Earlier today, I pointed out a report by the Boston Herald‘s Scott Lauber stating the Red Sox had cooled on Ubaldo Jimenez. My, what a few hours can do. SI’s Jon Heyman reports just the opposite:
“It now seems more likely that Colorado Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez could be traded. The Red Sox are the most aggressive puruser so far, but the Reds, Indians and Blue Jays are interested. The Yankees are on the outside for now but have some interest in acquiring Jimenez.
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Boston, which has some nice prospects including infielder Anthony Ranaudo and some others, is trying hard.
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The Rockies had sought a package of prospects, including catcher Jesus Montero and pitchers Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos and Ivan Nova from the Yankees. New York would probably do Montero and other prospects but not Banuelos.”
Word around town is the Rockies are looking for a “Herschel Walker” type deal, which makes sense considering they reportedly requested the king’s ransom of Jesus Montero, Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, and Ivan Nova from the Yankees. Montero, Baneulos, and Betances were in the top 50 of several pre-season prospect lists, so that’d be a major haul for Dan O’Dowd and the Rockies if they pulled it off. They won’t though; mostly because Brian Cashman’s not an idiot. He might be willing to part with Montero and Nova for Jimenez, but there’s no way he’s giving up either Baneulos or Betances as well. The cost is way too high. If Cashman were so inclined (and I doubt he is), he could spin one or both prospects in a separate deal(s) to bring in additional pieces to the puzzle either now or after the season.
What are the Rockies seeking from the Red Sox? According to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports, the Rockies have requested Kyle Weiland and Will Middlebrooks; presumably as a starting point. While both are good prospects capable of eventually being solid major league players, the prospects being asked of the Yankees have much higher ceilings. In fact, it’s not even close. If I was O’Dowd, I’d start with Anthony Ranaudo, Ryan Lavarnway, and Middlebrooks and go from there. Even still, the Yankee haul is still better a better deal. (If Banuelos is removed from the Yankee deal, it’s pretty even.)
Honestly, my opinion is that the Red Sox entered the Jimenez sweepstakes for the sole purpose of driving up the price on the Yankees. It’s a pretty smart move, and it wouldn’t be the first time these two clubs engaged in this type of activity. Ultimately, despite the frenzy of the last couple of days, I don’t see Jimenez neither moving to the AL East, nor elsewhere around the league. That said, I think the Rockies will make an aggressive push to move him after the season.