Pirates Rumors: LaRoche, Duffy

Nady to the Mets...

Nady to the Mets...

Nady to the Mets...

Heh... it could be a funny scenario if Tex leaves, and Atlanta signs LaRoche. "Thanks Pittsburgh."

Who would bring more in return, Nady or LaRoche? Couldn't they Nady to 1st for Pearce?

Suddenly the Braves would have surplus in CF'ers? I don't get it. I like the idea of Nady though if the Matt Diaz full-time experiment doesn't work.

It doesn't make a lot of sense for the Pirates to sign LaRoche long term and trade Bay. Wasn't the entire point of getting LaRoche to protect Bay? I mean sure, Bay's numbers dipped signifigantly last year, but power numbers dropped all over the league for a handful of players.

Really Pirates should go in rebuild mode by trading LaRoche, at the all star break, to anyone who wants good power numbers for half of Texeria's price (To the Yanks for Kennedy, Jesus Montero, and a prospect?), hope Bay's stock goes up, trade him in the offseason (Pads for a package involving Headley? Mariners for the rest of their farm? Indians?).

Then don't waste your money on FA like Aramas Jr and Mientkiewicz and spending it instead on the draft.

I can see the braves being interested but dont really see how duffy would bring value. I mean we already have two similar players to duffy in blanco and anderson, plus kotsay as the starter. I would love to inquire about nady, as his bat may be an upgrades over diaz. It would certainly upgrade our bench, which definately needs to be addressed.

So if the braves could trade for nady and then keep him from going to the mets, that would be ideal. However, I can definitely evision the braves not wanting to give up the amount to get nady, and also, on top of signing spiezio, i could see us signing helms as well if he we to be released.

I don't believe that Headley would be traded by the Padres, a cheap young player, for one who's cost is much more expensive. Bay would be a nice addition to the Pads, but they don't seem likely to move Headley or Kouz, they are going to build the team around them and Greene and A-Gon.
I honestly do not know much about the Pirates so I have no idea about what they need, or what they would want to have from the Padres. Catching and pitching are the only positions of strength from our farm system.
I think that a trade could happen for one of our young catchers and a couple of arms, if that is what the Pirates would want, but if the deal would include Headley i think that Pads pass on it.

"Really Pirates should go in rebuild mode by trading LaRoche, at the all star break, to anyone who wants good power numbers for half of Texeria's price (To the Yanks for Kennedy, Jesus Montero, and a prospect?)"

I love it. Kennedy's name keeps coming up in every single trade thread. :rofl:

1B is the easiest position to fill. The easiest. The Yankees don't need to trade for a 1B.

Ok. I lied - DH is easier.

"Really Pirates should go in rebuild mode by trading LaRoche, at the all star break, to anyone who wants good power numbers for half of Texeria's price (To the Yanks for Kennedy, Jesus Montero, and a prospect?)"

I see someone already commented on this above, but I would disagree and say that the Yankees adding LaRoche wouldn't be an awful idea. At the right price. He would add more offense to an already stacked team, so it's not like its a huge need. But if they can get him and Marte in a package, then I would expect the Pirates to be able to fetch some decent talent. Now there is no way that the Yanks more Kennedy in a deal like this, maybe for someone like Harden, but not for someone like LaRoche. I would expect the Pirates to be interested in Melky Cabrera, considering they have been before, and if they couldn't get him then maybe look at Tabata. The Pirates don't have a huge need for a long term CF because that spot is already locked up by Andrew McCutchen. If the Pirates move LaRoche then Steven Pearce slips into that spot nicely. The outfield would continue to consist of Bay, McLouth and Nady, but Tabata would give them another projectable power bat for their organization.

So I would say that a more sensible deal would likely be Adam LaRoche and Damaso Marte for Jose Tabata and Daniel McCutchen.

A young offensive core of McCutchen, Pearce, Bixler, Neil Walker and Tabata is pretty damn good, and that's without the prospects they'd get for Bay, Nady, Wilson and whoever they'd attempt to trade.

Scribble the only problem with that is why would the Yanks trade away their young outfielder for a position they have no need. Remember this the yanks know that Aberu and Damon are getting up there in age, so keeping a younger replacement makes sense.

As for the Pirates this would work out nicely if and when the move the other pieces. But i think that your idea is a soild in fundation unlike a lot of ideas that come up here.

My question would be what are they seeking for Duffy, cause an outfielder that can play CF is something that might be able to net something useful, and their are plenty of teams looking for that kind of help. Honestly do not know much about him, but I know that he is alright with the glove and can cover the ground in CF. Not a power hitter or even a great on base type of guy, but with good speed, I am sure that they could find someone who would be interested.

The Braves ALREADY have a surplus of left-handed CFs in Kotsay, Blanco, Anderson, Loadenthal, and Schafer, plus right-handed Gorkys Hernandez in the low minors as well. He has the speed to be a good leadoff hitter, but he strikes out too much. I can't see the Braves still being interested.

The Yanks really only need one of A-Jax/Tabata. Jeter will have to move to LF sooner rather than later, Melky's got CF, and Gardner will be fine as a 4th OF. Marquez & Tabata for LaRoche & Marte?

"Remember this the yanks know that Aberu and Damon are getting up there in age, so keeping a younger replacement makes sense."

See yeah as maximum said above, I just felt like the Yankees would be willing to move one of Jackson and Tabata. Maybe it'd make more sense for them to move Jackson because he's more of a center fielder and Melky is pretty much entrenched there, while Tabata projects as more of a right fielder. But its true that Damon, Matsui and Abreu really don't have much left in the tank and they're gonna need to rebuild their outfield around Melky and these two guys.

The only question mark would then be are the Yanks going to go after Tex in the offseason? If they are planning out it, how does LaRoche fit into that plan. I think that yanks might do that simply to get Marte, but they will of course try and get him on his own.

As for the age factor we shall see, i am thinking like a small market GM (being a pads fan) and they haven't yet shown that they are completely ready to simply stop signing free agents. So we shall see where this goes. Personally I think that the yanks are ready to deal their younger guys unless they are getting something of impact in return. And personally I don't see LaRoche as being all that effective in the AL East.

Besides I don't know if thats what the Pirates had in mind when they are trying to trade some of these guys, all of the rumors i have heard is that they want young arms with talent or potential. In my mind that kinda of limits the type of trade they could do, since I cant think of any team (other than the Rays) that have a lot of spare arms in the minors that they are openly willing to trade.

Tex'll be a Met not a Yank. Yanks will sign CC and hopefully Furcal. Move Jeter to LF, dump Damon, LaRoche at 1B, Duncan in RF till A-Jax is ready.

"Move Jeter to LF"

won't happen. He'll move when he wants to move. Girardi won't be in a position to tell the most popular player since Mantle to move from the position he's played his whole life. If he wants to move, for the better of the team, he'll move. He should move, he's a crappy shortstop, but I'm not quite sure he will any time soon.