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Adam LaRoche

No Fire Sale Coming For D’Backs

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Even with his club 15 games below .500, Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes doesn't expect to hold a fire sale in the coming weeks, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Although recent reports have indicated that the D'Backs will continue trading, and are considering major moves, Byrnes tells Piecoro that he isn't predicting any "monster" deals.

"We'll explore a lot of possibilities and see where we end up," said Byrnes. "I do think a lot of our players are guys we value and want to keep and I think if we're going to make trades, we'll have to get the type of things – particularly young pitching depth – that would make sense to us."

Piecoro notes that the Diamondbacks will still probably field offers on "just about anybody," but the players most likely to be dealt are Adam LaRoche, Aaron Heilman, and Chris Snyder. If the team does decide to move players like Kelly Johnson and Stephen Drew, they'll likely demand a top pitching prospect in return. Presumably, the D'Backs would have to be blown away by a package of multiple young arms to consider trading Dan Haren.

Odds & Ends: LaRoche, Lee, Nationals, Simpson

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It was on this day in 1938 that Reds lefthander Johnny Vander Meer became a baseball immortal by throwing his second consecutive no-hitter.  What better way to commemorate the Vanderversary than with some news items? 

Angels Not Interested In Rental Player

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Since Kendry Morales' season-ending leg injury, there has been plenty of speculation about whether or not the Angels will make a move to replace him. Manager Mike Scioscia voiced his thoughts on the subject to Fanhouse's Tom Krasovic, suggesting that the team would rather not merely rent a player for the remainder of this season.

"At this point, it would be a piece that you bring in that would help you past this year — make you better for the future also," Scioscia said. "I think that's a deal that would be very attractive to [the front office]."

Scioscia's comments indicate the Angels are less likely to pursue players such as Paul Konerko or Adam LaRoche, who are in the final year of their contracts.

We heard yesterday from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Angels were "hovering" around Mike Lowell, whose contract also expires at season's end. Krasovic's report explains why the Angels could be hesitant to pursue Lowell, though perhaps the cost of trading for him would be negligible enough that the club would still consider it.

Scioscia added that the Angels don't feel any pressure to make a move, and that a middle-of-the-order bat could "evolve" from within the organization.

D’Backs Meeting To Consider Major Moves

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The D’Backs will consider trading anyone but Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy, as they evaluate the best way to turn the team around, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Heyman hears that owner Ken Kendrick, president Derrick Hall and GM Josh Byrnes are in the midst of meetings to determine the best course of action for the 24-37 team. Last week, Hall told the Arizona Republic that he was open to changes given the club’s disappointing start.

Upton and Kennedy will not be dealt, and Mark Reynolds is likely to stay, but the D’Backs would consider moving others. They would listen on Dan Haren, though the club might prefer to keep him if they believe they can contend in the near future. Adam LaRoche and Kelly Johnson are possible trade candidates for GM Josh Byrnes, who admits he has to consider trades.

Byrnes has been fighting hard to keep manager A.J. Hinch around, according to Heyman. Hinch, who had never managed before taking over the club last year, does not make a seven-figure salary, so the D’Backs could fire him without having to absorb too much money. And the man who hired Hinch? Heyman reports that no one realistically expects Byrnes to be in the line of fire.

Adam LaRoche’s Trade Value

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The Diamondbacks are 10.5 games out of a playoff spot and they aren't scheduled to play a team with a losing record for more than a month. If you suspect they might become sellers, you're not alone. As ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports, executives expect the D'Backs to move payroll early this year.  

Adam LaRoche has makings of a trade candidate. He's on an affordable one-year deal and he's hitting well. Last month MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested that the Rangers, Mariners and Marlins could inquire and we can now add the Angels to the list of possible suitors. LaRoche was traded twice last summer, so we can start to determine his current trade value by looking back at last summer's deals. To figure out what the D'Backs can get for LaRoche, let's consider the players he was traded for, what has stayed the same since last year and what has changed:

Who LaRoche was traded for:

What has stayed the same:

  • LaRoche is in the final year of his contract.
  • His team is out of contention.
  • He has a reputation as a second half hitter (career .300/.363/.546 line in the second half).
  • His defense remains about average, according to UZR.

What has changed:

  • LaRoche's contract is more team-friendly this year. He was making 7.05MM last year. Now, LaRoche's salary is just $4.5MM, but if a team trades for him, they'll have to buy LaRoche out for $1.5MM or pick up his 2011 option for $9.5MM. 
  • He's hitting better this year. When the Pirates traded him last year, LaRoche had a .247/.329/.441 line. Now, he's hitting .266/.362/.485 with seven homers.
  • LaRoche, now 30, is a year older.
  • A contender has a clear need for a first baseman this year. The Marlins, Giants and Braves all wanted upgrades at first base last year, but none of those teams had a hole like the Angels do now.

The verdict:

  • LaRoche brought the Pirates a couple secondary prospects last year and could reportedly have brought in a similar return from another team. Now, he's under a more desirable contract and hitting better in a market where one team clearly needs a first baseman and few clubs appear ready to sell. D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes seems better-positioned to acquire prospects for LaRoche than Neal Huntington was a year ago.

How Will Angels Replace Morales?

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4:28pm: The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham wonders (via Twitter) if Mike Lowell will be traded to the Angels in light of Morales' injury. He notes that the Red Sox would likely have to eat a large portion of Lowell's salary.

2:16pm: ESPN's Mark Saxon tweets that the Angels are saying Morales' injury is not season ending, though he doesn't provide a timetable for the slugger's return. As Saxon points out in another tweet, Mike Napoli will start at first base today for the first time since his minor league days.

10:57am: Following one of the more unusual injuries in recent years, the Angels now face the problem of how to replace their most productive hitter. Kendry Morales, who was hitting .290/.346/.487 with 11 homers, fractured his leg while celebrating a walk-off grand slam last night, and could miss the rest of the season.

Robb Quinlan and Mark Trumbo are in-house candidates to step in for Morales, but the defending AL West champs will likely consider acquiring an impact player to boost an offense that, even with Morales, has hit just .248. After all, despite playing sub-.500 ball so far, they're very much in contention, sitting only 3.5 games out of first place.

Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times writes that the Angels have plenty of options when it comes to finding a new first baseman. He suggests that Paul Konerko and Lance Berkman are the two most attractive and realistic trade targets for the Angels, though he acknowledges that the club won't have much leverage, given their desperate need for a middle-of-the-order bat. The Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales agrees that Konerko could be a fit for the Angels, noting that the White Sox first baseman has a relationship with Mike Scioscia that dates back to their days with the Dodgers.

DiGiovanna names a handful of other possible targets for the Angels, including Adam Dunn, Adam LaRoche, Russell Branyan, and Prince Fielder. Obviously, some of those sluggers are less available than others. Jermaine Dye, Ryan Garko, and Carlos Delgado (when he's healthy) are a few more available, low-cost options the team could look at, according to DiGiovanna.

Even if the Angels decide to make a move, it may not happen for a month or two, coming closer to the trade deadline. However, in the wake of Morales' injury, it's safe to put them near the top of the list of teams who will be shopping for a power hitter this summer.

Odds & Ends: Millar, Yankees, Royals, Darvish

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Links on a memorable Thursday afternoon for Brooks Conrad and the Braves…

Odds & Ends: Scherzer, Lamb, LaRoche

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Saturday night linkage..

Who Could Use Adam LaRoche?

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When we spoke to executives in March, Adam LaRoche's name came up as one of the best free agent signings of the offseason.  Power is typically expensive on the free agent market, but the Diamondbacks signed LaRoche in January to a one-year, $6MM deal with a mutual option for 2011.  LaRoche had reportedly turned down a better proposal from the Giants, but the first baseman qualified that offer by explaining "It was two years with three- or four-year options."

LaRoche is off to a .255/.367/.480 start for Arizona in his first 120 plate appearances.  He answered a long-time criticism by hitting well in the season's first month, though he'd done that in '09 too.  LaRoche has also mashed left-handed pitching in a tiny 32 plate appearance sample; that deficiency may also have been overstated.

On April 22nd, ESPN's Jayson Stark named LaRoche as a potential midseason trade candidate.  Stark suggested LaRoche's mutual option could be a complication, as it increases by $2MM if he's traded.  I don't think that will be a concern, though, as mutual options are rarely exercised by both sides.

Which contenders could use a boost at first base?  The Rangers might consider a rental, depending on how Justin Smoak performs over the next few months.  The Mariners could find LaRoche to be an upgrade over Casey Kotchman, which would be interesting since the two were traded for each other last year.  The Marlins could take LaRoche for a few months, as they did with Nick Johnson last year.  LaRoche may join Brandon Webb, Chris Snyder, and Chad Qualls on the trade market if the D'Backs become sellers later this year.

Odds & Ends: Huff, Posey, Lewis, Yankees, Johnson

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Congratulations to Dallas Braden on throwing the 19th perfect game in MLB history.  Let's check out some links from around the web..

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