Many trade candidates weren’t moved today. We’ll get into the August possibilities tomorrow, but for now let’s review who stayed put.
White Sox: Jose Contreras, Jon Garland, Javier Vazquez, Jermaine Dye. It seems that teams just couldn’t find a market for their crappy starters like Contreras and Steve Trachsel. As for Garland and Vazquez, Kenny Williams can still trade one of them this winter for an outfielder. Seems like Dye was nearly a member of the Red Sox, but Williams prefers two good draft picks to Wily Mo Pena and Craig Hansen. The White Sox, though, required one of Justin Masterson and Manny Delcarmen instead of Pena. I would be surprised if the Sox sign Dye to an extension.
Nationals: Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, Ryan Church. Another situation where the GM asked for the moon at the deadline and decided to just hold off. These three will also be worth just as much this winter, but may seem more appealing compared to pricey free agents. Plus, more teams will be in the mix. Jim Bowden wanted more than just Philip Humber for Cordero from the Mets.
Reds: Bronson Arroyo, David Weathers, Jeff Conine, Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr. Wayne Krivsky had some opportunities to blow this team up and try to rebuild in 2008. Waiting until winter makes sense with Junior, though I don’t buy Steve Phillips’ assertion that the fans will stop showing up if he’s traded. Dunn, I would’ve dealt. Some no-trade protection kicks in if and when they exercise his $13MM option for ’08. As Arroyo and Weathers, you keep them around if you expect to win in ’08. I guess that’s the plan. I would’ve taken Reyes and Escobar for Arroyo if it was truly offered.
Twins: Torii Hunter, Carlos Silva. Haven’t really hard of any concrete offers on Hunter, so it’s hard to say whether Terry Ryan was better served to just take draft picks. Plus, he may want to make some kind of three-year, $40MM offer for PR’s sake. Keeping Silva, though, I don’t get. He should’ve fetched something useful and doesn’t need to be on the 2008 team.
Marlins: Armando Benitez, Byung-Hyun Kim. No one wants these dudes – both have walk problems.
Devil Rays: Dan Wheeler, Al Reyes, Jonny Gomes. What was the best offer for Reyes? Sounds like the Mariners didn’t get desperate and offer Jeff Clement. As for Gomes, he represents a surplus. But maybe he can get out of Joe Maddon’s doghouse and be the team’s full-time DH in 2008. There’s no rush to trade him.
Giants: Steve Kline, Ray Durham, Dave Roberts, Omar Vizquel, Ryan Klesko. Props to Sabean for ditching Matt Morris’s contract – better late than never. As McCovey Chronicles points out, a shrewd GM might have shopped Noah Lowry for a sweet bounty of much-needed position players. I imagine there just wasn’t a market at all for some of the vets listed here.
Pirates: Shawn Chacon, Salomon Torres, Damaso Marte, Jack Wilson. It’s easy to rip on the Pirates, so I will. I can’t believe Dave Littlefield couldn’t get something decent for Marte, who is a premium lefty-killer. And it seems like the Tigers really wanted Wilson – eat some salary and get him outta there!
Rangers: Sammy Sosa, Brad Wilkerson. Still liked either for the Mets, but overall the Rangers done good for themselves.
Royals: Odalis Perez, Reggie Sanders, Emil Brown, Mark Grudzielanek. I’m sure the market was zip for most of these guys, but I would’ve really liked to see Dayton Moore clear ’em out to give more playing time to the kids in the last two months. Out with the old, in with the nucleus, to quote the Simpsons. Benching or cutting some of these players might be embarrassing.
Orioles: Steve Trachsel, Chad Bradford, Kevin Millar, Jay Payton. Trading these four might’ve been akin to admitting their signings were a mistake. Maybe that’s why the O’s couldn’t get anything done.
Athletics: Mike Piazza, Joe Kennedy, Joe Blanton, Dan Johnson, Shannon Stewart. The A’s are notorious for collecting draft picks, so it’s not a surprise to see them hang on to Piazza and Kennedy. Piazza may be moved in August anyway. We don’t know what offers were out there for Blanton, but he can be shopped this winter when guys like Jeff Weaver are signing for $9MM. The A’s didn’t unload Johnson, and his value will probably drop if he sits on the bench.
