Orioles To Become Sellers?
Jeff Zrebiec’s article for the Baltimore Sun this morning discusses the possibility that the Orioles start selling off veteran parts as we approach the trading deadline. He specifically names Scott Williamson, Corey Patterson, Jay Gibbons, and Steve Trachsel as trade candidates.
In a related note, Gotham Baseball’s Mark Healey spoke to an industry source indicating that the Mets might be interested in trading for Williamson and Jay Payton.
Williamson makes $900K this year, with additional incentives based on his number of games. Patterson, a Scott Boras client, makes $4.3MM and is a free agent after the season. His terrible hitting this year will cost him what could’ve been a decent payday. The Gibbons contract is ugly: $5MM this year, $5.7MM in ’08, and $6.2MM in ’09. Trachsel earns $3.1MM this year plus a $4.75MM club option for ’08. Finally, Payton makes $4.5MM this year and $5MM in ’08.
The Orioles could really go nuts if they wanted to, dumping off contracts and veterans. Miguel Tejada, Melvin Mora, Kevin Millar, Ramon Hernandez, Danys Baez, Aubrey Huff, Chad Bradford, and Jamie Walker could be sent packing. If they were to commit to a rebuilding year in ’08, the Orioles have players to fill almost any team’s needs. Of course, trading all those vets would amount to admitting how many mistake contracts the Orioles have on the books.
The Relief Market
Mark Hale of the New York Post mentions some available relievers in today’s column. The Mets, like many teams, may be looking to acquire bullpen help. Here are Hale’s trade candidates:
Chad Cordero
Jon Rauch
Eric Gagne
Akinori Otsuka
Salomon Torres
Hale’s source believes the Rangers would only trade one of Otsuka/Gagne, and not both. Some other "name" relievers who may be available leading up to the July 31st deadline, in my estimation:
Al Reyes
Octavio Dotel
David Riske
Mike MacDougal
Mike Stanton
Dave Weathers
Eddie Guardado
The Royals, Devil Rays, Rangers, Nationals, and Reds are shaping up as the clear sellers in the market so far. The White Sox may be approaching that point. The NL Central is so shaky that a lot of lousy under-.500 clubs will not be packing it in. Hence the lack of Brad Lidge on this list.
Jacque Jones A Fit For Mets?
Jacque Jones has become something of a punchline for the commenters on this site. Cubs fans, who frequent MLBTR disproportionately, think he is worth something decent. Everyone else does not. Even as a Cubs fan I have to side with everyone else.
Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times writes today:
"The New York Mets are in the market for outfield help at a time when the Cubs are expected to renew their efforts to trade Jacque Jones."
An update on the Mets’ situation: Shawn Green comes off the DL from a chip fracture in his foot today. Endy Chavez should miss a month with a hamstring strain. Moises Alou had fluid drained from his strained quad on Monday, and said at the time he wasn’t close to playing. Carlos Beltran at least seems recovered from his bruised knee.
Given that Omar Minaya acquired Green last year, it’s not impossible to envision him snagging Jones on the cheap, hoping for a revival. Jones still wouldn’t get regular playing time a few weeks from now if both Green and Alou are healthy, however. Jones makes $4MM this year and $5MM in ’08, and one would assume the Cubs would eat some of that to move him for a warm body. Even a lukewarm body.
To my knowledge, Jim Hendry has only made one trade with Minaya. That was Hendry’s December 2003 acquisition of Jose Macias when Minaya was GM of the Expos. Theo Epstein and Dave Littlefield are Hendry’s favorite trading partners.
Healey’s Latest
Mark Healey of Gotham Baseball has some new rumors for us this morning.
- There’s talk that if the Twins are more than five games out at the trading deadline, they’ll start dealing veterans. An obvious one is Luis Castillo, earning $5.75MM this season. He has long been connected to the Mets. He almost signed with New York as a free agent and the team has tried trading for him before. Healey believes Lastings Milledge is too much to give up, so don’t look for a straight up swap of those two. Though I imagine the Twins would love having Milledge to man center field in 2008.
- The Reds are ten games under .500 and ten out in the NL Central. Healey speculates that Adam Dunn, Ryan Freel, and Dave Weathers are the Reds’ most tradeable commodities. The Reds recently extended Freel through 2009, though – I think they want him around as a fan favorite. Dunn I can see being moved. He earns $10.5MM this year with a $13MM club option for ’08. He’s got an unsurprising line of .263/.366/.538; that’s worth $13 mil these days. The Dodgers or White Sox seem like good fits.
Pressure On Mets To Trade Milledge
In general, it seems the New York media would like to see Lastings Milledge pushed out of town. They don’t like his cocky attitude and can’t comprehend his rap music. He’s not seen as a humble team player.
Far more important, though, is that the 22 year-old still looks like he will be a very valuable center fielder. I keep going back to this post from Nate Silver in January. Milledge remains underrated, and his mild transgressions plus this year’s foot injury may only further improve the opportunity to buy low. So he has too much swagger and said some standard stuff in a rap song? To me those are really weak reasons to trade a top prospect for fifty or seventy-five cents on the dollar.
Mets Acquire Second Baseman
According to Anthony DiComo at MLB.com, the Mets have acquired 27-year old minor league infielder Jake Gautreau from the Cleveland Indians for a PTBNL or cash.
Nothing very exciting here; it seems the Mets needed to fill out a middle-infield spot at AAA. Gautreau was the 14th pick overall in the 2001 Amateur Draft, a highly touted third baseman out of Tulane. In his minor league career, Gautreau has shown a dissapointing lack of patience; still, he has some power and would be passable as a major league second basemen.
However, the Mets already have two near-replacement-level players in Damion Easley and Ruben Gotay. I don’t think they have to worry about Gautreau nipping at their heels.
John Peterson writes for the baseball blog Blastings! Thrilledge.
O’s Still After Chan Ho Park
Just a small note from the bottom of a New York Post article today – the Mets and Orioles have had trade discussions regarding 34 year-old starter Chan Ho Park.
Before the season, the Mets signed Park for $600,000, with an additional $2.4MM in incentives based on innings pitched. Park has struggled with the long ball in five Triple A starts, and it’s contributed to his 6.67 ERA. Those looking for a silver lining can take solace in his 4.5 K/BB. PECOTA calls for a 4.75 ERA for him this year, not bad at all as far as fifth starters go. However, the AL East is a harsh environment.
Odalis Perez is the other guy said to be on Baltimore’s radar for the fifth starter vacancy.
Mets Don’t Want Castillo
Though he and others have suggested a good fit, today Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Mets are not interested in Pirate utility man Jose Castillo. Castillo recently requested a trade.
When you think about it, why would they be interested? Castillo hasn’t done anything in the Majors outside of May 2006, and he may have a bit of an attitude problem. Damion Easley, on the other hand, has five homers in 56 ABs. True, he won’t slug .571 all year, but he’s every bit as good as Castillo and he’s already on the team. The Mets don’t need a second baseman. They have the best offense in the National League. I’m not sure the Mets need much of anything.
Jose Castillo Requests Trade
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 26 year-old second baseman Jose Castillo had his agent ask the Pirates for a trade. Devan Kovacevic says Castillo was widely available this winter but generated little interest. He names the Mets as a possible suitor given Jose Valentin‘s injury.
As I mentioned in my Castillo Let’s Make A Deal post, outside of a single month (May ’06), Castillo hasn’t really done anything to justify a starting job. He skipped Triple A, and might benefit from playing every day at that level.
Mets Sign Brian Lawrence
UPDATE: Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post spoke to Lawrence’s agent, and he’s signed with the Mets. Omar is just stockpiling arms.
Is it just me, or has there been a ton of interest in Brian Lawrence, dating back to this offseason? He was admittedly a decent innings eater for the Padres for four years, but he missed all of ’06 and couldn’t crack the Rockies’ rotation.
Nonetheless, the Tigers have offered Lawrence a Triple A contract. I suppose there’s nothing to lose here except a million bucks or so. The Tigers have received excellent work from their front three starters, but are rightfully concerned about Chad Durbin and Mike Maroth eating up 40% of the starts until Kenny Rogers returns.
UPDATE: The Detroit Free Press says Lawrence likely won’t sign with the Tigesrs.
The Baltimore Sun says Lawrence’s name has come up within the Orioles’ front office; they’re currently running with both Jeremy Guthrie and Brian Burres in the rotation. That was not the plan. Lawrence might not be any better than those two, but it makes sense to stockpile some arms when Steve Trachsel is your third starter.
UPDATE: According to the Washington Post, the O’s contacted Lawrence’s agent on Saturday.
Also, the Denver Post lists the Padres, Mets, and Mariners as other possible suitors. Perhaps we can add the Cardinals to that list in the wake of the news about Chris Carpenter‘s surgery.