Healey’s Latest: Shoppach, Lee, Crawford

Some more submissions from Mark Healey at Gotham Baseball Magazine that I’d like to sift through:

• The first is the Yanks and Mets mutual interest in Indians catching prospect Kelly Shoppach.  According to Mark, scouts around the league view Shoppach as "one of the best up-and-coming prospects" in baseball.  Says Mark, "The Mets’ needs are more immediate, as their interest in Yankees’ backstop Jorge Posada are a bit ’overblown’ said one agent."  The report goes on to note that GM Mark Shapiro is not looking to deal Shoppach but would listen if Aaron Heilman or Mike Pelfrey.  I simply don’t see Shoppach, an already 27-year-old, as having displayed enough to merit a deal for either of them.  Dealing a to-date backup catcher for pitching with upside is not common practice…
• In the same report, Mark Healey mentions Omar Minaya’s interest is primarily for starter Cliff Lee, an intriguing starter to imagine in the NL.
• Finally, Gotham Baseball reports on the Brewers’ serious interest in Carl Crawford.  The Dev… sorry, The Rays obviously have no interest in trade pieces Ben Sheets or Chris Capuano, both too "pricey", says Healey.  Meanwhile, the Yanks have reportedly expressed interest in both, so the Brewers and Rays will be trying to get the Yankees involved.  If nothing else, this is a fun one to imagine.

Makes for great speculation.