Pirates Back In Mix For Suppan
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates, Brewers, and a mystery team are the top suitors for Jeff Suppan. One team, not the Brewers according to Dejan Kovacevic, has already made an offer to Suppan. Could be the Bucs with their two-year idea to get negotiations rolling.
The Pirates have the cash, and a homecoming could be enjoyable for the fans. Suppan has said he probably won’t sign until after Zito does.
Latest On Yankees and Mike Gonzalez
A baseball source indicated to MLBTradeRumors.com that the Yankees and Pirates are working on a trade that could be Mike Gonzalez and Nate McLouth for Ian Kennedy and Melky Cabrera. This is backed up by our good friend Jake at Bucco Blog, where Gonzalez, Kennedy, and Cabrera were mentioned in a recent podcast.
Of the four, the player with which I was least familiar was Kennedy. The right-handed starter celebrates his 22nd birthday today. Baseball America ranked Kennedy fifth among Yankee prospects. BA’s John Manuel indicates Kennedy has excellent command with an upper 80s fastball and a sinking changeup. He manages to keep the ball down. Kennedy is still a ways off from the bigs and should start ’07 at high Class A.
I should note that as a 2006 draft pick, Kennedy can’t be traded until one year after he signed, which would be approximately July 15, 2007. Given that a player to be named later must be named six months in advance, the Pirates and Yankees would have to wait about a month to make such a deal official. After speaking to a couple of baseball guys, I can tell you for a fact that there is precedent for agreeing to trades in December involving June draft picks from the same year. Kennedy is fair game for discussion.
Melky Cabrera To Braves?
Ken Davidoff of Newsday has amended yesterday’s Melky for Mike Gonzalez rumor. The latest one is Melky Cabrera to Atlanta, Mike Gonzalez to the Yankees, and Adam LaRoche to Pittsburgh. See, everyone’s happy. Melky could handle LF for the Braves in 2007 and then switch to center after that.
Davidoff mentions that such a deal could pave the way for one more year of Bernie Williams. Not sure if the Bucs could get more, but I think snagging LaRoche and his 35 HR potential would be a fine return. LaRoche would still have three years of service time under the Pirates’ control. The team could return to contention in 2008 if the young pitchers come along.
Melky Cabrera For Mike Gonzalez?
John Perrotto of the Beaver County Times reports that the Yankees is the most likely destination for southpaw reliever Mike Gonzalez. Apparently Brian Cashman is willing to part with 22 year-old outfielder Melky Cabrera straight up.
Cabrera held his own as a rookie, batting .280/.360/.391 in 460 ABs and playing the fourth best defensive LF in baseball, according to Bill James’s panel of experts. What’s more, Baseball Between The Numbers indicates that a typical player can be expected to improve his offensive output by about 15% from his age 22 to age 23 season. Even in dealing Cabrera, the Yanks would retain the real prize among their position-player prospects: Jose Tabata. Tabata could be patrolling right field in New York by the second half of ’08.
Gonzalez could be groomed as a possible successor to Mariano Rivera; he has three years of service time left before free agency. However, Perrotto indicates that the Pirates want more than just Cabrera for Gonzalez.
Meanwhile, Bucco Blog thinks the entire rumor is bunk. Jake makes a fine point – that Dave Littlefield is in no rush to trade Gonzalez and will simply sit back and wait until the unbeatable offer comes along.
Brewers To Make Suppan An Offer
According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Brewers will be putting together a proposal for free agent starter Jeff Suppan. I have heard from a source that the offer could be $33MM for three years plus a fourth year option. The Crew currently has Sheets, Capuano, Bush, and Vargas in the rotation. I think that’s quite solid if healthy.
The article also mentions the Giants, Mets, Rockies, Pirates, and Royals as suitors. And don’t forget the Cards, who could still re-sign him. I’ve heard that the Bucs only want to go two years on Suppan, offering a higher annual average value.
Jon Lieber Action
You know it’s a rough year for pitching when Jon Lieber is a hot commodity. I kid – he’s not that bad. Liebs turns 37 next April, and figures to be the most expendable of Philly’s six starters. He’ll make $7.5MM in 2007.
Home runs and hits got the best of Lieber last year, though his command remained elite. He had a 4.93 ERA overall, but can probably pitch at his second half level (4.53).
The Pirates wanted to bring him back, perhaps hoping they could right the wrong of trading him to the Cubs for Brant Brown. However, John Perrotto tells us that interest has cooled because the Phillies asked for Salomon Torres. Seems like a fair deal to me.
Joe Strauss wrote last week that the Cards could pursue Lieber, just as they did at the trading deadline. For all of Walt Jocketty’s posturing, the team needs one starter. Not sure if any talks are going on here.
A week ago, the Phils had a deal in place to send Lieber to Milwaukee for Kevin Mench and Derrick Turnbow. However, talks dried up two days later. Jim Salisbury threw Texas’s hat into the ring in the same article. The Rangers were another team trying to trade for him in July.
Speaking of last July, the Mets wanted in at that point too.
Pirates To Sign Kuwata; LaRoche Deal Not Dead
John Perrotto of the Beaver County Allegheny Times reports that the Pirates are close to signing Japanese pitcher Masumi Kuwata. Kuwata could join the starting rotation. It was previously thought that the Red Sox would snag him on a minor league deal.
He also reports that potential for a multi-player deal between the Bucs and Braves still exists, with Mike Gonzalez, Humberto Cota, Jose Castillo, Nate McLouth, Kyle Davies, and Adam LaRoche involved.
The Nats are getting demanding for Ryan Church, causing the Pirates to back off.
Mariners Trade Rafael Soriano for Horacio Ramirez
Bill Shanks of Scout.com is reporting that the Mariners have traded reliever Rafael Soriano to the Braves for Horacio Ramirez. He also mentions that Atlanta is close to an Adam LaRoche for Mike Gonzalez swap.
The first rumor, if true, seems a steal for the Braves. Soriano would automatically become Atlanta’s best reliever, Wickman included.
The second trade has been tossed around for some time but it was said that Dave Littlefield wouldn’t surrender Gonzalez.
UPDATE: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Bucs will make this deal, but the Braves are waiting to verify Gonzalez’s health. Particularly, his left elbow.
Rockies/Cubs/Pirates Three-Way?
Calm down, this is a family trade rumor site. I am referring to Steve Phillip’s latest, found via RotoWorld.
The idea: Jason Jennings to the Cubs; Jacque Jones, Carlos Marmol, Paul Maholm to the Rockies; Brad Hawpe to the Pirates.
If this one is legit, Dan O’Dowd lied to Brad Hawpe‘s agent.
Bucco Blog Winter Meetings Update
Some highlights from the latest podcast at Bucco Blog.
As you know, the Pirates’ interest in Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche surfaced today from the winter meetings. But keep in mind that this rumor first originated November 20th at Bucco Blog. The situation remains the same: the Braves want Mike Gonzalez, and Dave Littlefield won’t do it.
Jake also considered today’s rumor that the Bucs would shop Jose Castillo to be nuts. Castillo is needed at second base.
And here’s the wildest one: Andrew McCutchen to the Marlins for Dontrelle Willis? Forget it.
Back to reality…sort of…the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says Littlefield is targeting Trot Nixon and Jeff Suppan. Don’t take those too seriously either.