Indians general manager Mark Shapiro is asking for multiple high-end prospects in return for the left-hander. He is believed to prefer right-hander Wade Davis as the primary chip in the deal. So far, the Rays have balked at including him.
The Rays are trying to involve a third team in an attempt to satisfy Cleveland's prospect demands, major league sources told FOXSports.com senior baseball writer Ken Rosenthal. The third club would provide a second pitcher of the Indians' liking.
Tampa Bay has also shown interest in a number of relievers, sources said, including Cleveland's Rafael Betancourt, Toronto's Jason Frasor and Oakland's Michael Wuertz.
I absolutely love Wuertz. He's having more success now than in the past (same with Frasor) but he's always been a solid reliever. A quick look at each folloing the jump.
Michael Wuertz
Vitals: Right-handed, 30-years-old
Contract: Signed for 1.1 million this year, eligible for arbitration this season, and a free agent after 2011.
Scouting: Throws primarily a nasty slider and 90-92 MPH fastball.
Stats:
| Year | IP | FIP | tRA |
| 2009 | 46.3 | 2.1 | 1.67 |
| 2008 | 44.7 | 4.3 | 5.43 |
| 2007 | 72.3 | 3.94 | 3.47 |
Rafael Betancourt
Vitals: Right-handed, 34-years-old
Contract: 5.4 million club option for next season.
Scouting:Throws a 91-93 fastball, slider, and occasionally a change-up.
Stats:
| Year | IP | FIP | tRA |
| 2009 | 30.7 | 3.7 | 3.32 |
| 2008 | 71 | 4.4 | 4.69 |
| 2007 | 79.3 | 2.22 | 1.74 |
Jason Frasor
Vitals: Right-handed, 31-years-old
Contract: Eligible for free agency following 2010.
Scouting:Throws a 93-95 fastball, slider, and a split-finger fastball.
Stats:
| Year | IP | FIP | tRA |
| 2009 | 35 | 2.59 | 2.68 |
| 2008 | 47.3 | 4.55 | 5.78 |
| 2007 | 57 | 3.17 | 3.64 |
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As you can tell, relievers are volatile. Each offers one poor seasons in the past three, yet have the reputation of solid relievers. Why? Because the sample size of innings is usually so low that we can't say a ton of things with a degree of confidence. Here's how some other metrics stack the trio up:
| Pitcher | GB% | SwStr% | K% | uBB% |
| Betancourt | 30.9 | 13.1 | 24.8 | 8.8 |
| Wuertz | 43.8 | 19.8 | 33.9 | 6.7 |
| Frasor | 31.5 | 9.7 | 23 | 6 |
So much for a boring deadline.