Diamondbacks Trade Rumor: Jake Westbrook
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Diamondbacks are interested in acquiring Jake Westbrook. The 28 year-old righty is 5th in baseball with a 2.93 groundball/flyball ratio.
The leader, of course, is Brandon Webb at 3.15. Miguel Batista is also in the top 20. Perhaps Josh Byrnes plans on assembling a groundball-heavy pitching staff to match up with Orlando Hudson and the rest of his defensively sound infield.
If so, Byrnes could also target Cory Lidle now or in the offseason. Their reported interest in Dontrelle Willis fits into this agenda as well. I would guess that a deal for Willis or even Westbrook would require the inclusion of one of their top ten prospects. Westbrook was last seen in a trade rumor from January, when the Reds expressed interest.
Should Cubs Add Tony Clark?
Word comes today that Tony Clark is willing to waive his no-trade clause if that’s what the Diamondbacks want. The Cubs are the obvious fit – should they go after him?
I vote yes. The Cubs’ offense was barely acceptable before Derrek Lee went down, and now it’s just plain feeble. This club cannot be backed into playing Neifi Perez regularly once again.
Clark is probably worth a win or two in Lee’s two month absence, and that easily justifies the $2MM owed to him through 2007. Josh Byrnes is a shrewd GM, however, so Hendry has to try not to send the next Dontrelle Willis over.
The issue of what to do with Clark once Lee comes back isn’t really an issue to me. The Cubs can use him to DH against the Indians and Mariners in June if Lee comes back early and otherwise add some pop and OBP to the bench. If Hendry can flip him somewhere in August, so be it.
Clark is not expensive and not a complainer. If Josh Byrnes isn’t asking for Rich Hill, I think a deal should be made. I wouldn’t expect Clark to hit .304/.366/.636 again, but he’ll improve the team by keeping Neifi on the bench.
Cubs Shopping Maddux?
A good one from the rumor mill over at Gotham Baseball. Unfortunately their page is not working right now so here’s a link to MetsBlog’s take on Gotham’s report. According to Gotham, Greg Maddux is being shopped. Interested parties: Mets, Yankees, Brewers, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Royals, and Cardinals.
The Cubs would essentially be reducing their rotation to "Carlos Zambrano and pray for a tornado," but Maddux is an impending free agent. My opinion from a couple of weeks ago: he’s the same old Mad Dog, just with a well-timed hot streak. Still, dealing him now would be a very early white flag for a Cubs team with a $94MM payroll. Doesn’t seem to compute. And the obligatory intradivision thing must be cited for the Brewers and Cards. I am surprised no West Coast teams have been mentioned.
Luis Gonzalez Trade Possibilities
Nick Piecoro’s article today for the Arizona Republic implied that the Diamondbacks would have a tough decision to make on Luis Gonzalez‘s 2007 option. Now, as a reporter covering the D-Backs, Piecoro has to use a certain amount of tact when discussing Gonzo’s situation. I like Gonzalez as much as the next guy, but there’s no chance Josh Byrnes exercises his $10MM option.
Gonzalez is 38 and is said to have his "elbow and shoulder injuries behind him." He comes out of baseball’s home run era with a 57 HR season under his belt, though he’s never topped 31 in any other season. He’s spent seven seasons in Arizona, hitting .302/.396/.542 over that span. The most similar player over those seven years is definitely Jeff Bagwell, who hit .288/.404/.542 for Houston.
It’s been a hell of a late peak for Gonzalez, and he hopes to find a new home to amass 786 more hits. Unfortunately, PECOTA projects him to be out of baseball by 2008, following a similar career path to his top comparable, Fred Lynn. Would 3,000 hits and 400 HR do the trick for the Hall of Fame considering how lackluster his career was before he joined Arizona? And that he’s never really been considered a dominant player?
Even at his age, Gonzo was the 9th best left fielder in the game last year according to WARP. He had a leg up on guys like Carl Crawford and Carlos Lee. He’ll probably shoot for a contract similar to Moises Alou‘s, something like two years at $15MM. Which teams would be a good fit?
Blue Jays – When Reed Johnson tops your depth chart, you need a left fielder. Though I am a Catalanotto fan.
Twins – An outfield of Hunter, Kubel, and Gonzalez would be formidable. Shannon Stewart‘s contract expires after this season. Lew Ford is best served as a 4th OF, and Rondell White should be DHing full-time. Not that I see the Twins doing this or anything.
Braves – I keep bringing up the Braves as candidates to acquire a left fielder, and Braves fans keep telling me they’re happy with Langerhans and Johnson. Maybe I should start listening to them.
Marlins – I think playing Florida native and good guy Gonzalez in left instead of Chris Aguila or Reggie Abercrombie would be a nice gesture considering this offseason. Then again, I support the notion of getting Josh Willingham some ABs out there to keep him in the lineup.
Cardinals – Is this Bigbie/Taguchi/Rodriguez thing really going to work? Maybe, but Gonzo would be a good fit in that clubhouse.
And that pretty well sums up his market as I see it. It’s a buyer’s market for left fielders, and it should be interesting to see what Byrnes can come up with this summer. Carlos Quentin is begging for a big league job after hitting .301/.422/.520 in Triple A last year.
Trade Candidates Part 2
Last time we looked at players in their contract year and trade possibilities. Today we’ll open the field and see who else could be available.
Dealing Shea Hillenbrand or Eric Hinske would probably make sense for the Blue Jays. It looks like the two will enter 2006 splitting DH duty for the Jays, and Hillenbrand may have twice as much value with the bat as Hinske. The problem is figuring out which team actually has a need for a middling 1B/3B/DH type.
The Red Sox have six starters (seven if you think Papelbon is rotation-ready), but they shouldn’t be so eager to send one packing. Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling are highly unlikely to make all of their starts. Epstein might send Arroyo over to Tampa Bay for Julio Lugo anyway. More likely, of course, is a signing of Alex Gonzalez and a trade of David Wells for a spare part or prospect.
A lot of folks think Carlos Pena still has some good seasons ahead of him. For example, PECOTA projects him to hit .255/.349/.482 in 514 ABs in 2006. The Tigers could probably use some sort of contingency plan in case Carlos Guillen misses time again.
The Diamondbacks have too many veteran OFs and no place for Carlos Quentin. I’m sure Shawn Green and Luis Gonzalez are available, it’s just a matter of finding clubs to take most of their salaries. Both outfielders are still contributors.
Aubrey Huff To Houston?
Got a good one today. I admit I was skeptical at first, but an independent source verified the rumor.
It seems that Arizona, Houston, Los Angeles, and Tampa Bay have some sort of deal in the works. It is known that Jayson Werth and Aubrey Huff are involved, but the other players have not yet been revealed. Apparently Werth is headed to Tampa Bay or Arizona – my sources differ in opinion here.
Both sources indicated that Aubrey Huff will be joining the Astros. Such a move would certainly cloud up the Astros’ 1B/OF situation. They’d have Lance Berkman, Jeff Bagwell, Jason Lane, Willy Taveras, Preston Wilson, and Huff. We know that Bagwell may not be able to play, and Lane and Taveras are trade candidates. Huff mainly played right field and first base for the Devil Rays this year.
UPDATE: It now looks to be a three team deal with the Diamondbacks, Devil Rays, and Astros involved (Werth is out of the picture). Huff to the Astros is still the main piece, and the deal supposedly is contingent on Bagwell retiring and freeing up the insurance money. That’s all for now.
Jeff Weaver: Last Man Standing
I ranked Jeff Weaver 18th overall on my Top 50 Free Agents for 2006, and he’s easily the best remaining starting pitcher (Roger Clemens aside). After Weaver the dropoff is huge – it’s Kevin Brown or Lima Time. Kind of remains me of this, a memory I’ve been trying to repress for ten years.
For a while it seemed like Weaver was being strangely undervalued in the market. He’s a very dependable starter and he’s still 29. He’s thrown 444 innings over the past two seasons with the Dodgers, compiling a 4.11 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 6.3 K/9 during that span.
Ken Rosenthal cleared this muddy picture for us yesterday after speaking with Weaver’s agent, Scott Boras. We now know that Weaver hadn’t actually hit the market until now. Boras delayed Weaver’s release date to give the Dodgers first crack at him. It seems that a three-year contract with an option would’ve gotten the job done, but it might take four years at this point.
Last week, Weaver was looking like a potential free agent bargain in the vein of Kevin Millwood last year for the Indians. If nobody wanted to give him three years and $30MM (or whatever), he’d just take a one-year, $8MM deal or something. However, what this potential bargain has taken a 180. It’s fairly obvious that once a ton of people want something, it becomes overvalued. Such will be the case with Weaver, who has eight teams after him.
Rosenthal’s speculation on that front: the Red Sox, Cardinals, and Orioles. Let’s expand on that and try to nail the possibilities.
Orioles – Given Weaver’s recent durability, we know Peter Angelos’s injury hangups probably won’t come into play here. And let’s not rule out the ballclub just because Angelos and Boras aren’t best buddies. The club talks to all agents and is a good fit for Weaver.
Red Sox – I can’t help but doubt the Sox want to bring Weaver back into the AL East. His 5.99 ERA with the Yankees in ’03 looms large.
Tigers – No one seems to think the Tigers would bring Weaver back. Their rotation is pretty much set anyway.
Angels – Maybe he’d love to play with his brother Jered one day, et cetera et cetera. This is cited as a pretty big reason for the Angels to be in play, but a lot of us thought the Braves would end up with Brian Giles for the same reason. According to Bill Stoneman, signing Weaver is "not a likely thing."
Mets – Sure, why not? Pedro, Glavine, Weaver, Benson, Trachsel. You could do worse.
Phillies – Let’s see how this rotation looks so far: Lieber, Lidle, Madson, Myers, Ryan Franklin. I think they’re set, especially with a few options in-house for replacements.
Nationals – It’s looking like they’re going with John Patterson, Livan Hernandez, Ramon Ortiz, Brian Lawrence, and Tony Armas. Ryan Drese is floating around as well. I know they’re mentioned as a main suitor, but I don’t see it.
Cubs – Certainly seems like a legit possibility. No Boras reservations. Possible rotation: Zambrano, Prior, Maddux, Wood, Jerome Williams. Not counting on Wood probably means Glendon Rusch or Rich Hill though. Despite the surplus, the Cubs have been making noise about adding another starter. Perhaps Williams would be dealt (although this seems like an unwise course of action to me).
Astros – Weaver would definitely solidify things and relieve their dependency on Roger Clemens.
Cardinals – They will be going with Carpenter, Mulder, Suppan, Marquis, and Reyes in the rotation. If Marquis is traded and Ponson does not take his spot, it would make sense to add Weaver to the mix. After all, Jocketty has pursued Javier Vazquez, Matt Morris, and A.J. Burnett this winter. Perhaps the Cardinal faithful can tell us whether he’d fit into the payroll.
Diamondbacks – No plans to pursue Weaver, according to Josh Byrnes.
I think that pretty much sums it up. In order of likelihood, Orioles, Cardinals, Mets, Cubs, Astros, Angels. Just my best guess. I’d like to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Preston Wilson Projection
Wondering how new Astro Preston Wilson will perform in 2006? Check out the latest RotoAuthority projection.
Miguel Tejada backed off on his trade demand. Translation: the Orioles didn’t find an offer they liked.
Read about the Diamondbacks’ new philosophy towards team defense under Josh Byrnes over at Baseball Prospectus.
Some lesser known breakout prospects over at Baseball Analysts.
Buzz Around The Game
Believe it or not, there’s a ton of stuff going on today that doesn’t involve the words "Prior" or "Tejada."
A tentative Troy Glaus trade has been reached. The Diamondbacks dumped Glaus and his contract on the Blue Jays for Orlando Hudson and Miguel Batista. Brandon Webb, far and away the most extreme groundball pitcher in baseball, benefits greatly from the addition of Hudson. Another effect is the breakup of a highly rated defensive infield, at least in the eyes of Dayn Perry. The Blue Jays now have a logjam of 1B/3B/DH guys, and Rosenthal speculates that Shea Hillenbrand is the most likely to go. Should Shea stay true to his word, he’ll be a nice pickup. It’s a homecoming for Miguel Batista; let’s hope the team correctly employs him as a starter. Even with Glaus gone, the Diamondbacks still haven’t cleared up a corner outfield spot for #1 prospect Carlos Quentin. The kid’s more than ready; let’s hope GM Josh Byrnes can unload Luis Gonzalez or Shawn Green as his next trick.
Jason Johnson makes a sweet pickup for the Indians’ rotation. Like Millwood last year, the Indians found a starting pitcher and only had to commit to one year. In Paul Byrd, Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia, Jake Westbrook, and Johnson, the Tribe has built a deep rotation. Combined, the five of them threw 1023 innings in 2005. Seems Mark Shapiro has taken a page from Kenny Williams’s book, especially considering that he also has an excellent bullpen in place.
The Cards snagged Juan Encarnacion and Junior Spivey. The reaction at Viva El Birdos to the revamped 2006 lineup:
"To be honest and blunt, i don’t see a single position where the Cardinals have meaningfully improved."
That sentiment includes the bullpen and starting rotation as well. Which reminds me – how can the Cardinals possibly justify blocking Anthony Reyes with Sidney Ponson? The Ponson signing means one of three things:
1. There are concerns about Reyes’s health that have not been revealed to the public.
2. Jason Marquis will be traded this winter.
3. Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan are so loathe put a rookie starter out there every fifth day that they’d prefer yet another fixer-upper. Even if said fixer-upper had a 5.64 ERA over his last 346 innings.
Cardinals fans have got to be hoping for option #2.
Shawn Green: Not Headed To Cubs
I caught wind of a December 14th James Renwick article by way of loyal reader Brian today. According to Renwick, "Shawn Green is going to be dealt, probably to the Chicago Cubs, in the next couple of days." Keep in mind that Green has a no-trade clause that stipulates he can veto a trade to any team besides the Angels, Dodgers, and Padres. It’s been said that Green’s wife prefers to live in Arizona or California, although it should be noted that Green is from Des Plaines, IL.
The D’Backs would love to trade Green, but it won’t be easy. I’m still pretty confident that the Cubs’ new RF will be one of the eligible players from this list. As mentioned then, it appears that the frontrunners for the job are Aubrey Huff, Kevin Mench, and Craig Monroe. Preston Wilson, Juan Encarnacion, and Jacque Jones are also legitimate possibilities.