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More Info On Gagne’s Veto List

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As you know, Eric Gagne’s contract allows for him to be traded to 12 teams without his consent.  Earlier we learned that the Tigers, Indians, and Phillies are not among the 12 allowable teams.

Today, Ken Rosenthal verified the above info and added that the Yankees, Mets, and Angels are on the allowable list.  The remaining nine he can be traded to without consent are thought to be inconsequential.  And the Angels aren’t going to worry about Gagne. 

The Mets have been looking for bullpen help for at least a few weeks now.  Gagne has been on the radar, among others.  Rosenthal believes Omar Minaya’s focus is instead on players like Mark Buehrle, Jeff Conine, and Mark Sweeney.  It’s interesting to note that (by my count) Minaya has yet to make a trade this year.  By this time in previous years he’d made five or six.  (Coming soon: Minaya trade profile).

The Yankees have been scouting the Rangers for a while.  They could be looking at Gagne, or Akinori Otsuka.  Mark Teixeira hasn’t been active.  I suppose Joaquin Benoit or Brad Wilkerson could be on the radar as well.

Angels Could Get In On Teixeira

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We know the Angels have been kicking the tires on Adam Dunn and Miguel Tejada already.  Today, Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times suggests that the Angels would get involved on Mark Teixeira if he becomes available.  Somewhere, Casey Kotchman just wept silently on the inside.

Arte Moreno raised an interesting point yesterday – it takes two to tango.  True, Bill Stoneman has not been an active trader, but the Angels were 15 minutes away from a Tejada blockbuster last summer.  And Moreno also hinted that the price for Adam Dunn was indeed exorbitant.

Yanks Interested In Hillenbrand

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Don’t ask me why, but the Yankees are interested in trading for benched Angels DH Shea Hillenbrand.  At $6.5MM with attitude issues and little defensive (plus questionable offensive) value, Hillenbrand is not exactly a hot commodity.  I imagine the Angels would not be asking for much and would probably eat some salary.

The Yankees tossed around the idea of signing Hillenbrand last winter, but ultimately decided to go with Josh Phelps and Doug Mientkiewicz.  Mientkiewicz may not return until August after wrist surgery.  The Yankees have actually been using Miguel Cairo at first base.  I don’t care what kind of defense he plays, that ain’t right. 

Acquiring Hillenbrand would be odd, because Phelps pretty much is Hillenbrand but cheaper.  The Yankees’ offense has been very good, ranking first in the AL in OBP and second in SLG.  But upgrading first base would still result in even more runs scored, never a bad thing. 

That’s why the Yankees should pursue an actual upgrade.  Carlos Pena, Mark Teixeira, Todd Helton, and Dmitri Young could all be options.  The expensive guys are obviously long shots.  The Yanks could also go after Rich Aurilia or Mark DeRosa as mentioned here.  Underachievers/bench guys like Jorge Cantu, Aubrey Huff, Kevin Millar, and Ben Broussard may be possibilities as well.

Angels After Tejada Again

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Yesterday, Ken Rosenthal said only that Miguel Tejada might become available, and that the Angels have a need.  Now another source, Joseph A. Reaves of The Arizona Republic, says the Halos are making another run at Tejada.

The Ervin Santana and Erick Aybar for Tejada trade last year was nixed by O’s owner Peter Angelos.  With Tejada apparently in the midst of a significant power decline (his SLG is down to .421), maybe the Orioles would be more open to the same trade. Tejada makes $12MM this year, $13MM in ’08, and $13MM in ’09.

Tejada would of course have to be convinced to play third base, and Bill Stoneman would have to finally pull the trigger on a deal involving good prospects.

Even if Tejada slugs around .450 this year, he’s still be far, far better than what the Angels have gotten from their third basemen.  Chone Figgins, Maicer Izturis, and others have combined for a .235/.280/.296 line at the position. 

Unless he’s included in the deal, a Tejada acquisition would leave top prospect Brandon Wood without a spot on the Angels until 2009, when Orlando Cabrera’s contract is up.

Sheehan On Adam Dunn

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Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus gives his analysis on some Adam Dunn trade suitors.  And it’s a free article.

Is Dunn really a lightning rod for criticism in Cincinnati?  I’d like to see what those who live there think.  I feel that in this day and age Dunn is mostly appreciated for his strengths.

Sheehan’s top five fits for Dunn, in order of likelihood, are the Twins, Angels, Yankees, Padres, and A’s.  As Sheehan alludes to, Terry Ryan and Bill Stoneman don’t make this type of trade. 

What’s more, the Angels would have a serious logjam with Dunn.  You don’t move Casey Kotchman off first, leaving the DH and left field spots for Dunn.  You’d rotate the DH spot between Dunn and Vlad, and the left field spot between Garrett Anderson, Reggie Willits, and occasionally Dunn.  Someone’s losing some playing time in the deal, and Vlad is probably getting less time at DH to rest.  Use of Dunn on the field probably compromises the defense.  An Anderson injury could make this less of a problem.  Another thought: a coworker of mine suggested that the Angels give up some quality prospects for their bat, but force the inclusion of Shea Hillenbrand in the deal.  Not a bad idea.

Interesting to note that Sheehan calls Chase Headley unavailable.  Not sure if that is based on some inside info.  I had speculated yesterday that Headley’s callup could be a showcase.

Sheehan’s idea of the Yankees for Dunn makes a ton of sense, but they would have to assemble a prospect package without any real alluring name.  Well, Joba Chamberlain might be somewhat alluring.  It sounds like Wayne Krivsky would ask for Robinson Cano though. 

Reds and Angels Discuss Dunn

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According to Ben Bolch of the L.A. Times, the Angels had preliminary discussions with the Reds regarding Adam Dunn.  Bolch’s source indicates that talks died because the Reds requested "a proven Major League starting pitcher, a Major League infielder – preferably a second baseman – and a top prospect."

Translation: Wayne Krivsky wanted Ervin Santana, Erick Aybar, and Brandon Wood.  OK, that sounds absurd.  And Aybar is a shortstop.  Negotiation is all about asking for more than you want and meeting at the right place, but I can’t figure out what the Reds asked for.  There’s no way they asked for the above with a straight face.  Maybe they wanted Santana and Howie Kendrick?  But then a top prospect on top?  C’mon now. Bolch’s source says the Halos wouldn’t trade Kendrick for Dunn straight up.

Santana plus one other useful player would be a fine bounty for Dunn, who will reach free agency after the season if he’s traded.

I have a correction, as I earlier wrote that Krivsky could simply exercise Dunn’s 2008 option and then retain freedom to trade him.  That’s not exactly true.  The situation, according to Ken Rosenthal:

"If the Reds keep Dunn and exercise his option after the season, he will gain full no-trade protection until next June 15. After that date, he could be traded to 10 clubs, but the list would be of his own choosing."

By the way, the Angels may turn their attention back to Miguel Tejada if they can’t get Dunn.  The Halos are again interested in him, according to the Riverside Press Enterprise.

Rosenthal’s Latest

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The authority on all trade rumors, Ken Rosenthal has spoken.  Let’s review.

  • As we have heard before, the Dodgers like Adam Dunn.  We’ve also discussed the fact that there’s not a clear place to put him.  Whether you go with first base or left field, a veteran must move.  The Padres like Dunn as well but talks have yet to occur.  The Angels may have liked him in the past but they don’t seem likely at this point.  And the Twins?  They just won’t break the bank for him unfortunately.
  • With Michael Barrett having issues with 40% of the Cubs’ rotation, the Cubs could look to trade him.  Even though he’s a top offensive catcher, his impending free agency might prevent any strong return.  Plus, the Cubs would have to go with a Henry Blanco/Koyie Hill tandem.  A more likely scenario is that the Cubs will let Barrett walk after the season.
  • Finally some clarity on Eric Gagne’s limited no-trade protection.  Rosenthal reveals that he can veto trades to 12 teams.  The Phillies and Indians are again mentioned as suitors.  Rosenthal thinks Mark Teixeira could generate a lot of talk but no action at the trading deadline.  Kind of like Alfonso Soriano or A.J. Burnett before him.
  • The asking price for Brad Lidge, supposedly: a premium young catcher and promising young pitcher.  Lidge will probably earn $8MM next year before hitting free agency.  The Astros should be happy with a young catcher or a young pitcher, not both.  I’d mention Salty here but I think he is worth much more than Lidge.  Rosenthal says the Astros could move another bullpen arm like Wheeler or Qualls to get the bat they need. 
  • Could the Devil Rays simply retain Al Reyes and Carlos Pena?  Both players could be valuable contributors to the 2008 club.  I like the idea of keeping Reyes around for next year, but I think Pena has peaked.
  • Noah Lowry would get the attention of the Braves or Cardinals, but the Giants are unlikely to move him.
  • The Phils are likely to pass on Tomo Ohka despite their need for pitching.

Roster Squeeze for Angels

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The LA Times points out a sticky situation:

The roster move the Angels make to activate infielder Maicer Izturis, who began a rehabilitation assignment at Rancho Cucamonga Monday, is not as clear-cut as it seems.

Reserve outfielder Nathan Haynes is the logical choice to be sent to triple-A Salt Lake, but even though Haynes made his major league debut last week, he is out of minor league options because he was removed from the Angels’ 40-man roster three times during his minor league career.

It’s a classic problem for teams: they want to keep a player like Haynes (of course), but at the same time, would it really be that big of a deal?  If Haynes were going to turn into anything, he probably would’ve right now, so they’d basically be putting a reserve outfielder at risk in the middle of his career-best hot streak. 

That said, the Times recommends a couple other courses of action.  Erick Aybar could be demoted, which makes plenty of sense, since he and Izturis are somewhat redundant.  Also, Shea Hillenbrand could be axed.  That makes even more sense, because if Haynes really is worth hanging onto, it stands to reason that he could outhit Hillenbrand’s vomit-inducing 241/261/324 line.

(Side note: when you can be accused of having an "empty" .241 batting average, you suck.  It’s that simple.)

So, let’s say Shea goes back on the market.  Do I hear any bids?  Cash considerations?  A single-A backup catcher?

…

That’s what I was afraid of.

By Jeff Sackmann
Brew Crew Ball

Angels To Pass On A-Rod?

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ESPN recently interviewed Angels owner Arte Moreno, who speculates that Alex Rodriguez may be looking for a $200MM contract.  Moreno’s subsequent argument on why he wouldn’t pick up that tab is suspect.

Moreno believes that since Vladimir Guerrero is one of the best players in baseball and Vlad’s contract had an average annual value of only $14MM, signing A-Rod at $25MM+ would disrespect Guerrero and his teammates.  Dan Weber points out that the Halos offered Alfonso Soriano almost $17MM annually…was that disrespectful also?  What about Garret Anderson making only $2.5MM less than Vlad? 

The reality is that the market was different when the Angels signed Guerrero.  He was signed in January of 2004 to the five-year, $70MM pact.  In this day and age, that’s a monstrous bargain.  A 27 year-old Miguel Tejada would get more than $12MM annually if he signed next winter.  I don’t buy the disrespect argument.  If Rodriguez is overpriced, just leave it at that and don’t sign him. 

Shea Hillenbrand Expendable

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It’s an understatement to say that Angels’ DH Shea Hillenbrand is an expendable player.  He’s hitting .236/.250/.311 in 148 ABs, the third-worst hitting performance in baseball according to VORP.  Only Jason Kendall and Chone Figgins have done more damage to their teams.

Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times writes that the return of Garret Anderson and Vladimir Guerrero’s need to DH could spell the end of the Shea Hillenbrand Era in L.A.  It was a lousy signing to begin with; $6.5MM wasted.  At least it was just money. Brian Sabean gave away Jeremy Accardo to acquire Hillenbrand last year.

So, who wants a double-play machine with no glove?  Tough call.  Open DH jobs are hard to come by.  Maybe the Giants would want him back, or the Tigers or Orioles could plug him in at first base. 

 

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