Here’s some welcome news for those of us who enjoy trades: executives tell ESPN.com’s Buster Olney that trade talk has started between teams. At this point, GMs are checking in with one another about possible needs and real trade talk probably won’t begin for another month. Here’s the latest from Olney:
- Royals GM Dayton Moore says first base prospect Eric Hosmer accelerated his own timetable by hitting .439/.525/.582 at Triple-A. Instead of keeping Hosmer in the minors for another month or so to prevent him from going to arbitration four times, the Royals called him up as soon as he appeared to be ready.
- ”Right now, he helps us put the best team on the field that we can," Moore told Olney.
- The Royals had expected to call Hosmer up after about 250 minor league plate appearances, but he’s in the majors after 118 trips to the plate for Omaha.
- Michael Pineda’s strong pitching is convincing scouts and executives that the Mariners should hold onto Felix Hernandez and look to contend before King Felix’s contract expires after the 2014 season.
Mariners have the ability to spend $ if they want to (as they did with Figgins, who obviously may not have been the best guy to blow $ on), and they have some prospects including Dustin Ackley coming up. With an excellent 1-2, plus a solid 3 in Doug Fister, they’re on the right track in the AL West. They’ll need to considerably improve the offense through their farm and free agency by the start of the 2013 season to contend.
Def very possible for the Mariners to contend by 2013 even, but I don’t think I would ever ever call Fister a solid number three starter. At his best, he is a serviceable fifth starter. I doubt that he is in the rotation of the next Mariners contender.
It’s Hosmer time baby! Already got my tickets to tonights game!
I think it’s a bit silly for the Royals to call Hosmer up now and face a possible four arbitrations with him but I suppose if they really think they are contenders this year they need to make hay while they can. Good luck to them.
Happy Hos-mas 2011.
The first time I typed the name “Hosmer” into my phone, it auto corrected it to “homers”. How appropriate.
Joel Goldberg did the same thing on Twitter on the post game the other night. Awesome.
Call me a crazy optimist, but if there was a big bat available right now, the M’s would have s chance at winning the division through that acquisition.
If the Mariners were smart they would trade King Felix for a Kings ransom.
How did I know someone was going to say the M’s couldn’t possibly contend by 2014? Have you seen what the current rotation is doing? Ackley IS going to be an offensive threat. Read the scouting reports. Dude has excellent plate discipline ALREADY and can hit for power even with a such a small frame. He just needs to work on his defensive skills at 2nd base. Offensively he’s already ready to come up. No…. you don’t trade your #1 pitcher who has specifically stated he wants to play and win for Seattle. Believe it or not Loyalty does still exist. Why do you think he only signed an extension for 80 million when he could have said no and gotten way more as a free agent?
The only way I see the M’s dealing Felix is a Bedard like trade where it depletes a teams entire farm system. In other words. I don’t think there are any GM’s out there as retarded as Bavasi is to make that trade.
You might check Ackley’s slash lines thus far in this early season. While I agree his approach is good, he’s over matched thus far. .220/.351/.358 aint gonna cut it even in the post PED, pitcher 2.0, smaller bat barrel era, even for a 2B. Especially, in the hitter friendly PCL
A lot can happen in 3 years. The Mariners are profitable team with very rich owners. All it would take is a couple good signings and a trade or two and the Mariners would be right back in the hunt for a division crown. Even right now they’re only 3 games out of first without Gutierrez and Aardsma, although we will have to see how much the return of those guys actually helps.
The Mariners can definitely contend by 2014. The rotation is decent and young outside of Felix/Pineda (especially at Safeco), with James Paxton possibly contributing by then as well. There’s money to be spent in free agency after this season too. Smoak and Ackley are both poised to be major offensive threats in the next 1-2 seasons and Gutierrez and Ichiro should continue to contribute. Not to mention the #2 pick in the draft, which will likely be Cole or Rendon, both of which should be on the fast track to the majors. In a shaky (at best) AL West, anything can happen – with the Mariners youth and pitching, it isn’t too crazy to think they can compete by 2014… or earlier.
HA!
Doesn’t the notion of ichiro/figgins/ackley/fielder/smoakin 2012 make you giddy like a school girl though? I’m a dreamer.
Uh anyone that’s ever read a top prospect list knew who Pineda was, don’t be too proud of yourself. I’ll agree that the Felix trade talk was stupid though.
Fielder to the M’s isn’t even realistic in a dream. Just won’t happen. He alone would cost more than the rest of their team.
That’s a dedicated fan, when they are in the rough you tune them out. I think the m’s should trade Felix and get the rest of the pieces we need.
the mariners can for sure afford fielder given their financial history. I see him going to seattle or baltimore, both will offer waaaay more than he’s worth of course.