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Jason Bay

White Sox Looking At Fukudome, Bay

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According to Ken Rosenthal, the White Sox have cooled on Aaron Rowand as they do not want to give him a five-year contract.  Instead, they’ve set their sights on Kosuke Fukudome and Jason Bay.

This isn’t the first time they’ve been linked to Fukudome; Dan Graziano noted back in August that the Sox had scouted him.  The White Sox could entertain using Fukudome in any of the three outfield positions.  He could easily handle left field if Joe Crede is traded and Josh Fields plays third.  He could probably get by in center.  And he’s probably better than Jermaine Dye in right, so maybe it would be Dye switching to left.

New Pirates GM Neal Huntington perhaps hasn’t made an impression on the team’s fans yet.  A Bay trade this winter will be big for him in terms of PR.  It’d be a sell-low move, however.  I do think the White Sox could throw something together to make it work.

Meanwhile Mark Gonzales says the Sox still like Coco Crisp as a center field possibility.  The only problem is that Crisp could be headed to Minnesota in a Johan Santana deal.  That will have to unfold before Crisp becomes available to other teams – unless the other team makes a ridiculous offer.

Odds And Ends: Cabrera, Bay, Liriano, Clement, Dotel

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Lots to go over this morning, so this might not be the last bullet point list you see.

  • The Angels and Marlins are progressing in talks for Miguel Cabrera. It’s believed that the Angels are willing to deal players like Reggie Willits, Howie Kendrick, and Jeff Mathis, but the sticking point here is the inclusion of Nick Adenhart. If the Angels want Cabrera, I would have to think Adenhart would be a part of any deal.
  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington says that he is not actively shopping any of his players. However, he acknowledges that if he hears an offer, he’ll have to consider it. Some of his team’s asking prices are "outrageous," he says. This includes players like Jason Bay and Jack Wilson. But the Pirates may choose in the end to dish Bay, since their strength, if any, is the outfield, and Bay is slated to make $13.25 million over the next two years. That might not seem like a lot, but it’s costly when you’re working with a paltry $50 million budget. Surely Huntington would love to deal Wilson, though he denies it. He might have trouble finding a partner on that one.
  • Though the Twins deny it, any Johan Santana deal might be dependent on the status of Francisco Liriano. The 24-year-old "hasn’t had a single setback" in his recovery from ligament replacement surgery last October. He’s completed his rehab program, and might pitch in the Dominican this winter. He’s expected to be ready in February fo Spring Training.
  • Add the Pirates to the list of teams interested in Matt Clement. It now spans the Rockies, Diamondbacks, Royals, Padres, and Blue Jays in addition to the Bucs. However, with their payroll cap, Clement might not be feasible.
  • The Tigers remain interested in closer Octavio Dotel. There is no word on whether the team has offered him a contract.

Joe Pawlikowski is co-author of River Ave. Blues.

Indians, Orioles Looking At Bay?

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We first checked in on outfielder Jason Bay back in late September.  Neal Huntington’s comments seemed to indicate Bay could be dealt.  He slumped to a surprising .746 OPS this year.

Logically the Indians would be in the mix for Bay.  He’s affordable – he makes only $13.25MM over the next two seasons.  And Huntington used to work for Tribe GM Mark Shapiro.  Marty York backs up the speculation, saying the Indians are the most interested club. 

Another interested club is the Orioles, according to Bucco Blog.  Jake mentions that teams are still trying to figure out why Bay declined in 2007.  Bay has contended his surgically repaired knee only hindered him on the basepaths and defensively, not at the plate.  A lack of passion has been suggested.  And I hate to throw it out there based only on a statistical decline, but teams may be waiting to see if Bay’s name appears in the Mitchell Report at all.

More on Jason Bay to the Twins

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Yesterday, Joe Nathan said his re-signing was contingent on the Twins remaining competitive.  Today, Jake at Bucco Blog discusses a rumor to that fact:  The Twins’ interest in Jason Bay is real and hinges on whether or not they retain Torii Hunter.

Tim breaks it down here.  Hunter wants 5/75.  The Twins are offering 3/45.  If the they are serious about retaining him and Hunter in fact wants to stay then that discrepancy doesn’t seem insurmountable.  However, if Hunter leaves…

Jason Bay had a down year (.248/.328/.420) and yet almost certain to be dealt by new Pirates GM Neil Huntington this winter.  Shipping Bay is a launch pad for restructuring the Pirates’ system.  Tim notes the viability of a Bay for Matt Garza deal.  He’s signed for a mere $5.75MM in ’08 and an only slightly less mere $7.5MM in ’09, so the Twins would have no financial qualms if Hunter walks.

Posted by Nat Boyle

Pirates Rebuilding, Shipping Bay?

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Pirates fans, get ready for some big changes.  Rob Biertempfel reports:

Over the new couple of weeks, the Pirates will hire a new manager, scouting director, director of player development and assistant general manager. The turnover could extend to coaches and scouts throughout the system.

New facilities are rising in Bradenton, Fla., and the Dominican Republic. The club also plans to develop a leaner, more efficient data storage system.

Red Sox Pitching Coach John Farrell is the reported favorite to be the Buc’s skipper and Theo Epstein has been singing his praises, writes John Perrotto of the Beaver County Times:

"John has brought so much to our organization," Red Sox GM Theo Epstein said. "He’s brought a sense of accountability to the pitching staff and he is just so organized in everything he does. He prepares our pitchers both mentally and physically every day of the season. He is an extremely sharp guy and the only thing he lacks is much major-league experience as a coach."

Indeed it’s an exciting time to be a Pirates fan after a bit of a dry spell.  Tim noted that the Pirates may shop Jason Bay this winter.  With these structural changes taking place at the developmental levels it seems even more likely.

Posted By Nat Boyle

Twins Interested In Jason Bay?

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Bucco Blog reports that the Twins may have some interest in Pirates outfielder Jason Bay.  It’s possible the Bucs would want Matt Garza in return.  It would be a blockbuster introduction for Neal Huntington and Bill Smith.

It’s always hard to part with young pitching (especially with the likely departure of Johan Santana), but the Twins have needed an offensive boost for a while now.  Bay is signed for 2008-09 at just $13.25MM, so the Twins can definitely squeeze him into the budget.  Garza looks like at least a #3, especially in the NL Central.  This seems like a trade that could benefit both teams.    Thoughts? 

Odds and Ends

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Here are some various trade rumors that didn’t quite have enough behind them for individual posts.

  • There’s a gossip section in the Boston Herald called Inside Track, written by Gayle Fee, Laura Raposa, and Erin Hayes.  They heard that Coco Crisp told fans at the recent Division Champs celebration that he expects to be dealt this winter to make room for Jacoby Ellsbury.  By most accounts Crisp has developed into a fine defensive center fielder, and he’s under contract for $4.75MM in ’08, $5.75MM in ’09, and an $8MM club option in ’10.  Perhaps Crisp could be used to acquire a third baseman in the event that Mike Lowell leaves and the Red Sox can’t sign A-Rod. 
  • Phil Wood of the Washington Examiner speculates that the Nationals could get in on Jason Bay.  Not the worst idea, but the Nats don’t seem to have the available young pitching for the deal.
  • Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution likes the Nate Robertson to Atlanta idea, tossing Joe Blanton and Shaun Marcum into the mix as other options.
  • Bob Wickman may quietly retire, bumming out these guys.
  • El Lefty Malo dissects recent comments from Giants GM Brian Sabean.
  • Peter Abraham suggests the Mets trade Carlos Beltran for pitching.

Pirates Could Shop Jason Bay

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Read between the lines in new Pirate GM Neal Huntington’s recent comments, and it certainly seems like the Bucs might consider trading left fielder Jason Bay this winter.  Bay wouldn’t be surprised to go.

The 29 year-old has experienced by far the worst season of his career this year.  After posting OPSs above .900 in his first three seasons, he’s down to just .748 this year (.248/.328/.420).  He only really looked like himself in May.

Back in December, Bay had arthroscopic knee surgery.  However, Bay has said that this has only affected his explosiveness on the basepaths and not his hitting or defense this year.  He’s missed time in September with tendinitis, but it’s been his other knee.  Bay’s not blaming his health at all for his down year, though he admits he’s slowed down.  It could be a confidence issue, it could be that he’s burnt out on all the losing.  It could be a good old-fashioned off-year, similar to those experienced by top comparables Tim Salmon and Dale Murphy.

At an incredibly affordable $5.75MM for ’08 and $7.5MM in ’09, many teams would love to acquire Bay.  He could certainly return to his elite level of 2004-06.  He’d be a nice addition for the White Sox, Twins, Padres (his former club), Orioles, Padres, Dodgers, A’s, Rangers, Angels…OK, almost any team.  I’m guessing the price would be two very good young players, one or both a pitcher.  It’ll be interesting to see if Huntington makes a blockbuster deal in his first offseason as GM, possibly at the Winter Meetings. 

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