Bedard should help give the Red Sox rotation a boost, while Aviles is a veteran utility player who will give the Sox some added depth.
It’s unclear when Bedard will make his first start in a Sox uniform, but the move could pay off, as the left-hander has pitched well over the course of his career when healthy.
Having pitched in Baltimore and Seattle, though, this will mark the first time he’s pitched in a big market. We’ll see if he can excel in light of the pressure and elevate his game down the stretch for the Sox.
5:36 p.m.: According to the Seattle Mariners’ official Twitter account, the deal that sends Erik Bedard to the Red Sox is complete.
The Sox will receive Erik Bedard and Josh Fields from the Mariners.
Bedard is, of course, the centerpiece of the deal. Fields, a 25-year-old right-handed reliever, has spent this season with Double-A Jackson and Triple-A Tacoma.
The Mariners have received minor league outfielders Chih-Hsien Chiang from the Red Sox and Trayvon Robinson from the Dodgers as part of the deal.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ official Twitter account reported that the Dodgers have received catcher Tim Federowicz, and right-handers Stephen Fife and Juan Rodriguez from the Red Sox in exchange for Trayvon Robinson. As mentioned, Robinson was then flipped to the Mariners in exchange for Bedard.
So overall, here is how the trade looks:
Red Sox receive: Erik Bedard, Josh Fields
Mariners receive: Trayvon Robinson, Chih-Hsien Chiang
Dodgers receive: Tim Federowicz, Juan Rodriguez, Stephen Fife
5:14 p.m.: The Pirates have officially landed Ryan Ludwick. There was a lot of trade speculation surrounding the outfielder leading up to the deadline and he is, in fact, headed to Pittsburgh to join the Pirates’ quest to capture the NL Central.
The Padres will receive a player to be named later or cash considerations in exchange for the 33-year-old.
This marks the second consecutive year that Ludwick has been dealt just prior to the trade deadline. Last season, he was shipped to the Padres for their improbable playoff push from the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a three-team deal that also included the Cleveland Indians.
Ludwick, who was an All-Star in 2008, entered Sunday with 11 home runs and 64 RBIs to go along with a .238 batting average and a .301 on-base percentage. During his 2008 All-Star season, Ludwick hit 37 home runs, racked up 113 RBIs and batted .299.
He marks the second veteran bat that the Pirates have acquired in as many days. On Saturday, the Pirates acquired first baseman Derrek Lee from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for a minor leaguer.
5:02 p.m.: It looks like the Red Sox have landed a starting pitcher, as multiple sources have reported that the Sox have acquired Erik Bedard from the Seattle Mariners in a deal that also includes the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bedard is 4-7 with a 3.45 ERA in 16 starts with Seattle this season. He’s battled injuries in the past, but he boasts a solid career ERA of 3.69.
With Clay Buchholz’s status still uncertain — he’s scheduled to see another specialist on Monday — this move helps give the Sox rotation a boost for the stretch run.
4:10 p.m.: Barring the possiblity of a major trade that hasn’t been made public yet, the consensus winners at the trade deadline are the Braves and the Rangers.
The Rangers turned a weakness into a huge strength by adding Koji Uehara from the Orioles and Mike Adams from the Padres. With those two joining closer Neftali Feliz, the Rangers shorten the game if they lead after six innings.
As a bonus, either Adams or Uehara could be used as closers next season if the Rangers choose to move Feliz to the rotation where he belongs.
The Braves, already in strong position to earn the NL wild card spot, may have officially nailed it down by acquiring Astros center fielder Michael Bourn. Bourn is one of, if not the, best defensive center fielder, by both subjective and statistical measures. Jordan Schafer, who was dealt to Houstin in exchange, was a fine defensive center fielder who did a nice job for the Braves, but it’s doubtful he’ll ever get on base even at the most modest rates of Bourn’s career.
4:05 p.m.: The Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Red Sox, have removed catcher Tim Federowicz. Mike Antonellis, radio broadcaster for the Sea Dogs, was the first to tweet it.
It’s not clear why Federowicz was removed, but third baseman Will Middlebrooks is also not in the lineup Sunday for the Sea Dogs.
3:58 p.m.: With two minutes to go until the trade deadline, the Pirates are closing in on a trade for Padres outfielder Ryan Ludwick, reports Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.
Ludwick’s $6.7 million contract, which ends after this season, is to blame for all this interest for a player rocking a .301 on-base percentage. The Indians were considered the front-runners for Ludwick earlier this afternoon.
3:36 p.m.: The Yankees have been noticeably silent at the trade deadline.
Two games behind the Red Sox in the AL East and with just one starter in CC Sabathia who most teams would feel comfortable leading them into a postseason, the Yankees have not been a relevant player Sunday. They were reportedly in the mix for Ubaldo Jimenez and are still placed on the fringes of a possible Heath Bell deal, but nothing has solidified for them.
And before anybody goes running for the stat sheet, no, most teams would not feel comfortable with a postseason rotation that includes Freddy Garcia, A.J. Burnett and Bartolo Colon. Be serious.
3:10 p.m.: The Padres liked Rangers minor league pitchers Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland, according to SI’s Jon Heyman. The Rangers liked Padres closer Heath Bell.
The Padres got their wish, but the Rangers only got half of theirs.
The Rangers settled for setup man Mike Adams, not only giving the Friars the prospects they desired but also leaving All-Star Bell available for another deal. The Phillies are reportedly still in the mix, and the Cardinals have been interested for a while. The Yankees don’t appear to be serious contenders for Bell’s services. The Rangers, who now have Adams, Koji Uehara and Neftali Feliz at the back end of their bullpen, are probably done dealing for relievers.
Bell was expected to be moved, and it’s interesting that with less than 50 minutes to go until the deadline, he has yet to be moved. Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune pondered Saturday whether Bell would accept arbitration and remain a Padre if he isn’t traded.
3:01 p.m.: T-minus one hour until the non-waiver trade deadline passes. Again, for anyone who may not be familiar with the process, teams can still execute trades after Sunday. The process just gets muddled, however, because they’d have to put the players involved in the deals on waivers first. So for efficiency’s sake, that’s why teams would rather get deals done Sunday.
The Yankees appear to have negotiated themselves out of a deal for Astros pitcher Wandy Rodriguez, requesting not only the left-hander but also a portion of his salary in exchange for second-tier picks. Not even Ed Wade is dumb enough to accept that.
The Phillies reportedly are still in the mix for Padres closer Heath Bell, who is still available, contrary to multiple reports.
2:52 p.m.: The physical isn’t complete, but everyone — like ESPN’s Jayson Stark — who reported earlier that the deal should not be called official until the results of a physical came back — are now reporting the deal is done.
Then again, many of these guys are the same ones who reported en masse that the Rangers had nabbed Padres reliever Heath Bell, only to backtrack moments later and report that it was Mike Adams, not Bell, who is headed to Arlington.
Anyway, it seems safe to conclude that the Jimenez trade is official. And in that case, it’s also safe to conclude that the Indians overreacted big time to their surprisingly solid season.
Notice the use of words there. “Solid” is not “spectacular” or “shocking.” The Tribe is still 1 1/2 games behind the Tigers in the AL Central as of this writing, and 3-7 in its last 10 games. The White Sox, just 1 1/2 games behind the Indians, are starting to pull it together. And in that division, it’s division crown or bust; the wild card will be hard to pry from the Red Sox or Yankees, whichever one doesn’t win the AL East.
So why did the Indians ship their top three pitching prospects (Alex White, Joe Gardner and a player to be named later who has already been reported as Drew Pomeranz) to the Rockies for a 27-year-old pitcher with a 1.374 WHIP? If you point to his first half in 2010, you don’t get it. Since then, his velocity is down, his ERA and WHIP are up, and his confidence appears shot.
Being allowed to start Saturday’s game knowing a trade was in the works was terrible management by the Rockies (what do you expect from an organization that employs Jim Tracy?), but even with that as an excuse, Jimenez looked like a deer in the headlights on the mound Saturday.
Jimenez is only 27 and could regain his pre-All-Star break 2010 form. If he does, he’s a good investment, since the Indians will hold a team option for 2013.
But dealing top prospects like White, Gardner and Pomeranz is something a team does when it needs a final piece to win it all, not simply to add a questionable hurler for the immediate future.
What do you think of the Jimenez trade? Vote in our poll.
2:35 p.m.: A Padres reliever is heading to Texas, but it is not Heath Bell.
The Rangers have acquired Mike Adams from the Padres, sending pitching prospects Joe Wieland and Robbie Erlin to San Diego.
Adams, a 33-year-old right-hander, has appeared in 48 games this season, posting a 1.13 ERA with 49 strikeouts.
Ken Rosenthal had originally reported that the Rangers had acquired Bell, but he quickly retracted his report.
2:20 p.m.: It’s looking more and more like Denard Span’s return from the disabled list will be in a Twins uniform.
Though the Nationals have been linked to the 27-year-old outfielder for some time now, as the deadline approaches talks between the Nats and Twins have cooled off.
Yahoo’s Tim Brown tweeted earlier that the Twins are doubting the deal will get done in time. The holdup in the deal, according to CBSSports’ Scott Miller, is that Washington is unwilling to part with closer Drew Storen, whom Minnesota covets in return for Span.
It appears when all is said and done that Span may get his wish. He tweeted this morning his desire to remain in Minnesota and fulfill the contract he signed last year.
“I want to be in a twins uniform after today and for the rest of the deal I Signed a year ago!” he tweeted.
2 p.m.: One big name still on the market is Padres closer Heath Bell.
The Rangers remain the front runners to land the closer, although SI’s Ken Rosenthal reports they are “losing momentum,” and do not want to pay big bucks for Bell after acquiring Koji Uehara from Baltimore on Saturday.
A deal to send Bell to St. Louis is now reportedly all but squashed, but the Yankees, Angels and Phillies remain as potentials.
Bell currently holds a 2.31 ERA with 24 saves this season in San Diego, and has reached 40 saves in each of the past two years.
1:50 p.m.: The Diamondbacks are certainly looking to make a push for the playoffs.
After acquiring Jason Marquis, the Diamondbacks traded for Oakland A’s reliever Brad Ziegler.
Arizona will give up first baseman Brandon Allen and reliever Jordan Norberto.
A sidearm righty, Ziegler has a 2.39 ERA in 43 appearances. In 2008, his rookie season, Ziegler had a 1.06 ERA in just under 60 innings.
1:25 p.m.: This just qualifies as odd.
The Blue Jays are interested in Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta, according to SI’s Jon Heyman. This is puzzling because Toronto has a 25-year-old catcher in J.P. Arencibia who is seventh among big league catchers with at least 300 plate appearances with a .743 OPS. This would seem to just create a logjam with two relatively young backstops. Stay tuned.
1:04 p.m.: The Indians appear to be going all-in. After acquiring Kosuke Fukudome from the Cubs last week, the Tribe is close to picking up Ryan Ludwick of the Padres, Yahoo’s Tim Brown reports.
Ludwick is hardly the on-base threat of Fukudome, who had a .374 OBP at the time of the trade, but at least Ludwick has some pop. Ludwick has 11 home runs — including five at spacious Petco Park — this season to Fukudome’s three.
The Pirates are interested in Ludwick, according to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Rob Biertempfel. But the status of their interest is not clear now that the Buccos have acquired first baseman Derrek Lee.
The Pirates’ interest in Ludwick was always mild, Biertempfel has reported, and the Pirates would be better served patiently building the good thing they have going than overreacting to one OK year.
12:49 p.m.: The Yankees reportedly are hoping the Astros will continue their fire sale so that left-handed pitcher Wandy Rodriguez falls into their laps.
The Yankees, who have resisted dealing top prospects like Manuel Banuelos, reportedly do not want to give up much for Rodriguez, who is having his third consecutive solid season as a full-time starter with the Astros. He has a 3.47 ERA and 1.29 WHIP, so he’s good, but not quite good enough for the Yankees to make a blockbuster offer.
Multiple news outlets have reported the Yankees’ tepid interest.
This might be more than a little wishful thinking by the Bombers. After all, the Phillies and Braves both gave up top prospects for Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn, so while players are going fast in Houston, they’re not coming cheap. Lame duck general manager Ed Wade is making his last impression on the franchise by rebuilding its farm system.
12:42 p.m.: Buster Olney is all over some potential moves involving the Diamondbacks. Hey, somebody’s got to do it.
The D’backs, who are three games back of the Giants in the NL West and eating the Braves’ dust in the wild card race, are talking with the A’s about reliever Brad Ziegler and are taking a look at Grant Balfour, according to Olney. The D’backs need an experienced, back-end reliever if they hope to challenge the Giants’ deep pitching staff.
12:34 p.m.: First baseman Lars Anderson, reportedly a piece of a potential trade for A’s pitcher Rich Harden that fell apart Saturday, is in the lineup for the PawSox on Sunday, NESN’s Tom Caron tweeted.
Anderson is viewed as a trade chip because he brings a capable bat at first base but is blocked in Boston by Adrian Gonzalez. He appeared in 18 games for the Red Sox in 2010 and is batting .261 with 10 home runs and 58 RBIs with the PawSox this season.
12:30 p.m.: It’s done. The Dodgers have traded shortstop Rafael Furcal to the Cardinals for minor league outfielder Alex Castellanos, Major League Baseball announced via its official Twitter account.
11:47 a.m.: Don’t label to Ubaldo Jimenez deal “done” just yet. The Indians are still awaiting results of a physical, reports Jayson Stark of ESPN. Updates to come.
11:44 a.m.: The Cardinals and Rangers have been reported as having great interest in Padres closer Heath Bell, and it now appears the Yankees have fallen behind in the race to add Bell.
The Cardinals added Octavio Dotel last week and the Rangers added Koji Uehara, but it does not appear to have helped New York’s shot at the 2011 All-Star. The Yankees are a “longshot” to get Bell, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney via Twitter.
11:35 a.m.: A trade to bring Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal to the Cardinals “will get done,” a source has told MLB.com. That confirms multiple reports that a deal was approved Saturday night.
Acquiring Furcal immediately gives the Cardinals the legitimate big league shortstop they lacked in Ryan Theriot. If healthy, Furcal covers nearly as much ground as any shortstop and still has one of the strongest throwing arms around.
The best news for Dodgers fans in this deal is that prospect Dee Gordon, best known for his speed and his ability to impersonate an 8-year-old, probably becomes an everyday player.
11:13 a.m.: The Nationals seem to really, really want Twins center fielder Denard Span.
Span was placed on the 15-day disabled list after suffering a concussion and is due back Tuesday. He was cleared to play on Friday.
Why would the Nats be so enamored of a post-concussed player who has never been an All-Star? Span is a perfect example of how little things like All-Star appearances and batting titles actually mean. He’s been one of the most consistent leadoff hitters in the game for four straight years, and his .366 on-base percentage is exactly what Washington needs at the top of its lineup. He’s also a solid defensive outfielder.
The Twins reportedly are asking a lot — 23-year-old right-hander Drew Storen, for one — but the Nats want Span so badly, they may be willing to deal the coveted reliever, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
11:04 a.m.: Rays center fielder B.J. Upton is likely to stay put because Tampa Bay will probably get a better deal in the offseason, Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman reports.
Melvin Emanuel “Bossman Junior” Upton appeared on the verge of stardom when he batted .300 with a .386 on-base percentage and 24 home runs in 2007. His power numbers fell off a cliff after that season — with the exception of a monster division series and ALCS in 2008 — and he’s barely a replacement-level player now.
10:32 a.m.: Fans are being more than a little hypocritical about Hiroki Kuroda invoking his no-trade clause, if you ask me.
Kuroda told the Dodgers he would not waive the no-trade clause in his contract to facilitate a deal to a contender, namely to the Yankees or Red Sox. While that’s his right, per the language of his contract, some have criticized the right-handed pitcher for not wanting to jump a sinking ship for a chance to win a championship.
Look at it from the other perspective. If the Red Sox were having a down year and had a star player who said he’d rather play in Boston than leave for a chance to win elsewhere, we’d appreciate his loyalty. As Kuroda said Saturday, he signed a contract through the end of the 2011 season and “I want to fulfill that obligation through to the end.”
He’s got a contract and he wants to see it through. Hard to find any fault with that.
10:25 a.m.: The Dodgers appear to have traded shortstop Rafael Furcal, reportedly to St. Louis, after Furcal was removed from the lineup and packed his bags in the clubhouse on Saturday.
No formal announcement has been made, although the Dodgers’ website claims the teams are on the verge of a deal.
The Cardinals are 1 1/2 games back of Milwaukee in the NL Central and could be out of the wild card race entirely barring a huge collapse by Atlanta. They are in dire need of a shortstop and made it clear by dealing Colby Rasmus last week that they are in win-now mode.
9:48 a.m.: The Braves and Astros have completed a deal to send center fielder Michael Bourn to Atlanta for minor leagues, FoxSports’ Ken Rosenthal reports.
Bourn gives the Braves a proven bat and glove in center, where they have been playing 27-year-old Jose Constanza due to injuries to Nate McLouth and Jordan Schafer. Both could be back by mid-August.
The Braves, who are five games back of the Phillies in the NL Central and 4 1/2 games up in the wild card race, can immediately plug Bourn into their leadoff spot. Bourn has career highs in batting average (.303) and on-base percentage (.363) and leads the NL with 39 stolen bases.
9:27 a.m.: Derrek Lee is unlikely to vault the Pirates significantly past the Cardinals, Brewers and Reds in the NL Central race, but he gives them a right-handed bat that at least has a reputation for hitting left-handed pitchers for power.
The reality is not so kind to Lee, however. He has just a .319 on-base percentage against left-handed starters this season, but even that is a marked improvement over Lyle Overbay’s .294 OBP against lefties.
The Pirates, 3 1/2 games back in the Central, now have a platoon of mediocre first basemen: righty Lee with that .319 OBP against lefties to start against southpaws, and lefty Overbay with his .304 OBP against righties. Break up the Bucs!
8:10 a.m.: Multiple outlets report the Red Sox pulled out of a deal to acquire starting pitcher Rich Harden from the Oakland A’s over concern about Harden’s medical history.
Harden, once seen as the latest in a line of outstanding A’s pitchers like Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder, has been handcuffed by injuries throughout his career. He has made at least 30 starts in a season just once in his nine-year career, and is not on pace to surpass that number in 2011.
8:05 a.m.: The Ubaldo Jimenez trade is a huge risk for the Indians, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian says.
Despite being called the “greatest pitcher in Rockies history” by the Denver Post, Jimenez has only had one good half-season in his career. The Indians gave up a load of prospects to secure him. Drew Pomeranz and Alex White, who were the centerpieces of the deal for the Rockies, are two of the top pitching prospects in baseball.
8 a.m.: So far, deadline deals have come in fits and starts. Colorado Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez was traded to the Indians, then he wasn’t. Now it appears he’s traded again. The Red Sox had a deal in place for Rich Harden, but that deal appears to have fallen through due to medical concerns.
Hopefully, not every deal Sunday goes like these.
7:30 a.m.: Some teams, such as the Philadelphia Phillies, have made their blockbuster deals and look set for the stretch run. Others, such as the Red Sox, are either trying to finalize trades or are looking for other trade partners.
The Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline is Sunday at 4 p.m., meaning this is the last chance for teams to execute trades without first placing players on the waiver wire. The action got started last week with moves such as Carlos Beltran going to the San Francisco Giants and Colby Rasmus heading to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Expect more big names to change jerseys Sunday.
