Some rival executives believe that unless the Phillies run off a string of victories between now and the deadline, they will seriously consider offers for left-hander Cole Hamels, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney. In today's column (Insider subscription required), Olney looks at the pros and cons of trading Hamels and more..
- If the Red Sox are waffling about whether to get involved in talks for Ryan Dempster, then the right-hander must have opened their eyes with his strong outing Friday. However, it remains to be seen if the Cubs and BoSox can move past the Theo Epstein compensation drama to make a deal.
- Matt Garza could also figure to be one of the top pitchers on the market leading up to the deadline and execs say that he has been talked about a lot more in recent days.
- A pair of baseball execs told Olney that they're in favor of the new draft rules putting prospects into their respective systems more rapidly. "For them, it's one less year to the major leagues. High school kids do not have to spend as much time in rookie league. College players who are high draft [picks] can get more easily get to Double-A in Year Two," said Mark Newman, Yankees senior VP of baseball operations.
- The Padres are extremely high on top pick Max Fried and one evaluator compared his breaking ball to Clayton Kershaw's. Fried, the No. 7 pick, agreed to a $3MM deal with the club yesterday.
Dempster’s not a bad route for the Sox, seeing as Garza would be a lot harder to acquire. If we could do a three-way trade to get Youk off to some other team, while giving up some prospects to the Cubs, I think we could land Dempster.
EDIT: Didn’t realize Dempster’s age, although I still think the trade is possible. Right now Dempster has a WHIP lower than any year he has pitched before.
Can you dictate some of those Sox prospects you previously mentioned to send to Chicago?
What do you mean? Considering his age, prospects might not be such a good idea. I didn’t realize how old Dempster was.
Who are some of the prospects you think Boston would be willing to exchange?
EDIT: Then have you any opinions on which players the Red Sox would trade?
Age is just a number. He has pitched extremely well and could be resigned on a 1-2 year deal…good deal for whoever gets him.
The Cubs seem like they need pitching and catching prospects, so I’d have to think that anyone outside Lavarnway and Barnes would be up for a Dempster deal. Given the fact that he likely wouldn’t bring back picks as I don’t think the Sox would give a 36-year-old Dempster a $12MM per year qualifying offer (though, hey, they have a lot of money to play with next season), I’d think that Swihart plus one of Ranaudo/Workman/Wilson/Owens/Pimentel/Britton plus a guy in the 25-40 range could work in a trade.
Personally I wouldn’t want to give up much seeing as how the Sox are getting older and older and more out of the race as the years go on. Age essentially does matter, so I think we need to maintain most of our prospects, especially since Dempster is not a given; he has never pitched in the American League.
Although, if we can land a good deal by shopping Youkilis, I’m all for it.
How about Youk to LA DODGERS, Dempster to the Sox, Dodger prospects to Cubs. One low level prospect to Cubs from Sox.
Sounds about right to me.
That could actually work. I’ve been saying 3-way trade from the start as well.
in the new rules, you can’t get draft picks for a qualifying offer unless the player was on your roster for the whole season anyways.
I think it’d be a terrible idea for the Sox to make that offer.
They should even consider youk for dempster straight up if the cubs could extend him at a reasonable enough price considering they don’t have a 3b that can hit above the mendoza line right now.
This is true as well. Ian Stewart has hit the DL and was hitting around .200, while Luis Valbuena, who was called up a couple days back to replace Stewart, has started off hitting .000(I believe either 0-6 or 0-7).
I’d be fine with that.
Cubs have no interest in acquiring anyone over the age of 24 right now. They aren’t trying to win now, so Youklis would be of no use to them. They need players who could be on the 2015 roster…
Yeah, they have Vitters who’s bound to be called up this year given the continuous struggles of Ian Stewart.
vitters is just another guy he isn’t the long term solution at third.
closer to a long term solution than Youk. Why are the Cubs so opposed to trying to trying LaHair out at 3B? I know it would be at least be ugly this year, but they just dont have much to lose.
If that were even remotely a possibility, the Cubs would have tried LaHair at 3rd during the Spring. LaHair isn’t an A+ defender. He doesn’t have the range for third, nor does he exactly have an arm that would suffice at third.
No, no, no, this is the Red Sox. They need a player to get into contention and they can’t afford to give anything of value up despite someone else’s value on another team. Don’t you know the rules by now?
I’m sure the Cubs want young, cheap, talent for Dempster not an expensive, old, broken down player like Youk.
demp + vitters+ 1 cubs catcher for middlebrooks + A ball prospect, anyone?
I’m fine with trading Cole as long as it brings back our future 3B. They need a guy that is AA/AAA and a top prospect.
I’m fine with trading Hamels as well… if the Phils continue to lose as often as they currently are…but I’d definitely expect more than just a big 3b prospect. I’d want probably at least 2 big prospects, 1 lesser prospect and maybe one guy who’s on that team’s major league roster such as trading him to the Yankees for Banuelos, one of their several 3b prospects, a low-level minor leaguer and a bullpen piece who’s currently on their roster.
I’d rather get Olt from the Rangers…Yanks don’t need Hamels.
Couldn’t hurt.
You’re not going to get two top prospects, a current major leaguer, and another guy for two months of Hamels. The Rangers gave up Justin Smoak and a bunch of nobodies for Cliff lee and Mark Lowe; and the Phillies traded one top prospect (well, former top prospect – Happ was just off of his rookie season) and two high upside guys who were several years from the majors for a year and a half of Oswalt.
That package would be about equivalent to what the Angels gave up for two and a half years of Haren when they gave the Diamondbacks a back of the rotation starter, a top prospect, a guy who was outside of their top ten prospects, and a reliever who has since been released and is now playing in the independent Mexican league.
Hamels on the block severely alters what the Cubs were hoping for in exchange for Garza/Dempster.
Still no guarantee that Hamels is even on the block. Dempster will be traded very soon.
Doubtful. Hamels may be the better pitcher but he won’t return compensation when he leaves via FA to go to the Dodgers.
You assume Hamels will be willing to leave the team he has played with his entire career to play for the NL West. While that would help his chances at winning, I don’t see that he would leave his career-long team for the Dodgers.
I could totally see him going to LA, especially with him being from So Cal!
And the Dodgers ownership just wanting to throw money at everything
Why do people keep saying “if the Cubs and Red Sox could get past all that Theo drama” in order to make a deal? They already did that with Byrd! I keep having to repeat this for some reason.
The compensation was when Boston unceremoniously released Byrd and forced Epstein to pay for his plane ticket home.
I don’t understand why the Phillies wouldn’t try to trade Cliff Lee instead of Hamels….Wouldn’t it make more sense to trade the 35 year old veteran instead and try to resign Hamels when the Phillies desperately need to get younger?
Because he’s getting paid at 24 million a year and much older, therefore probably worth not as much?
I was thinking that the tigers could aquire Cole Hamels(LHP) for Nick Castellananos(Huge 3B prospect) Jacob Turner(Best pitching prospect on our team) and maybe Quinton Berry(OF) and if possible Placido Polanco (3B/2B)and the tigers add maybe Danny Worth(IF) and Hernan Perez(2B)
Wouldn’t that mean a return for Polanco to his former team?
if u mean the phillies no i was saying add polanco with hamels to go to detroit and then detroit could throw worth and perez in the deal and that would solve are 2B problem and a good proven middle of the rotation guy which we’ve needed all season
Polanco played for the Tigers before.
Also, Hamels would slot in second behind JV. Honestly starting to get scared of your seemingly seriousness with your rather ridiculous (no offense but it’s true) proposals. Danny Worth and Perez for Polanco?!
i wasnt saying worth and perez for polanco i was saying add polanco to go along with hamels and then the tigers would add worth and perez along with the forementioned players
ah makes more sense now. Overpay IMO but makes sense. You scared me with Worth + Perez = Polanco.
I realize but if they think they can sign Hamels by freeing up the money owed to Lee it may be worthwhile
Would Hamels want to stay with a declining team headed towards a rebuilding phase? That’s the question you have to ask.
How are the Phillies a declining team? Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, their best hitters have both not played a single game, Halladay and Lee have both had stints on the DL, and they would have won much more if their bullpen could have held a lead. They’re still thw big payroll team that everyone is used to and they will continue to have alot off money coming off the books every year. The Phillies can afford to trade Hamels and Victorino to rebuild the farm and then resign Hamels in the off-season.