A's fan here and once again a talent is shipped away for less than touted players. I trust they will be given a chance and i'm sure one or two will shine or elevate their play, but i really scratched my head with Beane throwing in Gaudin. I know the cubs probably wanted some insurance should harden go down, and Gaudin has flown under lots of radar, make no mistake he's a very good pitcher, who is only going to get better. But at the end of the day, cubs fans, enjoy rich when he is on the hill, its a treat to watch him work his magic. I think he might be healthy for once and i hope he stays healthy, he's a truely amazing talent i think everyone can enjoy watching. I wasn't too fond of the Haren trade or swisher trade, or letting Zito go either. And time after time the A's scouts come through with giving beane a strong recommendation on returning players. I couldn't be more happy with the haren trade now with Cargon and evenland and smith. Who have all played extremely well in their early roles with the A's. Oh well, the only thing that wasn't a suprise is that beane made another high profile trade that seems lopsided the other way, time will tell if it was a smart move for him or not. Us a's fans have some serious blind faith, no matter how many times he does moves like this.
* Ken Rosenthal has a new column up. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/...er-make-a-move??CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=3498 The Dodgers could've gotten CC Sabathia, Casey Blake, and Jamey Carroll without giving up Matt Kemp. Owner Frank McCourt may have killed the deal, though he denies it. Rosenthal describes the Dodgers as a "near-impossible trading partner." Rosenthal reminds us that A.J. Burnett can veto trades to 15 teams and would probably require compensation to waive that right or his opt-out rights. The Rays are named as the frontrunner for Brian Fuentes. Fuentes has been linked to nine clubs in various reports. Players such as Orlando Cabrera, Cristian Guzman, Jack Wilson, and J.J. Hardy may be hot commodities this winter given the large number of teams looking for a shortstop. The Royals received inquiries on Jose Guillen in the wake of his scuffle with the team's pitching coach. However, the Royals plan to keep him. The Yankees are still interested in Rockies closer Brian Fuentes; the Rox might be interested in Mark Melancon.
This guy at SI ranks the top available players and gives the odds of them being moved. How he arrived at the odds is a mystery to all. I agree with what he says about the all-star game also. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_heyman/07/09/trade.market/index.html
Well, if Joel Sherman says it, it must be true! I'd love for them to get one of those guys; I've been on the Dunn bandwagon for a long time. But Sherman's about as credible a source as my cat.
* The First Baseman Market Revisited Mark Teixeira, Braves. As Mark Bowman wrote yesterday, the Braves may need a few weeks to decide whether to sell or buy. Teixeira is hitting .275/.381/.492. Frank Wren might have a hard time finding a match for Teixeira. He's an upgrade on guys like Casey Kotchman, Carlos Delgado, and Chad Tracy, but is the improvement worth it? Rich Aurilia, Giants. Aurilia could make sense as a platoon partner for Tracy in Arizona, if Brian Sabean doesn't mind helping a team in his division. Aurilia hit well in May and June. Dmitri Young, Nationals. He's hitting well, but keep in mind Jim Bowden couldn't find a deal he liked last year when Young had a .900 OPS and wasn't a contractual burden. Lyle Overbay, Blue Jays. Overbay is owed $14MM over 2009-10, and he is slugging under .400. Not a hot commodity. Kevin Millar, Orioles. The O's are 7.5 games out of the wild card, so their strategy is unknown. Millar's value seems to be mostly intangible. Adam LaRoche, Pirates. Like clockwork, LaRoche is having a big July after a slow start. Selling high on him might make sense, but the Bucs haven't given any indication of that. Extension talks fizzled in April. Frank Catalanotto, Rangers. Useful player who can also handle left field. However, he carries a commitment of $4MM for '09 plus a $2MM buyout on his '10 option. Aaron Boone, Nationals. Respectable role player, but the Nationals might prefer to keep him around as a clubhouse leader. Richie Sexson, Mariners. Looking for a silver lining...he's having a nice year against lefties? Wes Helms, Marlins. One positive: the Phillies are paying his salary. Kendry Morales, Angels. The 25 year-old was hitting .324/.365/.505 in Triple A until hitting the DL with an oblique strain. Chris Duncan, Cardinals. He is fairly expendable, though he's had a rough year and has never hit lefties. Casey Blake, Indians. He's a versatile player with a decent chance of being moved. Anthony Castrovince makes a good point - the Tribe might want to re-sign him to play third base next year. Matt Stairs, Blue Jays. Last year's power and respectable work against southpaws has disappeared. Scott Hatteberg. He seems to have disappeared since being designated for assignment by the Reds in May.
Full Trade Market Summary Over the last few weeks, we've attempted to determine the players available for trade at each position. http://mlbtr.blogs.sportsline.com/mcc/blogs/entry/8691437/8797774
I've been hoping for awhile that the Mets would do something at first base. I accept that they probably can't get rid of Delgado, but even a platoon partner would be nice, since he's hopeless against LHP at this point. He could probably be had for cheap, and is hitting lefty pitching reasonably well this year. Certainly better than Carlos Delgado is. I think/hope he can still play LF. I'd rather have Xavier Nady, if we're going to add a Pirate 1B/corner OF type. I've always liked Catalanotto. He doesn't really help from a platoon standpoint, since he's lefthanded, but he can play three different positions and gets on base. Here's a guy the Mets should really consider. Blake's 34, 35 in August, meaning that he may not be a great fit for a Cleveland team that's rebuilding. He mashes lefties and can play four different positions (1B, 3B, RF, LF).
Phillies, Cards interested in Bedard Posted: Thursday July 10, 2008 07:49AM ET The trouble with Erik Bedard is that he has battled an assortment of hurts and now has trouble going more than five or six innings. Seattle will have to try to get Bedard healthy enough to pitch deeper into games after the break if it hopes to maximize any returns for him on the trade front. Any serious returns for Bedard could depend on multiple teams competing for his services. The Philadelphia Phillies are said to be interested, while the St. Louis Cardinals are in need of arms as well. http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/mlb#
D-Backs consider signing Bonds Posted: Thursday July 10, 2008 07:42AM ET With a stated need to improve against right-handed pitching, the Diamondbacks have had internal discussions regarding free agent Barry Bonds. Players also have brought up Bonds' name as a potential offensive booster. And while it may be a good time to pursue Bonds since he would seem to have something to prove after being bypassed this offseason, it is unclear how far the D-Backs will go, even after learning Tuesday that Eric Byrnes is almost certain to miss the remainder of the regular season regardless of whether he needs surgery for his torn left hamstring. http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/mlb#
I still think Bonds to NL club is a liablity for LF play....he is so much better suited for AL at this point....I was convinced he would land in Detriot with is ol' Pirate skipper but when that opportunity came and went I really do not think any MLB club is going to sign him. I just think he is done in baseball.
You could go after Sexson for free.... Richie Sexson, 1B SEA News: The Mariners have released first baseman Richie Sexson. Sexson was hitting .218 in 74 games with Seattle this season, striking out 76 times in 252 at-bats. He agreed in December 2004 to a $50 million, four-year contract. They'll eat about $6MM in salary for the rest of the year. But he is available for free negotiations now.
* Phillies Like Burnett, Lowe http://www.theglobeandmail.com/serv....WBbaseball20080710130217/WBStory/WBbaseball/ 12:58pm: Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail has details on the Phillies' pursuit of Burnett. He says the Jays are scouting the Phils' Double A club, and like Greg Golson, Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, Jason Donald, and Brad Harman. It seems that Carrasco, Golson, or Marson would have to be in a deal. Blair says the Phillies might try to convince Burnett not to opt out of his contract so he can remain near his Baltimore home for the 2009-10 seasons. Additionally, the Phillies inquired about Derek Lowe's availability with the Dodgers. 11:46am: Pitching and hitting...two things you need to win baseball games. Insightful, eh? The Philles are looking for both - manager Charlie Manuel wants a "blue-chip pitcher" as well as a "good bat." Pitching is the team's priority. David Murphy bandies about names like A.J. Burnett, Roy Oswalt, and Erik Bedard. Or the Phillies could look to the B list, like they did last year when they acquired Kyle Lohse. Lohse, by the way, wasn't a fan of the "B list" comment by Pat Gillick. So who's on the '08 B list? I'll suggest Bronson Arroyo, Joe Blanton, Boof Bonser, Greg Maddux, Randy Wolf, Jarrod Washburn, Odalis Perez, Jason Marquis, Tim Redding, and Paul Byrd. Most of these guys appeared on my June 4th look at the starting pitching market. I'll try to revisit that list this afternoon with a fresh post. On the hitting side, the Phillies don't have an obvious position to upgrade. Thoughts?
Supposedly the Philles offered more than the Brewers for C.C Sabathia, Cleveland liked Milwaukee's prospects better. Cant see D. Lowe going anywhere with the Dodgers hovering around 1st place. AJ Burnett scares me. Hes an older version of Rich Harden IMO.
* What's Next For D'Backs? D'Backs right fielder Justin Upton may hit the DL with an oblique strain, while left fielder Eric Byrnes is probably out for the season. Will the D'Backs make an acquisition? The Barry Bonds idea has been dismissed - http://mlbtr.blogs.sportsline.com/mcc/blogs/entry/8691437/9245982. Beat writer Nick Piecoro wonders about Kenny Lofton, but GM Josh Byrnes prefers either a trade or internal options. Byrnes' comments: "There's sort of a fine line between patience and stubbornness. But if we're going to do something to improve our offense, it's sort of [a question of] whose at-bats are we replacing, and what is that saying about an offense that at the end of last year, beginning of this year, looked like it was sort of taking a step forward? It's not as simple as the last couple of months, although the last couple of months we haven't swung the bats very well. Certainly sticking with guys who have shown it, and are young enough to start showing progress, is a consideration." MLB.com's Steve Gilbert notes that with those comments, Byrnes doesn't rule out pursuing a pitcher. Micah Owings and Randy Johnson both have ERAs over 5.00, but they've pitched well at times and an upgrade seems unlikely. Wesley Baier of AZSnakepit recently asked me who the D'Backs could acquire as a platoon partner for Chad Tracy, and I rattled off some lefty-mashers. Casey Blake is an interesting name, especially if he can fill in at right field.
Compared to Harden, Burnett looks like Mark Buehrle. Harden made 32 starts in the last THREE years before 2008. Burnett's contract is the bigger worry. If he improves over the last half, he'll opt out. If not, you're stuck with two expensive years and a big question mark in the rotation. I actually think Burnett's worth taking a risk on. His hit rate is through the roof this year, which is surprising, but that's very often a sign of bad luck, and can easily go down. His peripherals are still strong; his K/BB ratio is stil l2 to 1, and he's striking out a batter per inning. If he can get his walks down even a little, I think he'll be back to being a very good pitcher.
Actually, Lowe will most likely be traded. He is a free agent at the end of th eyear and L.A. wants to get something for him (even though they most likely would receiver a first round pick in the draft if/when he departs). Rumors had him going to his hometown of Detroit for Edgar Renteria, but nothing so far. L.A. actually has a surplus of starting pitching right now so Lowe leaving wouldn't be TOO big of a blow. Kuroda and Billingsley are pitching great and Park has kept up with them. This would most likely bring Clayton Kershaw up to the bigs permanently and bring Penny back as the fifth starter. I could see him going to Philadelphia, especially if Philly wants to give up Jimmy Rollins as we need shortstop help? No? Didn't think so...
Scott Boras says Mark Teixiera will garner upwards of 23M per starting next year. If thats the case it will definitely not be in a Braves uni
Pretty sure B. Cashman is whistling "Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today, I want to be a part of it, New York, New York..." P.S. B. Cashman is a great name for NY GM, no?
The Braves have a track record of letting Boras agents walk instead of trading them. They let both Gary Sheffield and JD Drew go without getting anything in return, I dont see how Tex would be any different. ALTHOUGH... Chipper wont be here forever. Maybe Wren could make a move and re-sign Tex. We could clear space by dumping Mike Hampton's ugodly salary and if Smoltz retires thats another 13M (I think?) off the books. No too mention Glavine is probably done as well. Pure optimism on my part of course but you never know. EDIT: Andruw Jones was another Boras guy the Braves let walk...
Boras is wrong he most certainly WILL NOT be getting 23 million a year. He will get a lot, but not that much. And Atlanta is smart to just let them walk. They get a nice first round pick and a sandwich pick between rounds when he signs with someone else. It is always best to build form within.
Boras also represents Matt Holliday, who is looking at a 20+ million a year deal. I am not sure guys will be getting this type of money anymore? The Yanks are probably seeing what the Devil Rays and Marlins are doing with a much smaller payroll and Steinbrenner isn't going to overspend. I don't see Boston jumping in either. So there are only maybe 2-3 teams left who might offer a big deal, but I think most teams are going to be cutting back.
Actually surprised it took this long for Rivera's name to come up in trade speculation. Hopefully GMJ can remember how to hit the ball so the Angels can afford to deal Rivera for some prospects. I'm guessing they'll hold onto him though.
Did you just say a Steinbrenner wouldnt overspend??? Somebody better check the thermostat in hell if that ever happens. You're talking about a franchise that spent $40M on Carl Pavano. They'll give Holliday or Tex whatever Scott Boras wants IMO
One thing I liked about Paul DePodesta (and there wasn't much) was that he refused to deal with Boras clients. He shut them out. Now, they may be why the Dodgers have sucked ever since, but I liked the stand. The refused to be bullied by such a borish midget of a man.
OK, maybe Steinbrenner won't overspend...anymore....did you see him offer crazy money for Johan Santana or Zito? NO. I know the Yank-mes have almost unlimited money but I think Little Steinbrenner realizes that just throwing money at guys isn't going to win him a WS ring. I didn't realize Giambi was right up there in pay behind A-Rod...must be nice.
Yeah, I think Paul is a good second banana. I think he was somewhat unfairly criticisized in L.A. and had the unfortunate task of trying to win on a somewhat miniscule budget (a lot of L.A.'s money was, and still is tied up in injured/old vaterans who don't contribute). But his trading prowess and some of his ideas leave something to be desired.
This is why the Padres won't let Towers go. I think his hands have been tied this season by Sandy Alderson not letting him make deals like he has done in the past. John Moores the owner's divorce could have something to do with it as well.
no...jose vidro, and miguel cairo are gonna man first base, but its a long season never kow what could happen..clement will probably make a few starts maybe even willie bloomquist
Old Steinbrenner is not calling the shots anymore...his two sons are...but for the time being - including the Santana pass - they are deferring into a brain trust including Brian Cushman. So if all agree to go after a given guy, trust me, the wallets will be opened. 2 out of 3 didn't think the price for Santana was worth it so they passed...but if its unanimous to go after a guy (Tex, etc) they will spend. No doubt.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/07/12/sports/padres/z0b6232e84fad52ec882574840013a139.txt Rumor central Sources in Phoenix said the Diamondbacks have inquired about trading for Padres first baseman/pinch-hitter Tony Clark. And, to a lesser degree, are interested in right fielder Brian Giles. The source said the Diamondbacks are desperate for the clubhouse leadership Clark would provide, and could also use a left-handed hitting outfielder. Padres general manager Kevin Towers wouldn't comment specifically on the rumor, but said he's exploring everything that would strengthen his club.
* Twins Inquire On Adrian Beltre The Twins' interest in Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre has graduated from internal to external, according to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Neal is not sure how far the two teams got in their trade discussion. Beltre, 29, is hitting .259/.330/.440 in 388 plate appearances this year. He's earning $12MM this year and the same in '09. His limited no-trade clause allows him to block deals to eight clubs. Complications: he's playing through a painful wrist injury, but also being called out by anonymous team coaches for not taking extra batting practice. On the Twins' side, free agent signee Mike Lamb has proven to be a bust, but call-up Brian Buscher is hitting a surprising .316/.341/.418 in 85 plate appearances. Baseball Prospectus projected him at .245/.309/.358 coming into the season.
* Braves Offered Teixeira For Youkilis? Reportedly Gammons said the Braves offered Mark Teixeira to the Red Sox for Kevin Youkilis and Craig Hansen, but the Sox declined. Given Youk's superior numbers and team control through 2010, hanging on to him makes sense. But it is interesting to see that the Braves might be shopping Teixeira already.
