Nick Cafardo gave his rundown yesterday; now it’s Ken Rosenthal’s turn. His thoughts on the current market for starting pitching:
- He mentions that the Yankees inquired about Paul Byrd, I imagine prior to the Clemens signing. Rosenthal doesn’t seem to think Byrd will be dealt unless a major need surfaces for the Tribe.
- The old Jon Lieber for Kyle Farnsworth idea is bandied about again; Rosenthal adds Freddy Garcia as a possibility there as well. He even goes so far as to say that a healthy Tom Gordon could prompt the Phillies to trade a right-handed reliever like Ryan Madson. That, I don’t see – is Flash ever going to receive a clean bill of health again?
- The Angels have the depth, but Bill Stoneman doesn’t have a strong desire to trade young starting pitching. Can’t blame him. Hmm, Stoneman would make a good GM Trade Profile now that I think about it.
- The Twins have depth…but not really. Ramon Ortiz and Sidney Ponson don’t contribute to any concept of depth, even when the team’s Triple A rotation is better than several Major League rotations. That situation will sort itself out, with Matt Garza and Kevin Slowey playing major roles.
- Rosenthal also adds (off this topic) that the Padres could revisit Mike Cameron extension talks if he shows some signs of life. Any time now would be good, Mike.
