While today was seen as an overall "slow" day at the Winter Meetings, there were plenty of rumors swirling about the Rays. Jason Bartlett was being traded for Nolan Reimold, then Friedman wanted more than that, then the Orioles said Reimold was untouchable - yadda yadda yadda. The Winter Meetings are full of lots of posturing, and it's also possible that none of these rumors (all of which originated from the Baltimore side) had any substance to them.
Andrew Friedman took some time to have an end-of-the-day chat with the media, and Jason Collette has the news:
- Don't expect any trades tonight. Friedman suggested that nothing was close, and reminded the press that when they've made trades in the past, it's normally been an unexpected move and one that was not rumored about. He stressed the importance of acquiring bullpen arms, although also mentioned how difficult it can be to acquire high-end players like Heath Bell.
- The Rays have some deals out to some free agent relievers at the moment, but everyone seems to be trying to see how the market will play out. Players and agents are getting (Jason's words), "delusions of grandeur."
As a final note, here's the text from Joe Maddon's discussion with the press this afternoon. It's a PDF file, so be forewarned.