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Aaron Heilman Trade Reactions

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Plenty of baseball writers are already offering their opinions on the Diamondbacks' acquisition of Aaron Heilman, and speculating about what the pitcher's role might be in Arizona….

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that some Diamondbacks execs have viewed Heilman as a starter in the past.
  • MLB.com's Steve Gilbert, however, suggests that the team plans to use Heilman out of the bullpen.
  • In a separate article, Gilbert writes that he likes the deal for Arizona, as a low-risk move with upside. He notes that the two prospects the D'Backs gave up "were not exactly setting the world on fire."
  • R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs leans the other way: He applauds the Cubs for getting anything for Heilman, and wonders if "giving up anything of value for a middle reliever" is smart for the Diamondbacks.
  • Matthew Pouliot at NBC Sports thinks that both sides did well. He says that Heilman is a durable pitcher with upside, but that he wasn't in the Cubs' plans, and Chicago probably couldn't have gotten a better return elsewhere.

Braves Looking For Lowe Suitors

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6:36pm: MLB.com's Mark Bowman responds to Rosenthal's report, writing that even though they view the Brewers as a potential trade partner, the Braves aren't interested in Hart. If Atlanta were to work out a deal with the Brewers or Angels, Bowman thinks they might be more likely to trade for prospects than a major-league outfielder.

5:58pm: The Atlanta Braves are shopping Derek Lowe, but not having much success so far, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Rosenthal suggests that Lowe's contract situation (he'll make $15MM in each of the next three years) and his 2009 struggles (4.67 ERA in 34 starts) are discouraging teams' interest in the right-hander. The Braves, however, are still optimistic, believing that John Lackey is the only free agent starter on this year's market more appealing than the 36-year-old Lowe.

Rosenthal names the Angels and White Sox as potential trade partners. According to his sources though, the most serious discussions the Braves have had about Lowe were with the Milwaukee Brewers, involving Corey Hart. It doesn't sound like those talks are necessarily dead, but the Brewers would expect Atlanta to take on a large chunk of Lowe's salary, and even then aren't entirely sure they'd want him.

Phillies Notes: Free Agent Targets, Park, Eyre

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Scott Lauber of The News Journal spoke to Philadelphia Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. today about some of the team's offseason plans. Here are a few of the highlights from Lauber's article:

  • The Phillies' offseason wishlist: a third baseman, bullpen help, bench depth, and starting pitching depth.
  • The team expects to have about $120MM committed in salaries and $20MM to spend to fill their needs.
  • Amaro Jr. doesn't comment on specific free agents he's interested in, but Lauber suggests Mark DeRosa and Placido Polanco are still the club's top targets.
  • The "greatest challenge" Amaro Jr. will face in attempting to sign free agents could be persuading players to assume lesser roles. That could mean convincing a closer such as Fernando Rodney to assume a setup role, or asking someone like Juan Uribe to come off the bench.
  • Amaro Jr. expects relievers Chan Ho Park and Scott Eyre to test the free agent market. Eyre has said he'll only pitch for the Phillies, but the Phillies GM is skeptical about whether that's really true.

Giants Unlikely To Pursue Holliday, Bay

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The San Francisco Giants don't expect to pursue free agent outfielders Matt Holliday and Jason Bay, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Giants GM Brian Sabean tells Schulman that he hasn't been in touch with the agents for Holliday or Bay, and that he doesn't plan to contact them. Sabean indicated that he doesn't want the Giants used to give leverage to a player hoping to pry more money from the Yankees, Red Sox, or other big-market teams. The team is only interested in free agents who have a "genuine interest" in playing for San Francisco.

Sabean suggests to Schulman that the Giants are more likely to look into signing "second-tier" free agents.

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Jeter, Marlins

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Let's take a look at some Sunday morning links….

  • Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says that the Pirates may be able to add one or two low-cost free agents this winter, but, as usual, they won't be making any big splashes.
  • The Boston Globe's Chad Finn thinks that the Red Sox should be doing whatever it takes to acquire Adrian Gonzalez.
  • When it comes to Derek Jeter, the Yankees ought to rethink their rule about not discussing early contract extensions, according to Bob Klapisch of FOX Sports.
  • Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press writes that all of the Curtis Granderson trade rumors could be much ado about nothing.
  • Newsday's Ken Davidoff has a few tidbits of info from around the league. He mentions that he doesn't see the Yankees taking care of their outfield/DH situation until after the winter meetings.
  • The latest Marlins mailbag from MLB.com's Joe Frisaro includes a few hot stove inquiries from readers.
  • Roch Kubatko looks back at some of the names that were bounced around Orioles hot stove talks a year ago and wonders if the Orioles will again be linked to Braden Looper, Jon Garland, and Matt Treanor now that they're all back on the market.
  • Joe Pawlikowski at River Ave. Blues hopes to see the Yankees stay internal to solve fill the eighth inning role, rather than venture to the free agent market and spend on a name like Rafael Betancourt, LaTroy Hawkins, or Octavio Dotel.
  • Adam McCalvy at MLB.com examines some of the rumored discussions that obviously fell through when the Brewers and Pirates were talking JJ Hardy.
  • El Lefty Malo crunches some numbers to try to predict how many additional runs the Giants will need to score to approach 90 wins and make a postseason run. 

Discussion: Trade Options For Yankees And Mets

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With so many teams maintaining or reducing payroll this winter, the New York Yankees and New York Mets have an opportunity to take advantage, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Although it's possible that the Yankees' and Mets' 2010 payrolls will be below their 2009 figures, Sherman says each team still has money to spend.

Sherman suggests that the two New York franchises could use their financial flexibility to explore the trade market. The Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds are among the clubs reportedly looking to trade. Sherman thinks that the Yankees or Mets are in a position to take on a bad contract from one of these teams (such as Magglio Ordonez, Bronson Arroyo, or Francisco Cordero) if a more desirable piece, like Curtis Granderson or Brandon Phillips, was also included in the package.

One agent tells Sherman that the Mets "are not a destination spot right now, especially if you are a hitter. You would be going to a questionable team playing in a huge park." As such, Sherman implies that if the Mets aren't able to blow away a hitter like Matt Holliday or Jason Bay with a ton of money, the trade market could serve them better.

It's a decent idea in theory, but I'm not sure it's necessarily the right move for either team. For instance, Sherman rightly points out that the Granderson-Ordonez pair will be less expensive next year ($23.5MM) than what the Yanks paid for Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui this year ($26MM). However, he neglects to mention that Damon and Matsui outproduced the two Tigers in 2009, and it's unlikely that the Yankees' pair will cost $26MM again in 2010. Plus, as MLBTR's Mike Axisa tweets, there's no guarantee that taking on a bad contract would reduce the price of a player like Granderson or Phillips.

If you were running the Yankees or Mets, would you be calling up the Reds, Tigers, and other cost-cutting franchises that are looking to deal? Or would you be more inclined to stick to the free agent market?

Cafardo On Cabrera, Penny, Upton

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In his latest column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe examines the differing opinions on this year's free agent market and passes on some info from around the majors. The highlights:

  • One National League GM on the top players in this year's free agent class: "[Matt Holliday] won’t get what Mark Teixeira got. No chance. [John] Lackey may get A.J. Burnett money, but I’m not even sure anyone would go that high."
  • A separate source tells Cafardo that many teams will wait out the market this winter, potentially resulting in a few bargains for thrifty teams later in the offseason.
  • Cafardo wonders if the Detroit Tigers would entertain trade offers for Miguel Cabrera, who will make $20MM next season. If so, Cafardo thinks the Red Sox would get involved.
  • The Seattle Mariners believe they're very close to contending, which will mean hanging on to Felix Hernandez and pursuing players like Lackey and Jason Bay this offseason.
  • The San Francisco Giants are interested in bringing back Brad Penny.
  • Cafardo says it "isn't far-fetched" that the Rays could deal B.J. Upton. He suggests Upton's availability will depend on Carl Crawford's future with the team, or lack thereof.

Pirates Could Trade Doumit

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The latest update from Ken Rosenthal's and Jon Paul Morosi's blog at FOX Sports indicates that the Pittsburgh Pirates are willing to trade Ryan Doumit.

Rosenthal and Morosi hear that multiple teams asked about Doumit's availability at this week's GM meetings, and that the Pirates "would not hesitate" to move him for the right package.

The 28-year-old struggled through an injury-plagued 2009 campaign, posting a .250/.299/.414 line in only 75 games. He's just one year removed, however, from a .318/.357/.501 season in which he played almost exclusively behind the plate. His ability to play multiple positions (including catcher), combined with his power, could make him an attractive option to a handful of teams. The FOX report names the Giants, Mariners, and Rays as good fits, though it doesn't confirm that any of the three teams have expressed interest.

Rangers Interested In Guerrero

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The Texas Rangers' search for a right-handed bat has them looking at Vladimir Guerrero, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

A source "with knowledge of [Guerrero's] thinking" says that the two-year, $19MM contract that Bobby Abreu signed with the Angels might raise Guerrero's expectations for a deal this winter. The FOX report, however, speculates that Vladdy may ultimately just earn a one-year deal, perhaps for $3-5MM plus incentives, which Texas should be able to afford.

The 34-year-old and the Rangers appear to be a good match, considering Texas' need for right-handed power and Vlad's career numbers at Rangers Ballpark (.394/.471/.705). In our Rangers offseason outlook earlier today, Guerrero's name came up as a potential target for the team.

Nationals Looking At Defensive Shortstops

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The Washington Nationals are interested in shortstops Alex Gonzalez and Adam Everett, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

With the Nationals tentatively planning to move Cristian Guzman from short to second base, a major league source tells Rosenthal and Morosi that the team is looking to add a strong defensive shortstop. Gonzalez posted a +10.5 UZR/150 in 2009, while Everett's UZR/150 was +13.6.

Gonzalez and Everett could each still re-sign with their respective teams, the Red Sox and Tigers, in which case the Nationals might look elsewhere for middle infield help. In a separate article by MLB.com's Bill Ladson, new manager Jim Riggleman suggests that he wouldn't mind starting 2010 with prospect Ian Desmond at shortstop.

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