Teams Scouting Griffey, Dunn
If the Reds slip out of contention in May, Walt Jocketty might begin to field offers for corner outfielders Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn. Both are paid well and have at least some control over trade destinations. According to MLB.com’s Jim Molony, "a few teams are having their scouts keep an eye" on the pair in case they become available.
The standard speculation for Griffey is that he could be traded back to Seattle after he gets his 600th home run with the Reds. Junior might be a nice boost in right field for the Ms if Wladimir Balentien needs time to adjust. I doubt the Mariners would give up Jeff Clement for Griffey though. There’s been some Chicago speculation, never mind that both the Cubs and Sox are set at the corner outfield positions.
Dunn would help the Padres, who are last in baseball in both OBP and SLG. The Jays, Mets, or Indians could also make sense.
Colon Opt-Out Pushed To June 1
Informally, Bartolo Colon has agreed to push his opt-out date from today to June 1st. His contract remains the same otherwise, according to Alex Speier.
Colon’s oblique strain basically set him back a month. He looked quite good in his one Triple A start on April 3rd. It sounds like Colon and the Red Sox want to make this work, but who will he replace in the rotation? It would have to be Tim Wakefield, Jon Lester, or Clay Buchholz.
None of them are pitching badly, though Lester appears to be on the shakiest ground given his strikeout, walk, and home run rates. As far as innings concerns, Lester pitched 163 last year while Buchholz tossed 148. Even by the "30 inning increase" threshold, they’re both safe to make 30+ starts. Regardless of how they sort it out, this is a good problem for the Red Sox.
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.
Smoltz Situation Could Prompt Trade
John Smoltz is planning to return from the DL as a reliever in three weeks or so. This leaves the Braves with question marks in the rotation beyond Tim Hudson, Tom Glavine, and Jair Jurrjens.
The fifth starter job is often in flux for a lot of teams, but it seems the Braves need to figure out one more long-term starter for the year. The Braves do have some arms to bring up from Triple A, namely lefties Jo-Jo Reyes and Chuck James. Reyes has a 1.17 ERA in five starts.
In my opinion, the Braves need an innings eater if anything. Two trade possibilities come to mind: Joe Blanton and Kevin Millwood. I wonder if Billy Beane would demand top prospect Jason Heyward.