacks pack it in (and they should), or Grilli, or Jim Johnson, or one of Baltimore's impending FAs. There will be good relief options available that don't require us to mortgage the future; the difference in performance pales in comparison to the difference in the talent we'd have to surrender. We'd still have to overpay -- trading for upper-tier relief help in midseason is always a sucker's game -- but it might not feature quite the same decade of regret.

Get a guy in a few weeks who throws 30 IP at a 3.6 ERA, versus Papelbon throwing the same at a 2.40 ERA, and you're talking a difference of four runs. Are we close enough that saving four runs is worth the difference between, say, giving up Norris or Pompey for the privilege, or giving up one of our 8th - 10th best prospects?

[Michael Bradley]

I don't think AA even in absolute desperation would trade Norris or Hoffman for a closer. He's probably more likely to convert the prospects themselves into closers/relievers (as he did with Osuna and tried to do with Castro) than trade them for an expensive one. I could see something like Boyd for Papelbon being discussed, but as mentioned, Amaro tends to see things like a Fantasy Baseball owner rather than a MLB GM, so who knows if that would be enough. The money is likely the sticking point, as AA can't have much left in the budget (if anything).

Although, desperation could change a GM's tendencies.

[Santoki]

It's clear and been clear for ages we have no money. I don't even know why we bother discussing things like this.

Rogers just shut down Zoocasa because it was bleeding $1 million every month and they're losing customers left and right from their core business. If they couldn't see the potential ROI last year when we were actually winning the division, then I don't see how they'll convince them this year.

Moving Navarro frees up about $5 million to spend this year on a reliever or two, but don't expect any more help than that.

[BigLeagueChew]

Axford! Shouldn't cost as much as Paps , FA after this year.

Or Ziegler if the Diamondbacks pack it in (and they should), or Grilli, or Jim Johnson, or one of Baltimore's impending FAs. There will be good relief options available that don't require us to mortgage the future; the difference in performance pales in comparison to the difference in the talent we'd have to surrender. We'd still have to overpay -- trading for upper-tier relief help in midseason is always a sucker's game -- but it might not feature quite the same decade of regret.

Get a guy in a few weeks who throws 30 IP at a 3.6 ERA, versus Papelbon throwing the same at a 2.40 ERA, and you're talking a difference of four runs. Are we close enough that saving four runs is worth the difference between, say, giving up Norris or Pompey for the privilege, or giving up one of our 8th - 10th best prospects?

Yeah assets should go towards outfielders and starting pitching if they want our prospects. It's just over 2 months for rosters to expand, we might have bullpen help in the minors we just need get there first somewhow with what we have.

When you say close enough do you mean good enough? Right now I'm really not sure lol. Seems like we are an ace away from being a really good team right now but I wouldn't have been able to say this a month ago.

But yeah if they ask for a prospect like that you hang up the phone , unless you have given up on them or know something about them noone else does.

[North_of_Border]

When you say close enough do you mean good enough? Right now I'm really not sure lol. Seems like we are an ace away from being a really good team right now but I wouldn't have been able to say this a month ago.

Marcus Stroman is apparently aiming for a September return.... He injured his leg not arm, so its possible he could be firing at full potential. I think he will be the big rotation addition this season, not a big trade to bring in another guy.

AA is more likely to just look for bullpen upgrades in the trades, unless something irresistible pops up. Papelbon would be great at the right price. Though i'd settle for alittle less. I've always been a guy, who believes in grooming good pitchers into that role. 13 million for a reliever, any reliever, dominant or even shut down, seems like an over payment. Jays should just deal for a dependable guy, while they groom the next closer. There are plenty of guys with that potential in the system.