Some late night links from around the league…
- According to a report passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (on Twitter), at least one MLB team has bid on Hiroyuki Nakajima since the posting process started on Monday. The Seibu Lions are expected to accept the highest bid, regardless of amount.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels has spoken to C.J. Wilson's agent as recently as today reports Jeff Wilson of The Fort Worth Star Telegram (on Twitter), and MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the two sides are expected to meet again at the winter meetings.
- Before signing with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks for $5MM over two years, Wily Mo Pena had drawn interest from the Indians, Giants, Brewers, and Mariners according to SI.com's Jon Heyman (on Twitter).
- Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times wonders if the Darren Ford signing clears the way for the Mariners to trade some of the outfielders on their 40-man roster, like Trayvon Robinson, Michael Saunders, or Franklin Gutierrez.
- “We’re very open,” said Athletics assistant GM David Forst to John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle when asked if any of the club's pitchers were untradeable. “If we didn’t have the (pitching) depth, we wouldn’t have this option.” Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey have been popular names, but Forst's statement suggests Trevor Cahill and Brandon McCarthy could be had as well.
If Bailey gets traded, who becomes the A’s new closer? Balfour?
Please don’t say Fuentes.
Brian Fuentes
Fautino De Los Santos?
That would be better than Fuentes. That kid throws hard.
Just say no, J.D. Hopefully he signs with the Nationals so the Rangers get the #16 pick. Or the Angels overspend. I’d be fine with either.
who knows, buut it sounds like they know, that the cant win with these guys, and their farm system is the weakest in baseball. so out with the old in with the new
Trayvon Robinson + B prospect to the Braves for Prado and Jurrjens. Add/subtract as necessary to even it out.
I´m a M´s fan, but that´s not fair, Trayvon + Liddi + Triunfel + Tenbrink would be fair, and I´m not that sure…
Hope the M´s are in on Nakajima, we need a 2nd SS , Ryan is not 100% healthy…
Really Sabean? Wily Mo Pena?
Wily Mo Pena?
I don’t care if you’re just kicking the tires, but give me a break.
Bailey is going to someone, his contract is good compared to the free agent closers.
how about a 3-team trade? Bailey & Gio Gonzalez to Cubs, and whoever likes Marmol and make something work. I think it’s Soriano’s turn to play in Oakland.
Yuck..
I doubt they would give it to Fuentes. He is like the emergency closer/part time setup man
Probably. I don’t know the M’s farm system enough to even it out, which is why I added the bit about adjusting the trade. Robinson seems like he would be a fit with the Braves, a RH left fielder with pop. The M’s rotation could use the upgrade, and Prado could play multiple positions.
Is that you, Jack Zduriencik?
Spliffey, i’m interested to hear your take on this since you’re an M’s fan. If the Rangers came at the M’s with a great offer for Felix, do you as a fan feel that he should be dealt? I’m assuming you know our farm system and what we have to offer. I always see Z comment with “he’s not available”, but i’m curious about what a real level-headed M’s fan thinks.
I would say Rangers trade Ian Kinsler, Martin Perez, Mike Olt and Luke Jackson for Felix.
I think that package is fair and better then a Yankees package of the killer B’s and coco beware (sorry Nunez)
Ackley then moves to LF, Olt can start at 3rd, Nakajima at SS.
Trayvon can then be traded to Oak for Daric Barton/Kila/Allen or Doolittle (to DH or whatever), Guti obv in CF, and you give Smoak another year to figure it out.
Sure the Mariners lose Felix, but they can fill all these holes on their current roster and get two guys with #1/2 potential. All the Rangers would have to do then is sign Kelly Johnson to play 2nd and they’re set for another world series battle in sept.
Oh the offseason, the time for silly trade proposals
While I strongly feel King Felix won’t be dealt, if the right offer was on the table, I’d at least listen. I’m not saying we’d do it by any means; Felix is a major asset to both the team and the city, and Jack Z has stated his intention to build around him. It would have to be a pretty insane offer. Felix has stated he wants to stay in Seattle well beyond the end of his current contract.
See the only problem with that would be I think you’d have to subtract Ian Kinsler and put in someone like Jurickson Profar.
Aside from the fact that Ian is way too valuable of a piece of our championship team to trade away and replace. I also don’t think he’d be very valuable to the M’s. If they’re not competing right now, Kinsler (who will be 30 in June, and 1 year away from FA) would be no use to them, but extremely valuable to us. The only player I think the M’s would take off our current roster would be Elvis, but if they chose him that would make Profar off limits.
First I admit my first proposal had a lot of holes, but, I do believe Kinsler is just an exciting player the likes of which the Mariners could use to help revive interest in the team after being so bad the last few years. Super athletic and still a good runner; he’s not the worst candidate for an extension since he gives them needed power and the ability to better maximize their overall defense by pushing Ackley to the outfield.
I see your point about Kinsler being more of a short term impact on the Rangers, but I would guess that the collective WAR upgrade of adding Felix and a FA 2nd like Kelly Johnson would more then make up for the downgrade at the 2nd position overall with the switching of Kinsler vs Johnson, so they are still in a great position to go to the WS in 2012.
And I wonder if the Rangers wouldn’t rather hold onto Profar as Kinsler was really holding the spot for him (as long as he continued to show improvement) (“assuming” Profar pushes Andrus to second or viceaversa) The kid is pretty advanced and if he surges back next year he could look extremely good for a major league promotion sometime in 2013 (Super optimisticly, ya he’s young)
Just checked the WAR difference between Kinsler and Johnson+Hernandez and they both are at 7.7 so there goes that theory. Except that it was a down year for Felix and Johnson and a Beast mode year for Kinsler.
Casper Wells should be off the table. Agreed on Guti. He should be off the table as well.