Erstad Options
According to Ken Rosenthal, free agent center fielder Darin Erstad is expected to choose a team this week. The 32 year-old has a slight chance at signing with the Angels or Cubs, but is more likely to choose between the Marlins or White Sox.
It appears that Florida is Erstad’s best shot at regular playing time, given that his competition is Alex Sanchez. With Chicago Erstad would split time with Brian Anderson and perhaps Ryan Sweeney.
Rosenthal reports that the Cubs hope to acquire a young, cheap CF to hold the fort until Felix Pie is ready. This comes despite the recent proclamation that Alfonso Soriano would play center. Pie has an interesting PECOTA projection – Baseball Prospectus forecasts a .289/.342/.481 line from him as a 22 year-old in the Majors.
White Sox Considering Erick Aybar?
In his latest blog post at ESPN, Peter Gammons mentions that the White Sox might pursue Angels shortstop Erick Aybar if Juan Uribe‘s future remains unclear. Joe Crede could be the trade candidate.
Aybar, who turned 23 yesterday, hit .283/.327/.413 in Triple A last year (equivalent to .234/.269/.328 in the Majors). Baseball America ranks Aybar as the Angels’ third best prospect, behind Brandon Wood and Nick Adenhart. Aybar has come up in many trade rumors already in his career. According to BA, Aybar handles the bat well and his glove, arm, and speed are plus tools. They see him as more of a bottom-of-the-order, defensive-minded SS.
My feeling is that swapping out Uribe and Crede for Aybar and Fields would make the Sox significantly worse in 2007…but it is just a trade rumor right now.
Mariners In On Randy Johnson?
I scoured what seemed like a dozen Randy Johnson articles, most of which had the same themes we were hearing yesterday: the Yanks don’t have to trade Johnson, the vacancy could go to Zito or Clemens, the Diamondbacks are in the thick of things, the Padres are the frontrunners, the Dodgers are just driving up the price, and the Giants and Angels are the dark horses.
Joseph A. Reaves of the Arizona Republic has a slightly different take, though: he says the Mariners have surfaced as a potential trade partner. It’s just a one-line mention, but I haven’t seen it confirmed elsewhere yet. I will try. Additionally, Reaves writes that the Dodgers are not interested.
Newday’s Ken Davidoff weighs in on the side of reason: he doesn’t want to trade a decent 200 inning starter. I also agree with him in that Kei Igawa can easily be pushed to the pen for two-thirds of a season if Roger Clemens is brought aboard. The Yanks aren’t so stacked with good starting pitching as to make Johnson expendable.
Angels Sign Shea Hillenbrand
Ken Rosenthal reports that the Angels have signed Shea Hillenbrand to a one-year deal. ESPN adds that the contract includes an option for 2008. RotoWorld has the dollars: $6MM in 2006 with a $6.5MM vesting option for ’08. Should the Halos use him at first base, it could indicate a trade of Casey Kotchman or Kendry Morales is on the horizon.
Hillenbrand, 31, hit .277/.313/.451 in 530 ABs between the Blue Jays and Giants this year. His 21 homers were a career high. By comparison, the average American League first baseman hit .280/.352/.467 in 2006.
Hillenbrand’s reunion with John Gibbons won’t occur until the Angels face the Blue Jays on August 14th.
L.A. Teams In Mix For Big Unit?
According to the New York Daily News, you can add the Angels and Dodgers to the list of teams interested in the suddenly-available Randy Johnson. Furthermore, Roger Rubin and Bill Madden name the Padres as Johnson’s most likely suitor right now. This thing has expanded beyond his hometown Diamondbacks.
The paper writes that the Yanks already have some offers on the table. From the Dodgers’ point of view, their interest in Johnson may only be in keeping him away from division rivals. Perhaps a starter would go back to New York in such a deal.
Johnson’s agent hasn’t been looped in yet, but Brian Cashman will need the pitcher’s consent in any deal.
Angels, Rockies Renew Todd Helton Discussion
Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports that Dan O’Dowd and Bill Stoneman have renewed the Todd Helton trade talks that died at the winter meetings.
Even if Helton’s contract was pared down to $45MM over the next five seasons, the Angels are concerned about the first baseman’s health. It seems that the Rockies could still snag Casey Kotchman and Erick Aybar in the deal – a sweet bounty in itself. Kotchman is healthy again and Aybar would give the Rox a shortstop surplus. Perhaps Aybar, a genius with the leather, could convert to center field.
Helton would have to approve a trade to L.A. Meanwhile, the Denver Post has basically the same info, but is careful to label a trade a "longshot."
Angels Sign Darren Oliver
ESPN reports that the Angels have signed free agent southpaw Darren Oliver to a one-year deal with an option for ’08 worth around $3.5MM in total. That’s one less lefty for the Tigers to consider.
Oliver, who turned 36 this year, wasn’t on anyone’s wish list before his 2006 with the Mets. He stepped up with 81 innings of 3.44 ball after switching to relief full-time. Like many before him, Oliver has found new life out of the ‘pen. Perhaps failed starters like Matt Clement or Russ Ortiz could become bullpen weapons as well.
Angels fans are still waiting for the major move they’ve been promised, as a Todd Helton deal could not be reached.
Angels Decline Helton
According to the LA Times, the Angels have declined an offer from the Colorado Rockies for Todd Helton. The deal may have sent Chone Figgins, Casey Kotchman, and Erik Aybar to Coors.
Apparently the Angels had concerns about Helton’s age and health, and perhaps his $141-million contract had a bit to do with it. The Rockies were apparently willing to pick up some of the tab, but it didn’t seem to be enough for the Angels to "risk" it on Helton.
I’m not sure when the Angels will ever trade away their young prospects. They have held onto all of them for a while now, even when the Tejada, Manny, and other big bat rumors were swirling around the MLB. I wonder what it’s going to take for them to part with any of them.
By Adam Howe
LaRoche For Gonzalez Offer Withdrawn
David O’Brien’s latest for the AJC confirms that the Braves have traded starter Horacio Ramirez to the Mariners for Rafael Soriano. Unless I’m missing something, John Schuerholz pillaged and maybe even plundered Bill Bavasi.
Additionally, the Braves have withdrawn their offer of Adam LaRoche for Mike Gonzalez. That makes sense given the completion of the Soriano deal. O’Brien opines that Atlanta could re-engage the Angels, hoping to acquire some combination of Chone Figgins, Casey Kotchman, and a pitcher.
Gonzalez has been cleverly subtracted from the Pirates’ front page, with Ian Snell replacing him.
Angels Rumor Roundup
Mike Scarr of MLB.com has the latest Angels hot stove. Among his findings:
The Angels still like A-Rod, but the Yankees probably won’t deal him.
The Halos could include Bartolo Colon in such a deal, though his rehab from a partially torn rotator cuff may get in the way.
A Chad Tracy for Joe Saunders deal could work for both teams.
Additionally, check out these hot stove predictions over at Halos Heaven.