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Brewers, Dodgers Swap Clark and Dessens

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According to Baseball Digest Daily, the Brewers have sent Brady Clark and cash considerations to the Dodgers for reliever Elmer Dessens.

Clark, 34, can play all three outfield positions.  Perhaps the Jason Repko injury inspired this trade.  Clark had a nice year leading off for the Brewers in ’05, but his power fell off last year.  He did manage to increase his walk rate though.  Clark makes $3.8MM this season in the last year of his contract.  This enables Gabe Gross to make the Brewers, though they could stand to unload Kevin Mench or Geoff Jenkins.

Dessens is 35; he earns $1.7MM this year.  However, the Royals are paying all of that.  He has decent control and can eat some innings at the back of the bullpen. 

Byung-Hyun Kim On The Block

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According to the Rocky Mountain News, the Pirates, Marlins, Dodgers, and A’s have interest in pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim.  The Denver Post only mentions the A’s, however.

The source I talked to said the Marlins actually have no interest in Kim, and the Dodgers only do if they can move Mark Hendrickson in the trade.  It really seems to be the A’s leading the pack because of reservations with Joe Kennedy.  Kennedy wasn’t going to pitch 200 innings anyway, so they’ve known for a while that they need a strong sixth man.

If the Pirates were to acquire Kim, they’d quietly have some solid starting pitching depth in the organization.

More Ken Rosenthal

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Ken Rosenthal has been working overtime, posting a second column tonight.  To summarize:

  • The Astros plan on keeping their relief core of Brad Lidge, Chad Qualls, Dan Wheeler, and Trever Miller, despite interest from the Red Sox in Lidge and Qualls.
  • In Marcus Thames, Chris Shelton, and Ramon Santiago, the Tigers appear to have a surplus of players.  However, Rosenthal spoke to another team’s exec who thinks the trio will stay with the club.  It’s nice to have depth.  Speaking of which, top pitching prospect Andrew Miller will start his season in A ball but could make an impact in the second half.
  • The Cubs and Rangers would like to add shortstop Clint Barmes as a utility man (might even make sense for the Cubs to start him).  The Rox still like Barmes though and may keep him around as a 2B option for ’08.  Rosenthal mentions the Royals as another fit for Barmes.  The Royals need a shortstop like the Marlins need a center fielder.
  • The Dodgers want to add a right-handed slugger.  Assuming the price tag on Rocco Baldelli remains too high, L.A. could go after Kevin Mench or Reggie Sanders.  The Royals would love to get rid of Sanders or Emil Brown.  The O’s have some mild interest in Sanders.  I guess the offseason helped the Dodgers and Orioles forget that Sanders is 39, makes $5MM, and posted a .729 OPS last year.

Ken Rosenthal’s Latest

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Ken Rosenthal has been hard at work with his sources, and he has a new article at FOX Sports.  Some highlights:

  • The Marlins and Dodgers are interested in Byung-Hyun Kim as a reliever, and the A’s could add him as the fifth starter instead of Joe Kennedy.  Kim, a 28 year-old sidearmer, hasn’t closed since ’03 with Boston.  A trade to Florida would make him the ninth inning favorite though.  He’ll earn $2.5MM this year.
  • The Rockies like Mark Hendrickson of L.A., and they may release Josh Fogg this spring.  I wouldn’t discard Kim while acquiring Hendrickson; Kim projects as a slightly better pitcher.  Advantages to acquiring Hendrickson from Dan O’Dowd’s point of view: a slightly better groundball rate and two years remaining until free agency.
  • The Blue Jays want to give Josh Towers a rotation spot.  Towers has nine Ks in nine innings this spring while allowing two runs.  Does spring training really have that kind of influence on a team’s decision-makers?  Towers will make $2.9MM this season, but he’s still pretty far from free agency.  The Jays would like to trade John Thomson; otherwise they may release him.  As a newly signed free agent Thomson can veto any deal.  He’d be wise to take a trade to the NL, in my opinion.
  • Rosenthal thinks the Orioles and Nationals will be competing for Mark Teixeira, who will become a free agent after the 2008 season.  Tex is a Maryland native, which usually doesn’t matter for a Boras client.  But Boras might actually be able to use this to get the two clubs bidding against each other.

Random Dodger Tidbits

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Over the last week, a few interesting updates surfaced from Vero Beach. None of which really warrant their own post, so I thought I’d gather some of them together.

  • Chad Billingsley, once thought to be the leader for the Dodgers fifth starter position, will open the season from the bullpen. Dodgers management seems to be a little worried about teaming his give-it-all delivery with his tendency for high-pitch counts right from the get-go of the season.
  • Mark Hendrickson is having the spring one would expect from a career 4.98 ERA, 1.46 WHIP pitcher; he’s given up six runs in 6 2/3 innings. This mediocre-at-best showing coupled with his lack-luster performance last season seems to leave the race between Brett Tomko and Hung-Chih Kuo.
  • Speaking of Kuo, he tested positive for a "MLB-banned substance" sometime before the Asian Games in Qatar. Kuo’s agent and a Taiwanese Olympic official say the results are due to pain or cold medication, and Kuo is not expected to face disciplinary actions.

-Jacob Burch

Healthy Larry Bigbie as Trade Bait

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The biggest story so far out of Dodgers’ Spring Training is the resurgence of Larry Bigbie. In two and a half games, Bigbie is 5-5 with 6 RBIs and two HRs (three including an intra-squad game). While the sampling size is extremely miniscule, it’s enough to show that he’s healthy and draw interest from scouts in the stands.

Bigbie, a former first-round draft pick for Baltimore, signed a minor-league contract early in February which includes an opt-out clause if the Dodgers keep him in the minors. Unless Marlon Anderson’s elbow injury creates a hole for Bigbie on the opening day roster, he could become trade bait for any club looking for a left-handed OF bat off the bench.

By Jacob Burch

Alex Rodriguez And The Cubs

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UPDATE: In a related story, Jon Heyman of SI.com lists a slew of teams that inquired about Rodriguez’s availability this winter: the Angels, Dodgers, White Sox, Cubs, Giants, Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Indians.  Heyman says the White Sox and Dodgers were the most persistent.  None of the offers went anywhere given Rodriguez’s unwillingness to waive his no-trade clause.

Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News has an imposing mustache as well as some insight into Alex Rodriguez’s next possible destination.  The article involves Lou Piniella in his underwear as well as a lot of crying and one tender kiss.  I found it touching.

Anyway, Raissman believes, based on an upcoming HBO interview with Rodriguez, that a reunion with Lou Piniella in Chicago would be a dream come true for him.  Rodriguez responded to the idea thusly:

"He’s on a different team in a different league. My memories of Lou are in the present and the past, not the future."

This is not the first time Rodriguez has been connected to the Cubs.  Last July, later confirmed by other sources, Bleed Cubbie Blue broke news of the team’s trading deadline interest.

I would imagine that Rodriguez would not play shortstop for the Cubs for the duration of his 5+ year contract.  More likely to me: A-Rod plays shortstop for three seasons, through 2010. At that point, Derrek Lee’s contract will be up and Aramis Ramirez might be ready to shift to first base.  Ramirez is a Cub through 2011 or 2012.

Tim’s take – Chance of Alex Rodriguez signing with the Cubs in the ’07-’08 offseason: 15%.

On Penny Being on the Block

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Hello, my name is Jacob Burch and Tim has asked me to contribute as his Dodgers’ correspondent. It’s great to be aboard and I look forward to offering news and insight on the boys in blue. If you have any Dodger related rumors, I can be reached directly at ladtraderumors@gmail.com.

Dodgers news has dried to the point where Luis Gonzalez being hit by a pitch thrusts itself as a headline. However, a common speculative thread is the availability of Brad Penny to the many teams in need of an impact in their starting rotation. The speculation bases itself on the depth the Dodgers have near the end of their starting 5, with no less than four guys, currently working for the fifth starter position, that would love to take Penny’s place.

There’s no shortage of posts over this off-season suggesting Penny as an answer to a pitching-deprived team’s prayers. The latest can be found in yesterday’s Clemens-to-Cards rumors, which suggests Penny is a more likely solution than The Rocket. Not to crush the hopes of teams in need of pitching, but there are a couple of issues that suggest that Penny won’t be traded until at least several weeks into the season.

First off, while it’s true that the Dodgers rotation shines in quantity, the tail-end of their staff lacks the consistency Dodgers’ GM Ned Colletti would want to hang his blue cap on. With Chad Billingsley likely taking the fifth starter spot, either a former-prospect with less than 60 major league innings under his belt (Hong-chih Kuo) or one of two starters that were forced to pitch from the bullpen last year (Brett Tomko, Mark Hendrickson) will have to force their way to allow such a trade to not derail the pitching staff.

Secondly, with the signings of Luis Gonzalez, Nomar Garciaparra and Juan Pierre, Colletti duct-taped the possible holes a trade for a big-bat could fill. To the adage "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it", the Dodgers lack a position to upgrade without stunting a developing rookie or throwing away a newly-dried big-money contract. Third base may become an option if Wilson Betemit continues to disappoint, but with top-prospect Andy LaRoche nipping on his heels, it appears unlikely. Until the Dodgers rotation proves itself and the offense digs itself a hole or two, Penny will likely remain in Dodger blue.

A Little Help: Dodgers

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In my recent survey, one significant finding was that if I carefully select some additional contributors to MLBTradeRumors.com, most of you would like it (88.7%).  Over 800 people responded to that question.  More rumors, news, and analysis = good.

So, today I will start that process by asking for one person to serve as my Dodgers correspondent.  I feel that an area that might be underrepresented on this site is the west coast.  What am I looking for?

  • A person with solid writing skills whose style fits with MLBTradeRumors.  Basically, I’ll know it when I see it.  I’m looking for the same type of analysis you see here every day.
  • Someone who can post up-to-the-minute Dodgers rumors as they surface.  I want a person who follows the Dodgers religiously and will have every source (traditional newspapers, high quality blogs, radio) covered.  You should be near a computer most times and able to hop on and write a post if something happens.
  • While this person is probably a Dodgers fan, objective analysis is preferred.  Additionally it would be nice to provide the local vibe/sentiment that people might otherwise not know about.  That might sound contradictory but I don’t think it is.
  • The benefit to you: a decent-sized audience and a chance to do a little sportswriting.
  • Email me at mlbtraderumors@gmail.com if this interests you and explain why you’re the best candidate.  I’ll choose one person and unfortunately won’t be able to reply to all.  A sample post of a rumor/signing (whether fake or true) might help make your case.  Note: long-winded posts are typically not my style! Brevity is a plus – I like 3-4 paragraph posts.
  • I’m going to be careful finding the right person, and if I as well as the readers like the results, we will add some more correspondents for other teams down the road.

NOTE: Please don’t contact me about doing this for other teams.  I just want a Dodgers person at the moment.

Jeff Weaver Info

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Viva El Birdos has some inside info concerning free agent Jeff Weaver.  Larry writes that Scott Boras plans to hold out for 4/40, but Weaver really wants to return to St. Louis and is getting antsy.

The Mariners or Dodgers could still make a play for Weaver as well.  The Dodgers would really be stacked in the rotation, but maybe it would be to complement a trade.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch mentions this morning that the Cards have a two-year offer out to Weaver and expect a decision on that this week.  Joe Strauss adds the Mets to the list of other possible suitors.

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