Gary Matthews Jr. Wants Out

Okay- how about Ordonez, Guillen, Bonderman, Robertson, Willis, and Inge.... all for Matthews.
No?
How about if we sweeten the deal and keep Inge?

Milton Bradley straight up for him. Money matches and Cubs might even be inclined to include a prospect or two to get Bradley the hell out of Chicago. Matthews' best season came under Jaramillo so its the same story that Bradley had.

This sounds like a great scenario for the Padres. They are looking for a solid OF bat with good defense, and they have some money to burn so they can afford to take on his contract. Plus the Angels had expressed interest in Heath Bell, the team's main trade chip. Bell for Matthews and a prospect or two?

As start wearing purple says, Sarge Jr. is a 4th OF who turned one good year into a huge pay day.

Q: If he is so sure of himself, why doesn't he ask the Angels to let him out of his contract so he can become a free agent and sign anywhere he wants?

A: Because his agent will tell him he'd be lucky to get $4M for one year as a free agent, so he better keep his mouth shut and collect his $23M over the next two seasons.

jeremy-the same could be said about bradley

Wonder if the Angles would take a Derek Lowe for Matthews. The money is different but Lowe is the better player and the Angles need pitching.

Rios wasn't traded, he he was a straight up claim. Still young and full of potential, let's not close the book on him just yet.

Bradley For Matthews!!!

Lackey may be walking, opens up a 5th spot.

GMJ for Barry Zito straight up

"Bradley For Matthews!!!"

HELL no. We already had Jose Guillen.

Jeremy, I don't think you give GMJ enough credit. He's certainly not as bad as you make him out to be. Don't get me wrong he's not an All Star and he certainly was a one year wonder when he got this fat contract, but I don't believe he is totally unwanted.

And no I would not want the Padres to give up very much for him, but my logic was that our main piece to deal right now is Heath Bell, and the Angels were interested in him. If his contract and current talent level are that horrible than I don't see why we couldn't get a couple solid prospects AND GMJ off of the Angels for Bell. If we can do that why not? He brings a veteran presence, and he's probably good enough to make the Padres starting lineup, at least temporarily until our prospects develop a little more.

Bottom line, someone will want him I think. It all relies on the Angels accepting they won't get much for him.

Of course this could all become pointless. I could see the Angels losing both Abreu and Vlad, in theory they could try and put GMJ back in the lineup to replace one of them.

Lackey may be walking, opens up a 5th spot.

GMJ for Barry Zito straight up

Posted by: YesWeCan02 | October 27, 2009 at 06:22 PM"

And whos pays the billion dollars left on Zito's contract?

Really though, if the Cubs want him gone they should really talk to the Angels.

Whats the worse that can happen? Hes a dick and he gets benched/DFAed or he can find the magic in the bat and be a force.

The money is about the same right?

The problem with Matthews is that he isn't just vastly overpaid, it's questionable whether he belongs in the majors at all.

In the past three years, he's averaged a -13.1 UZR, and he's continued to struggle offensively, he gets some walks but otherwise he's practically worthless.

In 2008-2009, he's been worth -1.9 WAR, he's one of the worst players in baseball to get that much playing time.

If I was Reagins, I would trade Matthews for anything, and otherwise I would just release him.

The Angels have three superior outfielders already locked up in Hunter, Rivera and Willits, and they're almost a lock to add at least one OF/DH before the offseason is over.

SDPads -
You sound like a nice and reasonable guy but I don't think you realize how far GMj has fallen.

The past three years his OBP and SLG are way below average for a corner OF and his defense has nose-dived. He's 35 and not turning it around.

And if hits that poorly in a decent park for hitters, imagine how he will do in SD.

Dave Cameron just wrote a short piece at FanGraphs about Matthews comments called "The Most Delusional Man on the Planet."

If GMj was an average OF and the Angels ate most of his contract, maybe he's make sense. But he's way below average and if he doesn't start he will sulk.

Surprised? the guy is paid big money to be a 5th outfielder... I would want to go too!

Um, Lowe for GMJ is terrible for the Braves. Lowe, while overpaid is still an asset, which cannot be said for GMJ. Maybe if the Angels took on nearly all of GMJ's & Lowe's contract.

GMJ actually got 360 plate appearances last year, so he didn't exactly rot on the bench. He improved slightly over 2008, but I still question if he even belongs in the majors.

As for San Diego, no way do we need GMJ for a 3rd try. Not even for the major league minimum. I would rather get Garret Anderson or even resign Brian Giles.

We should sign Mike Cameron, and have an OF of Cameron, Blanks, Venable, with Gwynn and Salazar backing up.

It Matthews is so bad maybe the Braves could ask for something else to go with him in exchange for Derek Lowe. I do think the Braves have a spot for him. It would just depend on how well they do in the free agent market. If they arent able to land anyone then trade for GMJ.

Bradley is a better hitter than GMJ, is $2M cheaper, and is 4 years younger. As a Braves fan, I'd rather have Bradley. I see where the Cubs are interested in Kelly Johnson. Maybe Kelly Johnson & Ryan Church for Bradley & $6M?

Although, Lowe for GMJ would be a way to dump some salary.

I just want him out altogether. Trade him for some minor leaguers, I don't care. I'd rather have Willits as our 4th outfielder.

good luck with that Gary

Lowe for Sarge?

No thanks, Lowe was terrible in the second half and would be at best a #4 starter in the AL. Lowe has 3/45 left right? Uuugggggllllyyy.

Posted by: YouthofToday | October 27, 2009 at 08:10 PM

Ok, take you're 5th outfielder who has no asset to the team.

If the Angels infield D is as good as people make them seem, Lowe would benefit immensely. At worst, he would be like Jon Garland during his time with the Angels, which is a hell of a lot more than GMJ is doing.

I'm failing to see what the Braves would gain from trading Lowe and paying GMJ anything more than the minimum that they couldn't otherwise gain from within their own farm. (See: Heyward, Jason)

You know what? Scratch that. Maybe I'm just bored? Angels would be better of releasing GMJ and just signing a DH to replace Vlad. Never mind my proposal.

Matthews for Lowe straight, and angel fans are complaining. You should be so lucky.

I still think 3 years/$24 million is overpaying for a 36 year-old with a 5.16 k/bb ratio -- in the NL!

The only type of SP the Angels need to spend $ on is an ace. Lowe does NOTHING to advance the team past the Yankees or Red Sox in the playoffs.

Matthews is still a useful player. He's no all-star but he's still worthy of starting, especially in the weaker NL.

I'd trade GMJ for Lowe as our 5th starter in a heart beat.

The Angels have plenty of 5th starter options. Dustin Moseley, Antohony Ortega, Trevor Bell, Sean O'Sullivan.

Plus we have 2 future front of the rotation starters in Walden and Reckling. Given that Kazmir is gone after 2011 and Weaver after 2012 and these guys will be ready by 2011, the Angels should be careful in grabbing too many starters.

The best deal here would be GMJ, 3/4 of his contract and Trevor Bell for Heath Bell. The Padres would get a starting pitcher/long reliever that's young and under control and decent starting OF for their closer. In all reality, they won't have too many leads to protect anyway.

Angels fans need to get real about the situation. It's not that GMJ is bad. It's beyond that. He has some serious negative equity. The only way you move him is to eat a portion of the contract and/or accept another negative equity deal. Below are some of the potential targets. I have included their current minimum salary commitment (with buyouts if applicable). If there is a "+" that would mean the club is sending that amount of money to the Angels. If there is a "-" then the Angels are sending money to the other team. In reality more or less money may be required depending on the other pieces of the trade. This assumes straight-up trades.

Before you read this list understand that most of these players ARE NOT desirable. They each have a serious flaw with their contract. These are the only type of players that GMJ might net. I want no part of Jeff Suppan (as an example). However, I would trade for him in order to save about $10m.

-- Milton Bradley (2/$21)
-- Derek Lowe + $3m (3/$45)
-- Pat Burrell (1/$9)
-- Carlos Lee + $15m (3/$56)
-- Jeff Suppan (1/$14.5)
-- Eric Byrnes (1/$11)
-- Juan Pierre (2/$19)
-- Jake Westbrook - $3m (1/$11)
-- Carlos Silva + $5m (2/$23)
-- Oliver Perez (2/$24)
-- Brad Lidge + $4m (2/$24m)
-- Michael Young + $15m (4/$64m)
-- Kevin Millwood - $4m (1/$12)
-- Aaron Harang - $5m (1/$15m)
-- Brad Hawpe - $5m (1/$8m)
-- Magglio Ordonez (1/$18m)
-- Jeremy Bonderman - $3m (1/$13m)

Of course, not all these would necessarily work. However, they might be options. At least they would be guys that I would inquire about.

GMJ needs to shut his mouth, sit on the bench and collect his paycheck. He doesn't deserve to start and doesn't deserve the check.

It's time someone tried to make this an insane 3 way trade. And since I couldn't care less about any of these teams - here goes.

Angels send Gary Matthews Jr to the Cubs. They might be the only team he improves the outfield defense on, and he's kind of a legacy there.

The Cubs send Milton Bradley to the Tigers. Leyland has already managed Bonds and Sheffield. If nothing else, it will be fun to se if Bradley is the one who breaks him. Detroit probably makes out the best since Bradley has proven to be a very good DH when he isn't going insane, and if nothing else, he is more durable than Guillen.

The Tigers send Carlos Guillen to the Angels. Sure, the Angels have no use for Guillen, but they didn't want Bradley, and they hopefully weren't expecting anything good for GMJ. Actually, if Guillen doesn't fall apart, he does give them a good DH option.

Money is even everywhere, so no additional cash or prospects for ANYONE!!!

Gotta love a three team dela where every player is an overpaid unwanted switch hitter.

This sounds like a great scenario for the Padres. They are looking for a solid OF bat with good defense, and they have some money to burn so they can afford to take on his contract. Plus the Angels had expressed interest in Heath Bell, the team's main trade chip. Bell for Matthews and a prospect or two?

Posted by: SDPads4life | October 27, 2009 at 05:56 PM

ummmmm... could I interest you in Juan Pierre for Heath Bell? ;)

No1CarewFan29, White Sox get absolutely screwed six ways to Sunday by this deal and the Reds are dancing in the streets. Money works out, but everything else screaming video game trade. The end result is Gavin Floyd is the best player in this trade, a young solid middle of the order starter who can potentially be a #2 man, and the Reds only have to dump a more expensive/less controllable version of him. No way anyone but Cincy wins.

No1CarewFan29 -

If you're the White Sox, why stop there with only two of the worst outfield contracts in baseball - Rios and GMj?

Let's trade John Danks to Toronto for Vernon Wells.

There. Now you have all three outfield positions covered with god-awful contracts.

As for Dustin Moseley, he's a 5th starter on a bad team. But maybe that makes sense with an outfield of Wells Rios and GMj.

The White Sox do need a center fielder but they could pick up half a dozen guys on waivers who would perform as well as GMj. The league is littered with one-time prospects still in their mid-20s who haven't performed at the Major League level, either because of limited chances or some failure the first time out. The White Sox traded not so long ago for Carlos Quentin and it didn't cost them Gavin Floyd.

If the White Sox need a trading partner they could turn to Baltimore, where Felix Pie has shown signs of life but doesn't have a place in the outfield.

He whines an awful lot for a guy that is making 50 million for doing absolutely nothing

Just a note to the fans who don't like GMJ's opinion of himself:

Try to read GMJ's comments as just a competitive guy feeling like he wants to compete. Then forget about it. Some very competitive people are always saying things like "why not me?" or "it's not fair" because they thrive off of the idea they are treated unfairly. That's what motivates them.

It'll be a lot easier than getting upset about him wanting to play more. (Besides, what coach would ever want a player on his team who didn't want to play? Especially a marginal player?)

As an Angels fan, I understand the unpleasant comments people have directed toward GMJ. For me, I don't lay the blame for GMJ's performance, or lack there of, on his shoulders. The blame rests entirely on Angels management.

I think all Angel fans took a collective gasp when GMJ was first signed. GMJ has been nothing more than a mediocre player through his career and his stats prove that out, save 2006, when it appears he may have used performance enhancing drugs.

GMJ is an overpaid player who thinks his contract warrants him playing time, not his actual performance. I actually think he is a decent reserve outfielder as he does play great defense, has good speed, has occasional power and he does have the ability to drive in runs. All that being said, outside of his defensive capabilities, he's not great in any offensive categories, just simply adequate for a 4th or 5th outfielder. The rub is he is paid as a front-line starting outfielder and he wants to go somewhere that will allow him to play everyday. Not an easy solution, but I think this option might work well.

The Angels need another front-line starter and I think Roy Halladay fits their need very nicely. In order to get Halladay, I would suggest the following package of players:

1. Brandon wood (3B) - I don't think the Jays believe Encarnacion is their answer at 3B and Wood could become a great combination to pair with Aaron Hill over the next few years (this is dependent on the Angels resigning Figgins, of course)

2. GMJ (OF) - Now that the Jays have luckily shed Rios' contract, they have space in the outfield for someone like GMJ. His contract runs for two years, so it's not too bad to handle.

3. Trevor Reckling (AA-SP) - The Angels Minor League pitcher of the year who isn't that far from pitching in the majors.

4. Sean O'Sullivan - (SP) - He is only 21 and he threw a no-hitter at AAA this year and filled in for some spot starts for the big league club. He could be a nice piece for their rotation for years to come.

The idea is that you give the Jays two young pitching prospects with promise, a premium 3B prospect and someone that can help them today solidify their outfield - somewhat - for the next two years. I think this is an attractive package for team that will not be in the playoffs in 2010, will not be able to resign Halladay and is looking to rebuild.

Any thoughts?

Mathews is a terrible baseball player. I wouldn't want him to start for the Cubs, and I certainly wouldn't want him as a $10+ million dollar bench player. He can't hit and he isn't much of a fielder either. What good is he?

I'm not familiar with the value (if any) that GMJ still has. From reading the posts it appears he's not an everyday O.F. anymore, & he should be happy to have the best seat to watch a game & get paid for it. As a cub fan who thinks Bradley has great talent, but needs psychiatric help, I wouldn't make the swap. The help bradley needs could've arrived in Jaramillo. I don't think the Cubs make that kind of investment (2.4 mil) in a new hitting coach, & not give him a chance to turn bradley around. I just don't want to see the cubs sell low on bradley & get screwed in a trade

Japan or, failing that, the Newark Bears seem like a fine fit.

Correction - he "should be" useless to the team. Unfortunately, he still lands the equivalent of a half seasons worth of AB's. Playing GMJ every other day is not right for a club like the Angels.

I don't think he is the worst option out there for a once a week type start. That's why he has "some" value and I wouldn't outright release him. However, that value is extremely limited.

old enough to be a carew fan and you make grade 5-level trade proposals?
or are you just goofin' on us?

Pads4life makes grade 5-level trades ... with the mad genius twist that it's his team that gets hosed

an LA swap of overpaid bench players — gmj for juan — makes some sense on paper. but sarge, presumably, would just be pissed to be on the bench again

only realistic scenario would have to be matthews for bradley.

or just tender him. suck up the loss, arte. learn your lesson.

dtalk.

That trade doesn't work for many reasons.

1. Phillies would never give up 3 good players for 2 ok players.

2. Blue jays dont get enough in return (they could have gotten 4 top prospects from the Red Sox or Phillies)

3. Reds get too much (Two all stars for 2 non all stars)

4. angels get too much (a cy young winner and a lock down reliever for a good young pitcher and a 5th outfielder)

5.Scutaro is a FA i believe, so they would have to resign him then trade him... doesn't make much sense.

As for what to do with Gary, I'm not sure what the otions are. At this point i think Reagins will listen to anybody that wants Gary. We may not get much in return at all, but i think at this point anything for Gary would be ok with me.

"4 team trade that involves Angels,phillies,Blue Jays,and Reds
Angels offer gary matthews Jr.,Ervin Santana
phillies offer j.a. happ,shane victorino,and Ryan Madson
Blue jays offer Roy halladay,and Marco Scutaro
Reds offer Harang and taveras.
Angels get Roy Halladay and Ryan madson
Phillies get Taveras and Scutaro
Blue jays get Matthews Jr and J.A.Happ
Reds get Victorino and Santanna.Now thats a trade."

This scenario would only make sense if Ruben Amaro Jr. was fired and Bill Bavasi was hired in his place. Why would the Phillies trade Happ, Victorino, and Madson to obtain Willy Tavares and Marco Scutaro? Aside from the fact that Scutaro is a free agent, he isn't as good as their current SS. A guy by the name of Jimmy Rollins. Heard of him? I believe he won an MVP award...And Shane Victorino is MILES better than Willy Tavares. So they downgrade themselves at two key up the middle positions and lose a key 8th inning set up guy? I think not.

GET MATHEWS AND VLAD OUT OF HERE THEN WE COULD AFFORD SOME REAL TALENT WELLS AND RIOS IT WOULD COST A LITTLE MORE BUT IT WOULD BE WORTH IT