Stark On White Sox, Bedard, A's, Penny

“Indians GM Mark Shapiro seems to be leaning toward hanging on to Cliff Lee for now. Shapiro may look to add pitching by trading Mark DeRosa or an outfielder.”

I would for a little while longer. There is a possibility that Cliff Lee is making the turn from solid starter to the mega-star level right now. 29-30 is a common age for pitchers to do it, and I was shocked when I looked at his numbers from this year a couple days ago. Outside of that first game of the season, he has been just as good or better then he was in 2008. He isnt showing any signs of huge regression, and seems to be showing a poise that can propel him to that ‘best in the game’ level. I mean, he is getting some of the worst run support in the game and cant seem to buy a win because of it, yet still pitches amazing game after amazing game.

More people should probably be taking notice, we might be watching something special.

what would it take to get penny from the sox? lou marson?

marson was awful in april. he couldn't of looked worse offensively & defensively. plus he isnt even our best catching prospect.

"what would it take to get penny from the sox? lou marson?"

Coming from a fellow Phils fan...I don't think Marson is a unbelievable prospect but I'd rather hang onto him in a potential Penny deal, because he hopefully can compete for the starting C spot next season.

How about Jason Donald in a Penny deal? They don't seem to want to play him at 3B in AAA, and he's blocked at his other two spots. Slow start after his great year last year, but he's still probably ML ready and the Sox are hurting at SS

I would wait though and try to package Donald and maybe Carrasco and a B level guy for Bedard. If they don't bite on that, then I'd be willing to part with Donald for Penny

does bako make marson expendable?

I am still in shock by the absolutely idiotic offseason Billy Beane had. What is the point of trading for Holliday, then adding Giambi, then adding O. Cabrerra without having ANY reliable veteran pitching. Well, I guess you can count Duke as a "veteran," but even still, that's it?

Just eyeballing his gamelogs, he's got a whip over 1.5, k/9 at best around 5 and a GB:FB rate under 0.7

For the most part they seem to be trending upward, but not dramatically so. If anything, I'd think he's lost stock so far this year. I still don't think he costs a Lou Marson. Not even with Marson struggling.

i'd be more inclined bj to trade for cabrera since he's on a short contract say if rollins is hurt or reyes cant stay healthy all year long

"this is getting better and better =) "

Again coming from a Phils fan....Donald is 24 and has a .638 OPS this year in AAA with 1 HR

In reality, given that they don't want to play him at 3B, they should have traded him last year when his value was at its apex. As of now he's a blocked prospect with a mediocre ceiling

I would love to be able to spin him for something better than Penny...but I don't really see much available pitching that is much better, especially with the Phils not in a position to add much payroll

sounds like a winwin situation wayne gomes =)

The Giants should try to get Dye, Konerko or BOTH if they are truly available. Those guys cost $12M each in 2010 and a bit more with their buyouts in 2011, so I'm thinking the Giants could probably get them both without giving up any of their top prospects, especially considering it would be a salary dump, basically. Having those 2 guys in the Giants lineup for 1.5 years would make them a serious contender in the NL Worst. Plus, the Giants have a lot of salary coming off the books next year and having those 2 guys basically on 1 year deals wouldn't kill them in the long run and they'd still have flexibility heading into the 2010 offseason.

If they could somehow find a way to ship Rowand back the other way, it would be even sweeter, even if they have to pick up some of his bad contract. They'd have to give up a bit more in this scenario, but for some reason Rowand is liked in Chicago so you never know.

crap, double post.

Giants should get them both i sick of Ish even tho defensively he is good.......Jesus Guzman needs to come up the line-up look dangerous esp if Guzman starts everyday ........

2B BURRISS
LF LEWIS
1B KONERKO
RF DYE
C MOLINA
3B SANDOVAL
SS RENTERIA
CF ROWAND
(p)

BENCH: GUZMAN, AURILLA (RETIRE A GIANT), FRANDSEN, NATE, URIBE

TRADE: VELEZ, WINN (REALLY GOOD PLAYER AND CHI SOX NEEDS A LEAD-OFF), ISH, MID PROSPECT

OAKLAND A'S I THOUGHT U GUYS WERE GOIN TO GET PEDRO MARTINEZ....UR SP JUST STINKS .......DUDE I THINK THE A'S FIELD IS JINX CAUSE EVERY1 ALWAYS WHINE UP(THAT SONG) ON THE DL

Ok, I'm confused with the thinking here.

-Sox are playing in a very week division and are only 6.5 gms out with over 100 gms to go.

-They are attempting to trade for Peavy, who makes a ton of money.

-They are giving up several top prospects to acquire Peavy, which smells of a "win now" approach with Ozzie and KW.

-They obviously need the pitching but are also suffering on the offensive side of things where they are bottom 5 in HRS, BB received, OBP, Batavg, Runs Scored and SB.

-If they are in a "win now" mind frame AND suck in every offensive category then why would they be thinking of trading AWAY Dye (leading team in HR's w/ 10), Konerko (leading team in Hits, Batavg, and RBI) or Thome (leading in OBP @ .391 and has 7 hr)?

Seems to me that they should be buyers and not sellers.

IF they are thinking of next year then wouldn't trading cheap and very talented prospects while taking on huge salary be the opposite of what rebuilding teams do?

My quandry was more directed to the writer but to follow your thoughts.

If the trade were made to get younger and more athletic then does trading 3 or 4 prospects for 1 Peavy accomplish that? I would think they would ust hold on to the prospects and trade Dye, Konerko and Thome to try and add more youth. It just my opinion but the Peavy trade would make me think the Sox are trying to win now. Doing that AND then trading your best offensive players on an already poor offensive team seems sort of ass backwards.

How in the world does Penny make any sense whatsoever for the Indians?!?

Westbrook who's coming back from TJ surgery could probably do as well as him (and should be back within the month). Not to mention Pavano has been better and Lee is still here.

Penny to Cleveland is not happening....unless Boston is trying to dump salary and will include Masterson or Bowden. But I'm confident that's not the case nor will happen.

"Penny to Cleveland is not happening....unless Boston is trying to dump salary and will include Masterson or Bowden. But I'm confident that's not the case nor will happen."

Dumping salary typically does not (1) include adding prospects to the dumpee, but usually entails simply taking less back in return and (2) is typically not done with a player on a one-year $5mill deal, especially when the dumping team still has about $120mill committed elsewhere.

Cleveland would only be interested if they feel they have another massive July/August surge and think they can take the AL Central, and they might. Counting on Westbrook, however, is certainly unwise. He's made 30 starts in the last 2 years and is coming off surgery. Pavano is not exactly noted for his health either. Granted, Penny is no iron man, but his cheap salary and no commitment won't scare anyone away, and won't empty the farm system either.

With Adam Miller gone and Sowers proving again and again he just does not have it, and Laffey in the pen, what are the Indians going to do when the INEVITABLE injuries that EVERY TEAM has start knocking off their starting pitchers? Rely on a guy coming off of TJ?

Bottom line - never look at starting pitching in terms of 5 pitchers. Look at it in terms of 7-10 pitchers. Do the Indians have that many?

"If the White Sox want Penny, would they go as high as Alexei Ramirez, and then bring up Beckham to play shortstop?"

Uhh, no. Penny won't net an established MLB SS, even if he does indeed have defensive flaws.