We just took a look at the latest on Braves righty Shelby Miller, but there are plenty of other possible trade situations percolating around the league. Here are some notes on a few of those:
- The Nationals are expected to dangle infielder Yunel Escobar in trade talks next week, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. A possible trade of Escobar has long seemed plausible, as Washington has a variety of other right-handed-hitting infield options. He could still be relied upon to hold down the fort at shortstop while Trea Turner finishes his development, but a left-handed bat (such as Ben Zobrist) would probably fit better. As I discussed in breaking down the Nats’ offseason outlook, the club might prefer to reallocate Escobar’s $7MM payroll hit elsewhere.
- The Yankees are participating in wide-ranging trade talks in the run-up to the Winter Meetings, Buster Olney of ESPN.com tweets, with the one refrain being New York’s focus on adding young rotation pieces. That’s long seemed a defining focus of the winter for GM Brian Cashman, though it remains to be seen what level of starter the team hopes to acquire and what kind of assets it is willing to part with to make a deal.
- Meanwhile, the Padres “continue to push” righty James Shields in trade talks, Olney tweets. Shields will soon turn 34, is coming off of an underwhelming campaign, and is owed $65MM over the next three seasons (including a 2019 option buyout) under his back-loaded deal. Those considerations suggest that San Diego may need to sweeten the pot (with young talent or cash) to find a taker for the contract, but Shields is hardly immovable. To the contrary, he’s still quite a useful pitcher: his 2015 effort did nothing to disturb his record of durability and he actually put up career highs in swinging strike rate (12.4%) and strikeout rate (9.6 K/9).
Escobar could be an option for padres at short while we wait for guerra to be ready.
A Shields for Escobar trade with the Pads sending some money might work.
Seems like the Padres need Shields more than the Nats do. Best guesses so far seem to indicate that Escobar, if traded, would be dangled for a reliever.
With that trade, the Padres would get significant salary relief, which would allow them to re-stock their pitching staff.
Mike Leake and Shark are probably going to wind up at damn near what Shields is making in 2016. Neither projects to produce as much.
Whats the value in that trade for the Nats though? Escobar is signed for two more years for I think $13. Shields is making $65 million over three, which is a $52 million difference. Nats would only take that if the Padres packaged a good player with him, a prospect or ate almost all (I would imagine $45 million at the least) if not the entire, contract.
Somebody to fill the void left by Jordan Zimmerman. That would be the value
Escobar had a career year while Shields is coming off a somewhat down year. Just saying that Shields is going to fill the void that Zimmerman left isn’t enough “value”. Zimmerman has much better numbers, is younger and AAV wise is cheaper than Shields.
Again, the Padres would have to eat almost all the money left on Shields deal or trade a decent player/prospect in return just to make up value. When you consider how desperate the Padres are for SS/3B/2B, the Nats aren’t going to give up Escobar for a bad contract just to help the Padres out.
I dont think so. Shields has a WAR over the past 3 season, which is the length of production that is used to calculate value in FA typically, of 3.1 on average. That is worth $24.8 million per year on the FA market. He just had a year with one of the worst defenses in the league behind him and a bad catcher calling his games and he still increased his swinging strike rate and his K/9 while going over 200 IP for the 9th straight season. He may not be an ACE like Greinke or Price, but he is certainly worth the $21 million he will get the next 3 seasons. Remember, the Cubs and Giants both offered more than that AAV per season on a 3 year deal with an option for a 4th before the Padres signed him by guaranteeing the 4th year.
The nats could use Shields and then use Roark ,Ross or AJ Cole in the ‘pen and then sign O’Day and call-up or sign more
Escobar doesn’t have a lot of trade value though. He’s a notorious clubhouse cancer.
I’m sorry to disappoint you, but Escobar is far from a cancer on the bench or in the clubhouse. He’s not only well liked by his teammates, but the coaching staff as well. In reply to a question about his rep as a clubhouse cancer, the beat-writer that follows the team, that Escobar has been a model team player since he arrived.
He’s being branded by fans because of one incident and for which he apologized for and had been a perfect team and clubhouse guy since.
The only real cancer the Nationals have is Papelbon and if he returns in 2016 they are gonna piss off a whole lot of fans, not to mention lose a bunch of them. Papelbon is hated in DC,
You’re one of those guys who just assume all Hispanics are clubhouse cancers.
I thought the same thing about his comment when I first read it. Thanks yougotpetcoed.
Toronto suspended Escobar then ran him out of town — for cause, not for being Hispanic.
He was not resigned by TBR not because of performance, but because of his attitude.
They traded him in the twelve player deal a year and a half later.. I’m willing to bet you’re not a braves, Jay’s, Rays or Nats fan and never got to see him interact and play on a daily basis consistently. The only thing fans don’t like about him is the double plays.
wouldnt have to send money and yes the Padres want a starting SS but preferably one hitting from the leftside – pads would want more than Escober and no money involved, maybe part of a blockbuster type deal
looking like Shields or Kemp is going to go, in trade…I just dont see Preller keeping both guys.
Last year everyone thought Preller was a genius getting all these guys, but now it looks like only 1 or 2 of the 5 big players he got last year will be there next season
On a team where pitching comes at a premium?
I agree, and I could see them having an easier time moving shields over kemp.
If Padres trade shields they need pitching coming back
Kemp could be around for another year while we wait for Margot to be ready to play at MLB level.
Shields+prospects for Sandoval+Kelly sound fair?
Not in the slightest. Boston would have to add in big-name prospect to take those 2 horrendous albatrosses off their hands. You aren’t trading trash for treasure, that’s not how you are supposed to do trade proposals. You are supposed to make it hurt on your fave teams end – that’s what would make it closer to reality.
No one is trading for Sandoval unless Moncada or Beintendi is coming with him.
Shields for Panda straight up
Sorry, just not interested in Panda.
Keep dreaming
Maybe in a casual fantasy league, but not in real life.
Haha
Did you just refer to Joe Kelly as having an albatross contract?
Since when is Shields treasure at this point? Kelly could actually be move effective moving forward than Shields will be. Also, no way Moncada would be thrown into that type of mutual player dump
Thats insane. First off Kelly is hardly an albatross. No way would Moncada or Beintendi be involved thats crazy. Shows a real lack of understanding of how baseball works. Shields had more value then Sandvol but if he’s moved the Red Sox would put money in. Chances are non of them are getting traded.To say a top prospect would be moved to trade Sandoval just makes you look clueless. Also albatross is used for players like Sandoval or other players who are worth far less then they are paid, Kelly is young, looked good his last few starts and makes less then a million.
Red Sox don’t need a starter.
And padres don’t need a panda
A diet coke yes a panda bear no
no no no no no no NO!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop pushing the Shields for Sandoval thing! We don’t want him!
you know when I saw that SD are “pushing” to move him I thought of the same. But I wasnt even going to add a prospect coming back to Boston.
Shields 2015 year was sort of baffling. It’s like he was told to suddenly become a big strikeout/challenge hitters guy, when he was never really that before. Its like he tried something new and it didn’t really work. Perhaps it was the SD front office pushing this, on a “we paid you to be our ace, so go do traditional ace-type things”. Maybe if he was left to alone to pitch the way that led to him becoming an ace, he’d put up a better ERA&FIP.
His season seems more like poor handling by the org than his own personal decline.
I disagree. Shield’s attitude was his biggest problem not the organization.
He put up career highs in both BB/9 and SO/9, both by a long way. He simply wasn’t being the pitcher he was before 2015.
I believe he also either led or was near the top of the league for giving up the most long balls.
His biggest and only problem in 2015 was the game calling of Norris.
I have a feeling that Norris kind of negatively affected the production of multiple pitchers this past season. Things changed a bit when hedges was called up.
Hey Norris isn’t the one throwing the pitches. Do you really think Clayton Kershaw would suddenly starting sucking if he were throwing to Norris?
Cash is going to either have to part with an “untouchable” or take on some money to acquire what he wants.
No he won’t.
Ah yes, such great insight
Big problem with trading Shields is not mentioned here. It’s his opt-out after next year. That makes it almost pointless to trade for him: If he’s good in 2016, he opts out. If he’s bad, you’re stuck with him. Lose-lose.
I think Padres have to forget about it unless they take a Jose Reyes-level bad deal back.
He would have to crush in 2016 to get anything better than he has- so not as bad as it sounds. But agree that Im getting something else from the padres besides shields
That may be true, depending how much money gets thrown around this winter. Remember the SP market is barren next winter.
The point is, as a buyer, you have no control over what Shields will do after 1 year. He holds all the cards. You need to look at a Shield purchase as a 1 year deal.
So he is worth even less- So Padres either dump him, or add prospects to get something back
You just wrote exactly what I was thinking!! Shields has the worst contract to move
The idea that they need to or should move Shields is really stupid*. Unless there’s a structural arm issue, betting on his 3WAR early projection is a pretty smart idea. At that point, he’s providing surplus value this year and then is in a position where he either exercises the opt-out or looks reasonable for the two remaining years under contract.
*I’d buy the argument that his beard last year was so embarrassing that he should be banished purely on principle. But from a baseball standpoint, not only would giving up on him now be dumb, but doing so without getting real value back would be absurd.
If he opts out then you can qualify him and get the compensation pick. Not likely he would do that.
Just the opposite. His opt-out makes it more likely that a team will take him. Their investment is limited to 1 year at $21 million, which at a 3+ WAR he is worth that and more.
So where were all the teams lined up to pay him that much money a year ago?
Shockingly, you’re completely wrong about this.
His opt-out puts all the risk on the acquiring club. If they give up talent in trade and he produces well, he’ll likely walk away after one year.
If he underperforms and is not worth his contract, then he won’t opt-out.
he’s got a point since he could decline dramatically in ’17 & ’18 but if that is how the team acquiring him views Shields then the Padres are getting nothing in return – but overall i dont think he is a guy that would opt out regardless of his 2016 as long as the team is competitive/playoff possible, who else besides Grienke has opted out and gotten over 20mill a year?
Julio Teheran for Gary Sanchez?
Who else are the Braves including for Future Hall of Famer Sanchez?
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You can talk about how he is Hall of Fame worthy once he actually gets a major league hit.
Don’t worry about the downvotes, Sloth. My monitor displays the sarcasm font.
The guy is a troll
I wasn’t aware this was a Yankees website. It’s a MLB site.
Because every time theres a story about the Yankees you find a reason to bash them.
Lol… oh please, Boston has the most over hyped prospects in baseball year after year. There’s always a new Lars Anderson and Casey Kelly for sox fans to gush over.
No thanks. One extra year of control and a lot more expensive in the first three years. Braves selling low on Teheran who likely wouldn’t be a great fit transitioning to the AL East and Yankee Stadium in addition to the fact the Yankees, if they offer Nova a contract, have six starters already locked up next season. Also, the Yankees have an aging catcher behind the plate so Sanchez fills a need and they just traded JR Murphy. It makes zero sense from the Yankees’ perspective.
Cashman will look to move Gardner and/or Miller and if he doesn’t get the value he wants for them, he will stand pat. The Yankees will buy whatever they want next year when they have a minimum of 40 million coming off the books.
Theres ZERO chance Miller is traded.
Shields makes sense for the Cardinals.
Jon Jay for Shields, make it happen Mo.
He sucks, we’ll take Randal Grichik
Yeah that’s not happening. If the Padres really want to get rid of that contract they aren’t going to get much talent in return, moving Shields would be a salary dump. The Cardinals can take on the contract.
Would love to see Shields in Boston, always been a fan – reunite with Price at the top of the rotation.
Bad contract for bad contract and I’m sure Sandoval can be replaced cheaper than they are paying now.
Shields projects to produce SURPLUS value this year. Sandoval projects to have negative value this year. His contract is also for more dollars and runs longer. (The Padres also have two crappy guys who can play 3B who project to offer only slightly less production than Pablo in 2016.)
There is no universe in which this idea makes any baseball sense.
Solarte is crappy? Solarte was better in just about every category. You must be disgruntled.
Outproducing what Panda did in 2015 and being crappy are certainly not mutually exclusive.
But it sort of illustrates my point. Yangervis is pretty much just another guy who won’t make in his career what Panda gets paid next year. But he’s not a bad bet to match production over the next two seasons if they play the same amount.
Solarte ranked 11th in offense last year according to ESPN. Not bad for a crappy 3rd baseman.
Hey, solarte was one of the few bright spots last year for the Padres.
Not interested in Panda
What if they threw in all of the unsold Panda hats?
Sorry, just not interested in him.
What about Shields in Toronto? Gets him back in the AL East where he put up decent numbers. He would have a strong offense and defense behind him. My question is what would the Jays have to give up?
Shields for Ricky Nolasco
I would think Melvin Upton for Ricky Nolasco with dollars or other parts included to even it out could actually make some degree of sense for all involved.
escobar would be a good fit for the angels. play 3rd and hit in the 3 hole
Shields and 18MM prorated for three years to Tigers for Iglesias and Matt Boyd
Quick Correction: Zobrist is a switch hitter, not a lefty
Ivan Nova for Shields
Absolutely not refsnyder for sheilds
I’m thinking Tyler Wade and Ivan Nova for Shields with the Yankees taking on the contract. I know Yankees want young cost-controlled starters, but they could still target those guys while getting a veteran starter who puts up innings. I hate the home runs allowed from 2015, but we need those innings…badly.
I don’t expect the Padres to trade shields for another bad contract. At 3 years 63 mil he’s a bit overpaid, but not by much when you consider how much pitchers are getting right now. I expect him to bounce back with better defense next season too
The Red Sox need to get involved with acquiring James Shields. If we can possibly move Hanley Ramirez to another team, and dump some lower prospects into San Diego, a three-way trade could bring us back Shields. I say three-way trade, because no way the Padres rest for anything short of our top prospects.
Seattle has Chris Taylor. Not sure if Dipoto would take on his contact though.
What about the coffee seattle has that also
Shields is still a #2 in most any rotation, struck out a lot more guys last year while using his offspeed a ton more often. HomeRuns killed this guy last year and a better defense team would help his overall #’s. This guy is a valuable trade piece, priced 10 mill a year under the elite starters. I thought the Padres would keep him but make Ross their Opening Day starter. Especially since Shields is supposed to be a clubhouse leader, leader of the starters? Rockstar GM getting a headstart before round 2 in Nashville, continue to make the Padres relevant Preller! Can’t begin to guess what the return would be but he’s as valuable as any of the starters left in free agency minus Grienke over the next 3 years.
He’s due to get a huge bump in pay to $21 million each of the next 3 season with a $16 million club option or a $3 million buy out.
I like Shields and honestly think he would be a good fit for the Jays as it would give them another 200 innings type pitcher but I think the money is to rich for the Jays unless the don’t have to give up major talent and allows the Jays to move Chavez to the long bullpen position. My major concern for him moving to the AL East is the fact he was susceptible to the long ball but did quite well with Rays but can he return to that level of success?
No one wanted to give him that much money a year ago and his 2016 stats aren’t going to change their minds. Padres would have to eat some of Shields’ salary to trade him at all. The better the return, the more they would have to eat.
stay tuned….before the Pads would eat money they’d take on someones modest contract but overall i think Shields has some actual value which only increases with ever starting pitcher getting big money next Cueto, Leake, Shark, Chen
If the Pads want to get rid of James Shields without sending money, consider the following: Padres get Nick Markakis(3yr/31.5mil), Williams Perez(5yrs) and two contracts of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn (1yr/31mil) for James Shields(4/79), Austin Hedges, Hunter Renfro and Travis Jankowski. Braves can throw in Daniel Castro or Gordon Beckham for SS.
Congratulations, you’ve just come up with the stupidest trade proposal on the internet!
maybe in some sort of blockbuster? just didnt know the Nationals really needed a 20 mill a year starting pitcher – they are going to want to keep Stras around & he’ll cost (now maybe some kind of trade featuring Stras & Shields would be a headliner)
its interesting and took a lot of thought, Padres arent in need of dumping Shields – swisher, Bourn, Renfro & hedges in the deal sounds steep on the Padres side