Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has another batch of news items out of the general managers' meetings in Indian Wells, California…
- While the Rays have the pitching depth to move two of their starters, they're likely to move just one of their pitchers. David Price and James Shields are the biggest trade chips, though most in the industry feel Tampa Bay will keep both aces to make a play for the AL East title in 2013. There is "no chance" Price is dealt this winter, one rival executive tells Rosenthal, though Price could be moved next offseason.
- The Brewers are interested in free agent right-hander Ryan Dempster.
- The Mets' willingness to trade R.A. Dickey is seen by "many in the industry" as a tactic to get Dickey to accept a club-friendly extension, which Rosenthal thinks is a flawed strategy.
- Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima is now a free agent who can sign with Major League teams without going through the posting process. Rosenthal says the shortstop-needy Diamondbacks and Athletics are "at least mildly intrigued" by Nakajima and the Giants could also pursue Nakajima as a second baseman if they can't re-sign Marco Scutaro. The Yankees won the right to negotiate with Nakajima last winter after submitting a winning posting bid of $2MM, but Nakajima couldn't come to terms with New York and he re-signed with the Seibu Lions. The 30-year-old Nakajima has a .310/.381/.474 batting line and 104 homers over the last six years with Seibu.
Other than the D’Backs and A’s, I could see the Pirates using Hiroyuki Nakajima as their shortstop and using Barmes as the utility infielder. However, I don’t foresee the Pirates spending the money. The A’s are the most likely choice.
I really never saw them moving price. They still have him for 3 more years, and he is one of the best pitchers in the AL. I see him as a potential for next offseason or even one after that. His value shouldn’t be much lower next offseason, especially considering the FA class for starting pitching has alot of Q marks. Garza, Johan, Halladay, Lincecum are the best of the best.
I also don’t think they currently have enough pieces to survive a year without price. Maybe whenever you trade price trade several of your starters.
Why not Oakland? Go after nakajima.
If the A’s can sign Cespedes, they can gamble on Nakajima. What reason is there not to?
Because he may be another Nishioka — great Japan numbers, AAA results here.
With the departure of Drew to FA, AAA results are more than the A’s currently have at SS.
Touche’ !
Do Japanese players seemingly always have good stats in Japan and rarely do well in the US? Is it just because low talent level in Japan?
The only Japanese players that would logically try to make the transition to MLB are the top performers. If a player is merely average in Japan, chances are they will not cut it in MLB. So yes, most Japanese players coming over have tremendous stats. Some even continue that here in the U.S. Others find that tremendous stats there equate to being middle-of-the pack here – still not such a bad thing.
PLEASE PIRATES, at least talk to this guy, kick the tires, whatever. Don’t settle on Clint Barmes
The Dbacks should really take a serious look at Nakajima. Since the rest of baseball has pretty much proved unwilling to part with any sort of quality SS, why not give Nakajima a shot? He can’t cost as much as the combined salaries of the three guys that the Dbacks currently have on the roster just to cover the position.
Nakajima just reeks of a bust waiting to happen… his power numbers have diminished from middling to low end, and he’s never had great speed. I’m not saying the guy couldn’t post an average or even surprisingly decent campaign with a year of playing time, but I wouldn’t take a gamble of more than 1.5-2 mil or so.
So question, does the team’s international speeding limit also take Japan & Korean league players into affect too?
Dickey+Murphy+Mejjia/Familla+2 mid level for
Gose+D’Arnaud
A man can dream right?
Sure they have the potential, but take a 200 ip, 2.50 era starter out of the rotation of a team that just missed the playoffs, and you are looking at not even making the playoffs. What I see. Rays want to make playoffs this year they should hold onto price, just for a year to give some of their guys chances to step up. Price at this time gives them a much better shot at WS than any of their other pitchers.