Here’s the latest from around the NL East…
- The Phillies are still interested in re-signing Jeff Francoeur but are also exploring the market for other part-time outfielders, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports. Francoeur said in September that the two sides had a shared interest in continuing their relationship in 2016, and while assistant GM Scott Proefrock didn’t comment on this (due to league regulations about publicly discussing free agents), he did praise Francoeur’s contributions as a clubhouse mentor.
- The bad blood between Marcell Ozuna and the Marlins won’t do anything to harm his trade value, Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan opines, as Ozuna’s high ceiling has already led to a lot of interest from other teams. With the Fish looking to add a young starter in return, Sullivan looks at some trade candidates who could be a match for Ozuna talent-wise. Danny Salazar or Taijuan Walker would be too much while James Paxton or Nathan Karns would be too little, so Sullivan settles on the Orioles’ Kevin Gausman as a good match. It should be noted that Sullivan is just speculating about comparable talent levels, not saying that the Orioles should make that deal or that they’re even interested in Ozuna’s services.
- Braves president John Schuerholz talks to I.J. Rosenberg of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about a number of topics including his long career in baseball, building the Braves’ championship nucleus in the 1990’s, the role of a club president and the team’s current rebuilding process.
Bauer, Cody Anderson or TJ House maybe a good match on the Indians side. I agree Salazar and above maybe too much unless the Marlins chipped in someone else.
Marlins should not get Gausman because he is more bullpen we need Trevor Bauer
Gausman would be a solid return for ozuna. Much higher ceiling than Bauer.
The writer has obviously never seen Paxton pitch. He’s too much to pay for Ozuna. He’s got #1 or #2 potential. So is Karns too much, in my opinion, as he had a rock solid rookie year, and Ozuna still hasn’t put it all together. Roenis Elias is a young pitcher with upside, lefty who throws 92-94, and if you package him with a young minor league pitcher with upside and perhaps SS Chris Taylor, who’s about ready, or take a shot at Jesus Montero, that makes much more sense.
When it comes to Paxton being seen as too little it’s because of his health not his performance, I think he could be a number two at his best, I think that Montero wouldn’t make a lot of sense for them because they like realmuto and bour so that leaves
Montero out and I don’t see an immediate need for a shortstop when they have Heccavaria, what they need is bullpen help and maybe a OF for the bench, Paxton, Rollins and Romero for Ozuna and Jose Urena and a PTBNL or cash probably makes the most sense but I don’t see Ozuna going to Seattle because the Mariners seem unwilling to meet the Mariners demands