Tigers closer Francisco Rodriguez doesn’t appear to be on the trade block this winter, writes Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. While GM Al Avila didn’t definitively state that K-Rod won’t be moved this winter, he certainly implied to Fenech that the team isn’t seeking out trade partners for Rodriguez, whose $6MM club option was picked up following the season. However, Avila did state that if things go south for the Tigers in 2017, K-Rod would be a logical trade chip. “If things were right, if the timing was right, would he be a guy we’d look to trade?” the GM asked rhetorically. “Yeah. A veteran guy in the last year of his contract, there might be a good situation down the road.” Avila has publicly declared a desire to shed some payroll and work toward a younger roster, but for the time being it seems likelier that K-Rod opens the year in Detroit than elsewhere.
A few more items from the AL Central…
- The Tigers announced today that former Major League catcher Gerald Laird has been hired as the manager of the team’s Class-A affiliate in Connecticut. Laird, 37, hasn’t logged significant Major League action since the 2014 season, which he spent with the Braves. The former Tiger spent parts of 13 seasons in the Majors beginning in 2003, though, batting a collective .243/.305/.353 with the Rangers, Tigers, Cardinals, Braves and Diamondbacks. He won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 2011 and now looks to be embarking on the next level of his career in baseball. There’s been no formal word that he’s retired, though it seems clear that for the time being, he’s focused on other areas.
- Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine sat down with Fangraphs’ David Laurila at last week’s Winter Meetings to discuss a number of topics, including player acquisition, building out the analytics/baseball operations staff, the coaching staff and lineup construction (though the latter of that group will firmly remain manager Paul Molitor’s duty, the two stressed). While the new duo will bring a more modern and statistical approach to the Minnesota front office, Levine emphasized to Laurila that roster decisions aren’t going to be purely “formulaic,” and both execs spoke about the importance of looking beyond statistical evidence when making decisions. Falvey and Levine also spoke highly of the work that Twins director of baseball research Jack Goin has done in the analytics department prior to their arrival and said they plan on adding to that impressive base. “When you work for another team, you really don’t know what’s under the hood of another team when it comes to systems,” said Falvey. “It felt like there’s a good framework in place, in a system where we could access information. … Right now it’s a good framework to build off of.”
- Royals GM Dayton Moore suggested at today’s press conference to introduce Jorge Soler that the talks with the Cubs that sent the outfielder to Kansas City were first explored quite awhile ago, as the Kansas City Star’s Rustin Dodd writes. “We knew that this deal was a potential fit for us a couple of months ago,” said Moore. “So it gave us plenty of time to do all the background (checks).” Per Dodd, Moore likened the deal somewhat to the 2010 trade that sent Zack Greinke to the Brewers in exchange for a package of talent headlined by Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar. While the four-for-one nature of that trade doesn’t line up with last week’s one-for-one swap of Soler and Wade Davis, Moore noted that the goal was the same: adding controllable, MLB-ready talent that still has room to grow.
Gordo, Cain and Soler
now that’s an outfield
well cain will be gone after the season, if not trade deadline
If not in the winter.
Soler will be gone by May. Season ending injury.
Right, Soler has yet to play a full season. Despite his cannon for a arm, he is a terrible defender.
i mean yea, that’s 3 guys who play of, but they don’t project to be a very good one
Gordon/Cain/Soler/Dyson is an exceptional outfield.
Gordon was terrible, Cain underperformed, Soler hasn’t performed in the bigs, and Dyson is a platoon bat.
I dont even think thats a top 3 outfield in the AL
While I will agree about Dyson and the overall OF not being the best in the AL, you’re quite uninformed about Cain and Gordo. I guess 4 gold gloves means you’re terrible. Cain dealt with injuries yet again. I don’t get why people think he’s some amazing CF’er……I mean he’s still better than a good amount of CF’ers in the game already he just likes to take a play or two off a game when the ball is hit to him. Dyson or Gore are great to have around ot steal some bases, so they have their value. They know their role on the team. Try again to sound like you know anything about baseball……
Bennintendi Bradley Jr Betts
Thats the top OF in al, if not mlb
Gold gloves are fairly meaningless
Pirates might have the best until they throw cutch under the bus again. Marte and palonco plus some day meadows… pretty solid. * not a pirates fan* LGR
Rafael Palmeiro principle.
now the royals need to trade Mondesi to the Rays for Archer, ithink this is a possible scenario, what ya’ll think?
I think Mondesi needs to prove he has a solid future before the Rays will trade away their ace. They probably expect a big package of prospects in exchange for Archer, too
I don’t really see Mondesi being the centerpiece for an Archer trade. I don’t think Royals have enough minor league talent to afford Archer anyways and I don’t think they’d want to deal away good major league pieces for a guy coming off a down year.
There would have to be 3-4 other prospects going to TB if Mondesi is the headliner. Who would they be?
The royals don’t have the farm system to acquire Archer as it stands. After/If they sell off their mlb team, they may be able to afford it, but at that point, it makes little sense.
The Rays already have their SS of the future.
No. Mondesi isn’t going anywhere. The farm systems have been depleted over the past couple years trying to put a WS team on the field. They were successful and now need to start rebuilding it for another run. Royals are more likely going to be sellers this year especially with the new CBA and not getting draft picks on QO’s. I don’t see them going out trying to pick up much of any SP talent unless something magical happens.
The Kennedy deal is still hard to comprehend. Prospects would’ve been better for the upcoming rebuild/retool, but an asset like Soler is a good piece to have. With Cain, Hosmer, Moose, Escobar, etc. on the way out the Royals have the potential for a quick rebuild even if they do sign one of these guys. Cores are only as valuable as long as they’re all under control. Such is the way. Lucky for Kansas this core delivered two pennants and a title.
Gotta spend that new money from playoff runs on some shiny new toys.
I heard today from hot stove happy hour on sirius xm that they think Moose could be traded to a new team before next season ends. I wonder if that does happen, who he would go to and what the return would be. He has to bounce back though since he missed last season. I’m a royals fan so it would be tough to see him go but if we do trade him, I hope we get something good in return.
I remember watching Damon, Beltran, and Dye playing OF for the Royals as a kid. Imagine if they had been able to keep all 3…
The problem is that those 1999-2001 Kansas City Royals had perhaps the best OF in MLB but the worst middle infield. Worse, the Cleveland Indians were a super-team and were the class of the same division as the Royals.
Other good KC OFs:
Willie Wilson-Amos Otis-Al Cowens
Bo Jackson-Willie Wilson-Danny Tartubul
No one has mentioned that Paulo Orlando won the CF job last year. Expect him to hold on to it next season. Gordon is the RF either way and hope that he has a rebound season. LF is Soler but his defense doesn’t fit the KC model so he might move to DH. That means Dyson/Dozier/Cain are all options in LF. My gut tells me Cain will be traded.
Infield defense is always a better pathway to success and the Royals have to find a way to sign Hosmer. His offense wasn’t good last year after the break but his GG is a huge part of the teams defense along with Salvy. The chances they sign Moose (Boras client) are slim to none. Regretfully, he must be traded especially since Dozier/Cuthbert/Gordon can all play 3B. Cuthbert was a surprise but no Moose at 3B so I’d give the job to Dozier if he has a solid spring.
Escobar is trade bait after the break if KC isn’t in contention and then Mondesi is the guy at SS or possibly 2B if Merrifield doesn’t get it done. I think they want to try and move Cuthbert 2B but I doubt that will work well enough to maintain KCs excellent defense.
Loosing Morales who was a roller coaster last year will hurt the offense and move this team back to the run production issues they had before he signed. Unless somebody like Gordon/Soler/Dozier or Cain/Moose (if they stay) steps up to be a 100 RBI producer.