Deadline Day’s MLB Trade Rumors: A Look Back At What Did And Didn’t Happen

A few days ago, the Houston Astros made starter Brett Myers ‘untouchable’. They took bids for him leading up to the deadline, naturally, but they weren’t in any hurry to move him, and now it seems they like him so much they’re taking things to the next level:

Myers has an $8m mutual option for 2011. With the Astros, he’s been able to post a career-low ERA while keeping his walks and home runs down a fair bit. Without knowing what other teams were offering, it’s impossible to say whether the Astros should’ve worked harder to move Myers at the deadline. This extension, though, if it happens, will give them continuity to a roster that may not have very much.

Seattle has approached Atlanta about a Chone Figgins deal. The M’s would have to eat a lot of the $$$ #trades

The Brewers’ Corey Hart appeared to be off the market earlier Saturday, but in the final minutes before the trade deadline, it appears possible that the Giants may be able to pick him up after all.

Hart’s 22 home runs and .911 OPS could give the Giants the extra push they need to pass the Padres in the N.L. West.

I think missing out on Cliff Lee might have made the Yankees mad, because now they’ve gone into ultra mode.

Wood is owed nearly $4m on the rest of his 2010 contract, which explains why the Indians would want to shed what salary they can. The long-time setup man missed time with a shoulder strain earlier in the year, but he’s come back with the same impressive velocity, the same iffy command, and the same occasional fits of unhittability. Though not always reliable, the Yankee bullpen has been in search of help, and between Wood, Joba Chamberlain, and David Robertson, they’d have three possible setup options with very good stuff. None of them are presently pitching very well, but odds are good that at least one of them would be able to get hot down the stretch.

We’re now less than an hour away from the trade deadline, and we’ve come across what might be the most interesting item of the day. From FanHouse’s Tom Krasovic:

Luke Scott hasn’t made a lot of noise over the past couple of days, though we knew the Rays were looking at him. The news that the Dodgers are interested makes previous reports of their willingness to deal Manny Ramirez seem even sillier.

With under two hours until Saturday’s trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Rays remain in the rumor mill. According to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the Rays are taking a look at relievers Scott Downs and Brandon League.

Grant Balfour’s trip to the disabled list is likely the Rays’ prime motivator here. Between closer Rafael Soriano (1.77 ERA), Joaquin Benoit (0.74), and Dan Wheeler (2.94), they already have a very impressive bullpen even without Balfour.

Lest you think that Edwin Jackson, Dan Haren, Chris Snyder, and Chad Qualls were the only players the Diamondbacks were looking to move, you should think again:

LaRoche is due seven figures the rest of the way and has a $1.5m 2011 buyout, while Johnson is an attractive, movable infielder, so it’s easy to see why the Diamondbacks would be looking to swing more trades. One team expressing interest in the latter?

We’re now three hours and change from the trade deadline (4:00 P.M. Eastern), and the biggest prize, Nationals slugger Adam Dunn, has not moved. However, the Tigers, White Sox, and Rays are still in the mix, tweets Jim Bowden of Fox Sports:

The biggest issue regarding Adam Dunn is that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo is refusing to lower his asking price. Jayson Stark tweets:

With Prince Fielder and Corey Hart off the market and Adam Dunn looking impossible to acquire, there are still teams out there in search of a big bat, but few big bats available to get. Solution? Try the wild:

And, from Joel Sherman:

On the day of the trade deadline, the Padres are apparently making an effort to add some power to their lineup in the form of outfielder Ryan Ludwick. FanHouse’s Tom Krasovic tweets:

This is one of the first rumors we’ve heard that involves two teams in the playoff hunt. The Padres lead the N.L. West and hold the best record in the National League thanks to their pitching. Save for Adrian Gonzalez, though, they don’t have anyone in their lineup with an OPS greater than .800.

In the final hours before the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Dodgers appear to be making the strongest push for Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly. From the L.A. Times:

For the time being, the Yankees, who were in the Lilly conversation for a time, appear to be less interested.

It was on Wednesday that word spread of the Astros calling Brett Myers ‘untouchable’ in trade talks. Guess who might be backtracking?

The Astros have already been stripped nearly bare with the trades of Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman, and if they were to deal Myers, they would have precious little left on the Major League roster. On the other hand, Myers isn’t exactly an untouchable kind of talent, and if there are interested teams out there willing to deal some sort of young value in exchange, the Astros have to pay attention. It would do the organization a disservice to be closed off to any proposals that may float in.

Well, it’s after midnight on both major coasts, which means it’s July 31st, or MLB non-waiver traded deadline day. What’s the first rumor we have on the table? It’s not the most exciting rumor in the world, but, well, take it away, Ken Rosenthal:

Qualls has drawn some degree of interest from several clubs in recent days.