Dodger Trade Rumors Popping Up Now

From MLB Trade Rumors:

• Speaking of Lee, Seattle is telling clubs that they want young hitters in return for the ace. It’s a desire that could be a hurdle for several interested clubs. The Mets, for example, wouldn’t part with Ike Davis in order to land the hurler on a rental. Meanwhile, the Dodgers wouldn’t want to give up Matt Kemp or James Loney.
• Rosenthal adds that the Dodgers may have a hard time landing the elite starter that they seek. The Astros are looking for financial relief and top prospects in return for Roy Oswalt. Pulling off a deal for Dan Haren of the Diamondbacks could prove to be difficult as Arizona likely doesn’t want to trade him within the division.

Just before that, Rosenthal said the Twins could be major players in the Lee sweepstakes. Trading for Dan Haren is intriguing. Mets sound like the smartest landing spot for Lee, they’ve been more free-wheeling in regards to giving up prospects and have the ones most prepared for the majors in Ike Davis. They could just as easily go for Haren, though, which would be awesome since CitiField is good for flyball pitchers and Haren’s been burned all season on the HR/FB ratio.

I guess Oswalt just won’t go anywhere.

As we’re nearing the deadline, it looks like the Dodgers are less and less likely to make a deal for a top-tier starter. The biggest move the Dodgers make sounds most likely to be for another relief pitcher, which wouldn’t be bad–the bullpen does need help.

A Q&A with Project Prospect’s Adam W. Foster

Adam W. Foster is the fanatic’s scout.  He has a good eye and often replies to open questions asked on Twitter. He has catalogued videos of nearly every prospect in each organization. His opinions are respected within the community, but mention his name to the casual baseball fan–or even an avid baseball fan–and you’ll likely get a “who?”

Foster, who runs Project Prospect with Lincoln Hamilton, took time out of his pre-draft schedule to talk about the 2010 Rule IV draft and the current state of the Dodgers’ minor league system.  Questions are in italics.

(Before you continue reading, remember that Foster is a Giants fan and is Grade A evil for what he says about the Dodgers’ minor league system).

For the upcoming 2010 Rule IV draft, what’s the first thing that stands out to you? What should the casual fan know about the talent that’s coming out of this draft?

There aren’t many attractive college bats coming out of major conferences. …