The Angels considered the possibility of trading for Carlos Beltran before they acquired Vernon Wells from the Blue Jays, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Here are the details on the Angels' interest in Beltran and other notes from New York City:
- Sherman hears that the Mets and Angels discussed Beltran, but the Angels preferred Wells despite the $86MM remaining on his contract. The Angels had more confidence in Wells' health and defense.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman tells Sherman that he doesn't want to have to rely on pitching prospects Manuel Banuelos and Dellin Betances in the majors this season. “They shouldn’t be caught up in our major league problems,” Cashman said. But as Sherman points out, the Yankees have summoned prospects like Phil Hughes to the majors earlier than expected; once the season starts, it's tough to predict what will happen.
- In conversations with Yankees people, Sherman never got the impression that they liked Freddy Garcia that much. The team agreed to a minor league deal with Garcia Monday.
- There's "a pretty good likelihood" that Andy Pettitte returns and the Yankees trade for a starter during Spring Training, Sherman writes.
Sherman hears that the Mets and Angels discussed Beltran, but the Angels preferred Wells despite the $86MM remaining on his contract.
Well, obviously, Mr. Sherman.
In the meantime my question is: which player (of use) would the Halos be prepared to give up in such a deal? It’s not like the Mets are looking for catchers, so Napoli wouldn’t have been a fit…or like there’s even a burning need for a Juan Rivera type…
If I was running the Angels, I would rather have taken Beltran for a year and try again in free agency next off season.
Seriously! If it doesn’t work out this season, you get a do-over next offseason!
Is trading Beltran the only option for the Mets at this point? I don’t know where he ranks, but I doubt he’ll be able to obtain type A or B status, so offering arbitration for draft picks is not an option. Is that correct?
Correct! But you know, I’m completely cool with it! I LOVE his glove (at least what it used to be…time will tell if he still has those great defensive chops), and at this point I’m happy for any offense he may be able to provide for as long as he’s with the team ’cause it’s not like the Mets are gonna get a big stick anywhere else, what with the bargain basement approach Sandy has to take this year. And ya know, the fact that I can wear my Beltrán shirt a few more months and have it be relevant…I’m pretty “OK” with that too! 🙂
Good luck finding anyone (besides my team) willing to part with anything of value for Beltran. He is a salary dump at this stage. Until he can prove that he can play his value is next to nothing.
This revelation just makes things worse. Getting Beltran wouldn’t be a good move. However, it only hurts us for one year, instead of 4.
Your team still has anything of value? =P
And I think you’re wrong on Beltran. Look, the Angels were thinking about trading for him. I’m sure contenders in need of a bat were looking to get their paws on him despite the injury/salary.
And once the season starts, if he can stay healthy, teams will be lining up at the trade deadline. I know the surgery raises a lot of question marks, but he’s only 2 years removed from being a bonafide centerfielder.
Just because the Angels were kicking the tires don’t assume that other teams were lining up – willing to take on his salary. The Angels clearly felt they needed to bring someone in and showed that desperation by trading for Wells.
I do agree that if Beltran can come back that he would be viewed as an impact piece at the trade deadline. Beltran is a very good player, and if healthy, earns his paycheck.
Wow. And I thought the Wells move couldn’t look worse than it did.
This part is especially disturbing: “The Angels had more confidence in Wells’ defense.”
and health…if your going to quote something, include the entire quote””
“There’s “a pretty good likelihood” that Andy Pettitte returns and the Yankees trade for a starter during Spring Training,”
That’s good news to hear. That probably means no Garcia/Colon unless they want to send Nova back down to AAA.
I actually hope it’s a TWO year deal though, just so we won’t have to go through this process next year, unless Andy announces mid season or right after the season is over, that this would officially be his last season.
Why would you prefer to give him a two year deal? What if he gets hurt? Shorter is usually better.
Sabathia could opt out. Burnett could struggle again, and who knows what to expect from Nova.
I know he isn’t signing a 2 year deal, but if I’m the Yankees, I would offer him 2 years. If he doesn’t want 2 years but wants to return for 1, then offer the 1 year deal
Even if they give him 2 he could still retire at the end of the 1st year.
There is no doubt in my mind that CC opts out for more money. Especially if he has a monster year and the Yankees’ pitching collapses.
I don’t see how a TWO year deal would change things at all. Pettitte could still take his time making up his mind as to whether he wanted to retire or not even if he was under contract.
At least Brian Cashman is willing to admit that the yankees have major league problems!
How would you like to be guys like Burnett and Mitre when your boss calls you a problem? I’d feel loved and very special.
The Garcia thing is a win-win for them, even if Sherman didn’t believe they liked him. If he sucks, he’s cheap. If he doesn’t, he’s still cheap and depth is good to have anyway.
“The Angels had more confidence in Wells’ health and defense.”
The health part I understand. The defense? Not so much.
If the choice was Wells vs Beltran vs Damon wouldn’t Damon have made a much better choice for the ANgels? He’s probably as good as the other two defensively and while he won’t have the power of Wells could probably be an assett with his OBP and speed and could’ve been had for 1 year and $5 mil.
No way Damon is as good defensively. Range aside, at least wells has a respectable arm on him.
I would take a weaker throwing arm at 1/$5 mil vs the all around package of Well @ $86 mil or the cost it would take in salary and prospects for Beltran (even if the prospect cost shouldn’t be signifigant).
I wonder if a Beltran for Kazmir deal wouldn’t worked?
It probably helped that Wells is a right handed bat and balances out the lineup with Morales and Abreu
As unattractive as it seems to sign the likes of Colon, Prior and Garcia and throwing them into the mix with Mitre and Nova for the rotation, I prefer to use them to hold down the fort rather than rush the prospects just for the sake of bringing them up to see whats on hand. I recall a few years back when the Yankees had a similar situation with their rotation and had Ian Kennedy, Joba, Tyler Clippard, Hughes and Orlendorf in their system and proceeded to rush them up to the majors. All these guys had talent and rose through the Yankeees minor league system but were clearly not ready to pitch in the majors when they were brought up and got clobbered and their devleopment suffered as a result. The Yankees wound up moving some of them and could sure use them now. All are still pretty viable pitchers at a team friendly cost.
I agree with Cashman on this call. Keep the prospects in the minors until they are ready to really contribute to the rotation. Let them take their lumps and learn how to ‘pitch’ and not just throw in the minors. The Yankees have the money to buy or make a trade when all else fails in order to secure a pitcher if it comes to that.
Who are they going to trade to get that pitcher? You have to assume most teams would be asking for one of those pitching prospects.
I’m not advocating that the Yankees should or will make a trade, that’s why I said they should follow Cashman’s thought. They do have chips to use, it would depend on what quality pitcher is available. Important pitching prospects would be out, but Montero, Romine, Laird, Gardner Sanchez, Adams and money are always possibilities. It would depend on how desperate they feel at the time and who’s willing to give up pitching.
i really think phelps has a better shot at contributing to the team then manban and betances who would have a serious innings limit if called up. Brackman also may be rushed because he’s older.
That’s a good call on your part. He does have the innings and he may get a shot in the spring,being that he pitched at AAA.
The more that comes out about the Wells trade the worse it looks. Not only did the Angels take on Wells and his bloated salary, they also removed the main drag on the Jays ability to improve their roster. It will serve the Angels right if the Jays beat them out for a wild card spot.
why can´t Pettitte just say yes or no?
Two words: prima donna.
No, different two words: Clemens Trial.
Could you say no to 15 million when you only need 3 good years to make the hall of fame. Pettitte will be back.
Jays winning the wild card? They’ll be hard pressed to finish ahead of the Orioles.
Ha, good one
People said that last year too.
You mean the Mariners right?
Oriole fans are really excited……then the season starts
I have that picture on my phone. so awesome. prob the best stare down of the year.
haha thanks! Hey Lunchbox what do you think of everyone ripping on Wells’ defence? Maybe the UZR doesn’t show it but he takes great routes and will be more than adequate in LF.
Why would the Yankees trade for another starter if Pettitte comes back? Unless they feel Nova needs more work done in the minors, but even if that’s the case, then why not bring up Garcia or Colon?
There’s “a pretty good likelihood” that Andy Pettitte returns and the Yankees trade for a starter during Spring Training, Sherman writes.—–…. Maybe one of those will happen, but it depends how good the starter is. Sherman is full of crap.
I think the Yankees can last at least half a season with CC-Burnett-Hughes-Nova/Colon-Prior/Garcia. I would imagine one of the 3 killer B’s will be ready half way through the season, maybe two.
From what I hear Prior will be attempting to rebuild his career as a reliever. As for Colon, well I’d be surprised if he produces anything. As much as I’d like to laugh at the yanks rotation, it is at least an average one. Add a top 3 offense and a solid back end of the rotation and I doubt they’ll really need much more than the normal depth that any team needs. If they do trade for a starter during spring training then I doubt it’ll be for anyone more effective than Colon.
Scott Feldman to the Yankees from Rangers for CC Sabathia…cmon, make the trade!
Stop drinking at work.
Well hey, he DID warn us that he’s “Madman…” 😀
You gotta get Cashman drunk off of Kool-Aid to make him offer that.
I’m glad someone is optimistic about Andy coming back because I’m not completely convinced he won’t do a Clemens and come back after the ASB, if at all. Rotation looks great at the ace and then question marks (Hughes 2nd year, AJ being AJ). The Yankees really need a #2 or #3 pitcher to come in and knock everyone down a slot.
Hughes as a #3, AJ as a #4, Colon/Garcia/Nova as a #5 looks much better.
If I’m the Angels I’m taking my chances with Beltran over Wells. Sure, Wells has produced very well when healthy but so has Beltran. Beltrans defense is solid. Nothing too concerning there. Next years free agent class features some targets all around the diamond that the Angels could have gone after. This salary dump the Jays landed on them is going to have an impact on upcoming free agent signings.
Also, the Mets made it clear to interested teams that they were willing to eat half of the $18 mill to facilitate a trade. Angels obviously have a crappy GM.
The Dan Haren trade was a good move.
Ya but how about getting a hitter. There are always plenty of bats available during the off-season and the decision that they arrived at was to take on Wells and $86 million.
it was a great move i wish the yankees made it instead of trying to get lee, especially considering how cheap haren is the next few years.
Pettite will come back when the Yankees offer exceeds 15 million for 3/4 of a season’s worth of work.
The way I see it, trade talks will resume around the trade deadline between the Mets & Angels about Beltran when he has a big 1st half and if/when the Angels need someone for a big push in the AL West race. Now, if the Mets were to deal Beltran, I hope one of the people the Mets ask in return for from the Angels is Brandon Wood. Something tells me he’s finally gonna have the breakthrough year people have been waiting to see.
A) where would beltran play? ( unless bourjos just totally blows)
B) where would wod play? the mets have this guy named david wright who just happens to play third.
also, i dont think a move to citi would help wood either
A- Beltran would be the plan B in CF if Bourjos sinks in the majors….or they could put Beltran as a DH and platoon him in CF (although I doubt the latter). Abreu could possibly be a trade candidate at the trade deadline since he’s been a good hitter in the 2nd half in his career (.302 BA).
B- Wood could move back to short and the Mets could move Reyes to CF (Reyes said himself on the Mets twitter not that long ago that if he would play any other position, it would be CF). Personally, I believe center field is tailor made for someone of Reyes’s caliber. I believe they’ll change the dimensions at Citi if not this season then next season.
I think the Yanks and Sox are even if Pettitte comes back. If you look at fangraphs 2007-2010 stats still look better at C, 1b,2nd, SS, 3b CF. In starting pitching, CC and Lester are even, you could say that Buckholz is better than Hughes but both have a small sample, Beckett and AJ had bad years last year and have the same career ERA. I would say that Beckett can be a better big game pitcher but is coming off an injury. AJ is healthy. Pettitte is better overall than Lackey in every way. Looking at #5 I could see Nova being as good or better than Dice-K. In relief it looks like the Sox are better in the 5th and 6th while the Yanks are better in the 7th and 8th. So in closing if Pettitte comes back its a dogfight. Both teams will go after pitching mid season if necessary. I know this should get blackcout going.