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« Rangers Give Sammy A Look | Main | Elijah Dukes In Trouble Again »
Pirates Still Chasing LaRoche, Tracy
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tells us that Pirate GM Dave Littlefield is under pressure to acquire a power bat before the season begins. The two main targets are still Adam LaRoche and Chad Tracy, but will Littlefield include a second Major Leaguer along with Mike Gonzalez? And if Kovacevic's report of Littlefield's mandate is true, isn't that leak detrimental to the GM's efforts?
The Bucs still refuse to include Chris Duffy or Paul Maholm in a two-for-one deal. Kovacevic speculates that another reliever might represent a compromise; if the Pirates need to include Salomon Torres they should do it. While it would decimate the bullpen it still makes sense to trade relievers for sluggers.
The article also mentions that trading for Ryan Church or signing Trot Nixon wouldn't fulfill the team's goal and seems unlikely. Options such as Geoff Jenkins or Jacque Jones could be pursued, however.
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I say they make a trade for Jaque...he will put up numbers like Tracy will. The only one better in that list is Laroche, and I don't think that deal is getting done. They could throw in just about any major leaguer and a B prospect and the deal is done.
Posted by: Aduncaroo | January 16, 2007 at 09:10 AM
the Pirates do need a power hitter I guess....but trading Gonzalez + Torres!!!??? Both are pretty solid pitchers who have the ability to close. A team that could land the 2 of them would be STOCKED.
Posted by: wmk51 | January 16, 2007 at 09:25 AM
on that note, the Cardinals should make the trade for Chris Duncan + some goon for those 2
Posted by: wmk51 | January 16, 2007 at 09:27 AM
wmk51,
great call, as a cards fan i completely overlooked this idea, duncan obviously has no business in left field and i see him hitting .260 or so in full time duty if we could flip him for gonzalez straight up i would pull that in a heart beat
Posted by: kevmill21 | January 16, 2007 at 09:47 AM
No way would I deal Duncan for Gonzalez. Duncan may be a butcher in the OF, but he's a much needed power thread. The Cardinals cannot afford to deal offense for another bullpen arm. The Cardinals bullpen is already completely stocked.
Posted by: rawr | January 16, 2007 at 10:12 AM
The stronger the bullpen, the less shaky that rotation looks. WJ should make the deal in a second if it is an option, which I don't think it is. You don't strengthen a team in your own division for Chris Duncan.
Posted by: ArodSucksAtLife | January 16, 2007 at 10:29 AM
Maybe Littlefield will get desperate enough to send Gonzalez and Gorzelanny for Baldelli.
Posted by: youalreadyknow | January 16, 2007 at 10:36 AM
Rocco would be a no go. The Pirates are looking for a left-handed hitter to balance their lineup, not a right-handed hitter who has historically had a platoon split. Dukes at least made more sense because he has no split.
Posted by: Brickhaus | January 16, 2007 at 10:38 AM
I'm with Roto on this one...
I'd deal Gonzo and Torres for Laroche in a heart beat.
Laroche and Bay would be a decent-ish middle of the order.
Posted by: bsox21 | January 16, 2007 at 10:59 AM
THey've been reporting this deal for weeks now.
Posted by: Guitar Hero | January 16, 2007 at 11:32 AM
I think that Chris Duncan has some potential, but you can NEVER have too much depth in your bullpen. I agree the Cards are sitting real pretty with depth currently, but Gonzalez is a way better option @ closer than Isringhausen and then we could permanently move Wainright to the rotation. I say we trade Duncan, then sign Craig Wilson to Play LF. Then we have alot of leverage to trade some bullpen for a legitimate STUD in the future.
Posted by: wmk51 | January 16, 2007 at 11:41 AM
If we got rid of Duncan, there would be very little pop left in our lineup. Our offense is a much bigger concern than our bullpen...we already have too many arms as it is. Yes, Gonzalz would upgrade the pen, but we need to be able to score runs, and with Craig Wilson starting, that's probably not going to happen.
Posted by: stormstarter28 | January 16, 2007 at 12:16 PM
craig wilson i believe playing as much as duncan would put up very similar numbers, count on rolen to be back this year to at least his .280 and 25-30, i think kennedy is a potential 2 hitter where last year our 2b was a decent 8 hitter at best, im more confident with our offense than i was last year, except i don't expect near that kind of year out of encarnacion
Posted by: kevmill21 | January 16, 2007 at 12:29 PM
"Maybe Littlefield will get desperate enough to send Gonzalez and Gorzelanny for Baldelli."
"Rocco would be a no go. The Pirates are looking for a left-handed hitter to balance their lineup, not a right-handed hitter who has historically had a platoon split. Dukes at least made more sense because he has no split."
Yall both make perfect sense, and this i think is the perfect setup for a three way trade.
Pittsburg gives up gonzo and gorze to the drays
the braves give up laroche to the pirates
the drays give up baldelli to the braves
i think the pirates may think they are still giving up too much, but this trade does make perfect sense for all teams
The braves get their leadoff hitter and replacement in the likely scenerio andruw jones leaves
The drays get a young starter and their closer
The pirates get their young left handed slugger
It seems the perfect scenerio, but again the pirates may think they would need something more than just laroche in return. Just pure speculation.
Posted by: bravesbeast | January 16, 2007 at 12:35 PM
"Pittsburg gives up gonzo and gorze to the drays
the braves give up laroche to the pirates
the drays give up baldelli to the braves"
Since your name is bravesbeast, I assume you are a Braves fan... So this is basically LaRoche for Baldelli straight up? You would make that deal if you are GM of Atlanta? Cuz I know I sure as hell wouldn't even consider it...
Posted by: DonCoburleone | January 16, 2007 at 01:18 PM
well i mean i am going off the fact that the bravs have tried to get baldelli in the past, and the drays want young pitching for him
Posted by: bravesbeast | January 16, 2007 at 01:21 PM
Is someone going to get Church? He seems to make so much sense as a young OF option who has never gotten the chance he seems to deserve. Hi keep hoping the A's will make a play for him to be Kotsay's replacement, but I don't know if that will happen. After cheap starting pitching, isn't a young and affordable CF with some pop the 2nd most valuable commodity out there?
Posted by: kcfries | January 16, 2007 at 01:43 PM
First off DonCoburleone, if I am the Braves I make that trade in a second, Baldelli is way more valuable than LaRoche.
That trade wouldnt happen because Pitt is giving up way too much. LaRoche is not that great he is a cheap above average first baseman. They dont want to give up Gonzo and Chris Duffy for him so what makes you think they would give up Gonzo and Gorzelany?
Posted by: Kyle | January 16, 2007 at 01:54 PM
In 520 AB while playing CF last year (split pretty evenly between AA and AAA) Gregor Blanco put up a combined OBP of .403, stole 31 bases and displayed above average defense and arm strength. He followed up that minor league season with an equally spectacular performance (batted .317 in 55 regular season games) in the Venezuelan Winter League. The kid will be playing his Age 23 season next year and is already on the 40-man ML roster. I think a very good Spring Training gets him into a LF platoon along with righty Matt Diaz (whose .839 OPS in 297 AB in the bigs last season is being largely and inexplicably ignored) with Blanco leading off when he plays. A solid performance in the majors this year would put him into the mix for CF once Andruw departs, a position that along with leadoff, would be all his by the start of the 2008 campaign.
I bring this up here because I think that the Braves would go for a two reliever package in exchange for LaRoche IF this Blanco kid (and, to a lesser extent, Kelly Johnson's transition to 2B) pans out through Spring Training. If Littlefield and the Pirates can wait until then, I think that deal gets done.
Posted by: ejruiz777 | January 16, 2007 at 01:59 PM
The Braves need to hang onto LaRoche, atleast for 1 more season. Scott Thorman is not an everyday 1B, and LaRoche I can see putting up a .280/25/100 line this season. Atlanta will desperately need that this season, especially if Chipper Jones can't stay healthy. Braves pitching is about set. I think their bullpen is much better now than at the start of spring training of '06. They really don't need a setup man/reliever like Gonzalez, unless some 3 way trade is being discussed. The NL East this season is the Braves to lose. Atlanta's only threat is the Phillies. If Kelly Johnson has a decent spring for Atlanta, he will be the Braves opening day 2B. If Jeff Francouer shows patience at the plate this season, I will not be surprised if he puts up .285/31/109 numbers, along with Gold Glove defense in RF. For the Braves not wanting to trade Chuck James, they must expect him to win 15-18 games this season.
Posted by: Yars | January 16, 2007 at 06:41 PM
"If Jeff Francouer shows patience at the plate this season, I will not be surprised if he puts up .285/31/109 numbers"
Yes, and if Steve Trachsel comes back and throws 97 with a filthy curve and pin point location he will win the cy young. Braves, say hello to 3rd place
Posted by: nrmax88 | January 16, 2007 at 07:21 PM
That's not even that ridiculous of a prediction. What is that, 2 more HR's than he hit last year, something like 5 or so RBI's more, and a sizeable, but not impossible, increase in BA? We're talking about a young, high-talent player here, you think that it's ridiculous to expect him to improve at all between his 22 and 23 year old seasons? That's just a biased Mets fan if I've ever seen one. A .285 BA might be too much to hope for, but 30 HR's and 100+ RBIs? I wouldn't call that crazy, I'd say it's likely, especially since he just hit 29 and 100+ last year.
Posted by: vt_Brady2705 | January 16, 2007 at 08:49 PM
Yars, it's ignorant to say the Mets don't have a chance to repeat and it's the "Braves division to lose" with the Phillies the only competition. Yes, their pitching will be worse, but give credit where credit is due. They finished 18 games ahead of the Braves last year. It's going to take a hell of a lot for the Mets to not have a chance. (I'm a Cards fan, so don't scream Mets bias)
Also, you guys are just arguing with your biased predictions about your team's players...how about this idea- the division is wide open, and anyone can win it! Ever thought of that?
Posted by: stormstarter28 | January 16, 2007 at 09:02 PM
"Also, you guys are just arguing with your biased predictions about your team's players...how about this idea- the division is wide open, and anyone can win it! Ever thought of that?"
Amen to that. And yes, I have thought of that: I mentioned in a different thread that any projection for the NL East that has the Nats at the bottom is realistic. I could see the other four teams ending up anywhere, from 1st to 4th. I'm a hardcore Braves fan, but even I can be objective.
Posted by: ejruiz777 | January 16, 2007 at 09:09 PM
How funny would it be if the Nats won the NL East?
It really is a coin toss this season. Pretty much whoever has the depth to overcome their injury woes will win.
Posted by: beeniez | January 17, 2007 at 12:20 AM
Very.
Posted by: ArodSucksAtLife | January 17, 2007 at 10:31 AM