Andrew Friedman doesn't think the Rays' search for a first baseman will last beyond another week, the club's executive VP told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). "There were some suggestions…of movement" between the Rays and James Loney on Thursday, Topkin reports, and Loney remains the Rays' top choice, though at less than his three-year, $27MM asking price. If Loney signs elsewhere, Topkin expects the Rays to acquire a first baseman in a trade rather than in free agency.
Here are some more items from around baseball as we conclude the 2013 Winter Meetings…
- This might be the optimal time for the Braves to trade Craig Kimbrel, ESPN's Buster Olney writes (Insider subscription required). Kimbrel is about to get much more expensive now that he's eligible for arbitration, to the point that Kimbrel's incredible statistics "broke" the arbitration projection model used by MLBTR's Matt Swartz.
- Rumors connecting Rickie Weeks to the Blue Jays, Braves and Marlins during the Winter Meetings were all false, Brewers GM Doug Melvin tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).
- Ryan Kalish "is in the final stages" of signing with a new team, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. Kalish was non-tendered by the Red Sox earlier this month. The outfielder missed the entire 2013 season recovering from shoulder and neck surgeries.
- Several teams, including the Red Sox, have been scouting right-hander Ryan Madson, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports. The Rockies were also recently linked to Madson, who has missed two full seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery.
- ESPN's Paul Swydan (Insider subscription required) lists four teams who could be helped by the inexpensive additions of Kevin Youkilis, Brian Roberts, Johan Santana and Jeff Francis, respectively. Swydan also wrote about how Clint Barmes could help the Mets, but Barmes re-signed with the Pirates earlier today.
- Diamondbacks president/CEO Derrick Hall discussed his team's desire for a top starting pitcher, the recent Mark Trumbo deal and several other topics during a live chat with fans on MLB.com.
- The Pirates, Orioles and Indians could be risking their recent success with their hesitation to spend, USA Today's Bob Nightengale opines.
- Several team executives and scouts joined ESPN's Jayson Stark in listing the winners and losers of the offseason thus far, with a pair of teams (the Mariners and Yankees) somewhat in between, in the "winners with an asterisk" category.
Time to trade Craig Kimbrel? Um, No. No, Buster Olney. Ya Crazy.
I Would LOVE For The Angels To Trade for Kimbrel
Trade . . . what?
I know it would never happen, but i can dream right.?
Definitely, man. Cubs fan here. All I have is dreams.
You Gotta Have Faith Man. Anything Is Possible. I Mean No One Thought Oakland Would Be as good as they were the past 2 years so maybe your Cubs will be better than people expect next year.
I think faith died after the century mark without a World Series. I think now we’re just hoping on the law of averages?
I think this rebuild will either be worth the wait, and they actually win or the prospects will go the way of Patterson, Pie, Prior, etc. and the fans wont be able to take it anymore.
Mike Trout and he is yours 😉
No way! but you can have Hamilton 😀
Only if you eat 80% of the deal
How about 60%?
I could see the Rays going after Kalish.
he’s an ex top sox prospect… im going with the cubs. fits the pattern.
Wonder if youk would be willing to play 1b for the mets and also trade degrom/montero/mejia and puello to cubs for castro ss
Pittsburgh and Baltimore definitely made mistakes by not opening the checkbooks, but I don’t really blame Cleveland. Bourn and Swisher were both underwhelming. They need to replace Jiminez, but this past free agent market isn’t filled with realistic options for them.
Thank you Doug Melvin. We don’t want your declining 2B.
I would only trade Kimbrel if it brought back a true ace, like Verlander – or a Texiera-like haul. That’s hypothetical, I know Detroit just signed Nathan, But if they’re going to let him rot in the pen in the playoffs might as well get some value before he bolts for greener pastures.
I love and hate the idea of trading Kimbrel. He would command a huge return and the let’s face it the Braves aren’t going to pay him. My only issue is, who steps up in his place? I believe they have a team that could win the whole thing if they could pick up a strong, playoff proven, veteran arm.
Walden has experience as closer; and there are several on the free agent market.
Yea and for that season he was good. I wouldn’t trust him now.
I don’t either.
Walden great stuff but thus far not durable enough.
don’t automatically assume the braves wont necessarily pay freeman,heyward,simmons kimbrel etc..you are making speculative guesses based on facts not in evidence…just because you say they wont pay kimbrel,heyward freeman, simmons etc doesnt mean in any way shape form fashion or manner that they wont do whatever it takes to make the correct moves to sign these braves cornerstone players to long term deals…please have a little faith in braves management and for pete’s sake don’t assume anythning when you dont have all the facts
True, and Buchter who has the stuff, has to prove himself in AA.
Chances are Braves will watch him closely and decide later
in season or post-season re Kimbrel keep or trade.
forget it it will never ever happen ….
Here is a crazy idea.
Braves get: David Price
Mariners get: Craig Kimbrel, Alex Wood
Rays get: Tijuan Walker
Could start the framework of a deal with lesser pieces also involved.
Disclaimer: I’m not saying this is realistic in the sense that it could happen, but – the Braves really need get out from under Uggla and or BJ’s contracts, so any deal with Kimbrel, to me, would have to involve the takers also taking on one of those guys.
I think adding one of them in a potential Kimbrel trade is the only way the Braves get rid of the whole contract, without eating any money.
No one is going to take BJ’s contract, and it’s not smart for ATL to part with him considering the upside and the fact that we don’t have a remotely decent backup, unless moving Heyward to CF and picking up a corner OF. I’m hoping it’s a little optimistic and not naive to think that 2013 was not a sign of things to come.
Walker would be a great beginning of a 3-4 player package for David Price, but no way it is a 1 for 1 deal. Walker is a top prospect, but still unproven in the bigs. In no way is he equal to a perennial Cy Young contender.
will never happen because craig kimbrel and alex wood are are as close to being untouchable as too players not named jason hursh and lucas sims ever could be
Injuries have derailed Kalish’s career to this point and I really hope he can get healthy and be a contributor for someone. He certainly has the heart and the talent.
Yes, it’s always a good idea to trade away great players for other players who, hopefully, will one day be great too….so that you can trade them away as well.
Braves trading Kimbrel… makes sense since he’s going to be Mariano $ sooner than later. Yankees make the most sense just from a $ stand point. It’d have to be a 3 team, that sends Gardner to another team and maybe a prospect or two as well to the Braves.
Agreed my trade would be this:
Braves get: Brandon Phillips + possibly one prospect from each team)
Yankee’s get: Kimbrel and Uggla (eat all of contract)
Red’s get: Brett Gardner
What do y’all think?
Reds should sign Ryan Kalish, good buy low candidate with some upside.