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« Odds And Ends: Royals, Rockies, Rhodes, Braves | Main | Rockies Intensify Search For Fifth Starter »
Keith Law's Latest: Players On The Move
Keith Law drops some science on some big name players that could still be on the move if they clear waivers. To wit:
Paul Byrd: Law argues that Byrd would be better served pitching in the National League where a "finesse" hurler like him would have an easier time. Byrd was a Type B free agent in 2007, which means he could slip to non-compensation status this year, an incentive for the Indians to try and trade him if he clears waivers.
Greg Maddux: The Bulldog will only waive his no-trade clause for a team on the West Coast, meaning it's the Dodgers or the Dodgers. The Padres tried to make a deal with L.A. prior to the deadline, but it fell through.
Andruw Jones/Juan Pierre: Speaking of the Dodgers, Law thinks that both Pierre and Jones would sail through waivers due to their hefty salaries and bad performance at the plate.
Aubrey Huff: Ditto for Huff, who's owed more than $10MM between now and the end of his contract in 2009.
Law makes the case that Brian Fuentes and Adam Dunn would not clear waivers. It's no secret Fuentes was one of the most coveted relievers before the deadline, but the Rockies were holding out for the perfect offer that never came (never mind that they're showing signs of life in a mediocre NL West).
Dunn should still draw interest from teams looking for a corner outfielder that can hit .385/.550, argues Law, and a direct rival could place a claim on Dunn to make sure other contending teams don't.
Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com. Post-deadline rumors? Comments? alexo05 [at] umpbump [daught] com.
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(Side note) Is there any chance that Dunn walks and Manny signs in Cincy?
Posted by: oxfrat1665 | August 02, 2008 at 03:41 PM
For the record who would want Jones? 18M next year and he has yet to show signs he's any more than a corpse that's wheeled onto the field.
Posted by: start_wearing_purple | August 02, 2008 at 03:49 PM
Well, it's not "ditto for Huff," as Law points out. Huff is having a terrific season--unlike Jones & Pierre--and would be valuable to several contenders.
Posted by: Playwright | August 02, 2008 at 04:05 PM
Yeah, I was just about to say the same as Playwright... I would think alot of teams could use 1.25 years of a .850+ OPS 1B/DH for just $10M. Not to mention the probable Type B picks to come at the end of the contract.
Posted by: Vismund | August 02, 2008 at 04:09 PM
Wait a second, Keith Law thinks Juan Pierre is performing badly at the plate? What the hell is he smoking?! Pierre is hitting a solid .282 and he's second in the NL in stolen bases. I say keep Pierre and send Jones to the minors.
Posted by: fenderfanatic | August 02, 2008 at 04:26 PM
Have you looked at his OBP, it's the same as his average. He is garbage.
Posted by: coach king | August 02, 2008 at 04:31 PM
Aubrey Huff, bad performance at the plate? Is that a joke? He's hitting over 300 with 22 homers and 72 rbis...
Posted by: meph | August 02, 2008 at 04:44 PM
"Wait a second, Keith Law thinks Juan Pierre is performing badly at the plate? What the hell is he smoking?! Pierre is hitting a solid .282 and he's second in the NL in stolen bases. I say keep Pierre and send Jones to the minors."
Law hates Pierre, always has, at least since the day the Dodgers signed him. Probably just because of the contract he was given, who knows.
Posted by: abcrazy4dodgers | August 02, 2008 at 05:01 PM
Cubs should DFA Daryle Ward and pick up on Aubrey Huff. Guy could play the corner outfield spots 3rd and 1st plus he is having a good season. Would be a great if Hendry did this.
Posted by: CUBBIES2008 | August 02, 2008 at 05:35 PM
I think the Jays could make a stab at Huff, the Orioles need a shortstop and we could deal Eckstein, McDonald or Scutaro and some prospects for him. As for Manny I hope he comes to T.O after this season.
Posted by: Jays Believer 92,93 | August 02, 2008 at 05:48 PM
Tim, you seem to be placing Huff in the performing badly/big contract pile but if you check his stats, he's hitting over .300 with 22 HRs in a tough division of pitchers. In the last couple months he's been one of the hottest hitters in the AL. If you don't believe me then just ask the Yankees. I can see the Orioles eating some contract to get back some useful parts. I don't think anyone is thinking about a Huff trade that brings back A prospects at all. He plays a decent LF. Not so great 3B on a daily basis. He's probably better served staying in the AL.
Posted by: basemonkey | August 02, 2008 at 05:50 PM
But that being said, there are worse LFers and 3Bs in regular lineups in the NL today. He looks like a classic Left-handed power bat pick up for a playoff run.
Posted by: basemonkey | August 02, 2008 at 05:52 PM
The other thing about your Huff comment, Tim, is that it misquotes Law. Careful with your sources.
Posted by: Playwright | August 02, 2008 at 06:28 PM
I don't get why huff can't keep a home, I'd hold onto him if I was baltimore...he's having a great year and I hope it keeps up. He had a few iffy years in there but for better or worse he'd have a spot on my team if I was baltimore.
Baltimore should be worrying about other things.
I don't see the dodgers moving jones...that has to be one of the worst contract signings ever.
Lets get juan pierre over to toronto and give em eckstein. They want a shorty bad enough as they say and have too many outfielders.
Byrd should definatly find his way over to the national leauge...the phils and colo should pick up the phone and get on that asap
Posted by: elevenahead | August 02, 2008 at 07:09 PM
I still don't get how $10 mil in the MLBs is a lot of money. I mean for a guy that is producing top 10 stats in the AL. I mean hell GMJ makes that annually to suck.
Posted by: XD23 | August 02, 2008 at 08:20 PM
B'more needs to clear Huff through waivers ASAP before the rest of baseball realizes how affordable his contract really is. Dude's been one of the best offensive players in the AL all year, bar none. A quick glimpse at the league leader board reveals how truly terrific he's been...and how far-ranging. Slugging, HRs, RBIs, Total Bases...he's everywhere. Perhaps most frightening...he's a second half player...and- par for the course- he's been getting hotter by the month.
Conventional thinking suggests Huff will clear waivers. If so, the Orioles should have the game's most impressive and important trade chip over the season's final months; the rare offensive force available in August! Assuming that this is, indeed, the case, we may yet see Baltimore nab that SS of the future they've been longing for.
Posted by: milehigh78 | August 02, 2008 at 08:39 PM
Question on Maddux, if anybody knows.
He will only accept a trade to a west coast team, so if the friars try and slip him through waivers, another team can simply claim him, effectively blocking him. Then the Padres will pull him back off waivers of course, and won't be able to trade him at all.
is that correct? anybody know?
if true, i say the chances of Maddux getting traded at all is nil.
Posted by: wrveres | August 02, 2008 at 09:19 PM
If you're gonna create a list of players who may be on the move, they have to fit two criteria: 1) their contracts have to be ugly enough to deter teams from putting in a claim, and 2) their production has to be in the gray area... not TOO good that other teams would naturally put in a claim for that player, yet not so bad that NO ONE would want him.
Jones clearly falls in the "no one would want him" category, so there's little point in listing him. There isn't a single team in baseball who would want him, even if the Dodgers would pick up half his salary. Huff probably falls in the "too good" to slip through category; plenty of teams would take a guy with his numbers at $10M per.
The above list seems as though it was assembled with little effort. I can rattle off numerous other players with minimal effort that are likely to clear waivers and may have some appeal to a contender: Jarrod Washburn, Bronson Arroyo, Kevin Millwood, Paul Konerko, Odalis Perez, Joel Piniero, Doug Mientkiewicz, Brian Giles, Ronnie Belliard, Miguel Batista...
Posted by: Devlsh | August 02, 2008 at 11:49 PM
Aubrey Huff is leading the AL in extra-base hits and Keith Law is a jackass.
Posted by: ginandtacos.com | August 03, 2008 at 07:57 AM
Can anyone see Huff to the Jays as a DH, for Eckstein and some others?
I don't think it's that far fetched.
Posted by: cyberzero_jays | August 03, 2008 at 03:01 PM
So...Devlsh, ginandtocos, others out there... You think Huff is likely to get claimed? Don't think he can clear waivers?
I'm kinda torn myself, so its interesting to hear other points of view. While I agree Huff's contract suddenly seems pretty reasonable (based on his production), everything I've read suggests that he'll clear waivers...and most seem to think it'll be with ease.
As an O's fan, I sorta hope he clears and that we find a desperate buyer willing to overpay with prospects, but you guys may be correct and we may be stuck with him through the year. It's actually a good problem to have, but if we're really rebuilding, then we need to deal talents like Huff for the next generation. The problem with Aubrey is that the perception held by most teams is that he does not have the value that McPhail and the O's (reasonably) consider him to have.
I'm certain McPhail thinks he should get a Bay-esque return, while the rest of baseball sees an average ball-player in the midst of a career year. Since the deadline is the best time to exploit a big year, I can't imagine Huff will be a big point of discussion during the winter meetings, which means the O's best bet would be to sneak Huff through waivers and flip him to a contender in need of a big bat. Here's hoping, but you may be right...Huff may be snagged the minute he hit the wire. Then the question becomes...do we pull him back or thank the claiming club for taking his '09 contract off our hands?
Posted by: milehigh78 | August 03, 2008 at 04:48 PM
"Law argues that Byrd would be better served pitching in the National League where a "finesse" hurler like him would have an easier time."
The history of the two leagues has that in the opposite direction. The AL has always been the "Junkball" league with the NL being the fastball league.
Posted by: AA | August 05, 2008 at 07:14 PM