Friday night linkage..
- Dodgers second baseman Ronnie Belliard has still yet to make weight, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. Upon re-signing him to a one year deal, the club asked that the veteran weigh no more than 209 pounds by the start of Spring Training.
- In his latest mailbag, MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes that the Nationals are trying to trade for a top-of-the-rotation starter.
- El Lefty Malo implores the Giants to ink free agent pitcher Braden Looper as Madison Bumgarner continues to struggle in Spring Training. You can read up on Looper and the other remaining starters in Ben's post from earlier today.
- With a good showing this spring, Joey Gathright has a solid chance of making the Blue Jays' roster, says Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. The soon-to-be 29-year-old has hit .263./.327/.303 for his career with a UZR/150 of 10.3 in the outfield.
nats trading for top of the rotation starter…..umm
well…i think barry zito might be available!
I’m not saying that Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre are “top of the rotation starters”, but they are available.
Brandon McCarthy, Andy Sonnanstine, Jarrod Washburn (free agent), Glen Perkins, Aaron Harang or Bronson Arroyo, Paul Maholm, and Kevin Correia could be available but only a few are even pure number two’s.
Maybe they can re-do that Ervin Santana trade proposal from a few years ago.
Ervin, Perkins, Maholm look really good. Perkins would probably be the easiest to get.
I think there is a shot that they could get Maholm. Maybe a AA bat plus a low level minor leaguer and a young pitcher?
Destin Hood or Jake Kobernus and Craig Stammen could do it…
They like Maholm a lot. Maybe a good middle infield prospect also?
So maybe Kobernus and Hood, along with Stammen.
Madison continues to struggle in spring training. Who the heell doesn´t struggles in spring training? Besides Todd Wellmyr is a much better option than Looper.
he is? id rather have looper then wellemeyer any day every day.
He was your best pitcher in 2008. Looper let the league in Home Runs allowed last season. I’m not saying I disagree with you, I’m just saying that I don’t think either one should be in the Giants rotation.
I think the point is, Wellemeyer is no better than Looper. Hec, they might as well just give the rotation spot to Bumgarner. He’s struggling in ST but he just got back from a family member’s funeral. That might be affecting him.
Also, last spring, Zack Greinke sported something like a 7.23 ERA. I’m not saying Bumgarner will win the CY Young, but I don’t think Spring Training is the main way to judge. If this is Joey Gathright (Joey should make the Blue Jays Major League Roster) then thats a different story because he is a veteran 4th outfielder looking for a big league job, but the Giants can compete and Braden Looper or Todd Wellemeyer is just a step down. Let Madison Bumgarner start the season in the Giants rotation.
Tim Lincecum has an ERA of 9.00 so far this spring
should we get Pedro Martinez to replace him? Bumgarner will be fine he was amazing in the Minors and most pitchers struggle in spring training
The only top of the rotation starter that I can think that might be available is the Padres Chris Young. He is owe more money then the Padres usually want to pay and they might want the spot for Latos in the rotation.
Ian Desmond will get any pitcher on the Pirates, just sayin :)
If they are looking for a top of the rotation pitcher though, good luck because every other team is.
They will probably have to trade for a talented guy with good stuff coming off a bad season or wait for a team to fall out of contention if they want a real impact pitcher.
I think if Minnesota signed another pitcher, Liriano could be had in the right deal, and he still has potential. If I had to say some other targets, I would say Harang, Guthrie, Carmona, Marcum, Young, someone from Colorado, Meche, etc. Most of those guys have been at the top of a rotation at some point and would be a good compliment to Strasburg and Lannan.
Just keep in mind that Bill Ladson considered Odalis Perez a “top-of-the-rotation” pitcher. Take anything Ladson says with a grain of salt, if not a full tequila shot. The Nats might be looking for a starting pitcher due to their many injuries (Detwiler, Wang, Olsen, J Zimmermann) but not a guy who could fit in the “top of the rotation” category with most MLB teams.