Royals Acquire Jacobs For Nunez

I get why the Royals want him. They really need some power and he's a very legitimate power threat. But his defense is really poor and that OBP simply isn't good enough to give away a good pitching prospect. Billy Butler would have to play the field if Jacobs took over at DH, and Ka'aihue deserves to get a shot at first base.

I think Jacobs is better off going to a team like the Giants, where they are so power inept that adding Jacobs would actually be a decent acquisition.

Crazy IMO. Gotta go with Ka'aihue- Shealy can spot start against tough lefties.

Oh, and Royals need pitching. Keep Carlos Rosa.

Oh, and although doubtful, Butler could always turn it around defensively. And he will definitely fill in for a handful of games.

If the Royals are going to give up a good pitching prospect they should be going after a catcher, outfielder or second baseman. They should look at guys like Hermida, Pie, Hu, Salty, Weeks or even Fernando Perez. They just need to look at guys who fill spots, take walks and have some upside.

I agree. What do they need another 1B that can hit .250 for? They already have enough of that with Ka'aihue and Shealy. What they need to trade for is a good defensive shortstop that can get on base. Unless they think they can fill that up in FA, but other than Furcal, who else would be worth the money?

I like the idea of moving Gordon to 1B and Teahen back at 3B. He plays better there than he does at RF, and this allows them to either go for a CF, so they can move DeJesus to LF, or trade DeJesus to open up a spot to play the likes of Gathright (ok, this might be a longshot) and someone like Maiers (he still has potential, imo).

In any case, I think they should try selling high on DeJesus and blow their OF up. But I think that is highly unlikely, as Moore himself has said that he's sick of losing and that the learning portion for the team is done, and they should start showing what they have, next season. As in, being competitive and fighting for a playoff spot.

But honestly, with that team, competing with the likes of Detroit, Cleveland, Minnesota, and Chicago in that division?

I think Moore would be open to trading DeJesus for an MLB ready pitcher that could help them next year. As it stands now, a rotation of Meche, Greinke, Bannister, Hochevar, and whoever their 5th starter would be for next year, is not very imposing. And not even close to competing with the rotations of the other 4 teams in their division.

We all know what the Royals should do in the trade market. GMDM is just getting the ball rolling. Remember he said that there would be major changes to the Royals roster in 2009? First off, Rosa has TWO PITCHES. That leaves him for back of the bullpen duty. Second, Jacobs is a HORRIBLE DEFENDER. Do you really think that GMDM would pull off this sort of trade and ACTUALLY have Jacobs be the everyday 1B? NO. If this move were to have been pulled off, it would have signified that Billy Butler was on the move. Shealy/KK/Gload-(ARGH) will man the field while Jacobs DH's. Billy Butler and his overweight, my stats mean more to me than the team winning, so what if I got sent to Omaha for a month because of my attitude, I can still rake, 22 year old of a punk kid, ass, will get traded for a AAAA starting pitcher or two.

MARK MY WORDS!

Koufax? Honestly we're comparing him to Sandy Koufax? I understand your point but there are far way more pitchers with only two pitchers who had to pitch out of the bullpen than there have been Koufax's?

I really think Butler has atleast a couple more years before the Royals send him off for anything.

Gordon will never play first base as his everyday position. And let me repeat... EVER. He may not be panning out at the plate (which i really hope he does this year cause he is my favorite player!) but he is one of the best defenders in the game. He is over looked at third base too often and is spectacular there. There are way too many first basemen to even consider Alex for the spot. Alex is just too fast, has too much range, and too much arm strength to even consider 1B. And sorry Grant but i think you are very very wrong about Butler. Nobody in the Majors cares what there stats are. They all just want to play and win. Butler is no different. He was sent down because he was slumping at the plate, not because of his attitude. I expect big years from AGordon and BButler in 2009.

I think we really need to give it up for Tim... burning the midnight oil to snag the rumors. YEAH TIM!!!!! I wouldn't have seen it tomorrow but PHILLY IS ROCKIN RIGHT NOW, NONSTOP SCREAMING, HORNS, SIRENS AND FIREWORKS.

BleedinBlue: While I agree with you some players may care more about Stats (but usually only guys in contract years or something like that) then winning I think its rare and you gave two bad examples. Why would anyone in Seattle want Ichiro to be swinging for the fences more times then not that ball will be an out on the warning track than ending up in the seats. Ichiro should always try for contact with his speed he can stretch singles into doubles as well as steal a few bases.

I think people argue that A-rod is not worth it b/c he "chokes" under pressure and in the playoffs. If not for Arod these past few years the Yanks might have missed more than just this past post season. I don't think people can say he is selfish about stats or status b/c lets look at the facts. He was the best SS of his Era and moved off the posistion (the most prime posistion in baseball one could argue) to give way to a worse SS. I don't really think one can call him selfish when it comes to status.

As for Butler I've always thought that he had his head on right and I can't really recall reading otherwise. That being said I could actually see him being shopped if this Jacobs deal goes down. Butler could net 2 solid pitching prospects in return. And the Royals would be pretty set at 1b/DH.

I have to say I think getting Jacobs for Nunez is a steal. While Jacobs is far from perfect he's got some good power 32 HR's are pretty good in only 477 AB's. Also he played if one of the better pitchers parks in baseball. I think he should be going to the AL as DHing is the best thing for him. Also he's not that old and while he will be starting Arb. he would be making Ryan Howard money i mean he'll prob make what at most $20 million over these 3 years, thats not a bad deal. And with the Royals giving up only a solid young relief pitcher I think they come out ahead.

As a Giants fan...

Please let this deal go thru!!!

I don't see why Giants fans or bloggers like El Lefty Malo are so uptight about the Giants dealing for Jacobs. Frankly he's the only player on the list of suspects (er, players in their system with rumored upside) that might just consistently hit home runs at AT&T Park. And yes, he's not J.T. Snow with the glove but he's okay. The Giants were horrific offensively last year and they need a legitimate power threat. What other position are they going to find that threat? Maybe 3B or possibly with the addition of a power hitting RF (I'd love to see Magglio Ordonez end up in San Francisco as he was recently rumored to be on the block). Jacobs won't cost too much and he's a viable part of the equation. Frankly he makes more sense for the Giants than the Royals. Heck, maybe the Giants can pick up Shealy now on the cheap (i.e. for nothing) as a platoon player at first. Guys like Bowker, Ishikawa, etc. just don't give me much hope. I do like Sandoval but I think he's a stopgap behind the plate next year with Bengie being moved this offseason for prospects (sure hope the Mets are feeling generous, LOL).

Hey, I'm not foolish enough to expect great things from Jacobs but I do like the idea of a player who has tons of power and can threaten the opponent with a ball into the Cove now and again. He's an upgrade above anybody other than Sandoval that the Giants might trot out there next year. Sad, sure. But it's true and Jacobs will probably deliver solid numbers for a couple of seasons. As long as the price isn't too high, I say pull the trigger Sabean.

PS. Jacobs hits lefties only in "odd" numbered years, LOL. So he's the man to get for 2009 ;-) Seriously, he was good agains them in '07 and poor again in '08. I'll take my chances with Jacobs in a platoon to make more positive impact on the Giants than the likes of Bowker and Ishikawa. If Sandoval stays at 1st base, fine. No deal. But if Sandoval goes behind the dish or to 3rd (wouldn't that be a sight over the course of a full season on defense), then Jacobs isn't a horrific move as some have stated here....

The Jacobs deal makes no sense unless there is another trade coming.

Although Jacobs might not be a perfect fit for the Royals, if all they are giving up is the one reliever to get him its hard to argue against the move.

They could always be setting up to start moving other players. The guys OBP and OPS are a little rough, but at what they are paying it may be worth it to role the dice on Jacobs taking a liking to the AL. He has 35-100 potential I would think.

Completely agree with everyone who says that Jacobs-Nunez would be a good deal for KC.

If they can land him for a pretty low ceiling guy like Nunez, then it would be a pretty damn cheap way to add a guy with 35 HR power.

I really think this would be a poor deal for Florida. Guys like Nunez aren't all that rare, but few guys can legitimately hit 30 plus home runs in the majors. I wouldve expected the Marlins to land a better young player than a 25 year old reliever with solid closer upside

"special player" with a .299 OBP ? LOL

Jacobs is not even okay at firt he's in the top 2 worst filding 1b. The royals need power yes but most of all they need players who won't make outs! Jacobs does not get on base! Kila will at least do that. Jacobs will cost at least 2.5 to 3 mill! What is the point when shealy does the same thing for minimum. Trading a productive pitcher for a guy who when you combine defense is the worst 1b in baseball does not make sense! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here!!!!

This deal has just been officially announced.

What a steal for KC - a power hitter just entering his prime for a reliever.

Agree with both above.

So stoked that the deal is announced. Shealy, Kila, Butler, and Gload combined for 22 homers last season at first.

That's crazy. Now we can clear that logjam at first by moving some of them.

Great move and I'm a lock to renew my season tickets now.

BOOO!!!

Its almost like Dayton is intentionally trying to acquire low OBA guys.

Where does this place Butler for next season? He absolutely tore up pitching the second half after his re-call, but I don't see any place for him now with Jacobs in the mix.

I wouldn't mind seeing the Yanks trade to get Butler. They do have a pitching surplus, and it's not like they are trading him for an older player. Unfortunately living on the east coast, I didn't get to see his defense all that well. How is his D?

This just seems stupid to a royals fan like myself. Leo was whatever. But we have options at 1B.

This sets up the embarassing situation for this "young" royals team where we might have two of our younger more talented hitters starting the year in Omaha.

But I've never ran a baseball team so what do I know?

**Please tell me this doens't lead to us trading Butler. Ugh.

The Royals ended up giving Ross Gload and his .665ops over a 100 games at first base last year. Moore has also said that they will no longer use rebuilding as a justification for a move, Jacobs assures a substantial upgrade at 1b. If Shealy and Kila step up and show they can play then that gives them a good problem with an excess of talent to fill 1b/dh as opposed to the problem they had last year trying to compete with no production out of 1b.

I don't think Guillen will get traded. You move him and you lose 20 home runs. I think he bats in front of Jacobs and gets more balls to hit.

As far as the OBP complaints - if the guy is belting homers I don't care what his OBP is...what I care about is the OBP of the guys in front of him.

People saying that the Royals 'already have 4 1st basemen' are being too kind. All of them are backups. But as of today we have a real one.

Beyond the fact that we didn't lose a whole lot is the fact that this guy will only make $3.5 million this year and the Royals have control for the next 3.

Find me a FA who swatted 30+ dingers last year and tell me how much he wants.

I believe this is a very good deal for the Royals. There are plenty of horrible defensive first basemen out there. Mike Jacobs provides a really good bat for the Royals. Jacobs isnt of the same calibear of Ryan Howard or Prince Fielder but could be compared to them in some aspects. In the long run Royals win. I wouldnt be surprised to see them to make some more moves this offseason

I think a 25 year old reliever that throws 94 and can post a 2.98 ERA in the AL is a lot better than someone who hits 30 HR's , post a .320 OBP, and can only hit righties

Butler isn't playing in the outfield. He was actually drafted as a 3B but was moved b/c of his defense and Alex Gordon. He was moved from the outfield because of his defense as well. He is really only passable at 1st or makes sense as a DH. I think at least one of Butler, Kila, or Shealy are on the move.

I also dont understand about all the hating on Jacobs b/c he has a lower OBP, Joe Crede has ALWAYS had a bad OBP and people love him. I know defense is a difference but at DH i think Jacobs could be a steal. His numbers should go up without worrying about his defense and being out of FLA. For the price the Royals are paying one middle reliever and $2-4 million Jacobs can be a nice pick-up. good power for a 6th hitter.

Steveo, I don't know anybody that doesn't root for the Sox that loves Joe Crede. Most people think he stinks, and that he is a waste of money. Last year during the winter it was like a bash Joe Crede blog. With WhiteSox fans calling him a top 10 3B and everybody else calling him a fringe major leaguer.

"How do you know his power is going to translate into the AL?"

What makes you think the AL is the harder league for hitters? The reason it is harder for pitchers is because you don't have a easy out up 3-4 times a game in the vast majority of games. In fact, since the AL is the more breaking ball heavy league, a guy like Jacobs might actually do better there because he can probably inflate his walk numbers by seeing fewer fastballs on the corner and get a few more hanging breaking balls to hit.

"I don't know anybody that doesn't root for the Sox that loves Joe Crede. Most people think he stinks, and that he is a waste of money."

Actually, one only needs to look to the main subject of this thread to know who Crede compares to. He is essentially a right handed Mike Jacobs at a more premium position. The issue is that Crede is no longer the excellent defensive player he once was, so his value becomes even more limited.

I hear that DM is in talks with Tony Batista to be the everyday 3B, is going to give Jason Smith the starting SS job, is going to go after Russel Branyan, and coax Rob Deer out of retirement so he can field an almost entire team of guys who are two true outcome players...HR's and K's.

How can you say this is a bad deal for the Royals? They need more run production. Period. Nunez was never a starting pitcher. He was a mid relief guy AT BEST. Getting 30+HR's for mid relief...great deal.

I'm aware of the logjam at 1st. I'm not sold on Kila.....yet. Good Triple A numbers don't always coorelate to the majors. (Craig Brazell anyone?) Gload will be traded, maybe Shealy too (after his great September, his value should be decent)and Butler just needs to DH.

How about getting rid of Tony Pena Jr.?? To anybody....

As for Pena Jr., you could probably get a mediocre A-Ball or AA prospect for him with so many teams needing a shortstop.

Send him to Baltimore for whatever they'll give you (it won't be much)...

You can tell that Royals fans have never actually watched Jacobs play.

He is god awful. Just terrible. Looking up his stats and seeing 32 HRs doesn't tell you the whole story.

Everyone knows the obvious knocks against him, he can't play defense and his OBP sucks.

-To add to that, he is a horrible situational hitter. He almost never, ever moves runners over when you need him to.
-He can't hit lefties, EVER.
-He is always banged up. Always, the dude is always complaining about some sort of injury. And misses big chunks of time.
-He is a terrible base runner. He will cost you just as many runs of the basepaths as he will drive in.
-He can't hit anything off speed. He will hammer fastballs but curves and changes eat him up.

Since when do you see the Marlins make a bad trade? We got Hanley and Anibel for Beckett, we got Maybin for Cabrera. We always make good deals because we know what our players can really do. Jacobs is crap, we traded him when his value as at it's peak and got a solid RP for him.

Next year he will be back to his .230 BA/.300 OBP with 25 HRs and 70 RBI form and you guys will be begging your coach to sit him.

So glad he's gone so we can get a real 1B. Can't wait to see Logan Morrison crack the bigs in 2 years. Until then let's see how Cantu holds it down and play McPherson at 3B.

Obviously Marlins fans haven't watched Nunez pitch.

The Royals traded him at the peak of his value for someone who can drive the ball which is something we've sorely missed.

Nunez had a fine season this year but coming out of spring training he was just another pitcher. I'll give you his 48 innings for 32 homers any day of the week.

Giants GM asleep at the wheel again....

While in no way a franchise savior, the post-steroids (well, mostly post steroids, LOL) era shows us that 30-HR types simply don't grow on trees like they used to. I disagree with Tim as well that he's such a worthless player. That is not accurate. In fact he's a more powerful version of Pedro Feliz, LOL. Okay, Petey has a good glove but otherwise he's a complete stiff. Comparing Mike to Petey isn't saying much, but Pete Happy now has a ring so go figure!

That Jacobs was dealt by Florida for a marginal middle reliever makes me ill, considering the Giants top 3 hitters barely topped Jacobs power output in 2008. Sorry but Sabean needs to get off his rear end and improve this team. Even if the improvements aren't monumental they need to start now and be made across the board. Giants need upgrades at 1st, 2nd, SS, 3B, LF, and RF. Did I fail to mention bullpen and the back end of the rotation. Sheesh....

Yeah Jacobs is into the first arbitration year but it's not like he will suddenly be a $10m/year player. He'll be in the $2.5 to $3m range with no guaranteed contract beyond this coming season. Hardly a big risk for the lowly Giants. For that price, a player with tons of power even when lacking in other areas (low OBP, mediocre defense, inconsistent against left handers) is still an asset as the game is played vintage 2009. Hell, if he struggles in 2009 then you non-tender or trade him. But at the cost of a very minimal talent in return the Giants need to make that trade. Jacobs could very likely have more HR's in 2009 than the club's top 3 in that category (especially if Bengie is dealt and he's hardly a slugger, just ridiculous).

I'm not preaching power at any cost. But let's face it, Gmen are drastically weak in that area and offer no threat to an opposing pitcher in terms of game-changing at bats. Even off the bench Jacobs would have been a value here. Breaking open a game with a single swing or tying one up late, you need a threat somewhere on the 25-man roster. It'd be interesting to have at least one guy who might hit more than 15 HR's. I'll say it again. When a 34yr old catcher, one never known for power and a guy that might just be on his way out at that, is the team leader in HR's, well, it's time to upgrade. Jacobs could very well repeat 30-35 even in the national park that is right field at AT&T. Don't forget the Marlins' yard is no bargain for left handed power hitters either. But once again Sabean sits meekly on his hands.

And let's not get all worked up that Jacobs would take bats from Sandoval. There are MANY MANY holes in the Giants starting 8 where Kung Fu Panda will get his playing time (3rd base and catcher are wide open especially if Bengie is dealt). At for the price Jacobs would have cost, both in terms of talent being traded and salary for 2009, he should have been acquired by San Francisco. It was low risk, medium to large reward. Typical lack of forward motion from Sabean vintage 21st century!

PS. Problem was that Jacobs at 28 was far too young. Sabean didn't give him another look as he was 10 years too young for the Giants to even consider as a free agent signee.

A 41-year old Omar Vizquel for $5.5m in 2008, what's not to like. But a 28-year old who will only earn appx. $3.0m with 30+ HR pop at a position where the Giants are inept, well, that clearly won't work. Give me a break. Even for 1 year, there is little downside. Do something you worthless XXXX of a GM.....