Will D’Backs Add A Starter?
There are two schools of thought regarding the young, successful Arizona club. The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro seems to think Josh Byrnes will stay quiet this winter, re-signing Tony Clark and letting Randy Johnson replace Livan Hernandez. The East Valley Tribune’s Scott Bordow would rather not rely on The Big Unit, instead trading a young position player for a young starter.
Specifically, Bordow notes that Carlos Quentin and Conor Jackson could be expendable. However, injuries complicate possible trades of either player. With Quentin it’s direct – he had surgery to repair the rotator cuff and labrum of his non-throwing shoulder in October. It’s a six-month timeline for recovery, so he could be ready for Spring Training. Jackson is fine and healthy, but trading him becomes easier if Chad Tracy can prove his health. He had microfracture knee surgery and also expects to be ready in March.
Jackson seems to be the best trading chip – even if Tracy has complications, Clark wouldn’t be a terrible full-time stopgap. Jackson, who turns 26 next May, has a respectable if not spectacular .280/.362/.441 line in 310 games. He slugged .555 after the break this year. Which team has an available young starter and badly needs position players? The Giants, with Noah Lowry. I’m not sure if Lowry would impress the D’Backs, though. Plus, the teams are in the same division. The Twins also make for an interesting match, as they might be able to use Jackson in left field. The D’Backs could ask for Matt Garza or Kevin Slowey. The White Sox could use an outfielder; would one year of Jon Garland be an even swap?
Pirates Still Chasing LaRoche, Tracy
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tells us that Pirate GM Dave Littlefield is under pressure to acquire a power bat before the season begins. The two main targets are still Adam LaRoche and Chad Tracy, but will Littlefield include a second Major Leaguer along with Mike Gonzalez? And if Kovacevic’s report of Littlefield’s mandate is true, isn’t that leak detrimental to the GM’s efforts?
The Bucs still refuse to include Chris Duffy or Paul Maholm in a two-for-one deal. Kovacevic speculates that another reliever might represent a compromise; if the Pirates need to include Salomon Torres they should do it. While it would decimate the bullpen it still makes sense to trade relievers for sluggers.
The article also mentions that trading for Ryan Church or signing Trot Nixon wouldn’t fulfill the team’s goal and seems unlikely. Options such as Geoff Jenkins or Jacque Jones could be pursued, however.
L.A. Times: Angels Inquire About Ramirez, Tracy, Ensberg
We’ve heard Miguel Tejada as well as various mid-tier firstbasemen bandied about as possible trade targets for Bill Stoneman and the Angels. Mike DiGiovanna’s article for the Los Angeles Times today also indicates that the Halos could pursue various slugging third basemen.
Specifically, DiGiovanna mentions that the Angels have inquired about Aramis Ramirez, Chad Tracy, and Morgan Ensberg.
Ramirez is on fire, hitting .329/.391/.763 this month with nine home runs. What some folks may not realize is that Ramirez has every reason and the ability to test the free agent market this winter. He would most certainly top the money he’d make staying with the Cubs under his current contract. Ramirez has said he wants to stay in Chicago, so we’ll see.
The Angels would have to offer an excellent young player to pry Tracy away from Arizona. The 26 year-old has slipped a bit to .279/.343/.454 this season, which is below average for his position. Still he’s locked up for $13.25MM for 2007-09. That’s more than fair value.
Ensberg turns 31 next month, yet free agency is still a few years off. He hit the DL on July 10th with a shoulder contusion. After a torrid April, Ensberg hit just .194/.355/.382. The Padres have also expressed interest, but this acquisition would be a gamble.