A few notes to share from around the AL East, where the soon-to-be officially retired Pedro Martinez spent the prime of his career with the Red Sox.
- Korean right-hander Tae-Hyong Chong is still mulling a contract offer from the Orioles, as well as one from a team in the Korean Baseball Organization, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The O's have offered Tae-Hyon a two-year, $3MM deal, Connolly hears.
- Having acquired a backup catcher in Jeff Mathis, the Blue Jays will focus on adding a starting pitcher, a closer and a second baseman at the Winter Meetings, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. For second base, Davidi suggests the Jays could target Alberto Callaspo or Maicer Izturis if the Angels make one or both of them available, and they will keep tabs on the White Sox's Gordon Beckham, whom "they have long admired."
- The Yankees may be in the market for a second lefty out of the bullpen to go along with Boone Logan, and Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News suggests White Sox southpaw Matt Thornton could be a good fit. Thornton is under contract through 2013 and owed $11MM, with a $6MM club option or a $1MM buyout for 2014, and would probably only cost a fringe prospect at best to acquire, as the South Siders are looking to offload his salary.
AA, go get Beckham (or keep Kelly Johnson) and some pitching please
Love, Jays Fans
Beckham for Snider?
AA go get sidney ponson i want to jays fans pretend that it’s a good signing.
He’s been arrested so many times he literally isn’t allowed into Canada anymore. I remember when the Yankees came one year Ponson had to stay behind because they wouldn’t let him into the country.
Anyone know what is going on with Beckham? He’s declined every year in pretty much single category, at least offensively. Walk rate keeps going down along with ISO and batting average. Strikeout rate, swinging strike rate, O-swing%, IFFB% have all gradually increased.
He is still young so there is still hope he can turn it around.
You could say the same about almost everyone on the white sox
I’d like the Jays to go after Hiroyuki Nakajima. Its always a gamble, but sometimes pays off nicely.
Well, either they already did or they can’t.
Better not let Scioscia hear this, or he’ll go annoy DiPoto or cry to Moreno until they trade Izturis or Callaspo for Mathis.
On the serious side, why Beckham? He’s young and cheap, I get it, but his stats have been going in the wrong direction for the past few years. They must really love their hitting coach.
I believe the answer to your question is his potential upside and the best comparison is Alex Gordon. The same thing happened to him and look at his 2011 after being sent to the minors in 2010. Phil Nevin was a similar story. The decline in stats has them thinking they can “buy low” on him with there being a good chance they can tap into his talent.
The thing about the BlueJays is they have either been bluffing or are ignored and not taken seriously the last few years as the GM always talks about them potentially acquiring many players who are deemed “available” and it does not happen. He either wants to be talked about (and I know of no other GM who gives more interviews on player acquisitions) or they do not have the goods or finances to pull it off. Rasmus was a player the Cardinals felt they had to get rid of- and it paid off. Beckham is not a player the Whitsox view as an impediment to them winning.
I think a major factor is touched upon when the Yankees were mentioned. Chicago wants to cut salary- they have a new manager and are starting to rebuild somewhat. I dont know why a team in this position would consider trading a young player with his potential and do not think they would consider it unless they are offered a sizable package in return. I think from the Whitesox perspective any trade involving Beckham would require they receive a return similar to the trading of a star player. I believe this would be Drabek and other prospects but again this would not make sense. You would trade one player with potential for another with potential with Drabek having a much higher upside.
Hmmmm…. I wonder what it would take to get Beckham.
Thronton would be a good pick up for the Yanks, he would be tough on those Sox lefty’s.
To me if the Yanks could get Danks and Thorton in one deal then their starters would be done for the offseason. They would just need to get a utility INF and bench bat (hopefully Chavez and Jones back).
I don’t see the Sox trading Beckham simply because his value is at an all-time low. His bat has continued to decline since his breakout as a rookie in 2009, and I think Kenny Williams is better off gambling on Beckham to pull it together offensively because he’s still under team control for four more years, and he’s still providing surplus value because of his glove. However, KW always talks when there’s an interesting package on the table.
BREAKING NEWS : Houston Astros acquire Maicer Izturis for a PTBNL or Cash
Maybe it is a product of old age, but every time see anyone with the last name of Chong.. Go back to Richard “Cheech” Marin and his classic line of: Cheech like in Peach and Chong like in…”
surprised the jays haven’t been connected to bedard by now
they werent connected to mathis, and looked how that turned out.
Matt Thornton does the same thing Boone Logan does slightly better but he’s eight years older and costs more. Pass.
You are 100% right. In addition- look at Garcia, Colon, Aceves, Ayala, the guy whose name escapes me but was acquired for Randy Johnson, even Mitre (who was decent in 2010), Logan was an after thought in the Vazquez trade, Aaron Small, and I am leaving out many names- the Yankees and Cashman have done a very good job picking guys off the scrap heap for the bullpen instead of acquiring guys like Thornton the last few years and have proven they do not need to pay to fill bullpen slots like this.
They have alot of pitching in the minors and a bullpen of Robertson, Rivera, Soriano, Logan and the potential return of Joba Chamberlain. In the minors they have Noesi, Betances and Banuelos- as their top prospects. They have a rotation of Sabathia, Nova, Garcia, Burnett, Hughes and I believe they will acquire another starter. If one of the prospects is lights out in the Spring then it is time for them to make the jump and if they do not have a slot in the bullpen for Hughes then what happens. What Yankee fan wants a pitcher viewed as a legit stud prospect stuck in the minors so Matt Thornton can be on the team.
I think you and the guy above you are missing the point. While we DO have Mo, Robertson, Soriano and possibly Joba they are all righties. While we do have Noesi, Bets and Bans (not to mention Phelps, Warren and Mitchell @ AAA and mlb ready) they are all righties as well with the exception of Banuelos who SHOULD NOT and I doubt he will, be used out of the bullpen.
Thornton would give us another lefty out the pen along with Logan. His age is sort of unimportant as he’s “only” signed for 2 years. He’s durable (7 years straight with 50 +IP), can still bring it (avg’d 95 + mph last year) and has had good ERA’s/FIP’s/xFIP’s over the last 4 years pitching in a hitters park. He was also a shut down lefty vs lefty last year (1.60 FIP).
He IS expensive at 2/$12 but the Yanks can afford him. The only valid reason I could see not to go after Thornton is if the WSox demand a “real” prospect in return. In addition, if Pedro Feliciano seems healthy to start the season then basically it would be too expensive to have a 3rd lefty on the roster earning what both Thornton and Pedro are owed, especailly since I think Logan is more valuable to have than Pedro.
Blue Jays can have Carlos Zambrano, Soriano, and Soto how ever much money they are owed, Cubs fans don’t want ANYTHING back. They can have them for Free Health Care for 10 “Lucky Winners”