The Phillies' health issues and the Red Sox' depth makes the two teams logical trade partners, says Nick Cafardo in his newest column for the Boston Globe. The Red Sox have spare infielders and outfielders they could offer Philadelphia to offset the injuries to Chase Utley and Domonic Brown. While the Sox and Phils are already the Vegas favorites to meet in the 2011 World Series, Cafardo wonders if a trade between the two sides could help that matchup happen. Here are the other items of interest from the Globe's Sunday Baseball Notes:
- If the Rangers were willing to eat some salary, a Michael Young deal "could be made" with the Cubs. As we heard this week, the Cubs probably can't afford to take on Young's contract, but, despite his defensive shortcomings, he would make some sense for Chicago at second base.
- Pedro Martinez says he's in good shape and has yet to rule out pitching somewhere in 2011. He thinks it would take him about six weeks to get ready if he were to make a comeback.
- Cafardo cautions that the Red Sox' starting pitching depth isn't as strong as it seems. Given Daisuke Matsuzaka's performance this spring, Cafardo thinks it would be prudent to keep Tim Wakefield around, just in case.
- The Red Sox are seeking a big-league-ready catcher they can keep in Triple-A in case of injury. Cafardo speculates that Rangers backstop Kevin Cash, a player the Sox have "always loved," could be a fit.
- Matt Albers is out of options, making him potential trade bait for the Red Sox. As Cafardo points out, the Sox would rather avoid exposing the right-hander on waivers to a team like the Rays.
- Scott Hatteberg is currently working as a special assistant to Billy Beane in Oakland. Agent Joe Urbon feels that Hatteberg's future could include a job as a manager, a possibility the former Athletic sounds willing to explore. "It’s something I could envision down the road," Hatteberg said. "As a catcher, you’re always involved in so many facets of the game that you get an idea of what it’s like."
Dice-K has looked rough, but it’s only spring. If it continues through the season they have options outside of Wakefield. Aceves has looked strong so far, but as good as he looked I don’t put anything into yet because it’s still spring. Also, they have Doubront (sure they want him to get more minor league games under his belt but he pitched well enough in the bigs to get another shot). Andrew Miller is a possibility if they’re going to keep him a starter. Tazawa is a possibility, also, since we’ve seen him already before he underwent Tommy John. I don’t think the depth is an issue. Anyone one of those guys could slot into the five spot with no issues.
Tazawa and Doubront aren’t going to be enough. Too soon to tell how good Tazawa can be even without the injury, and Miller was barely #5 starter material at his best for Florida. I’m comfortable with Doubront and Tazawa as spot starters if someone needs a day off. Need at least one of Beckett / Matsuzaka / Wakefield to be consistently above average for the year (in addition to Lester, Buchholz, and hopefully an improved Lackey)
edit: which is not to say that their offense couldn’t withstand even slightly below average from the rotation in general all year…
I am surprised that MY to the Cubs was discussed as an option and Young being traded to the Phils was not. Surely he would be an option for the Phillies that would at least pick up some of the offensive slack if Utley is out.
Not sure it’s a good idea for the Phillies to pick up a large contract for another aging, declining player.
Yeah, I should have said that Texas would have to cover some of MY’s contract
I do believe that Boston is the best team in the AL, and has the best offense in the league. I really do not think too many would these points.
That said, as a Phillies fan, I am aggressively dis-interested in Marco Scutaro and/or Mike Cameron, whom I assume Luke is referencing in his monologue. If the Sox were prepared to eat a significant amount of salary on either player it would probably make a bit more sense. But at $6M and $7.5M respectively, I do not like either player for the Phillies.
I think you accidentally a word in that second sentence.
Also while I agree sending some money would make sense, they’re also both only on one-year contracts, so it’s probably not going to hurt them unless they’re absolutely desperate at the trade deadline.
There are always other outfielders besides Cameron on Boston’s roster. Probably a bit less interesting for PHI but McDonald / Nava / Reddick probably aren’t off the table. Don’t know what kind of production the Phillies are aspiring to acquire if indeed there is any truth to Boston / Philadelphia trade rumors.
No doubt Philly will be able to find all stars, if not future HOFers for that money at this time of the year.
“No doubt Philly will be able to find all stars, if not future HOFers for that money at this time of the year. ”
LOLz, Yea, I guess you’re right. Refresh my memory, which of those categories does Scutaro and Cameron fall into again?
And before I hear about how Cameron made an All-Star team once, the statute of limitations on that has expired in my mind. If a guy has gone a decade between appearances, he is no long an “All-Star”.
whoosh
How profound…….
whoosh
It can be argued that Scutaro has been more productive than Rollins over the past 3 years(at least in terms of WAR), $5 million is worth the price tag on him.
Cameron, yeah. The Phillies don’t need any more declining, injury-risks even if they’re just platoon guys. Francisco can probably match Cameron’s production at this point.
cameron’s injury isn’t the kind of thing that is going to be a recurring problem and otherwise his injury history is surprisingly good. people forget that prior to last year (during which he didn’t play), he was a perennial 4-5 WAR player
i’m not trying to sell anyone on cameron here, except maybe boston fans. i’d much rather keep him than ship him out
Agreed. If the Sox keep Cameron and Scutaro, they have the best bench in the AL. Why in the world would they pay another team ANYTHING to take them?
Agreed, Cameron = Raul Ibanez from the right side of the plate. No thanks.
I also agree re: Rollins vs. Scutaro, but the fact that Rollins is overpaid does not make me like or hate Scutaro and his situation any more or less. The two are mutually exclusive considering that Scutaro has not played meaningful time at 2B since 2004.
No enough with Kevin Cash Please! You’d be better off calling up Dougie and seeing what he’s doing!
I will never understand the Kevin Cash fascination. I find it absolutely impossible to believe that calling up one of the catching prospects would be worse than bringing him back.
Kevin Cash is 100% useless and I never have understood why they continue to bring him back time after time, why not bring back Mirabelli with police escort again if Epstein continues to stay so fond of these rubbish type discards who are so far past being of any use period, other than taking up roster spots?
Please Epstein, other than having Paul Hoover hanging around at AAA for no other reason than taking AB’s away from Wagner, Exposito and later on Lavarnway.. What is it with this madness and infatuation over Cash??
Call Fisk up and then see if Bill Lee will get him into game shape maybe by throwing to him 😉
Dougie’s goin’ deep tonight.
Doug would be like, yeah good ol number 28 again huh? what? well who the heck has that number now….ohhhhh, is 29 available?
my prediction is boston missing the play-offs.
fasci-nating
God, what a lame attempt at trolling. Have some coffee and give it another shot.
sarcasm right? or are we talking about boston college and the dance
with becket horrible as today and matsu being worthless, red sox has no chance making play-offs. no matter how good the offense may be, with pitching like this, there is no way.
so they’ll have to win 9-6, 2 out of 5 games.. their offense is absurd. it can carry the team
you do have a point if becket sucks and DiceK continues to suck , it might be hard having to lean on lackey the mouth breather, although i expect more out of him this year
lean on lackey? you mean lean on lester, lackey, and buchholz in that unlikely scenario
if the red sox don’t make the playoffs because of starting pitching, neither do the yankees. yeah, that seems likely
all the better.
So let’s see … Becket gives up one run each in his first two starts. Then one run through the first four innings today before he gets tired and gives up four in the fifth. Yeah, he’s done. Might as well release him.
Kevin Cash – A career .183/.248/.278 hitter. What’s not to love?!?
Keep an eye on Anthony Ranaudo….he could be at Pawtucket by mid-season, in Boston by Labor Day.. This guy is that good..
that’s blindly optimistic, he’s never played professional ball
yeah but he’s that good. see hawkny1
No one is ‘that’ good. . to move to the majors in their first year of professional baseball.
No team in their right mind would misuse a prospect like that, especially a well run organization like the sox.
not even roy hobes and sheet , i hope you know i wasnt serious
Ken Griffey Jr was the closest of anyone of being “that good”, he was drafted in 87 and in 88 was a late call up and 89 he was never looking back.
edit * and by no one, I mean no one outside of stephen strasburg.
i dont think stasburg ever really lives up to potential , the dude is made of glass , he is the next mark prior or kerry wood or ron guidry , i heard a few people talk about the way he throws giving him more problems, lincecums father talked about it then a month later tommy john , he also said his shoulder might be next
All along I was never blown away by Strasburg, when he was pitching for San Diego, the hitters were swinging at some really horrible pitches, but then he has that 14 strike out game and he was awesome, he just threw his arm out, he is already making huge progress and he is being projected to being just as good, his delivery isn’t herky jerky so I don’t know what Lincecum’s dad is talking about, maybe because he isn’t going for the dollar bill on the ground delivery he thinks he is going to hurt himself.
yeah i thought lincecums dad was full of sheet , but sure enough later that month came tommy john , i actually hope the guy does well , he is a special talent and even though he’s not on my team i never wish injury on anybody , it just suprised me that timmy’s dad was right
David Wright..It’s happened before.
Edit:
David Clyde.. Couldn’t even remember the Ranger’s HS-Majors #1 overall’s guy last name correctly from way back.
Was he ever ruined from it though.
David Wright??
He had a year of rookie ball, a full year of A ball, a full year of A+ ball
then half a season of AA(60 games), AAA (31 games) before he was called up to the bigs
David Clyde #1 overall from 1973. he pitched a gem seem to think in his 1st game for Texas right out of HS, but was never anything really in 4-5 seasons bouncing around the AL and out of the Majors at around 25 or so.
Never mind me..I go back to the 60-70’s sometimes on theses obscure items..But seems as though it was kind of common back then and also.. Wasn’t one of the better know HOF from that are in like that as well? Killebrew maybe? Guess on it being him.
other possibilities to keep an eye out for:
– jose iglesias traded for raul ibanez
– matsuzaka pitching left-handed
– a bolt of lightning to the face
Yeah because he has looked awesome all spring right? oh wait, he wasn’t invited this year, try again in 365 days buddy, but you are correct, by this time next year, Renaudo is going to be interesting to watch.
Really Pedro? Really? Every year the same story “Oh yeah I’m in great shape, I think I can still pitch and I’m open to returning.” Then 2 months later “Yeah, no I think I’m done, I’m not pitching in the majors again this season, maybe next year.” He’s actually the baseball version of Brett Favre…minus the retirements. And I’m a MASSIVE Pedro fan, so don’t take this as trolling, or me just dissing him due to hatrid.
boy i bet you wish you could edit that last word. anyway, here is why pedro gets a free pass from me:
23-4
213 IP
13.20 K/9
1.56 BB/9
0.38 HR/9
2.07 ERA
1.39 FIP
there is a stat called LOLWTF and you either get a 1 or a 0 and he posted a schfifty-five that year
As accurate as you always are, I had to double check those numbers because they’re surreal
i was about to hate too until i saw those numbers. wow.
I hope that Saltalamacchia struggles in hopes that Boston will be interested in acquring Ryan Doumit from the Pirates.
As much as despise the thought of Varitek being a regular this season, the thought of giving up anything at all for another guy who cannot throw anybody out, plus has defensive issues as well is even less appealing. IOW? They would probably look for another Kevin Cash type that at least is able to throw and block balls at a major league average standard 1st IMO.
Maybe even Let Exposito, or defensively ready prospect Mark Wagner have a try they already have at AAA. Boston does not need another weak armed catcher for sure and not trying to dice your post at all, just the thought of another catcher who can’t throw plus has severe problems behind the plate as well.