The Marlins traded for Carlos Lee this afternoon and more first basemen could be dealt within the next four weeks. The Dodgers, who attempted to acquire Lee from Houston, are one team that figures to explore the first base market. Here are some of the options they could consider:
- Ty Wigginton, Phillies – Though Wigginton isn't exactly your prototypical slugging first baseman, he can play the position and hit lefties. Wigginton's availability presumably depends on the health of teammates such as Ryan Howard as much as anything. He earns $4MM this year ($2MM from both the Rockies and Phillies) and his contract includes a club option for the same $4MM salary in 2013.
- Bryan LaHair, Cubs – LaHair has trouble hitting left-handers and he's mired in a six-week slump. Yet he has power and will remain under team control for years to come. Anthony Rizzo's promotion bumped LaHair to the outfield, but he has spent most of his short MLB career at first base.
- Justin Morneau, Twins – Morneau's production has been passable, but unimpressive: ten homers and a .238/.307/.434 batting line. Add his contract — $14MM per season through 2013 — and concussion issues to the mix, and you have a trade candidate who will scare away some potential suitors.
- Adam Lind, Blue Jays – Though Lind has hit well since returning from the minor leagues, his place in the Blue Jays organization seems far from secure. The team exposed him to waivers earlier this season then removed him from the 40-man roster, strong indications that he'd be available in the right deal. Edwin Encarnacion could be available if the Blue Jays fall far out of contention in July.
- Corey Hart, Brewers – At the moment it doesn’t appear that the Brewers will listen on Hart. Perhaps the left-handed hitting Travis Ishikawa will draw trade interest.
- Mark Kotsay, Padres – Kotsay hasn't played much first base since 2010, but he has a .790 OPS and a salary of just $1.25MM.
- Jason Giambi, Rockies – Giambi's more of a pinch hitter and designated hitter than he is a first baseman at this point. He's earning just $1MM this year so, like Kotsay, he's an affordable option.
The Cardinals could be positioned to make a buyer-buyer deal once Lance Berkman returns from the disabled list. Alternatively, the Cardinals could keep Matt Carpenter, Matt Adams and Allen Craig to preserve their offensive depth for 2012 and beyond.
MLBTR started previewing the trade market yesterday with a look at potentially available catchers.
“LaHair has trouble hitting left-handers and he’s mired in a six-week slump.”
I watched this guy play in DSM for the I-Cubs quite a few times, this is who he is. He’s not an all-star like a lot of people seem to think.
He must be, considering the fact that the NL players voted him onto the NL team. Why else would a player get voted onto an All-Star team if he wasn’t All-Star caliber?
Don’t think the Cards will be dealing Craig. The guy is a potential MVP in the next few years.
i agree matt adams is the 1st baseman on the trading block not craig
I think Theo would be wise to package Jeff Baker and Bryan LaHair as a right-left tandem for teams looking for 1st base help.
I know there is a long, competitive history between the Dodgers and Cards, but could a trade be worked out for Craig? From Cards fans, and Dodger fans too, what would it take?
I’m thinkin Dee Gordon, a pitcher, and a good prospect. Though he’s really not for sale.
When you say pitcher, do you mean MLB or MiLB? Starter or reliever as well? Also, do you think they’d go for Dee with Furcal playing well? And not sure if the Dodgers would part with Dee for anything right now. As a Dodger fan, I don’t know the Cards needs, just curious
Well for this season we are set at short. But we don’t have a SS of the future. We’ve had a constant change in shortstops since Renteria left. Gordon could fill that hole. By pitcher I’m thinking either a solid 3-4 starter that can help this year and maybe next, or a good young starter. Though maybe K. Jansen could be replace that starter (not sure if he’d even be available).
I could see something like Dee, Eovaldi and Gould? Dee is in the majors, so is Eovaldi, and Gould is one of our top 5 prospects. I feel like biggest holdup would be Dee cause, like the Cards it sounds like, shortstop has been an issue for us as well
Well, the main issue is that the Cards are contending. Dee is struggling, Evaldi isn’t an upgrade, and Gould isnt good enough of a prospect. And since Craig is a main bat for us, I find it hard to think up a good match with craig and the dodgers.
That’s why a deal would be very unlikely. Each team is competing. However, if the Cards would consider a deal they’d have to look at more than this ear. Dee has extreme flaws and extreme positives. He’s been rushed to the majors because of need and is learning in the majors. Eovaldis last game was bad and his season numbers are skewed because of it. There would probably be more to the deal but it’s interesting to think about
Cards match up better at 3rd with Matt Carpenter and Zack Cox both blocked by Freese.
Carp can play 3rd, 1st and the corner OF positions so he is versatile. Given a chance at full time duty he could hit 15 HR’ and drive in 75-80 runs. Has averaged an obp over .400 thru the minors. Eovaldi would be a nice return.
As a Dodger fan, Carpenter sounds intriguing. 3B has been a huge black hole for us ever since Beltre left. Blake was a decent stop gap for a couple years, but we could really use a long-term solution there.
Freese is such a Cox blocker. I’d hate to have him as my wingman!
Cards would want Gordon, Lee and Elbert. Craig is not even arb eligible until 2014.
No chance Craig gets dealt. Carpenter or Adams would happen before Craig or Berkman is my guess.
can you tell me why adams hasn’t played in 4 or 5 games and he isn’t injured
so will a cards fan tell me why matt adams hasn’t played the last 4 games but he isn’t injured? and also i don’t think the cards would trade craig they would trade matt adams before they traded craig
I wonder if one of these teams who are hard up for 1B production would take a shot on Lars Anderson (or maybe Mauro Gomez)? They could get them for basically nothing, and would actually be an upgrade for a few of those teams.
Am thinking Anderson might be one of those removal off the 40 man roster candidates at the end of the season if he isn’t traded 1st. He is pretty much certain to get moved before the season is finished. Gomez of course is on the roster, but he pretty much has no chance of being on it next season.
Gaby Sanchez?
Has been bad this year, but for a team that would want to try to get a long term answer at 1st, he could be coveted. But even with the Marlins getting Lee doesn’t mean that they will give up on him.
My exact feelings. Gaby makes little, has put up 2 really strong seasons (up until 3 months of 2012) and plays a pretty decent defensive 1b. I’d take his track record over LaHair any day of the week and Gaby has hit both LH/RH pretty good, while LaHair has been benched of late vs lefties cause he just can’t hit ’em very well.
Fish with Lee now and imagine would sell very low on him.
He was pretty useless in the second half of 2011, too… but sometimes
bad years just happen. Maybe he’s doing his Adam Dunn impression. Maybe
he was really screwed up by the courtship of Albert Pujols. Maybe a
change of scenery would do him some good.
Hopefully his next stint in AAA will give him some time to work on
whatever bug is in his swing, and make him an All-Star level player
again. But even if that does happen, I think the Marlins will be happy
to deal him and play Logan Morrison at 1B.
If you could add James Loney to this list, we’d really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Dodgers fans
Hopefully The Mighty Theo and Co. can really kill someone over LaHair, he’s probably at his peak right now.
LaHair to me maxes out at a Garret Jones type of payer.
As a pirates fan I would be intersted in getting gabby if he could be had cheap. We are fine with jones/mcgee for the rest of this season but both might be gone next year. If we can get Willingham/ Headly for rf and gaby long term 1st i would be happy. None of those players would costany of our big 4 pitchers just one of our lhp starting in AAA and Robbie Grossman type
How can Rizzo possibly be on this list? They gave up a lot to get him and he has been excellent in his short call-up. I cannot believe he is available.
read the article, then respond
Aubrey Huff is available. >:D
Took the words out of my mouth…
Clint Robinson is asking for a chance anywhere he can get it.
Isn’t Kotsay looking to retire with the Padres? He’s hinted this would be his last year and felt that retiring with the team where he first had success with would be ideal.
I don’t see a real difference-maker in this list for the Dodgers. About the only one who makes any sense for them is Wiggington. He could start at first against lefties and play third the rest of the time.
Morneau’s hitting a quite reasonable 310/386/561 against righthanders. I don’t know who wants to take on that much salary for a platoon guy, but he’s still useful.
Kendrys Morales?
i could see the Blue Jays and AA making a move to get Matt Carpenter or Matt Adams from the Cards for Darren Oliver or another reliever plus a second tier prospect or Rajai Davis.
Let’s look at Craig’s stat line, shall we?
In 160 career games, his line is .298/.355/.547, with 33 doubles, 28 home runs, 101 RBI, and with only 470 at-bats.
If we only look at 2011-2012, his stat line reads .315/.373/.590, with 26 doubles, 24 home runs, 83 RBI, and with only 356 at-bats.
Remind me where it’s crazy to think that if he got a full season in, he could be in an MVP race?
Craig’s the real deal. Just was never a flashy prospect. But he’s hit at every level, and he sure hits it hard.
If Craig stays healthy the rest of the year he most likely hits more than 30 home runs and over 100 rbi’s. All of this in 3/4th’s of a season of playing time. He has 43 rbi’s now in 42 games and 13 home runs.
That’s what she said.