Following tonight’s game against the Tigers, the Tampa Bay Rays announced that they have traded Scott Kazmir to the Angels for prospects Alexander Torres, Matthew Sweeney, and a Player to Be Named Later.
Torres was 13-4 with a 2.75 ERA in Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Arkansas this season.
Sweeney was hitting .299 with nine home runs [...]

Speaking of the trade deadline…
In 2004, on the trade deadline, Mets GM Jim Duquette traded a 20–year-old LHP Scott Kazmir to the Rays for Victor Zambrano, who had gone 21-17 in the previous two seasons.
Kazmir had been 25–17 with a 3.49 ERA in 358 innings, during which he struck out 405 batters.
However, this season, in [...]

Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Rays have shopped LHP Scott Kazmir to the Mets and Rangers.
According to Sherman, “Tampa is trying to see if they could trade Kazmir, Carlos Pena and in the right blockbuster even Carl Crawford to free up dollars to make a bigger trade.”
…the buzz around baseball seems [...]

Update, 3:20 pm:
MLB Trade Rumors is reporting that the Boston Red Sox have made a “strong offer” for Halladay.
The Red Sox reportedly offered Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Ryan Westmoreland  for Halladay.
Original Post:
In a post to his blog for the New York Post, Joel Sherman is reporting that the Texas Rangers have entered the Roy Halladay [...]

Yesterday, Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse said the Rays may look to trade Scott Kazmir, which, according to other reports, could free up money to help them acquire a pitcher like Cliff Lee.
Buster Olney of ESPN.com later said the Angels are interested in acquiring Kazmir.
However, today, Mark Saxon of the OC Register says the Angels have not discussed Kazmir [...]

Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse says the Rays may look to move Scott Kazmir, which, according to other reports, could free up money to help them acquire a pitcher like Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay.
Buster Olney of ESPN.com believes the Angels are interested in acquiring Kazmir.
…i have been getting lots of e-mail from fans who [...]

To watch video of my interview with John Franco, during which we talk about his new role with the Mets and rumors about his involvement in the Scott Kazmir trade, click play below:

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At Gotham Baseball, Eric Stashin discusses the repercussions of trading Scott Kazmir in 2004.
Stashin writes:
“I don’t think that the Mets would have won a championship in ’06, even with Kazmir.  It wasn’t the starting pitching that did them in during that series. You just can’t say that Kazmir would have made such a drastic difference, [...]

Yesterday, while leaving Shea Stadium, I saw a guy wearing a Scott Kazmir Mets jersey.
I stopped him and asked if he spent money on it prior to the trade, or after.  Naturally, he ordered it online after the trade.
What’s interesting, though, is it was sent to him with a space between the Z and M in [...]

“Even though he is entering his first year of arbitration eligibility, there’s already talk that Scott Kazmir’s days as a Ray are numbered,” writes the St. Petersburg Times.
According to the report, the Rays approached Kazmir about a long-term extension last year, ‘but nothing developed.’
In early November, in the New York Post, citing ‘an executive familiar [...]

According to Baseball America, the Mets have signed minor-league, free-agent RHP Joselo Diaz.
…yes, his name should sound familiar to you, since he’s the other guy who went with Scott Kazmir in the tampa bay deal…
…so, one down from that deal…and one to go…
…hat tip to Adam Rubin for the link…

Omar Minaya, talking to reporters yesterday from Orlando…

“We’re always looking for a frontline starter, and that’s difficult to do…Teams aren’t willing to give them up unless you really blow them away and give them a lot of players.”

Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi recently told ESPN.com that he is willing to entertain trade offers for RHP A.J. [...]

In a recent post to his blog for ESPN.com, Buster Olney details how difficult it is going to be for the Mets to acquire the top-flight starting pitcher they are looking for.
According to Olney, executives and scouts with other teams do not believe Mike Pelfrey or Phil Humber are close to being ready, considering the [...]

In the New York Post, citing ‘an executive familiar with the team’s thinking,’ Joel Sherman writes that the Devil Rays may entertain offers for LHP Scott Kazmir, depending on how the market develops for Johan Santana.
…first off, i vowed to stop taking the bait on d’rays rumors years ago, after they sat on Aubrey Huff [...]