Starting Nine: More trade rumors, fewer Cards prospects
Recent commenter praise for Starting Nine: "This is a potpourri of garbage!" says Fitzy. "There is no point to it!" raves Dan P. "NHHS fantasy baseball represent!" says markosu23. Thanks for your full and unqualified support, everyone. Here are nine links to begin the day...
• According to at least one Dodgers executive, there's "less than zero" truth to the weekend rumor about a multi-player deal involving LA and Cleveland. The alleged trade would have involved James Loney(notes), a young ace (either Kershaw or Billingsley), Victor Martinez(notes) and Cliff Lee(notes). [Los Angeles Times]
• Unless Mauer and Morneau are misinformed, the Twins are trying to land Orlando Cabrera(notes): "According to Cabrera, when the A's played Minnesota last week, every time Joe Mauer(notes) or Justin Morneau(notes) got on base, they'd say, 'We're trying to get you! We want to get you here!'" Boston could be interested, too, but Cabrera "might not necessarily want to go." [San Francisco Chronicle]
• The PTBNL from the DeRosa deal has finally been named: Jess Todd(notes). The reliever had 24 saves at Memphis with a 2.20 ERA and 59 Ks in 49 innings, so he's not exactly a throw-in. In recent trades, the Cardinals have dealt away four of the organization's top six prospects. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
• Brett Wallace(notes) hit third and went 2-for-6 in his debut for Triple-A Sacramento. He sounds happy to be nowhere near St. Louis home in California, "playing for the team he grew up celebrating as a child in Sonoma." [MiLB.com]
• If Roy Halladay(notes) makes his scheduled start for the Jays at Seattle on Wednesday, you can take it as a sign that a deal is less likely. [MLB.com via MLB Trade Rumors]
• THT Fantasy offered various eschatological musings on Friday. Or maybe they're just saying that Giambi is cooked. [Hardball Times]
• The Rangers' Chris Davis(notes) will return this season and it could happen soon. The team has "little doubt that Davis will be an impact player in 2010." [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]
• Bolts From the Blue delivers all kinds of useful Chargers info in a Q&A with Razzball. They seem bullish on Gartrell Johnson. [Razzball]
• Brian Burke of Advanced NFL Stats examines a question that is of interest to many of us: How many wins is Cutler worth? [The Fifth Down]
---
Unrelated photo via US Presswire
