6 months ago
Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay should be staying put until this winter, but in this wacky baseball environment you never know.
San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was nearly traded before Friday's non-waiver trade deadline but is now likely to stay put, according to general manager Kevin Towers.
Then again ...
Just because the deadline has passed, don't think the trades will stop. Teams must place players through waivers, a process in which teams, starting with those with the worst record, can claim a player made available and then work out a trade.
Last August, four-time Cy Young winner Greg Maddux was traded from the Padres to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Slugger Adam Dunn went from the Cincinnati Reds to the Arizona Diamondbacks. This month could be the same.
"I think it's difficult for some players to get through waivers, because there's a lot of claiming going on," Towers said Sunday. "But there will be some activity. I thought there was more activity than normal last week. So we may see the same thing in August."
The Padres plan to try to pass Gonzalez and closer Heath Bell through waivers in August, Towers said. He expected both to be claimed, but if nothing else the team will find out who is interested in them for the winter.
The August trades tend to focus on high-salaried players and relievers who get through waivers. The Diamondbacks will likely see who's interested in potential free agent starters Jon Garland and Doug Davis.
The Seattle Mariners could have one of the top commodities on the market in starter Erik Bedard, if he's healthy and has success in August. They listened to offers last week for ace Felix Hernandez, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said, but were never tempted by any offer.
Of the high-paid position players likely to be placed on waivers, Baltimore Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora has expressed his desire to be traded. "It's time for me to move on," he told the Baltimore Sun.
