Here is a position-by-position look at the current trade market. Most of the players on these lists will stay put this month and we're sure to see some names added to and removed from them over the course of the next two weeks. But all of these players could be options for teams looking to improve between now and the end of the month:
Archives for July 2010
Heyman On Haren, Oswalt, Lilly, Piniella
One GM tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that there are plenty of complementary pieces available on the trade market, but few impact players. That echoes what Theo Epstein said earlier in the week: there’s not a ton of All-Star caliber talent available at the moment. Here's what Heyman is reporting on the market for starting pitchers:
- One general manager hears that interim GM Jerry DiPoto is asking for two starters plus bullpen help in exchange for Dan Haren. Wow.
- Another GM says every member of the D’Backs is available “except Justin Upton and maybe Ian Kennedy.”
- No team appears willing to commit to the $25MM or so remaining on Roy Oswalt’s contract. Some GMs believe Oswalt wants his 2012 option picked up at $16MM if he is traded.
- A few GMs believe the Mets make sense as a destination for Ted Lilly.
- One GM doesn’t get the impression that the Blue Jays would move young starters like Shaun Marcum.
- People connected to the Cubs expect manager Lou Piniella to retire after the season when his contract expires. Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg could replace Piniella as Cubs skipper.
Olney On Mets, Phillies, Fielder
Yesterday, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported that the Mets have interest in Brett Myers. Today, Olney explains part of the reason the Mets are considering him over the many other options available. Here are the details and the rest of Olney’s rumors:
- The Mets don’t anticipate having much financial flexibility, so Myers’ $3MM salary has appeal.
- Myers’ former team, the Phillies, would like to add a starter, and they have discussed pursuing difference-making pitchers.
- Executives are divided on whether the Brewers will trade Prince Fielder this July. A team that acquires Prince now would have him for two pennant races before he hits free agency at the end of the 2011 season. GM Doug Melvin won’t find many bidders for his first baseman now, but could attempt to engage more teams by marketing Fielder this winter. No matter what you think of Prince's value, we can safely say that the Brewers will have a hard time keeping him after 2011.
- The White Sox, Rays and Angels could be fits, but rival officials doubt the White Sox would have enough to offer the Brewers unless they offer Daniel Hudson and Gordon Beckham. As MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk pointed out last night, the Angels find themselves in a similar situation.
Potentially Available Relievers
It wouldn't be surprising to see any contender other than the Padres (and perhaps the Rays) acquire bullpen help before July 31st. Here are the options teams will consider between now and July 31st, sorted by 2010 salary:
- Kerry Wood, $10.5MM ($11MM vesting option for 2011) – There doesn't appear to be much interest in Wood now, but he will be an August trade candidate, since he will likely clear waivers.
- Trevor Hoffman, $7.5MM ($7MM mutual option or $500K buyout for 2011) – Hoffman's season numbers are ugly: an 8.33 ERA and a walk rate (4.3 BB/9) that nearly doubles his career average. If would be surprising to see the all-time saves leader traded, but his last ten innings have been quite good.
- Kyle Farnsworth, $4.5MM ($5.25MM club option or $500K buyout for 2011) – Some fans find Farnsworth frustrating, but his strikeout to walk ratio and 95 mph fastball should have appeal as the deadline nears.
- Chad Qualls, $4.2MM (free agent after 2010) – Qualls has good strikeout and walk numbers, but has been extremely hittable and has already allowed more runs than he has in any season since 2006.
- Scott Downs, $4MM (free agent after 2010) – The Phillies have interest in Downs who, like two other Toronto relievers, is available. He should have trade value because he induces ground balls, limits walks and throws left-handed.
- Matt Capps, $3.5MM (free agent after 2011) – It would be a surprise to see the Nationals trade Capps, since they have limited bullpen depth and can retain the righty for 2011. He has 23 saves and a lower walk rate than he had in 2009.
- Octavio Dotel, $3.25MM ($4.5MM option or $500K buyout for 2011, option becomes mutual after a trade) – The Marlins have inquired on Dotel, who is striking out and walking lots of batters, as usual.
- Joakim Soria, $3MM ($4MM for 2011, club options through 2014) – Something tells me it'd be tough for the Royals to trade away 25 saves, 11.1 K/9 and a deal that provides lots of flexibility for the team.
- David Aardsma, $2.75MM (free agent after 2012) – Aardsma's peripherals aren't as good as they were last year and his season ERA is 5.40.
- Jason Frasor, $2.65MM (free agent after 2010) – Frasor is available, and continues to be an effective middle reliever, though he is walking more batters than usual.
- Aaron Heilman, $2.15MM (free agent after 2010) – Heilman, who has already been traded three times in the past two years, has been one of the few somewhat effective relievers the D'Backs have had this season.
- Kevin Gregg, $2MM ($4.5MM club option for 2011 or $8.75MM for 2011-12 with $750K buyout) – Like Downs and Frasor, Gregg is available. He has 20 saves for a fourth consecutive year in spite of his usual high walk total.
- Leo Nunez, $2MM (free agent after 2012) – We haven't seen a clear indication that the Marlins would move Nunez. They were looking for relief help recently and Nunez is under control for two more years, but they could consider a trade.
- Will Ohman, $1.35M (free agent after 2010) – Ohman leads the league in appearances and should have appeal, partly because he's left-handed. He can strike hitters out, though he will walk his share, too.
- D.J. Carrasco, $950K (free agent after 2012) – Carrasco has value as a cheap option who can go more than one inning at a time. He has 7.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 midway through another solid season.
- Bruce Chen, minor league contract (free agent after 2011) – The 33-year-old has been a swingman of sorts for the Royals and could become a long reliever for a contender.
- Teams could always call the Padres to see if they'd part with any of their relievers, but as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out (via Twitter), the Padres seem more likely to hold their relievers now that Mike Adams is going on the DL.
- Free agents like Chad Cordero and lefties Alan Embree and Scott Schoeneweis are also available.
Jack Of All Trades: Rusty Staub
In Gary Sheffield and Bobby Bonilla, we've seen that a very good player can be traded multiple times if he wears out his welcome. But baseball teams managed to trade Rusty Staub five different times – even though anyone who has ever met the man describes him as a terrific teammate and better human being.
And lest you think Staub wasn't a terrific player, his career OPS+ of 124 was better than that of current major leaguers Victor Martinez, Brad Hawpe, Carlos Beltran and Derrek Lee. Staub topped 130 OPS+ in eight seasons, with a season-high of 166 in 1969.
Let's run down Les Transactions of the man they called Le Grande Orange:
- Before ever donning a Mets uniform, Staub was indirectly involved in a huge part of their history. After six years in Houston, the Astros sent Staub to the Montreal Expos on January 22, 1969 for Jesus Alou and Donn Clendenon, but Clendenon refused to report to the Astros. Eventually, Montreal sent Jack Billingham, Skip Guinn and $100K in Clendenon's place. Then, in June of 1969, the Mets acquired Clendenon and he went on to become World Series MVP. However, Staub was by far the best player in that deal, as he hit .302/.426/.526 in 1969 and .274/.394/.497 in 1970.
- After a similarly strong 1971, the Expos turned around and traded Staub to the New York Mets on April 5, 1972 for Tim Foli, Mike Jorgensen and Ken Singleton. It is hard to say the Mets got the better of this one, though Staub helped them to a National League pennant in 1973 and became the first Met to drive in more than 100 runs in 1975. But the Expos got their share of value, too. By 1973, Singleton was hitting .302/.425/.479, Jorgensen had a strong career as a multi-position hitter with pop and Foli was a strong glove man at short.
- To be sure, that haul makes what the Mets got for Staub after the 1975 season look quite unimpressive. New York traded him with Bill Laxton for Billy Baldwin and Mickey Lolich on December 12, 1975. The big catch here was supposed to be Lolich, who had thrown a ridiculous number of innings, 1560.2, over his previous five seasons (including 376 in 1971! No, that isn't a typo). Surprise, surprise, the former Tiger great broke down in his first season with the Mets. Meanwhile, Staub posted an OPS+ of 117 in his four Detroit seasons, driving in 121 runs in 1978.
- But with Staub 35 years old and hitting just .236/.331/.402, the Tigers decided to send him back to Montreal for career minor leaguer Randy Schafer and cash on July 20, 1979. His second stint in Montreal was much briefer, but also a success: he posted an OPS+ of 112 in 101 plate appearances.
- Nevertheless, Montreal traded their beloved Rusty (whose number they eventually retired) to Texas on March 31, 1980 for a pair of brief major leaguers, Chris Smith and LaRue Washington. What Texas got was the last great Rusty Staub season: .300/.370/.459, good for an OPS+ of 129.
A season later, he was back with the Mets as a free agent, where he finished his career strong: a .276/.350/.391 line over 702 plate appearances in five seasons, primarily pinch-hitting. If only we all had such productive decline years.
Poll: Best Available Starter
There are lots of starting pitchers for interested teams to consider and lots of interested teams considering starting pitching. Let's set all salaries aside for a moment and talk about pitching ability alone.
Which potentially available starter would you want to see in your favorite team's rotation?
Click here to take the survey and here to view the results.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dodgers, Giants, Fielder, Lee
On this date in 2001, Fred McGriff invoked his no-trade clause to block a deal that would have sent him from the last place Devil Rays to the first place Cubs. The Crime Dog was born and raised in Tampa, but he relented and agreed to the deal 11 days later. Tampa Bay received Manny Aybar and Jason Smith in return for McGriff, who was unquestionably the greatest player in franchise history at the time.
Hear are some links with the deadline rapidly approaching…
- Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness scouts the starting pitcher and relief pitcher market for the Dodgers.
- Bleacher Report says the Giants would be filling one hole and creating another if they trade for Corey Hart.
- Disciples of Uecker feels it is unrealistic to expect the Brewers to retain Prince Fielder long-term.
- 1 Blue Jays Way chimes in on the Yunel Escobar–Alex Gonzalez swap.
- Meanwhile, Beyond the Box Score wonders how much Yunel Escobar's bad attitude cost the Braves.
- Royals Review takes a quick look at the trade history between the Royals and Yankees.
- El Lefty Malo tries to nail down Jonathan Sanchez's trade value.
- Yankeeist looks at some solutions for the Yankees' DH vacancy.
- Gear Up For Twins Baseball has some suggestions to help improve the Twins.
- River Ave. Blues wants to see the Yanks go for the kill and acquire Adam Dunn.
- Sports: A Game of Inches analyzes the Cliff Lee non-trade to the Yanks and his eventual move to the Rangers in a four part series (parts one, two, three, four).
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Phillies Don’t Expect To Add Pitching
GM Ruben Amaro Jr. explained to Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the Phillies aren’t optimistic about acquiring pitching help before the end of the month. Last year, the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee, but Amaro doesn’t know if he will be able to add an impact arm in 2010.
“Do we have to have another pitcher? No,” he said. “Would I like to add some pitching? Yeah. I think we need to get healthy. I think we're getting closer."
Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson and J.A. Happ are no longer on the DL, but the Phillies could use help behind Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels. Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton have been shaky in recent starts and Kyle Kendrick is no sure thing.
Last year this time, the Phillies signed Pedro Martinez, but a reunion seems unlikely, since Pedro has yet to throw off of a mound. There are plenty of starters for Amaro and the Phillies front office to consider, depending on how much they’re willing to spend and which prospects they’re willing to give up. The club could also add a reliever in an attempt to make up the 5.5 game gap between them and the Braves.
Texas Still Interested In Mike Lowell
The Rangers pulled out of a deal for Mike Lowell in December due to concerns about Lowell's injured thumb, but were apparently fine with the status of Lowell's right hip. In spite of the fact that Lowell is currently on the DL with a strain in that hip, Texas still has enough interest to be monitoring the veteran infielder's progress, according to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford.
Now that Texas has dealt Justin Smoak, it opens up a need for a right-handed bat at first base should Chris Davis not be able to handle an everyday job. We know that the Rangers have shown interest in Xavier Nady, who comes at a much lower price tag than the $5.28MM or so that remains on Lowell's 2010 contract. We heard last month that the Red Sox were willing to pay all of Lowell's salary in exchange for a better prospect, but as the days on the calendar continue to slide away, that offer from the Red Sox becomes increasingly less worth the cost of a higher-rated prospect.
The Lowell-to-Texas rumors have lingered all season long, so it's perhaps fitting that these negotiations might take us right up to the deadline and beyond. You'd have to think that if the Rangers still have eyes on Lowell after his further injuries and a lack of production (a .658 OPS in 91 plate appearances), they like him enough to eventually bring him on board after all.
Garret Anderson’s Uncertain Future On The Dodgers
With Manny Ramirez activated today from the disabled list, the Dodgers put backup outfielder Reed Johnson on the DL to create roster space. In the opinion of Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times, Johnson's back injury might've been the "slight reprieve" that Garret Anderson needed to stay on the team. With George Sherrill put on waivers, Dilbeck thinks the Dodgers would have Anderson in mind should the club be looking to further clear the roster of under-performing veterans.
Anderson signed a minor-league contract with L.A. in March and made the club with the expectation that he would provide veteran leadership, a backup glove in the outfield and left-handed pinch-hitting help off the bench. While Dilbeck says Anderson is "great in the clubhouse," the outfielder has posted a .470 OPS in 140 plate appearances and his limited time in the field has been shaky (a -8.8 UZR/150).
Dilbeck thinks L.A. has more to gain by cutting Anderson and keeping rookie Xavier Paul as the left-handed outfield reserve. Dilbeck notes that Paul himself hasn't performed overly well (a .649 OPS in 94 PAs) but Paul at least has upside, whereas there's little evidence that Anderson will turn things around in the second half. GM Ned Colletti gave Anderson a vote of confidence in May, but if the problem, as Colletti claimed, was that Anderson hasn't yet adjusted to a backup role, then two more months of struggles would seem to imply that Anderson may never find that comfort zone. Anderson's career 103 OPS+ is a sign that he may have been a poor choice for the "professional hitter" pinch-hitting job in the first place.
In spite of Anderson's problems this season, he would likely get picked up by another team in the hopes that his experience could aid a playoff contender (and that his numbers would pick up with a change of scenery). If Dilbeck's prediction of July 24 as the Dodgers' decision day is correct, Anderson would have lots of time to catch on with another team should he actually be released.
