Brad Wilkerson Rumors

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Wells, Griffey, Olney, Tavarez, Edmonds

A lot of links today, so let's get to what is being said about some trade and signing possibilities in the Blogosphere... The Darth Boss George Brigade wants Hank Steinbrenner to sign David Wells to prove that Hank is indeed his father's son. River Ave. Blues says the Yankees are too smart to sign Wells and then goes on to list about 87 pitchers that should be given a shot in the Highlanders' rotation before Wells. Redlegs Rant feels that Ken Griffey Jr. is behind the recent stories that speculate on him being traded. Mariners Central speculates on some of...   Continue Reading

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Jays Targeting Wilkerson

The rumblings have become something more - Jeff Blair says the Blue Jays are "zeroed in on signing" outfielder Brad Wilkerson. The Jays had been mulling Jason Michaels previously, but he went to the Pirates. The Jays are looking for someone who can hit southpaws. Wilkerson, a left-handed hitter, handled 'em in '07 and '05, flailed against them in '06. The Mariners designated him after 68 plate appearances of a .232/.348/.304 line.   Continue Reading

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With Moss Out, Wilkerson Could Be An Option For Red Sox

As Nat mentioned in an earlier post today, the Red Sox are suddenly having to figure out how to replace Brandon Moss. And in an update via the Extra Bases blog, Boston Globe reporter Nick Cafardo brings light to Brad Wilkerson's situation. Wilkerson was waived by the Mariners last week, and has since cleared waivers. He has not given his agent, Scott Boras, any indication of his plans. Boras, however, confirmed that the Red Sox were interested in Wilkerson this off-season. Cafardo suggests that if they're looking for a long-term answer to their sudden roster opening, Wilkerson could be an...   Continue Reading

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Brad Wilkerson Possibilities

What's next for outfielder Brad Wilkerson? Two possibilities are the Red Sox and Blue Jays, according to a source. The Red Sox previously wanted Wilkerson for a bench role. The Jays may want to add a lefty bat. Not saying these two clubs are necessarily interested, but they may be possible fits as Wilkerson looks for a job. Wilkerson, 30, is hitting .234/.323/.444 in 394 ABs since the start of the '07 season.   Continue Reading

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Wilkerson, Norton Designated

3:28pm: Greg Norton was the other player designated. Starting Balentien and Clement regularly should be a nice offensive upgrade for the Mariners. 3:04pm: According to Ryan Divish of the News Tribune, Brad Wilkerson's locker has been cleared out. Divish speculates that Wilkerson has been designated for assignment. He expects the Ms to make one other move to accomodate for callups of Wladimir Balentien and Jeff Clement. Wilkerson, 30, hit .232/.348/.304 for the Mariners in 56 ABs. He makes $3MM this year, plus up to $2MM in plate appearance bonuses.   Continue Reading

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Carroll: Astros-Rangers Trade?

Will Carroll's latest rumor mill is churning up a new trade scenario: Brad Wilkerson and Rod Barajas for Brad Lidge, Morgan Ensberg, and Fernando Nieve. Barajas is most certainly expendable with Gerald Laird hitting .347/.380/.579 in 121 at-bats this year. Barajas will be a member of this offseason's weak free agent catcher class. Wilkerson's been subpar this season even while playing at Ameriquest, so I don't see how swapping out Ensberg's bat for his helps the club. Even Barajas's below-average hitting would be an improvement upon Brad Ausmus, but the Astros just wouldn't gain enough in the proposed deal. I..   Continue Reading

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Nationals Snag Soriano, Will Remain At 2B

ESPN is reporting that Jim Bowden picked up Alfonso Soriano for the Nationals and sent Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge over to the Rangers. The trade is a pretty fair one by my off-the-cuff analysis. I'll probably have some player projections on RotoAuthority tomorrow, given that players are moving from an extreme pitchers' park to a home run haven. Once extra piece of information that we've managed to acquire contradicts a statement in the ESPN report. According to ESPN: "With Jose Vidro already entrenched at second base, it's believed that the Nationals would move Soriano to left field." My source..   Continue Reading

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Brad Wilkerson To The Blue Jays?

The rumors just never seem to stop. Here's one I haven't mentioned yet. Apparently the Blue Jays might want to trade for Brad Wilkerson. According to the Washington Post: "Ricciardi has long coveted Wilkerson, who is coming off a down year in which he hit just .248 with 147 strikeouts. Ricciardi said his team might be able to deal pitching, and the possible offers include swingman Miguel Batista or 26-year-old starter Dave Bush." It seems that Wilkerson's strikeout tendencies are undercutting his true value. That's great for teams looking to acquire him. Wilkerson is still young and has a .365..   Continue Reading

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Wilkerson Deal Unlikely To Include Cedeno

Interesting article in the Washington Post, found via RotoWorld. The Post confirms the Cubs' interest in Brad Wilkerson, as mentioned on this site on November 29th. The RotoWorld blurb and the Post article make a valid point: with the Cubs' failure to sign Rafael Furcal, Ronny Cedeno is much less likely to be dealt. RotoWorld speculates that Jerome Williams or Corey Patterson could be possible trading chips. Bowden plans to be active, using money not spent on Esteban Loaiza and Hector Carrasco to acquire a free agent pitcher. Back in October, I speculated that A.J. Burnett could wind up in..   Continue Reading

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Brad Wilkerson To Cubs For Ronny Cedeno

I promised myself I was going to take the evening off from rumormongering, I really did. But this one was too sweet and reliable to leave til the morning. Here's the scoop - stay with me on this one. A source went to college with Barry Larkin's cousin, Michael. (Michael is a wide receiver at Miami at Ohio, by the way). My source was in Cincinnati for Thanksgiving, as was Michael Larkin. Michael passed along the following info to my source via his cousin Barry. It appears that Nationals GM Jim Bowden has asked Barry Larkin what he thinks of..   Continue Reading

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Brad Wilkerson To Cubs For Ronny Cedeno

I promised myself I was going to take the evening off from rumormongering, I really did. But this one was too sweet and reliable to leave til the morning. Here's the scoop - stay with me on this one. A source went to college with Barry Larkin's cousin, Michael. (Michael is a wide receiver at Miami at Ohio, by the way). My source was in Cincinnati for Thanksgiving, as was Michael Larkin. Michael passed along the following info to my source via his cousin Barry. It appears that Nationals GM Jim Bowden has asked Barry Larkin what he thinks of..   Continue Reading

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