Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Jon Garland

White Sox Trade Jon Garland For Orlando Cabrera

By | at

UPDATE: Ken Rosenthal reports that the White Sox received $1.5MM in the deal.  It certainly seems that the Sox are clearing payroll for Torii Hunter.  Mark Gonzales notes that while the Sox hope to sign Cabrera long-term, they’ll still benefit from this trade if they don’t.  Cabrera is likely to be a Type A a year from now while Garland will probably be a B.

According to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, the White Sox acquired shortstop Orlando Cabrera for starter Jon Garland today.

In a vacuum, this seems like a pretty even swap to me.  Just comparing the two players involved, it’s fair.  Garland is a solid if not spectacular starter, and Cabrera is the same at shortstop.  Both players’ contracts run through 2008.  Garland is at $12MM and Cabrera $9MM, so the Sox save a few bucks here.  Plus, they will get some cash from the Angels.

But trades aren’t made in a vacuum; you have to look at their effects on the teams involved.

The White Sox will seemingly put Juan Uribe at second base, if they don’t trade him.  They could potentially have one of the game’s finest defensive double play combinations.  And Cabrera’s .345 OBP last year, while nothing amazing, is good for a shortstop and looks great for an OBP-starved team like the Sox.  The question is whether the Sox can sustain the loss of Garland in the rotation.  They’ll now go with Buehrle, Vazquez, Contreras, Danks, and maybe Gavin Floyd or Gio Gonzalez.  That group could work but you could see Contreras and the kids flopping and Buehrle coming back down to Earth.

Kenny Williams has shown some ability to dig up starting pitching, so maybe he’s playing to his strength.  How about the return of Bartolo Colon?

The Angels now have an embarrassment of starting pitching.  They’ve got Lackey, Escobar, Weaver, Garland, Saunders, and Ervin Santana.  Nick Adenhart should be around soon also.  The Angels may now be compelled to flip Santana for a bat.  Meanwhile they have plenty of solid options at shortstop with Brandon Wood, Erick Aybar, Chone Figgins, and Maicer Izturis.

Rockies Rumors: Atkins, Barrett, Fukumori

By | at

What are the Rockies up to as they plot to defend their NL pennant?  Tracy Ringolsby and Troy E. Renck have the latest.

  • Ringolsby says Garrett Atkins is staying put, which should help the third baseman relax a little bit.  This echoes Renck’s sentiments yesterday.  Renck also noted that the Rox won’t be offering Atkins a multiyear deal anytime soon.
  • Yesterday Renck said that after Yorvit Torrealba, the Rockies were considering Jose Molina, Paul Lo Duca, Jason Kendall, and Ramon Castro for catcher.  However Ringolsby says today that Michael Barrett and Kendall are the main targets.  Renck has come on board with that today, noting that Dan O’Dowd has contacted the agents for Barrett, Kendall, and Lo Duca.
  • Ringolsby adds that the Rockies are exploring the Japanese reliever market, namely Hitoki Iwase and Kazuo Fukumori.  Fukumori might appeal as the cheaper of the two.
  • Meanwhile the Indians, Brewers, Phillies, and Mets like Brian Fuentes.  We’ve also read about the Tigers’ interest.  The Rockies’ willingness to trade him may depend on the progress of 2007 top draft pick Casey Weathers.
  • Jason Jennings might be leaning toward signing with the Padres.  This echoes an obscure article we found back in July.
  • Renck says that if the Rockies don’t hear by Tuesday about their offers to Kaz Matsui, Matt Herges, LaTroy Hawkins, and Torrealba, they’ll start looking at other options. 
  • Renck adds that the Rockies have checked in with Ron Mahay’s people.  He’s getting popular.
  • The Rockies are out on Jon Garland – they can’t fit his $12MM salary into the 2008 budget.  Matsui moving on would clear $3MM though.
  • The idea of locking up Troy Tulowitzki long-term is being entertained.  It probably wouldn’t happen until after the 2008 season though.

Latest Mets Rumors: A-Rod, Silva, Blanton

By | at

Plenty of action around the Mets lately; Omar Minaya has his work cut out for him.  Hat tip to MetsBlog for several of the links.

  • The sensational storyline here is that Minaya will meet with Scott Boras to discuss Alex Rodriguez.  However, Boras and Minaya might spend more time discussing Kyle Lohse and Eric Gagne than A-Rod – the Mets’ focus is pitching.
  • Newsday’s Ken Davidoff reminds us of past trade talks regarding Joe Blanton, Jose Contreras, and Jon Garland.  Those talks may be re-opened, though Davidoff notes that the White Sox aren’t enamored of Lastings Milledge.  Additionally, the Mets will meet with Carlos Silva’s people this week.
  • Buster Olney discusses the Mets’ pursuit for pitching today in his blog.  They need a horse, somebody who can chew up innings.  Aside from the aforementioned Silva and Blanton, Olney names Roy Oswalt, Dan Haren, Scott Kazmir, and Dontrelle Willis as possible targets (though Marc Lancaster considers the declaration of Kazmir’s availability to be "dubious at best."  Meanwhile one exec thinks the Rays would only make him available if "his arm is about to blow.")  Olney’s guess is that the Mets will acquire Blanton.  The Mets have some combination of Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber, Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, and Aaron Heilman to offer.  There are pros and cons to dealing each.
  • There are other concerns besides pitching: second base and catcher.  Besides the forthcoming monster offer to Jorge Posada, the Mets are considering Paul Lo Duca and Yorvit Torrealba as fallbacks.  Ramon Castro is looking for a two-year deal, and hopes it’s with the Mets.  However, the Rockies have their eye on him. 
  • Pedro Martinez expects to pitch beyond 2008.  Whether that will be for the Mets or someone else, who knows.
  • Marlon Anderson’s two-year deal will be announced today, according to Adam Rubin.  The Mets will pass on Jose Valentin and Brian Lawrence’s options.   

Phils Won’t Focus On Third Base

By | at

Third base was a gaping hole for the Phillies in 2007.  But because the team scored a lot of runs that year, GM Pat Gillick does not see the need to upgrade at the position.  Instead, he will focus on adding pitching whether via trade or free agency.

I have to say that I don’t agree with the logic.  Runs are runs, whether you score more of them or let in fewer.  The goal is to create the largest differential between runs scored and allowed, doesn’t matter whether you try to move the top or bottom line.  That’s my opinion at least.  I still think the Phils should acquire Joe Crede or Mike Lamb.  Trading for Crede might help prevent runs because of his fine glovework.  Another option for a defensive boost is Coco Crisp, who the Phillies reportedly like.

The Phillies are still intent on signing lefty reliever J.C. Romero before November 13th.  Hopefully it doesn’t take three years to sign Juan Carlos…the man has a major walk problem and his success was predicated on an unsustainable hit rate of 3.72 per nine innings.  Additionally the Phils have their eye on Colorado’s Brian Fuentes, who is signed next year for $3.5MM.

Though it’s easier to find a good reliever than a good starter, Brett Myers will stay in the pen for ’08.  With Curt Schilling off the table, Gillick could turn back to his buddy Kenny Williams to try to pry away Jon Garland or settle for Jose Contreras.  I imagine Contreras is starting to seem a bit more attractive to teams because they haven’t seen him pitch for a few months.

Odds and Ends

By | at

More random rumors and reading material!

  • Baseball Prospectus’ Nate Silver discusses Ryan Braun’s undeniably terrible defense at third base, suggesting some interesting trade and signing permutations to get him into right field.  Also note that Kevin Kouzmanoff is a butcher at third; maybe the Friars will be in the market for Mike Lowell this winter (a player they’ve expressed interest in in the past).
  • Awesome headline for this Garrett Atkins article.  Steve King discusses how the Phillies would be a fine fit for a trade, throwing the Dodgers, Twins, Angels, and Astros into the mix as well.  Note that Atkins has a career line of .269/.344/.437 on the road and .336/.399/.528 at Coors.
  • Sid Hartman is hearing that Walt Jocketty could end up in Baltimore.
  • The Daily Herald’s Scot Gregor proposes some kind of Jon Garland for Bill Hall swap, or even a Carl Crawford acquisition by the White Sox.  I don’t think the Sox and Rays match up too well for that. 
  • I thought he’d stay, but Joe Torre has turned down a one-year, $5MM offer from the Yankees.  The proposal had another $3MM in incentives and a vesting option for 2009 if the Yanks won the ’08 World Series.
  • It’s Hiroshima or MLB for Hiroki Kuroda.  Apparently the Ms already have their eye on him.  Paul Sullivan also said recently that the Cubs will be in the mix.

Will D’Backs Add A Starter?

By | at

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?

Phillies Have $20MM To Burn

By | at

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Todd Zolecki tallied up the Phillies’ commitments and determined that they have roughly $20MM free to spend on pitching, third base, and perhaps Aaron Rowand.  Zolecki feels that the Phils would choose to let Rowand walk if they couldn’t fit it all in the budget.

Zolecki mentions Mike Lowell as a possibility for the hot corner; that’d run $8-12MM for ’08 depending on how you backload it.  Lowell seems in line for at least two years, $22MM.  Gordon Edes has speculated that it could require a three or four year commitment.  The Phillies at least fall under the teams on Lowell’s list, it appears.

The other $10MM or so might all have to go toward a starting pitcher.  The Phillies have Jamie Moyer, Adam Eaton, Cole Hamels, and Kyle Kendrick locked in.  If the Phils don’t like the free agent market (they had interest in reacquiring Carlos Silva this summer), they could pursue Jon Garland or Dontrelle Willis via trade.  The Phils have also scouted Anthony Reyes.

That doesn’t leave any money for Andruw Jones, despite recent speculation.

Update on Garland: Phillies Scouting

By | at

We said a few weeks back that the White Sox May Shop Jon Garland and that Garland knows it.  The White Sox are seeking 2 relievers.  As Tim noted, the Red Sox, Rockies, Braves, Yankees, Mariners, Dodgers, Mets, and Phillies have all shown interest.  Well, it starts here:  Paul Hagen recently caught wind of the Phillies scouting the tall right hander during his complete game shutout of the Royals last Wednesday.

Garland is due $12MM in the final year of his contract.  The Phillies will be waving goodbye to Jon Lieber and flop Freddy Garcia, opening up $17MM and the (incredible) need for a quality starter in a rotation comprised of Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick, Adam Eaton, and the indefatigable Jamie Moyer.

As Tim noted, the ChiSox tried to shop him last offseason to the Astros, but the deal unraveled just before the scheduled press conference.  The bad news for GM Kenny Williams:  Garland went on to make ’07 his worst season in recent memory going 9-13 with a 4.23 ERA.  Good news for Kenny Williams:  The man finished strong, flat out dominating in September by posting a 1.38 ERA over 39.1 IP, and going over 200 Innings for the 4th straight year.

Still, judging from your comments, MLBTR readers aren’t too high on Mr. Garland.  Are the Phillies?

<!–
google_ad_client = “pub-0166880705926637”;
google_ad_width = 300;
google_ad_height = 250;
google_ad_format = “300x250_as”;
google_ad_type = “text_image”;
//2007-08-08: MLBTradeRumors.com In-Post
google_ad_channel = “4848445967”;
google_color_border = “000000”;
google_color_bg = “000000”;
google_color_link = “CCCCCC”;
google_color_text = “CCCCCC”;
google_color_url = “CCCCCC”;
google_ui_features = “rc:0”;
//–>

<script type="text/javascript"
src=”https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js”>

Posted by: Nat Boyle

Garland Expects To Be Traded

By | at

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times has some quotes from 28 year-old White Sox starter Jon Garland.  Basically, Garland expects to be traded this winter.  Cowley also pokes fun at Garland’s laid-back attitude, which seems to be a sore spot in Chicago.

If nothing else, Garland is consistent.  He’s never been seriously injured.  His strikeout rates are usually around 4.8 per nine each year.  He typically has good control.  The most random part of his stat line is hits allowed, as you would expect.  A hit-lucky year in ’05 had some thinking he could be an ace.  That performance helped him snag his three year, $29MM contract.

Garland will make $12MM in ’08 in the last year of the deal.  I’m not sure that the White Sox can afford the hit to their staff, but they probably need to take some chances if they are to win next year.  Garland can help fill holes while clearing a nice chunk of payroll.  Last we heard, Kenny Williams would seek two relievers in return at the least.  Among teams with recent interest: the Red Sox, Rockies, Braves, Yankees, Mariners, Dodgers, Mets, and Phillies.

Jon Garland For Brian Fuentes?

By | at

As you know, Kenny Williams is looking for two relievers (one proven) for starter Jon Garland.  Part of the motivation is moving Garland’s $12MM salary in his last year before free agency.  You may also recall that the Rockies inquired on Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras, and Garland this summer.  Talks stalled when the White Sox insisted on southpaw starter Franklin Morales or third baseman Ian Stewart.

According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the teams could re-engage in talks involving Garland.  The discussion would begin with lefty veteran reliever Brian Fuentes.  Renck believes Fuentes will make about $7MM in ’08, his last year before free agency.  So the White Sox would trim roughly $5MM from the payroll with such a move.  Perhaps Williams would ask for 23 year-old reliever Juan Morillo to complete the deal.  Morillo fits the "young reliever with closer potential" mold and was reportedly clocked at 104 mph a few years back (per Baseball America).

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