Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Phillies Rumors

St. Paul Pioneer Press: Tigers Close To Abreu Deal

By | at

I can’t determine who actually wrote this, but it is a published report in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.  It’s called Don’t Print That and has a smattering of rumors from various sports.

The baseball notes:

"A little birdie says the first-place Detroit Tigers are close to a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies for right fielder Bobby Abreu.  The Indians, in town to play the Twins, are talking about trading Aaron Boone to the Los Angeles Dodgers."

We’ve all heard of the Tigers’ interest in Abreu, so we’ll have to see what comes of that rumor.  As far as Aaron Boone, I can’t fathom why the Dodgers would want to actually give up a player or cash to acquire the worst third baseman in baseball.  I think Bill Mueller on crutches could outhit Boone.

Dellucci To The Cards?

By | at

This one is very much through the grapevine, but I thought I’d pass it along.  You can definitely trust this rumor if it truly comes from the Post-Dispatch’s Joe Strauss, though right now it’s a message board report.  (Thanks to Viva El Birdos for the tip.)  I’ll post more when I get it.

But this isn’t a crazy one; David Dellucci is just the type of underrated, underpriced pickup that Walt Jocketty should make. We know the Phillies will see fit to send off the impending free agent; the only question is where. 

I’m a huge fan of the 32 year-old outfielder.  He’s typically been used against righties only, and that worked quite well in his last full season with Texas.  In 2005 Dellucci hit .251/.369/.525 against righthanded pitching.  You’ll just have to get past Dellucci’s typically low batting average; he doesn’t make contact frequently.  However, he did show an excellent ability to draw walks when he led off last year.  He walked in almost 15% of his plate appearances, which is Brian Giles territory.

This season he’s drawn just seven walks in 115 plate appearances, but he hasn’t been a regular so I’d like to think he’s retained the ability.  Dellucci would fit nicely in left field with the Cardinals and would add less than $450,000 to the payroll.  Plus, the Cards could acquire him with players other than Reyes and Wainwright.

Phillies Trade Rumors: Cleaning House

By | at

According to Gotham Baseball and other sources, Pat Gillick is ready to cash in on 2006 and free up some payroll.  The Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees should be involved.

Here’s a look at the team’s contract obligations. 

Bobby Abreu makes $15MM next year and then has a $16MM club option with a $2MM buyout.  Maybe he’ll demand that it’s exercised upon a trade.  He’ll still be a 5-7 win player annually for a little while, but that salary is a beast.  The 32 year-old Abreu is willing to waive his no-trade, and my gut tells me that he’d do it for any contender.  Perhaps Gillick mirrors his Thome deal – acquire a solid outfielder and some decent prospects, eat some salary.

Pat Burrell is set to earn $27MM for 2007-08.  The slugger turns 30 in October.  That’s a painful obligation for a player projected to be worth just $8.5MM during that span by Baseball Prospectus.  The Phils might have to swallow half of this contract to move him.  I feel like it would be Burrell or Abreu but not both – that’s a lot of offense to replace next year.

Randy Wolf makes $9MM this season in his walk year.  He’s just finishing up rehab for Tommy John surgery.  He’s a week or two from rejoining the Phils, and a deadline deal seems a long shot.  However, if he returns and stinks maybe Gillick can pass him through waivers and trade him in August.  The southpaw turns 30 next month and will probaby get decent interest as a free agent.

Mike Lieberthal’s lengthy Phillies career should come to an end as this is the last year of his deal.  He makes $7.5 mil, so I’m sure the team would love to move him from a financial point of view.  He should be activated from the DL tonight after a strained hip.  The Rockies could use a backstop if Gillick wants to do yet another salary dump with the fan favorite.

Jon Lieber makes $7.5MM next season in the last year of his deal.  He’s a 36 year-old control artist who probably has a few decent years left.  I think there’s a good chance he’s moved, and the bounty could be decent if he shows well in his next start or two.  Makes sense at the back end of the rotation of various contenders.

Arthur Rhodes makes a whopping $4.8MM this season in his walk year.  However, the A’s and Pirates are paying more than a million of that.  Rhodes turns 37 in October and has pitched poorly this year after dominating last year.  Gillick probably won’t get much for him, though we’ve seen that the reliever market appears inflated this summer.

David Bell, making $4.5MM in the last year of his deal, is one of the worst-hitting third basemen in the game.  He’s a good glove man but wouldn’t make much of a spare part for a contender.

Tom Gordon is the best available reliever this summer.  He gets $7MM in ’07, $5.5MM in ’08, and a $4.5MM option with a $1MM buyout for ’09.  He’s still getting it done at age 38 and could give a nice stretch run/playoff boost to the White Sox or Yankees.

Cory Lidle makes $3.3MM this year and has a solid 2.4 K/BB ratio.  The 34 year-old is far from impressive, but he still adds a couple of wins compared to replacement level crap.  The Phils should definitely trade Lidle.

Brett Myers is a few years removed from free agency, but the team has that whole domestic abuse issue sitting there.  It’s a tough situation because the team needs Myers to front their rotation for the next few years.  But if you’re gonna rebuild, why hold back?  Myers won’t bring a Josh Beckett-sized bounty, but even with the baggage you’d think the Phils could get one good prospect in return.

Aaron Rowand, a fan favorite, really ought to stay put.  Bit players like David Dellucci and a host of relievers certainly could be traded as well.  I have a feeling this will be a very, very different club in 2007.         

Relievers On The Market

By | at

Sometimes trade deadlines come and go without any phenomenal blockbuster; such was the case last year when July’s biggest deal may have been the Randy Winn trade.  However, one type of player is sure to change hands – contenders will add relievers this month.  Let’s break down the best available.

The reliever who could make the biggest difference this year is probably Tom Gordon.  Trading him now could free the Phillies from the worrisome agreement to pay him $5-7 mil per season as he nears 40 years old.  Gordon has been excellent this year.  A return to the Yankees has been mentioned, and the Brewers or Dodgers could certainly use him.

Joe Borowski has been quite solid in Florida, and he makes less than $400,000.  JoBo’s actually been a lot better than his 3.71 ERA indicates.  He seems a lock to be dealt this month.

Adding a Salomon Torres or Roberto Hernandez from the Pirates doesn’t seem like it could possibly improve a team’s playoff chances significantly.  Still, there’s no reason for Dave Littlefield to keep these guys around given their salaries.

Bob Wickman, an impending free agent, has been connected to the Dodgers in rumors.  LaTroy Hawkins seems like a good candidate to move.  Other possibilities include Brian Meadows, Scott Williamson, Guillermo Mota, Arthur Rhodes, and Gary Majewski.

Rowand for Garland Rumor

By | at

A lot of folks are wondering if there’s anything to the rumored swap of Jon Garland for Aaron Rowand.  Todd Zolecki from the Philadelphia Inquirer said it best:

1. Garland has a 6.04 ERA.

2. He just signed a three-year, $29 million contract in December. He makes $10 million in 2007 and $12 million in 2008. Phillies GM Pat Gillick has talked often about payroll flexibility. It’s doubtful he would take on such a contract, especially for a pitcher who is slumping. Garland’s contract also includes a no-trade clause.

3. Perhaps most important, the Phils love Rowand.

Everything Zolecki says here is spot on.  The proposed deal here would be a huge win for the White Sox but the Phils could do better if they wanted to unload Rowand and replace him with Shane Victorino.

Garland succeeded last year because he sliced his walk and home run rates from previous levels.  His sharp control and low strikeout rate has been on par with the rest of the White Sox pitching staff, but he’s got the worst home runs allowed rate in all of baseball (over 2 per nine innings).  Also not helping is a hit rate over 11, third worst in baseball.  Can’t blame it on BABIP, which sits at a reasonable .310.

One would expect Garland to keep his ERA under 5 for the life of his contract, but he doesn’t figure to be worth more than three wins a year from here on out. 

Aaron Rowand figures to be a bit more valuable, maybe 3.5 wins per season for a while.  His current .301/.345/.509 line resembles his breakthrough 2004.  Rowand also has highly-rated defense, but that depends on which metric you use.

If the White Sox are looking to bring in a center fielder, names like Eric Byrnes, Kenny Lofton, Ken Griffey Jr.,  Ryan Freel,Torii Hunter, Matt Lawton, Joey Gathright, and Juan Pierre might be available.  Pierre and Griffey are players to which the Sox have been linked in the past.  Another option would be to shift Scott Podsednik to center and bring in a left fielder like Alfonso Soriano, Carl Crawford, Pat Burrell, Raul Ibanez, Luis Gonzalez, Jose Cruz Jr., Cliff Floyd, or Shannon Stewart.   

Clemens Signs, Nevin to Cubs

By | at

The long expected Roger Clemens signing with Houston has finally been made official.  One less distraction; the sideshow is finally over.  Until Clemens decides there’s a slight chance he pitches in 2007.  The Astros are 6.5 games back and Clemens should provide a several-win boost over the likes of Fernando Nieve.

The Cubs are 11 games under .500, 12.5 out of first, but they’re not giving up.  Jim Hendry just swapped Jerry Hairston for Phil Nevin, a clear win now type move for a team with little chance of winning now.  Cubs fans shouldn’t mind the deal, given that the Rangers should take on most of Nevin’s salary.  Would’ve been nice if Hendry could’ve pulled this off a month ago though.

Finally, Pat Burrell was curiously absent from the Philadelphia lineup given all the trade rumors swirling about.  Burrell makes plenty of sense for the Yanks if they can get him, but they can’t afford to give up any decent starting pitching. 

Oliver Perez Available?

By | at

Here’s a new one for ya, courtesy of Baseball Prospectus’s Will Carroll yesterday:

"One rumor from the last few days is that Oliver Perez and Ryan Doumit are being dangled to the Phillies."

Would this deal make a good fit?  It seems a foregone conclusion that Mike Lieberthal is spending his last year as a Phillie, so the team does need to begin thinking long-term about its backstop.  Doumit would be a decent option.  Ronny Paulino has impressed the Pirates so far, and just a few weeks ago Jim Tracy indicated that Humberto Cota would start more often than Doumit for defensive purposes.

While I don’t doubt Doumit’s availability, the Phils would be well served to give Carlos Ruiz a crack at the job in 2007.  Granted he’s not a super prospect at age 27, but an impressive 2005 at Triple A coupled with his current .386/.448/.663 line warrants a look.

Obviously, the Phillies need pitching.  Their 4.99 team ERA is better than only the Giants.  Their starters have been pretty much toasted outside of Brett Myers (though he has allowed more than 1.5 baserunners per inning so far).  The hit rates on these guys are out of this world.  If you subscribe to the idea that hit rate is largely influenced by defense and luck, you may expect these guys to turn it around.

I do know that Jon Lieber is better than his 6.87 ERA by a long shot.  But Ryan Madson has failed in every aspect of pitching so far: hit, home run, and walk prevention, strikeout rate, you name it.  I did not see that coming at all, especially after his sparkling spring.  With Madson and Gavin Floyd getting smacked around consistently, the Phillies desperately need a reliable veteran to step in if they are to close the five game gap with the Mets.  They also need to support their pitchers with better defense – they’re second from the bottom in defensive efficiency this year.

I don’t think Oliver Perez is the answer.  Dejan Kovacevic’s April 3rd piece shows how the Pirates are playing it cool, but internally they have to be concerned about his lack of velocity.  As the article says, heat was a main ingredient of Perez’s 2004 breakout.  The Bucs can afford to sit around for at least a few more months to see if it comes back, but a contender like Philadelphia cannot. 

The Phils are stacked with young pitchers like Cole Hamels, Gio Gonzalez, and Scott Mathieson, so I can’t see where an Oliver Perez project fits in.  A Hamels callup, possibly this month, may be the shot in the arm the team needs.  On the other hand, Perez is a Scott Boras client, and it’s not like Littlefield hasn’t given away star players in the past…    

Cubs Shopping Maddux?

By | at

A good one from the rumor mill over at Gotham Baseball.  Unfortunately their page is not working right now so here’s a link to MetsBlog’s take on Gotham’s report.  According to Gotham, Greg Maddux is being shopped.  Interested parties: Mets, Yankees, Brewers, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Royals, and Cardinals. 

The Cubs would essentially be reducing their rotation to "Carlos Zambrano and pray for a tornado," but Maddux is an impending free agent.  My opinion from a couple of weeks ago:  he’s the same old Mad Dog, just with a well-timed hot streak.  Still, dealing him now would be a very early white flag for a Cubs team with a $94MM payroll.  Doesn’t seem to compute.  And the obligatory intradivision thing must be cited for the Brewers and Cards.  I am surprised no West Coast teams have been mentioned.

Mora Interested In Phillies

By | at

The match makes so much sense that it was only a matter of time before the rumors started up.  As I mentioned a week ago, Melvin Mora’s the best available third baseman and the Phillies desperately need one of those.

Now that contract extension talks have broken off between Mora’s agent and the Orioles, the New Jersey Courier-Post reports:

"Mora is believed to be interested in playing with fellow Venezuelan Bobby Abreu. If Mora hopes to be traded this season to Philadelphia, two things might stand in his way. The Phillies currently have three players that can play third base and Abreu would certainly be involved in the trade."

I still don’t know why Mora just didn’t take the money.  But as to the quote above, I think two things stand in Mora’s way, and they’re neither of the two listed.

First, the idea that the Phillies have three players that can play third base is technically true, but far from a roadblock.  We are talking about David Bell (worst regular in baseball last year), Alex Gonzalez (the 33 year-old with his fifth team in three years), and Abraham Nunez (has topped a .700 OPS once in his career).  Not exactly Wright, A-Rod, and Miggy here.   

Second, the idea that the Phils could only acquire Mora if they sent Abreu the other way. Huh?  Wouldn’t the Orioles prefer someone young and affordable?  One of Cole Hamels or Gavin Floyd would seem sufficient for an impending free agent.

The first real issue here is money.  According to my Phillies source, the team is stretched at their $92MM payroll and even Mora’s $4MM for ’06 would be pushing it.  They just added a mil for David Dellucci too.  Maybe spending five mil spread among Ryan Franklin, Gonzalez, and Nunez wasn’t such a bright idea?

The other problem with a Mora-to-Philly deal is that third base, no matter how bleak, may not be the team’s most pressing need.  Pat Gillick may want to focus on finding a decent backup for Tom Gordon, as the team really doesn’t have one.  If Flash and his questionable elbow go down for any length of time, who will the Phillies turn to?  Madson?  Need him starting.  Rhodes?  Bombed in the role. 

I suppose if you want to get really crazy, you could cook up a scenario in which the Phils send Abreu and cash to Baltimore (thus freeing up payroll) and receive Mora and a decent reliever in return.  I’d say LaTroy Hawkins, but something tells me he wouldn’t thrive in Philly if forced to close games.  And would Mora still embrace a trade if he didn’t get to play alongside Abreu?   

Today at DailyBaseballPicks

Phillies Buzz Abounds

By | at

I’m still trying to piece together the latest Phillies buzz.  Phils fans and stadium employees have been emailing me the last couple of days, telling me that the local word is that the David Dellucci trade is a precursor to something bigger.  I haven’t been able to verify with any of my sources that anything is afoot.

One scenario is that Dellucci was acquired only because Phils GM Pat Gillick has concerns about Pat Burrell’s health.  Said Will Carroll today:

"Pat Burrell is worrying the Phillies. His left foot problem is starting to cascade, leading to a left calf problem that some scouts think might be a knee injury. Given the David Dellucci trade, the Phillies now have a solid backup.

Some are speculating that this is prelude to some kind of Bobby Abreu trade, but looking back at some of Pat Gillick’s moves, you can see that he likes to hedge his bets with injuries and team depth. While my best Phillies source tells me that Burrell’s leg problems aren’t major, Gillick’s move should keep everyone on alert and watching closely."

Buster Olney, on the other hand, speculated yesterday that the Dellucci trade is part of a complicated series of moves:

"Phillies GM Pat Gillick knows Dellucci from his days as GM of the Orioles, and I don’t think he’d be picking him up knowing that David would only be pinch-hitter type. There’s more mad scientist in Gillick than any general manager I’ve covered; he always thinking two or three moves ahead, and he won’t always tell you what he’s doing. You have to think, on the face of it, that the acquisition of Dellucci is merely the first domino to fall."

Maybe you’d prefer to just listen to Gillick himself, who said today that the deal doesn’t have any mysterious implications of future moves.  I don’t know.  But I see a team that could catapult to the front of the NL East with one above average starter in place of Gavin Floyd/Ryan Franklin.  My best guess is that the Phils stand pat until both of those guys prove they can’t provide league average innings. We already know Franklin can’t, so the decision will rest on Floyd.  Randy Wolf has said he wants to make ten starts this year, so maybe he’s that guy. 

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top