Teams that have talked to the Phillies say the Scott Rolen discussions appear to be down to just the Reds and Cardinals. But unless the negotiations quicken over the next few days, Rolen looks as if he'll still be a Phillie come August.
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| 2002 SEASON STATISTICS |
| GM |
AB |
HR |
RBI |
OBP |
AVG |
| 97 |
365 |
16 |
65 |
.355 |
.258 |
|
|
According to one NL club executive, the Phillies like Reds prospect Brandon Larson, but not enough to make him the centerpiece of any deal for Rolen in which the Phillies also would have to pay all of the remaining $2.8 million of Rolen's salary. And the Phillies, from all indications, haven't been able to match up with the Cardinals on talent.
Multiple sources said the Giants, who were once thought to be interested, have turned their attention to outfielders and bullpen help. The Dodgers have remained adamant that they're not giving up Adrian Beltre to rent Rolen for two months. And the Red Sox are also busy with other pursuits.
There's a rumor spreading that the Cardinals have an agreement to acquire Rolen, pending Rolen agreeing to a contract extension. But it's not true.
Accoring to baseball sources, the Phillies want a third quality player (along with pitcher Bud Smith and infielder Placido Polanco) from the Cards in exchange for Rolen. St. Louis will throw in a third player -- believed to be pitching prospect Jimmy Journell -- if the Phillies pay the remaining $2.8 million of Rolen's salary this season. Philadelphia has been balking at that with every team interested in the All-Star third baseman.
The Cardinals also want the ability to explore their ability to re-sign Rolen, who's in the last year of his contract, if they're giving up three players with a strike looming. The Phillies haven't said yes to any of that. They're still mulling, still negotiating. Rolen, meanwhile, said Saturday he'd be willing to sign a long-term deal if traded to the Cardinals. Stay tuned ...
Several clubs burning up the phone lines report the Giants are one of the most aggressive teams out there. With Tsuyoshi Shinjo out (strained right hamstring), they've stepped up their pursuit of a center fielder (the Rockies' Todd Hollandsworth and Kenny Lofton of the White Sox are the two names being mentioned most to fill the Giants' need). And they're looking for both right-handed and left-handed relievers. The Giants actually have turned into both sellers and buyers. The biggest name they're selling continues to be Livan Hernandez, who -- according to some rumblings -- has expressed a desire to go elsewhere.
One name that reportedly popped up on the Giants' radar screen Friday: Tom Gordon. Gordon, despite a shaky outing on Wednesday for the Cubs, has a number of teams on his trail, including the Angels and Dodgers.
The A's continue to fish for another bullpen arm and one more potential middle-of-the-order bat. But by coming out of the Ted Lilly-Carlos Pena deal with a reported $500,000 in cash from Detroit, the A's were able to trade for Ray Durham and add to their payroll without giving up a top-of-the-line prospect (Jon Adkins). But now that they're out of financial wiggle room, the A's may not make another pre-August move unless something "falls in their laps," according to one baseball official.
Incidentally, the A's are expected to revisit an idea the White Sox had a couple of years ago -- trying Durham in center field. But it appears it will be Durham's call whether he wants to play the outfield or not.
Clubs that have talked to the Indians think the player they're most likely to deal is Ricardo Rincon. There appears next to no chance Jim Thome is going anywhere. And with the A's no longer able to take on money, even for next year, Boston would be the only possible destination for Ellis Burks. Burks' knees knock all the NL teams out of his market. And all of the other AL contenders are set at DH, barring an injury.
Teams that had interest in some of the Marlins' players say they've pulled back efforts to move a ton of players, given the backlash to the Cliff Floyd and Ryan Dempster deals. Players like Derrek Lee, Luis Castillo and even Vic Darensbourg are said to be off the market these days.
Sources say the Brewers have revved up their efforts to deal Mike DeJean in the wake of his entertaining mound conversation with manager Jerry Royster on Wednesday night.
Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
