Dodgers Scouting A's?

rumors in Cleveland has the Indians also interested in Street . Heard a rumor on the radio locally .
Ryan Garko / Jeremy Sowers and Trevor Crowe for Street and Vincent Mazzaro.

That indians deal is highway robbery, Garko and Sowers are AAAA guys and Crowe stinks.

What would it take from Oakland to get LaRoche and Kemp? Street, Buck & Crosby and maybe a prospect?

I'm thinkin' Sherrill and Daniel Cabrera for Scott Elbert, Andy LaRoche, Andrew Lambo, and AAA reliever (though I'd push for James McDonald instead of Elbert; probably wouldn't happen though)

Street has better peripherals, a better WHIP and is waaay younger than Sherrill. Construction of the All Star team is maybe the most illogical process in all of sports. If Mark Redman is on your team, you are losing games, even though you have "All Star Mark Redman!" in your rotation, see my point?

Plus being on the West Coast LAD would see/hear more about Street than Sherrill.

AA, please step back and think about things before you post, I was merely throwing an idea out there, no need to try insult me.

1. Matt Kemp, while being very talented, seems to have a terrible rep around LAD. I mean, clear this up for me if its not true but last I checked he seems to be not well liked by Dodgers brass. Would they sell low on him if they got an offer they liked? Maybe. So if not Buck, how about Ryan Sweeney? Actually LAD could have any OFer they wanted in the system except Gonzalez. Again, my deal was poised as a question, you could have said "replace Buck with Gonzalez and that might work" or something.

2. Im not the one bringing Crosby into this, the Dodgers like him, they can have him.

3. When I said "maybe a prospect" thats a huge quantifyer, as the A's have many A-grade prospects and the best farm system in baseball. Add Cardenas to the deal and LAD are making it.

4. Explain to me what the difference between "gap hitter" and "current gap hitter" is. What hitters ARENT "gap hitters"? You made up these terms hahaha also Travis Buck has under 200 mlb ABs, a little small of a sample size to work with, dont ya think?

Any sensible people who know things about baseball care to comment about this?

What AA said.

Also, the Dodgers are in a pennant race and don't have confidence in Andruw Jones for obvious reasons, so they aren't going to trade Kemp unless they get an upgrade in the outfield.

Athletic Domination, you are entitled to throw ideas out there, but that particular idea is silly based on short-term needs and long-term value. And no, it doesn't get better if you add Sweeney.

Athletic Domination- While I might typically agree with you on the construction of the All Star game, particularly in terms of every team getting at least one representative, the fact remains that Sherrill did make the team...not Street. Furthermore, he was selected ahead of several Orioles with the numbers to justify their own inclusion- namely BRob, Markakis, and Huff. Finally, if you had any doubts as to Sherrill's legitimacy as a closer or situational mentality, look back at that mid-season classic...and Sherrill's gutsy and virtually flawless performance.

It's true that Sherrill had a rough patch that did some damage to his numbers, but by and large, he's been tremendous for a team that's sorely needed it. This is the problem with all your stats and equations and crap... In the end, they overlook aspects of the game that simply cannot be measured. An easy for instance: the Birds' rotation, as most here know, has been...well...awful. What that has meant- so far as the bullpen in general, Sherill included- is an overtaxed group that have seen their numbers suffer on account of almost nightly trips to the mound. By season's end, I expect that the numbers will tell one story- that of a substandard 'pen much to blame for the team's failings- while any observer with half a brain will point to that late-inning contingent as one of the real bright spots of the season.

And while you are undoubtedly correct with regard to Street's comparable youth, Sherrill isn't exactly old (31 hardly constitutes ancient for a reliever) and it is Street- not Sherrill- whose performance and velocity are described as being on the downswing.

Does that make Sherrill the better reliever? Not necessarily. But before you go denigrating the performance of one player in the transparent attempt to talk up your team's counterpart, you might first try learning SOMETHING- ANYTHING- about the subject of your jeers.

Wow, you orioles fans seem to be sensitive today! I wasnt insulting Sherrill, just letting you know Street has things that increase his value like WHIP and youth. Yes, yes Sherrill has been a great pitcher over the last 2 years in 2 different roles but my point there was that I personally dont care at all for the All-Star selection process, when Mark Redman & his 5+ ERA becomes one, the magic is gone.

Sherrill would be a nice pickup for LAD, Im not saying that he wouldnt be. He does indeed walk many more than Street (not good for a closer), Streets been burned on the dinger too often this year so his ERA looks bad but he's still a great addition to any team. Street for LaRoche works for me as well.

AriGoldisaG, Id trade any of our OFer except Gonzalez to get Matt Kemp here, wouldnt you?

AriGoldisaG,

LaRoche would not be the 3B of the future, he would be the 3B of the now. I do think the A's could and would get more than just LaRoche for Street. Huston Street is a proven Major League commodity. LaRoche is still unproven. If the A's are going to get a 3B of the future for Street, Beane should be talking to the Brewers for Gamel.

Off the subject, but are there any other A's fans that are totally disappointed in Daric Barton this year. I thought we were looking at a .300 hitter but instead we are getting a .220 hitter with NO power. Never thought I would be wishing we had Dan Johnson back. If you go and check out Baseball America Top 100 heading into this season, it says Daric Barton finally ended a 14-month slump. 14-month slump?

"AA, please step back and think about things before you post, I was merely throwing an idea out there, no need to try insult me."

I wasn't. Notice the tone. Then again, you turned around and insulted me, so perhaps I should have taken a shot. Oh, and your team is still 9 games behind that "lucky" club in red that has the best record in baseball.

"also Travis Buck has under 200 mlb ABs, a little small of a sample size to work with, dont ya think?"

You think I just looked at his MLB numbers? I looked at his MiLB numbers as well. His ability to hit for average is impressive, and duly noted, but he has showcased little power and little speed, two things Kemp has plenty of. Buck has nowhere near the upside or the current value of Kemp.

"Matt Kemp, while being very talented, seems to have a terrible rep around LAD. I mean, clear this up for me if its not true but last I checked he seems to be not well liked by Dodgers brass."

Actually, it is the opposite. Remember that the clubhouse issues, which most thought centered around Kemp, were mostly centered around Kemp's interactions with Jeff Kent, who has perhaps the worst clubhouse reputation in all of baseball. Further, many of Kemp's issues were centered around the team not winning and he and Ethier losing playing time to Gonzo, who was an absolute downgrade, and those issues were largely justified. That the Dodgers have abjectly refused to move Kemp, even where offered reasonable offers like Buehrle-Kemp straight up at a time when Kemp was rumored to be a clubhouse problem, says a lot about what they think of the guy. Further, Kemp has clicked really well with Don Mattingley, and his recent ABs are a pretty positive indication of that relationship as well as indicative of his willingness to take constructive criticism.

Further, your idea that the Dodgers would sell low on anyone really is misplaced, especially when you consider that they had a really, really good deal for Sabathia/Blake/Carroll that involved LaRoche as the biggest name and passed on it.

IF the Dodgers were to really pick up Street, and that would be a dumb move as it is, LaRoche straight up would be a sensible move for both sides. If they wanted Crosby too, even though he is not an upgrade over their much maligned back up and is not nearly the hitter a hopefully healthy Nomar is, a guy like Troncoso would make sense as he would replace Street's roster spot and has really shown some brilliance at the MLB level.

"LaRoche may no longer be an elite prospect and his injury history is far too extensive to value him as such anyway."

Actually, Darkstar was right about LaRoche's injury history. 1 freak accident and 1 completely healed, non-chronic injury. It really isn't a "history"

AA, sorry for striking a nerve when I pointed out that the Angels have given up a lot of runs and havent scored a lot but still have a tremendous W-L record, as illogical as it is, Ive accepted it and will happily watch them and their 2002-infused fanbase lose in the playoffs again this year.

Thanks for setting the record straight on Kemp though, I didnt know he had turned the perception of his attitude around.

You also LaNever take LaRoche over LaPorta, no matter what LaPackage.

Yeah Chris Carter and/or Sean Dolittle cant get here soon enough, Barton's a huge flop so far.

Frankly, in attempting to return the most value from a package- I'll again return to the hypothetical Sherrill/Cabrera deal I proposed- I'd go after one of the Dodgers' many intriguing 3B prospects at the lower levels. That way, instead of having the deal center around LaRoche, maybe you build it around McDonald and, in the process, pick up one of either Bell, Gallagher, Baez, or, well, DeWitt is probably out of the question, but you get my drift. The other 3 are all promising and, since they are all in the low-minors, they wouldn't exhaust as much value (if that makes sense). A Sherrill/Cabrera package, then, might return something akin to McDonald, Bell, Lambo, Greg Miller, and, say, Josh Wall instead of LaRoche, Lambo, Elbert, Wall, and Miller (again, this is hypothetical, so don't go too crazy on the names). It may not look like a major difference, but in the former, you're getting a stud pitching prospect AND a 3B with upside, while in the latter, you're just getting the 3B prospect (since Elbert's a reliever now).

sorry if not just to clear up the obvious but the player in the cubs trade I was refering to was Josh Donaldson.

Ari- I appreciate your enthusiasm for Donaldson, but I'd give it a few weeks... He was pretty awful before the deal and its a little hard to believe that a change of scenery could have SUCH an enormous effect over the long run. Maybe your excitement will be justified, but again...give it a few weeks to be sure.

Steveo- You seem to be an O's fan, which I love, but I think you are, perhaps, overestimating Sherrill's value a touch. Sure, he's an excellent reliever under long-term control on the cheap; versatile and effective. Still, he's a reliever and there are a number of quality BP arms on the market. Furthermore, Cabrera- while chalk full of talent and demonstrating some growth this year- is still struggling with bouts of wildness and hasn't fully turned the corner. You may be able to sell someone on the idea that his demonstrated development portends further growth and that the return should reflect this. However, not to the extent that you seem to be expressing.

I disagree with you- at least to an extent- on the Dodgers' system. Certainly it can be said that the bulk of their recent wave of talent has reached its apex and stepped into the limelight of 'the show' but it isn't as if LA's cupboard is bare. McDonald is no sure thing, but who is?! By the estimation of many observers, he's among the 20 or so top arms remaining in the minors, with a nice heater and a wicked curve. BA, in their last prospect guide, described him as a nice No. 3-type.

Lambo's a personal fave, so I may be overvaluing him, but I like his bat, which I think will continue to play for average and power. Elbert, as a reliever, may rise quickly and have an impact in the 'pen as soon as next year. Then there's the depth at 3B, with Josh Bell, Pedro Baez, and Austin Gallagher all showing themselves to be prospects of note. Throw in names like Bryan Morris, Chris Withrow (when he returns to health), the recently signed Ethan Martin, and Ivan DeJesus, just to name a few, and you've got what I'd describe as at least a solid system.

Moreover, EVERY team can match up, if they so desire (well...except the Astros). Even the worst organizations have at least a few interesting prospects to work with. The White Sox, for instance are pretty awful down on the farm, but Chris Getz, Aaron Poreda, Gordon Beckham, and Juan Silverio (I believe that's his name) offer a foundation from which to build...or deal.

I appreciate your high opinion of our assets, but by overstating the case, you run the risk of missing the boat when the right move is to build for the future. Though there's no evidence that they'd even offer it, a McDonald, Lambo, LaRoche, Elbert offer for Sherrill and Cabrera would be plenty fair in my estimation. But hell...I hope you're right and we can extract more. I just wouldn't count on it.