UPDATED 3 PM: ESPN's Buster Olney tweets the D-Backs want a hefty price in prospects from the Tigers for Dan Haren:
Heard this: The Diamondbacks are asking the Tigers for pitchers Jacob Turner and Andrew Oliver.
If this is where talks are starting, I doubt Dave Dombrowski is listening...unless it's one of the other, not both.
UPDATED 6 PM: AOL Fanhouse writer Ed Price confirms the Tigers have (here's that term again) "some interest" in the Red Sox's rehabbing Mike Lowell.
Have confirmed CBSSports.com report that #Tigers, with Brandon Inge out, have some interest in Mike Lowell.
For better or worse, the "Lowell is of 'some interest' to the Tigers" rumor is starting to get some legs. Better legs than Lowell has, actually.
Original post: Trade speculation is flying fast and furious, while the non-waiver trade deadline is now only one week away. The rumor mongering is going into hyper-drive.
Let's start this rumor update with a note our fearless leader posted on Twitter this morning:
Every july and offseason I am reminded sports fans overvalue their own franchise's players and undervalue and undervalue all the others
Amen. Fans tend to fall in love with the Tigers' players and prospects, while overlooking their faults.
If Dave Dombrowski went into the trade market thinking as Kurt says, the Tigers wouldn't have Miguel Cabrera today. Then again, the sword can cut both ways, as shown by the Jair Jurrjens - Edgar Renteria deal. Personally, I don't mind the trading of prospects. For example, the odds Jacob Turner ever becomes as good as Dan Haren are pretty damn slim.
Far more prospects turn into busts than stars...or even into productive major league players.
As for any deals in the making, Jim Leyland made it known before Friday's game was called the Tigers' aren't making a trade for the sake of just shaking things up.
"For us to do something and give up a pretty good young player or players, it would be something that we would all have to feel we're getting a difference-maker," Leyland said Friday. "Not just making a deal where you're getting somebody that might be a little tad better than what you got."
So the Tigers want to receive a "difference-maker" in any trade they may make. If true, it may mean the Tigers are at least entertaining the idea of trading a top prospect, such as Jacob Turner.
It comes down one thing. Who do you consider a difference-maker? Dan Haren? Yes. Ted Lilly? I'm not nearly as sure.
Haren is still the topic du jour with the baseball journalists.
The Yankees were believed to be the leader in the Haren sweepstakes last night. Today, maybe not. ESPN's Jason Stark reported a deal involving the Yankees was never close, despite reports to the contrary on Friday.
Why? The Evil Empire won't include Joba Chamberlain in any deal.
The two teams did swap names Friday, the source said. But the Yankees rejected a Diamondbacks proposal that would have sent Joba Chamberlain, highly regarded pitching prospect Ivan Nova and two other prospects to Arizona for Haren.
SI's Jon Heyman echoes Stark, and also mentions the Diamondbacks are trying to attach some of their dead weight to any deal involving Haren.
At times in the talks, the Diamondbacks have tried to attach reliever Chad Qualls (1-4, 12 saves, 7.86 ERA) or catcher Chris Snyder (.233, 10 HRs, 32 RBIs) in the deal with the Yankees.
Snyder might be dead weight for some teams, but considering the Tigers' catching issues, it might make sense. At least Synder is putting up a decent OBP at .345, compared the the .295 of Alex Avila and .250 of Gerald Laird.
Remember, all NL stats should be taken with a grain of salt...it's called the junior varsity for a reason.
It bears repeating Haren has a no-trade clause in his deal, and the Tigers are included. Do the Tigers really want a player who isn't interested in playing in Detroit? //suddenly gets shivers thinking about Juan "No home, apartment" Gonzalez.//
Lilly, who is also on the Tigers' trade radar according to the baseball scribes, may be dealt before the weekend is over.
Lilly's trade value skyrocketed after he held the Houston Astros to one run in 7 1/3 innings Wednesday. His next scheduled start is Tuesday in Houston, and sources say the Cubs would like to complete a deal before that outing.
Of even more interest in the Sun Times piece is this snippet about the Tigers.
. The Detroit Tigers are also believed to be shifting their attention to Lilly after hitting a wall in talks with the Arizona Diamondbacks centering on Haren.
Lilly is a slightly affordable option, and more importantly, is a left-hander...both of which I'm sure the Tigers are taking heavily into consideration.
As for the other pitcher often brought up as being of interest, Ben Sheets, he's off the market. Today the A's placed him on the DL with elbow issues.
At CBS Sports, former Tigers beat guy Danny Knobler brings up the Mike Lowell rumor, claiming the Tigers have "some interest" in the injury rehabbing Red Sock.
Lowell makes $10 million, but the Red Sox would obviously be willing to pick up most of the remaining money if they are able to move him. The Tigers, who called up Scott Sizemore to at least temporarily take Inge's place at third base, would be a good fit if they determine that Lowell is healthy enough to play regularly.
Lowell is old and hurt. But he could come very cheap, which is why I'm sure the Tigers are at least showing "some interest."
Feel free to post any rumors or news you come across in the comments. Yesterday's comment thread was damn informative! If anything interesting does come up from the usual suspects or gets posted in the comments, I'll update this post with the latest.