One of the most likely players to be traded this spring is 37 year-old starter Jon Lieber. He tossed a couple of scoreless frames yesterday in front of plenty of scouts. Liebs makes $7.5MM in the last year of his deal. If he can come up with 180 innings of 4.50 ball, he’s worth it as a fourth starter. Were I the Phillies, I would not be in any rush to make a deal. Use Adam Eaton out of the pen, sit on the surplus and enjoy it. How many teams keep all five of their starters healthy the entire year?
A Lieber trade does appear inevitable though. Aside from the Blue Jays, who else might be interested? How about the Astros? They’ve got a couple of decent relievers and the need for a solid starter. The Rangers could get involved if Eric Gagne is healthy. And the Twins might be a decent fit as well.
