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By Tim Dierkes [July 9, 2008 at 4:10pm CST]
Next up in our second pass through the Trade Market, first basemen.
- Mark Teixeira, Braves. As Mark Bowman wrote yesterday, the Braves may need a few weeks to decide whether to sell or buy. Teixeira is hitting .275/.381/.492. Frank Wren might have a hard time finding a match for Teixeira. He's an upgrade on guys like Casey Kotchman, Carlos Delgado, and Chad Tracy, but is the improvement worth it?
- Rich Aurilia, Giants. Aurilia could make sense as a platoon partner for Tracy in Arizona, if Brian Sabean doesn't mind helping a team in his division. Aurilia hit well in May and June.
- Dmitri Young, Nationals. He's hitting well, but keep in mind Jim Bowden couldn't find a deal he liked last year when Young had a .900 OPS and wasn't a contractual burden.
- Lyle Overbay, Blue Jays. Overbay is owed $14MM over 2009-10, and he is slugging under .400. Not a hot commodity.
- Kevin Millar, Orioles. The O's are 7.5 games out of the wild card, so their strategy is unknown. Millar's value seems to be mostly intangible.
- Adam LaRoche, Pirates. Like clockwork, LaRoche is having a big July after a slow start. Selling high on him might make sense, but the Bucs haven't given any indication of that. Extension talks fizzled in April.
- Frank Catalanotto, Rangers. Useful player who can also handle left field. However, he carries a commitment of $4MM for '09 plus a $2MM buyout on his '10 option.
- Aaron Boone, Nationals. Respectable role player, but the Nationals might prefer to keep him around as a clubhouse leader.
- Richie Sexson, Mariners. Looking for a silver lining...he's having a nice year against lefties?
- Wes Helms, Marlins. One positive: the Phillies are paying his salary.
- Kendry Morales, Angels. The 25 year-old was hitting .324/.365/.505 in Triple A until hitting the DL with an oblique strain.
- Chris Duncan, Cardinals. He is fairly expendable, though he's had a rough year and has never hit lefties.
- Casey Blake, Indians. He's a versatile player with a decent chance of being moved. Anthony Castrovince makes a good point - the Tribe might want to re-sign him to play third base next year.
- Matt Stairs, Blue Jays. Last year's power and respectable work against southpaws has disappeared.
- Scott Hatteberg. He seems to have disappeared since being designated for assignment by the Reds in May.
Not a lot of impact bats. Tex of course but beyond that you have fillers.
Wonder if LaRoche will ever blossom into a bonafide star?
Posted by: bjsguess | July 09, 2008 at 06:03 PM
Ross Gload
Posted by: Brett | July 09, 2008 at 06:35 PM
"Lyle Overbay, Blue Jays. Overbay is owed $14MM over 2009-10, and he is slugging under .400."
Fittingly, his name rhymes perfectly with "I'll overpay."
Posted by: sabr_blogger | July 09, 2008 at 06:39 PM
Is Ryan Garko a "buy low" candidate? Giants, maybe.
Posted by: MickS | July 09, 2008 at 07:07 PM
"Is Ryan Garko a "buy low" candidate? Giants, maybe."
No. The Indians have absolutely no reason to trade Garko, especially if they don't gt anything useful in return.
Posted by: start_wearing_purple | July 09, 2008 at 07:12 PM
If Garko gets traded it won't be until the offseason. If the Indians traded to the Giants they would try and package some serious talent for a SP like Cain or Sanchez. This is his last chance, I see Blake being moved before the deadline.
I am not familiar with the Giants "living in ohio" where are their needs?
Posted by: Adam | July 09, 2008 at 07:14 PM
What if the Braves traded Tex to the Angels for Kendry Morales, Juan Rivera, and a prospect?
Posted by: smhg30 | July 09, 2008 at 08:03 PM
LaPorta doesn't look like much of an OF to me. That makes LaPorta, Garko, Brown, Aubrey maybe even Martinez at 1B. Quite a log-jam forming there. I think Garko is expendable and, despite a miserable season, still has some promise.
Posted by: MickS | July 09, 2008 at 08:09 PM
LaRoche would be a bonafide star if the season started on July 1st!!!
Posted by: melmann | July 09, 2008 at 08:44 PM
"What if the Braves traded Tex to the Angels for Kendry Morales, Juan Rivera, and a prospect?"
That looks exactly like the same kind of trade that makes no sense for Boston. You have two excellent defensive 1B, with Kotchman being the superior, and still have a glut at the DH position.
"LaPorta doesn't look like much of an OF to me"
He doesn't? The guy has 5 assists from RF and only 1 error.
Posted by: AA | July 09, 2008 at 08:53 PM
""What if the Braves traded Tex to the Angels for Kendry Morales, Juan Rivera, and a prospect?"
That looks exactly like the same kind of trade that makes no sense for Boston. You have two excellent defensive 1B, with Kotchman being the superior, and still have a glut at the DH position. "
Come on AA, you're telling me you wouldn't make that move if you're LA? Teixeira is a legitimate middle of the order stud, and even if you have to relegate him to DH, who cares?
At that price, I wouldn't even care about the at bats for Kotchman, Anderson or Matthews Jr, because unless that prospect is Nick Adenhart, Jordan Walden or Hank Conger, that deal would be a blowout.
Posted by: scribbletone | July 09, 2008 at 09:33 PM
Wow, I always thought Overbay was a solid player but that contract is awful! Add Ricciardi to the list of GMs who continue to amaze us by somehow keeping his job.
As much as I hate him, Millar is probably the most appealing name on the list for a contender (I don't think the Braves will deal Texiera). There were a ton of rumors of Millar to the Mets over the past two months, but those have cooled off since Delgado has played reasonably well and Tatis has been a decent role player.
I've recently read (maybe it was this site) that the Dodgers are interested in Stairs, but as a 4th OF.
What happened to Hatteberg?
Posted by: luissojo | July 09, 2008 at 09:51 PM
I'm not the biggest Tex fan out there. I don't like AB's going away from Kotchman. BUT - if Atlanta would do that deal I'd make the trade in a heartbeat.
Here's the problem though. First, that's not nearly enough. Those players don't even cover compensatory picks Atlanta will be entitled to when Tex signs with someone next year.
Second, Atlanta wouldn't have any interest in Juan Rivera. If they aren't going for it they would be better off giving AB's to someone who will be on the club in 09. Juan is a FA after this season. Morales is solid and cheap but no superstar.
If I'm the Angels I don't move any of my top prospects unless it's for a star. Tex is nice but he is not a star. He also doesn't fill a positional need.
Posted by: bjsguess | July 09, 2008 at 10:39 PM
Hey Tim,
Any Chance Sabean trade Winn and Aurilia to the Diamondbacks for the likes of a Mark Reynolds? The Giants would love this trade. It most def. helps out the D-backs as well.
Posted by: Joe505 | July 10, 2008 at 12:42 AM
tex haters he has better numbers than loney and kotchman put togather at least casey is close with the glove not loney and neither with the bat tex has 2 more hr 8 more bb only 27 less rbis than them put togather and he has 2 gold gloves would be 3 but he swapped to nl half way last year
Posted by: payday187 | July 10, 2008 at 01:00 AM
oh yeah everyone knows he is a slow starter too!
Posted by: payday187 | July 10, 2008 at 01:02 AM
Loney is an extremely slick fielding 1B. Tex's glove is overated at first base. For me, while there are some nice fielding RH 1B, you can't play game changing defense at that position unless you are lefty. Tex is incredibly overated. There are definitely 5 better 1B right now, you might be able to make the case for 10 better, and he is going to command a huge deal. All things considered, I don't trade Loney or Kotch straight up for Tex.
Posted by: nrmax88 | July 10, 2008 at 08:21 AM
I'm not the biggest Tex fan out there. I don't like AB's going away from Kotchman. BUT - if Atlanta would do that deal I'd make the trade in a heartbeat.
Here's the problem though. First, that's not nearly enough. Those players don't even cover compensatory picks Atlanta will be entitled to when Tex signs with someone next year.
Second, Atlanta wouldn't have any interest in Juan Rivera. If they aren't going for it they would be better off giving AB's to someone who will be on the club in 09. Juan is a FA after this season. Morales is solid and cheap but no superstar.
If I'm the Angels I don't move any of my top prospects unless it's for a star. Tex is nice but he is not a star. He also doesn't fill a positional need.
How can you say the Braves don't need Juan Rivera? So far this year Matt Diaz, Gregor Blanco, Brandon Jones, Jason Perry, Josh Anderson, Omar Infante, and Greg Norton have played left field. Who says the Braves wouldnt re-sign him? Plus with Francoeur's struggles his bat will def help.
Posted by: smhg30 | July 10, 2008 at 10:40 AM
max88 you are a dumba$$ you may not but the angels or the dodgers would do it in a heartbeat
Posted by: payday187 | July 10, 2008 at 12:25 PM