TRADE DEADLINE NEWS AND POSSIBILITIES 2010

Last Updated: July 22. 2010 1:00AM
Bob Wojnowski
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski committed to now

Detroit

This is a tough one to figure out. The Tigers have seemed like accidental contenders at times, stuck in the middle, not sure which direction is next.

Are they buyers as the trade deadline approaches? Sellers? Renters? Simple squatters?

It's not that confusing for GM Dave Dombrowski, who doesn't just look at the seven-game losing streak, which ended Wednesday night when Max Scherzer shut down the Rangers, 4-1. He looks at the standings, sees the Tigers 3 1/2 games out of first, and concedes nothing.

"Yes, we are a contender," Dombrowski said before Wednesday's game. "There's no question we have a chance to win our division, no question we're competitive. It's amazing, everyone sees a losing streak and everything seems worse than it is. We haven't been playing well, nobody's happy, but my belief is, we're a much better club than this. We don't use those terms -- buyer or seller. If you can help your club, you do it. If you can't, you don't."

The slump has turned the annual mid-summer question around, at least in some people's minds. I asked Dombrowski if, instead of landing a top player, he'd consider dealing away any of his veterans at the July 31, non-waiver trade deadline.

He answered firmly.

"We're not looking to move our veteran players," he said. "We're looking to win."

Sudden downturn

So Dombrowski hunts diligently for help. He wouldn't comment on specific targets, and wouldn't say if owner Mike Ilitch has given the go-ahead for big-money moves.

But the Tigers reportedly are interested in starting pitchers (the Cubs' Ted Lilly, the Diamondbacks' Dan Haren), position players (Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew) and bullpen depth. With Brandon Inge expected to return in a month, they likely wouldn't grab a third baseman.

A lot still can happen in 10 days. Detroit has a brutal schedule, with Toronto next, followed by trips to Tampa and Boston, and they need more dominant pitching like they got out of Scherzer Wednesday night.

How quickly can things change? Well, 10 days ago, the Tigers were 48-37 and in first place. Now they're 49-44, and trying desperately to avoid another second-half swoon. In four previous seasons under Jim Leyland, the Tigers haven't had a winning record in the second half.

Blaming Leyland is a popular stance by some, but that's way too simple. This season, the Tigers have three All-Stars -- Miguel Cabrera, Jose Valverde, Justin Verlander -- a bunch of question marks and a batch of rookies. They have one consistent starting pitcher, Verlander, although Scherzer is cranking it up.

Dombrowski is in no mood to panic. This is his roster, so he isn't looking to pass responsibility. In case anyone truly was wondering, he fully supports his manager, as he should.

"We have a tremendous manager; I couldn't be happier with him," Dombrowski said. "Now, would I make every move Jim makes? No. Would he make every trade I make? No. But Jim knows the game, he's on top of things and the players respect him. We're very fortunate to have him."

The penchant for second-half stumbles is strange, but there's a decent chance the Tigers just haven't been good enough.

"I don't have an explanation, but the record speaks for itself," Dombrowski said. "With our moves this winter, we knew this would be a year of transition, but we thought we could contend. We still like the talent of our starting pitching. Just a week ago, we were ecstatic where we were."

Dealing smart

Lately, the Tigers have sorely lacked clutch hitting. And most of their starters have struggled mightily at some point. Jeremy Bonderman has been up and down, and every other starter either has been released or spent time in the minors (Scherzer, Rick Porcello, Armando Galarraga).

So, back to the pressing issue. Do they leap for help in a tight race, giving up young players to acquire a veteran? Or do they ride it out and make their key acquisitions in the offseason?

It's obvious they need pitching and more production at shortstop and catcher. Dombrowski wouldn't tip which way he's leaning, and admitted the next week would settle the strategy. The go-for-it-mentality of Ilitch and Dombrowski hasn't changed -- witness the signings of Valverde and Johnny Damon -- but the team has to be smart, too.

"You have to be careful you're just not giving away everybody in your farm system," Dombrowski said. "If there's a player you want to acquire and someone asks for (pitchers) Andrew Oliver or Jacob Turner, we're not giving those guys away. Those are blue-chip future fixtures. 'Untouchable' is not a word I ever use. When you say, 'Go for it,' we're trying to win, but you're still cognizant of your future."

For instance, last year the Tigers went for it, landing pitcher Jarrod Washburn and hitter Aubrey Huff (acquired Aug. 17 after waivers). Both looked like excellent pickups and didn't cost the Tigers a prime prospect. Neither did much -- Washburn had a 7.33 ERA and Huff hit .189.

Those failures won't stop the Tigers from trying again -- if it makes sense.

"Sometimes it's hard to fathom," Dombrowski said. "I thought those were two solid acquisitions, but just because they didn't work, you can't back off. If you do, you're not doing your job and you end up gun shy."

Dombrowski never has been gun shy. Reload? Sure, as long as the Tigers hang in this thing, and prove capable again of shooting more than blanks.

bob.wojnowski@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100722/OPINION03/7220356/Tigers-GM-Dave-Dombrowski-committed-to-now#ixzz0uSCkYqdu

Last Updated: July 22. 2010 1:00AM
Tony Paul: Baseball Insider
Players who might be moving in sellers' market at deadline

Good news for sellers: There are a whole lot of buyers.

Nearly four months into the 2010 season, there are no fewer than 17 teams still with a legitimate shot at playing in the postseason. That means the next 10 days should be interesting, as contenders scramble to upgrade their rosters before the trade deadline, which is 4 p.m. July 31.

There already have been a couple big trades, with the Rangers acquiring highly sought-after ace Cliff Lee from the Mariners, and the Blue Jays and Braves swapping shortstops Alex Gonzalez, the surging veteran who should boost his new offense, and Yunel Escobar, the youngster who finally fell out of favor in Atlanta.

But there figures to be plenty of moves to come.

So here's a look at who might be on the move, position-by-position, before next Friday afternoon.

Starting pitchers

Potential buyers

Angels, Cardinals, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, Rockies, Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Yankees

Best available

Roy Oswalt, Astros: Due $16M in 2011, too, he's no rental. So the price will be big. He also has a no-trade clause, but likely will OK any move to a contender who can score for him; he's 6-11, despite a 3.12 ERA.

Best of the rest

Fausto Carmona, RH, Indians: He's finally showing signs (9-7, 3.65, All-Star selection) of his '07 breakout.

Dan Haren, RH, Diamondbacks: A fallback for Oswalt losers, despite a 1.348 WHIP, his worst since '03.

Ted Lilly, LH, Cubs: He is 3-8, but with a decent 4.07 ERA. The Tigers and Twins should be interested.

Carlos Silva, RH, Cubs: The offseason gamble already has paid off. He's been a major surprise (9-4, 3.86).

Ben Sheets, RH, Athletics: After sitting out '09, he's getting it together -- with four straight quality starts.

Other possibilities

Bronson Arroyo, Reds; Dave Bush, RH, Brewers; Zach Duke, LH, Pirates; Jeremy Guthrie, RH, Orioles; J.A. Happ, LH, Phillies; Livan Hernandez, RH, Nationals; Edwin Jackson, RH, Diamondbacks; Paul Maholm, LH, Pirates; Kevin Millwood, RH, Orioles; Brett Myers, RH, Astros; Nate Robertson, LH, Marlins; Wandy Rodriguez, LH, Astros; Jake Westbrook, RH, Indians; Carlos Zambrano, RH, Cubs

Relief pitchers

Potential buyers

Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox, Reds, Rockies, Tigers, Yankees

Best available

Joakim Soria, RH, Royals: It's doubtful they'd trade the impact closer -- he's due only $4M next year -- but there have been rumblings. His ERA and WHIP, though, went up noticeably last year, and slightly this year.

Best of the rest

Craig Breslow, LH, Athletics: Just one member of the A's dynamite bullpen. It'll take a haul to break it up.

Scott Downs, LH, Blue Jays: The perennial workhorse hasn't allowed a run his last 15 appearances.

Kyle Farnsworth, RH, Royals: With a 2.41 ERA, 1.122 WHIP, he could be dealt at deadline for a third time.

Leo Nunez, RH, Marlins: The club might prefer the up-and-coming closer gets raise (from $2M) elsewhere.

Kerry Wood, RH, Indians: The closer has been sharp since July 1. He's due off the DL (blister) in a week.

Other possibilities

David Aardsma, RH, Mariners; Matt Capps, RH, Nationals; D.J. Carrasco, RH, Pirates; Brendan Donnelly, RH, Pirates; Octavio Dotel, RH, Pirates; Jason Frasor, RH, Blue Jays; Kevin Gregg, RH, Blue Jays; Aaron Heilman, RH, Diamondbacks; Trevor Hoffman, RH, Brewers; Matt Lindstrom, RH, Astros; Brandon Lyon, RH, Astros; Will Ohman, LH, Orioles; Michael Wuertz, RH, Athletics

Catchers

Potential buyers

Mets, Phillies, Rays, Red Sox, Reds, Tigers

Best available

John Buck, Blue Jays: He's having perhaps his best year (.285, 13 homers, 45 RBIs), and his fresh off his first All-Star appearance. There reportedly has been no shortage of clubs scouting the soon-to-be free agent.

Best of the rest

Pudge Rodriguez, Nationals: A career revival (.280), of sorts, could lead to his sixth team in three years

Other possibilities

Ryan Doumit, Pirates; Chris Iannetta, Rockies; Chris Snyder, Diamondbacks

First base

Potential buyers

Angels, Giants, Rangers, Rays (for DH), Rockies, White Sox (for DH)

Best available

Prince Fielder, Brewers: He'll be a free agent after 2011, and right now (.264, 45 RBIs), he doesn't look deserving of the big-bucks extension. They might want to see how much pitching he can net instead.

Best of the rest

Lance Berkman, Astros: But his .247 batting average is 50 points behind his career average.

Adam Dunn, Nationals: The club supposedly is seeking a huge return for the slugger (22 homers, 59 RBIs).

Derrek Lee, Cubs: Another Cub who's been a disaster (.247, 11 home runs). He's about to be a free agent.

Other possibilities

Casey Kotchman, Mariners; Adam LaRoche, Diamondbacks; Lyle Overbay, Blue Jays

Second base

Potential buyers

Cardinals, Mets

Best available

Dan Uggla, Marlins: The slugger, who averaged 30 homers and 90 RBIs his first four years (2006-09), is once again rumored to be available, as his price figures to soar in arbitration. He's already at $7.8 million.

Best of the rest

Kelly Johnson, Diamondbacks: He's been one of few pleasant surprises (15 homers, 46 RBIs) in Arizona.

Rickie Weeks, Brewers: He missed most of '09 (wrist), but is making up for hit (18 homers, 60 RBIs).

Other possibilities

Chris Getz, Royals; Cristian Guzman, Nationals; Ryan Theriot, Cubs

Shortstop

Potential buyers

Cardinals, Padres, Tigers

Best available

Stephen Drew, Diamondbacks: He progressed from 2006-08, but hasn't followed up. Now he's hitting.269 with four homers and 29 RBIs and could be part of a package deal with one of their starting pitchers.

Best of the rest

Reid Brignac, Rays: They might keep the depth the rookie provides. He plays a solid short and second.

Third base

Potential buyers

Angels, Padres, Reds, Rockies, Tigers, Twins

Best available

Jorge Cantu, Marlins: The corner infielder, who averaged 23 homers and 98 RBIs in 2008-09, has dropped off (10 HRs, 53 RBIs, .261). He'll still reel in too much for the Marlins to handle in looming free agency.

Best of the rest

Jhonny Peralta, Indians: Rather than wait to decline his $7M option for 2011, they're looking for takers.

Aramis Ramirez, Cubs: It's been an awful year, but hardly the last 12 games (.438, nine homers, 24 RBIs).

Mark Reynolds, Diamondbacks: Power is great, but he's on pace to set MLB's strikeout record yet again.

Miguel Tejada, Orioles: Production (seven homers, 39 RBIs) is down, but he could help at third or short.

Other possibilities

Pedro Feliz, Astros; Kevin Kouzmanoff, Athletics; Jose Lopez, Mariners; Mike Lowell, Red Sox

Outfield

Potential buyers

Braves, Giants, Mets, Padres, Rays, Red Sox, Rockies, White Sox

Best available

Jayson Werth, Phillies: He is mashing again, with 13 homers and 50 RBIs after his 36-99 breakout in '09, and is available because free agency (and a big payday) looms this winter. He should net a starting pitcher.

Best of the rest

Jose Bautista, Blue Jays: His MLB-best 26 homers top his career high by 10. He may clean up in arbitration.

Johnny Damon, Tigers: If the reeling Tigers decide they're a seller, the veteran is likely their trade chip.

David DeJesus, Royals: The Royals lifer is having his best season, in terms of batting average (.320).

Corey Hart, Brewers: Another great season (22 homers, 70 RBIs) will get him out of Braun-Fielder shadow.

B.J. Upton, Rays: A second straight letdown year (.230), plus some lack of hustle, might have him moving.

Other possibilities

Coco Crisp, Athletics; Jim Edmonds, Brewers; Jeff Francoeur, Mets; Kosuke Fukudome, Cubs; Jose Guillen, Royals; Austin Kearns, Indians; Carlos Lee, Astros; Nyjer Morgan, Nationals; Xavier Nady, Cubs; Scott Podsednik, Royals; Cody Ross, Marlins; Luke Scott, Orioles; Josh Willingham, Nationals

Utility

Potential buyers

Angels, Cardinals, Giants, Mets, Padres, Phillies, Rangers, Rays, Reds, Rockies

Best available

Alberto Callaspo, Royals: In his second full season, he continues to show pop (eight homers, 19 doubles), so K.C. would have to wowed to move him. He plays second and third, and, in a pinch, short and the outfield.

Best of the rest

Ty Wigginton, Orioles: First-time All-Star (15 homers, 46 RBIs) plays mostly first, second and third.

Other possibilities

Jamey Carroll, Dodgers; Adam Kennedy, Nationals

Diamond digits

2 -- Yankees staring pitchers injured in back-to-back days last week -- Andy Pettitte (groin) to the DL and A.J. Burnett (hand lacerations) day-to-day. That means they'll be working hard at a trade for a replacement.

3 -- Untouchable Diamondbacks, according to RealGM.com -- starting pitcher Ian Kennedy, catcher Miguel Montero and right fielder Justin Upton. So Kirk Gibson's team could look a whole lot different very soon.

19 -- Teams within eight games of first place in their division or wild-card race entering play Wednesday.

$637,159 -- Monthly spousal support Jamie McCourt is to receive from Dodgers owner Frank McCourt while their divorce proceedings are ongoing. So there might not be enough cash to acquire premium help.

Dealin' Dave

A look at significant summer additions Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski has made since July 2006:

July 21, 2006 -- 1B Sean Casey (boom) from Pirates

Aug. 20, 2006 -- IF Neifi Perez (bust) from Cubs

July 30, 2008 -- RP Kyle Farnsworth (bust) from Yankees

July 31, 2009 -- SP Jarrod Washburn (bust) from Mariners

Aug. 17, 2009 -- DH Aubrey Huff (bust) from Orioles
He said it

"I don't know anything about it. Saw it on TV this morning."

-- Roy Oswalt, soon-to-be former Astros ace, talking to the Houston Chronicle before Wednesday's game, discussing recent reports he was about to be traded to the two-time defending NL champion Phillies.

Tony's top five

1. N.Y. Yankees (1): Sad month, with two major losses. The Boss, by the way, certainly belongs in the Hall.

2. Tampa Bay (2): Pena has major league-best 14 homers vs. AL East; 33 RBIs are second-best (Youkilis).

3. Atlanta (3): Welcome back! Jurrjens is 3-0 with 2.19 ERA, .216 opponents average since return from DL.

4. Texas (4): By beating Tigers on Tuesday, became first Ranger to start season 7-0 exclusively as starter.

5. San Diego (5): Bats finally are coming alive. In last 10 games, Padres have averaged 10.9 hits per game.

Tony's bottom five

26. Houston (26): If only Astros could play only on Wednesdays. They've won 10 straight on hump day.

27. Seattle (25): Hernandez already has five complete games, tying total from previous three seasons.

28. Arizona (27): On Tuesday, Diamondbacks finally gave Gibson first winning streak as manager.

29. Pittsburgh (29): Walker became first Pirate rookie with five-hit game since Wehner in 1991.

30. Baltimore (30): Orioles hit three straight homers (Scott, Wigginton, Jones) for first time since '95.

• Previous rankings in parentheses. More online: For Tony Paul's complete weekly power rankings, visit his blog at detnews.com/tigers.

Become a fan of Covering the Bases on Facebook. tpaul@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100722/OPINION03/7220327/1129/sports0104/Players-who-might-be-moving-in-sellers--market-at-deadline#ixzz0uSMMFESL

Tigers looking at hot corner of trade market
BECK'S BLOG
Posted on July 23, 2010 at 9:59 PM

It isn't just pitching the Tigers are eyeing on the trade market. With Brandon Inge out 4-6 weeks with a broken left hand, they're making it clear that they'll look at help if they think they can swing a deal for a third baseman.

Asked if Inge's eventual return, potentially ahead of schedule, affects their approach on the trade market, manager Jim Leyland chose his words carefully.

"I think it's part of the equation," Leyland said, "but I also think that a month to six weeks is a long time to go without him, if you're fighting for a pennant. That doesn't mean I don't have confidence, but I don't expect Scott Sizemore to be Brandon Inge. If anybody else does, they're crazy.

"A month to six weeks is a long time to go without Brandon Inge right now. Then again, what does that mean? Is there somebody out there that makes sense, or somebody you don't have to give up an arm and a leg for? That's a tough call. I've thought about that, and that's my answer. Four to six weeks is a long time. You can read into that whatever you want."

There are options on the market at various prices. CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler wrote Friday that the Tigers expressed some interest in Mike Lowell, who's set to begin a rehab assignment in the Red Sox farm system shortly. Boston has been trying to trade Lowell at various points this season, and likely wouldn't require a lot, but the 36-year-old hasn't played third base on an everyday basis since last year.

Jose Bautista is another rumored option on the market, and the Tigers will get plenty of looks at him this weekend with the Blue Jays in town. But with Bautista leading the Majors in home runs in his suddenly scintilliating season, Toronto could demand plenty in return.

Inge is a free agent at season's end, as is Lowell. Bautista is arbitration eligible for another year.

Tough pitching decisions loom for Tigers

By Alex DiFilippo / MLB.com

07/24/10 8:11 PM ET

DETROIT -- Friday's rainout left Tigers manager Jim Leyland with several tough decisions regarding his starting rotation in the upcoming days. Now facing a Sunday doubleheader, Leyland will need to find a pitcher for a spot start on Wednesday against the Rays.

This task is even more difficult with the Tigers playing another doubleheader on Aug. 3 against the White Sox.

"Pitching will be real complicated in the next 10 days," Leyland said. "It won't be a big issue, but it will be real complicated. You have two split doubleheaders in a short period of time. When that stuff goes on, you have to make some adjustments on the fly."

The Tigers had called up left-hander Andy Oliver from Triple-A Toledo to start earlier this year, but he will be unable to return to the club until Thursday. Oliver (0-4, 7.36 ERA) was sent back down to Toledo on Monday, and clubs must wait 10 days before recalling a player after they are sent down. The earliest he could return would Thursday. The 22-year-old southpaw threw four shutout innings with four strikeouts on Friday before his start was cut short due to rain.

"Oliver is doing what he should be doing," Leyland said. "He's down there pitching and putting his time in and getting his work in. He's on his way to being a Major League pitcher, which he will be."

It's conceivable that if the Tigers were to make a trade in the upcoming days, it could solve their pitching problem for Wednesday. Detroit has been rumored to have interest in D-backs right-hander Dan Haren, whose next scheduled start is on Tuesday.

Tigers won't trade top prospects

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

07/28/10 10:40 PM ET

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Tigers' trade for Jhonny Peralta Wednesday night might not be the only deal they make before Saturday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. Team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski is working the phones trying to look for more. But so far, it's the only deal where the Tigers found what could help them and not part with their top prospects.

That's the dilemma Dombrowski faces as he tries to patch together the Tigers' injury-riddled lineup. He's hoping that gets a little easier leading up to Saturday, but if it doesn't, the Peralta deal could be the blueprint for any other trades the Tigers swing.

"I don't have anything else in the works at this point," Dombrowski said. "But that's not to say that I won't continue talking to people. The way I said it the other day is really an accurate situation. We're not going to give away our top young guys."

Given what the Nationals are rumored to be seeking for All-Star slugger Adam Dunn, and how many other teams are reportedly in the running, it's difficult to envision Detroit pulling off a deal for the biggest bat on the market. Still, the Tigers can't say they aren't interested, even if they're not in the thick of talks.

At this point, talks on hitters are believed to have taken priority over what had been Detroit's pitching search before injuries to Brandon Inge, Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen.

The Dunn discussions are going like talks on so many other players around baseball -- slow. Deals like the Peralta trade, where a lesser-tier player goes for a mid-range prospect, could be a little easier as the Deadline looms and teams look to shed salary.

"There hasn't been as much movement as maybe I anticipated there being so far," Dombrowski said. "I still think there are players that are going to move, but I also think in our conversations, most clubs are still asking for a whole boatload that we're not prepared to do. I think other clubs have seen that, too, or else you would've seen other deals. I've always said that as time goes on and you get closer to that 31st, a lot of things happen. Teams make adjustments in what they're requesting."

Part of the issue around baseball, Dombrowski said, is that teams with pending free agents cite the chance to gain back compensation Draft picks if they keep the player, offer him arbitration and let him leave as a free agent.

"Sometimes you can overplay your hand in that, because you don't always get it," Dombrowski said. "That doesn't always happen."

Tigers stand pat despite Deadline talks

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

07/31/10 7:00 PM ET

BOSTON -- Saturday's non-waiver Trade Deadline came and went without the Tigers pulling off the kind of big move that might've helped them down the stretch. But to hear team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski discuss it, it wasn't for a lack of trying.

"I thought that we had the chance to do something that was probably surprising and big," Dombrowski said on Saturday afternoon, "but it didn't happen."

It was a specific deal, but Dombrowski wouldn't get into the specifics. It could've been a big trade for a batter out of nowhere, maybe a hitter who didn't pop onto the rumor mill until the final hours heading toward the Deadline. After all, there was a mystery team to which Yahoo's Tim Brown referred when he talked about three clubs calling the Dodgers about Manny Ramirez. Perhaps the Tigers' actual target didn't pop into rumors at all.

"Any time you get close to something, you get a little bit, your wind goes out of your sails at that point when you think you're going to make a deal," Dombrowski said. "But it was so far out of the blue that it was like, I don't know if disappointed would be the right [word]. It's more like you got the wind knocked out of you."

The general sense, though, might still put something in their sails. It was a message that even after the Tigers' slide down the standings this week, Dombrowski still felt enough about his club to try to make an aggressive move.

"Well, we got [Jhonny] Peralta. He helped us yesterday," Dombrowski said. "And we're in a position where we've been hit hard by injuries. We continue to battle and I know we'll continue to battle. We should start getting guys back in another week or so. We're just going to have to keep battling."

The Tigers' lone move on Saturday was a simple completion of a roster move from earlier this week. They traded outfield prospect Wilkin Ramirez to the Braves in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. Detroit designated Ramirez for assignment Wednesday to make room for Peralta on the 40-man roster.

Ramirez went from the starting lineup in the Futures Game to the waiver wire to a new organization in less than three weeks. He entered Saturday with a .230 average between Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie, homering 19 times with 56 RBIs. He also has struck out 144 times in 400 plate appearances.

It's a microcosm of Ramirez's career to date. He has tremendous power and speed potential, evidenced by a 19-homer, 27-steal season at Erie two years ago, but has never put it all together for a breakthrough as a professional player.

"We had to make a decision from the roster perspective," Dombrowski said. "So for us, even though we continue to like him, we would've rather kept him and continued to develop him, it just ended up being a situation where unfortunately the offensive progress wasn't there for us. And sometimes a guy will be benefited by a change of scenery."

Though the Tigers continued to talk leading into the Deadline, and Dombrowski spent most of the week on the phones, he cautioned that it doesn't mean they were talking about a lot of deals. They were not talking about as many players as some might've envisioned, or reported.

"Put it this way: Our name has been mentioned in many more places than we've been pursuing," Dombrowski said. "I've seen us mentioned. I read our notes. We have our scouts out there. We've always looking to pick things up. Everywhere I looked, our name was involved with somebody. And we were not anywhere near as involved with the number of people that they had us involved in."

In the end, in the discussions they actually had, they faced the same obstacle too many times: Teams wanted top pitching prospects. And Dombrowski wasn't going to give them up.

"In our situation, we weren't going to give them up for some of the guys we were discussing at various points," Dombrowski said.

Dombrowski said he really didn't have a read yet on the trade market in August. Players now must pass through waivers in order to be traded, but as Dombrowski pointed out, many big contracts go unclaimed on the waiver wire out of fear of being stuck with the contract. Dombrowski doesn't know how active they might be, or how the team's performance might affect their approach.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Last Updated: August 02. 2010 1:47PM
Tony Paul
The News breaks down baseball's trade deadline winners and losers

A flurry of activity greeted baseball's non-waiver trade deadline Saturday afternoon.

In all, about 90 players were traded in the last month -- and nearly half were dealt in the few hours leading up to 4 p.m. July 31.

There were plenty of big names moved (Dan Haren, Roy Oswalt), there were plenty of big names not moved (Adam Dunn, Prince Fielder). Most contenders upgraded in some form, though a few didn't do much, if anything, at all, clearly content that what they had to begin with is good enough to win now.

Having had a couple days to digest just what went down, here's a look at the top winners and losers in the wake of all the wheelin' and dealin'.

Five winners

* No. 1: Rangers -- They're in bankruptcy and about to be sold? Could've fooled me. They've made one aggressive move after another. The biggest shock, of course, was Cliff Lee, the ace who was certain to be a Twin or a Yankee. That came after they acquired veteran catcher Bengie Molina, who promptly rewarded them by hitting for the cycle. (Sidebar: Remember when the Rangers supposedly had too much catching?) Even their hole-filler pickups are legit major league talents -- middle IF Cristian Guzman and corner IF Jorge Cantu, two fine hitters. Guzman will get reps at second while Ian Kinsler (groin) is on the DL, while Cantu will fill the first-base void left when super-prospect Justin Smoak was shipped out in the Lee deal. Impressive stuff, right? So forget just winning the division for the first time since 1999. This team should be a popular pick to get to -- and win -- the World Series for the first time.

* No. 2: Dodgers -- If there's a GM who has it tougher, I'd be stunned. Yet Ned Colletti pulled off some gem, despite his hands being almost completely tied by the ongoing divorce proceedings between owners Frank and Jamie McCourt -- and the financial implications the bitter split is certain to have, and, frankly, already is having. They added nicely to their pitching staff (SP Ted Lilly, RP Octavio Dotel) and their offense (OF Scott Podsednik, middle IF Ryan Theriot), and, amazingly added only about $3 million to their payroll. It might not be enough to make a difference, but it sure suits fans better than the white flag.

* No. 3: Padres -- Last week was supposed to be when this roster was torn apart, when slugging 1B Adrian Gonzalez and closer Heath Bell -- and whoever else had any value at all -- were to be shipped out, and no longer a burden on an already-stingy payroll ($37.8M, second lowest in baseball). Instead, here we are on Aug. 2, and the Padres are one of the best stories in baseball, with their 61 wins tops in the National League. So, amazingly, they turned into buyers -- well, as much as you can be with that budget, anyway -- and ended up with two bats (OF Ryan Ludwick, IF Miguel Tejada) that'll shore up their weakest spot.

* No. 4: Phillies -- GM Ruben Amaro Jr.'s getting good at this. The acquisition of Oswalt from the Astros marked the third time in the last 13 months he has landed an ace, following the deal for Lee last July and the offseason blockbuster that brought Roy Halladay to Philly. Well, now there are two Roys foes will have to deal with, not to mention a pretty good Cole (Hamels). If that's not the best 1-2-3 in MLB, it's the best in the NL. If the Phillies hit like they're supposed to -- Oswalt (6-13, despite a 3.53 ERA) certainly would love some run support -- they'll win a fourth straight NL East.

* No. 5: Jake Westbrook -- Not only does the right-hander, a year removed from Tommy John surgery, get a taste of working with Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan -- the king of reclamation projects -- before he hits free agency at year's end, he's also got a legit shot at pitching in the postseason for just the second time in his 10-year career. And then there's this refreshing tidbit: So important was it for him to pitch for a winner, he agreed to lower the $2 million bonus his contract called for if he was traded from the Indians. That might've been what got this deal done. He debuts in St. Louis tonight.

* Honorable mention: Tigers -- Sometimes, inaction deserves kudos, too. GM Dave Dombrowski could've tried something drastic to plug the gaping holes left by injuries galore (Carlos Guillen, Brandon Inge, Magglio Ordonez, etc.), but he wisely did not. Clearly, one move wasn't going to fix everything (right, Jhonny Peralta?). Neither would've two or three. So rather than going for broke with a jaw-dropper, the Tigers stayed quiet -- they didn't sell, either -- content to do their best this season, and fix it all in the offseason, when they'll have tens of millions to spend, as well as their top prospects still in the fold.

Five losers

* No. 1: Yankees -- Sure, they landed some big names in Lance Berkman and Kerry Wood. And if they had added them at the deadline in 2008, then perhaps the Yankees wouldn't have missed the playoffs for the first time since early in the Clinton administration. But these guys, Berkman (.242, 13 homers, 49 RBIs) the slugger and Wood the reliever (1-4, 6.30 ERA), aren't the players they used to be. Truth is, they needed starting pitching -- CC Sabathia is the only consistent performer now in the rotation (Andy Pettitte is out till early August -- but missed out on big fishes Lee and Haren.

* No. 2: Blue Jays -- Most contenders usually need bullpen help, and they had three good relievers (all closing in on free agency) they could've moved, yet they apparently set the asking price too high, especially on lefty Scott Downs. It's understandable for them to want to keep Downs -- he's been remarkably unhittable (2.26 ERA, 1.162 WHIP) the past four seasons -- even though he can walk at season's end. But right-handers Jason Frasor and Kevin Gregg are middle-of-the-road fellas whose stock was relatively high, and could've netted a decent return, especially Gregg, a respectable closer since 2007.

* No. 3: Brewers -- GM Doug Melvin says he didn't have to make a move. That's true. And Amy Winehouse doesn't have to go to rehab. Point is, the longer you wait, often, the worse things get. Brewers sluggers Fielder and Corey Hart are free agents after 2011, so the longer Milwaukee waits to move them -- Fielder for certain, since it's looking like the chances to re-sign him are slim -- the more the price plummets. Sure, Melvin could wait for both to depart in free agency and collect on draft picks, but the Brewers need major league-ready pitching, and they need it yesterday.

* No. 4: Twins -- First, they needed starting pitching and didn't get anyway. Strike one. Strike two? While trading for Nationals closer Matt Capps made sense, because Joe Nathan's fill in, Jon Rauch, is more a setup man -- and Capps is having a great year (3-3, 2.68 ERA, 27 saves in 31 chances), ahem, just in time for arbitration -- giving up catching prospect Wilson Ramos might've been too steep for a guy who not long ago was so bad, he got released by the Pirates. I understand Ramos has no future in Joe Mauer's shadow, but catching is a prime commodity, and surely the Twins could've gotten more.

* No. 5: Nationals -- They did well for Capps, OK for Guzman, but set the price too high for slugger Dunn -- some reports say they were looking for a Ryan Howard-like return -- and ended up not moving him. They scoffed at White Sox pitching prospect Daniel Hudson, then presumably did the same when Chicago acquired Edwin Jackson to sweeten the deal. So, now if they can't sign Dunn to an extension, they'll end up shelling out about $6 million ($4.3M salary, $1.6M in bonuses to two compensatory draft picks, per the Washington Post) for two months of service. Hardly smart spending for a non-contender.

On the move

A look at all the deals made from the beginning of last month until Saturday's 4 p.m. trade deadline:

July 1

* Giants trade C Bengie Molina to Rangers for RHP Michael Main and RHP Chris Ray

July 9

* Mariners trade LHP Cliff Lee and RHP Mark Lowe to Rangers for RHP Blake Beavan, 2B Matthew Lawson, RHP Josh Lueke and 1B Justin Smoak

July 14

* Blue Jays trade LHP Tim Collins, SS Alex Gonzalez and 2B Tyler Pastornicky to Braves for SS Yunel Escobar and LHP Jo-Jo Reyes

July 22

* Royals trade 3B Alberto Callaspo to Angels for RHP Sean O'Sullivan and LHP Will Smith

July 25

* Diamondbacks trade RHP Dan Haren to Angels for LHP Patrick Corbin, RHP Rafael Rodriguez and LHP Joe Saunders

July 28

* Indians trade 3B Jhonny Peralta to Tigers for LHP Giovanni Soto

July 29

* Astros trade RHP Roy Oswalt and cash to Phillies for CF Anthony Gose, LHP J.A. Happ and SS Jonathan Villar

* Astros trade CF Anthony Gose to Blue Jays for 1B Brett Wallace

* Orioles trade SS/3B Miguel Tejada to Padres for RHP Wynn Pelzer

* Royals trade LF Scott Podsednik to Dodgers for C Lucas May and RHP Elisaul Pimentel

July 30

* Braves trade RF Mitch Jones to Pirates for cash

* Diamondbacks trade RHP Edwin Jackson to White Sox for LHP David Holmberg and RHP Daniel Hudson

* Marlins trade 1B/3B Jorge Cantu to Rangers for RHP Omar Poveda and RHP Evan Reed

* Mets trade 1B Mike Jacobs to Blue Jays for a player to be named

* Nationals trade RHP Matt Capps to Twins for LHP Joe Testa and C Wilson Ramos

July 31

* Astros trade 1B Lance Berkman and cash to Yankees for RHP Mark Melancon and IF Jimmy Paredes

* Cubs trade LHP Ted Lilly, 2B Ryan Theriot and cash to Dodgers for 2B Blake DeWitt, RHP Kyle Smit and RHP Brett Wallach

* Diamondbacks trade RHP Chad Qualls to Rays for a player to be named

* Indians trade RHP Kerry Wood to Yankees for a player to be named

* Indians trade LF Austin Kearns to Yankees for a player to be named or cash

* Nationals trade 2B Cristian Guzman to Rangers for RHP Tanner Roark and RHP Ryan Tatusko

* Orioles trade LHP Will Ohman to Marlins for RHP Rick VandenHurk

* Padres trade LHP Nick Greenwood to Cardinals and Corey Kluber to Indians; Indians trade RHP Jake Westbrook and cash to Cardinals; Cardinals trade RF Ryan Ludwick to Padres

* Pirates trade RHP Octavio Dotel to Dodgers for LF Andrew Lambo and RHP James McDonald

* Pirates trade RHP D.J. Carrasco, RF Ryan Church and SS Bobby Crosby to Diamondbacks for SS Pedro Ciriaco, C Chris Snyder and cash

* Pirates trade LHP Javier Lopez to Giants for LF John Bowker and RHP Joe Martinez

* Rangers trade C Jarrod Saltalamacchia to Red Sox for 1B Christopher McGuiness and RHP Roman Mendez

* Red Sox trade RHP Ramon Ramirez to Giants for RHP Daniel Turpen

* Royals trade CF Rick Ankiel and RHP Kyle Farnsworth to Braves for CF Gregor Blanco, RHP Jesse Chavez and LHP Tim Collins

* Tigers trade OF Wilkin Ramirez to Braves for player to be named

Look who's Lee-ving

Left-hander Cliff Lee won the Cy Young with the Indians in 2008. He's played for four teams in the two years since, and a fifth is likely next year for the free agent-to-be. Amazingly, he hasn't missed a step, regardless of zip code. Here's a look (check out those sick walk totals!):

2008: Indians, 22-3, 2.54 ERA, 4 CG/2 SHO, 223 1/3 IP, 34 BB, 170 SO, 1.110 WHIP

2009: Indians, 7-9, 3.14 ERA, 3 CG/1 SHO, 152 IP, 33 BB, 107 SO, 1.303 WHIP

2009: Phillies, 7-4, 3.39 ERA, 3 CG/1 SHO, 79 2/3 IP, 10 BB, 74 SO, 1.130 WHIP

2010: Mariners, 8-3, 2.34 ERA, 5 CG/1 SHO, 103 2/3 IP, 6 BB, 89 SO, 0.945 WHIP

2010: Rangers, 1-2, 2.91 ERA, 2 CG/0 SHO, 43 1/3 IP, 3 BB, 29 SO, 1.078 WHIP

This looks familiar

Hard-throwing reliever Kyle Farnsworth is no strange to packing in a hurry -- this year marks the third time he's been traded just before the deadline.

July 31, 2005: Tigers (1-2, 2.32 ERA) to Braves (0-0, 1.98 ERA)

July 30, 2008: Yankees (1-2, 3.65 ERA) to Tigers (1-1, 6.75 ERA)

July 31, 2010: Royals (3-0, 2.42 ERA) to Braves (TBD)

Diamond digits

4: Teams that didn't make a trade in July: Athletics, Brewers, Reds and Rockies.

14: Players on the Pirates' 25-man roster acquired via a trade; they made four trades this July alone.

22: Combined seasons spent with the Astros for pitcher Roy Oswalt and slugger Lance Berkman. They'd never played for anyone else until late last week.

$30M: Approximate money saved by the Diamondbacks in 2011, by trading pitchers Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson and Chad Qualls and catcher Chris Snyder.

He said it

"You have to take it as a compliment and try to prove them right."

Brett Wallace, highly touted first-base prospect to MLB.com, following the third trade of his three-year professional career -- directly, or in a roundabout way, he's been dealt for stars Matt Holliday, Roy Halladay and, last week, Roy Oswalt. The first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2008 now projects as the Astros first baseman of the future. He's hitting .301 with 18 homers and 61 RBIs in Triple A this season.

Become a fan of Covering the Bases on Facebook tpaul@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100802/OPINION03/8020353/1129/SPORTS0104/The-News-breaks-down-baseball-s-trade-deadline-winners-and-losers#ixzz0vTWBB1Co