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Ken Griffey Jr.

Scouting The Reds

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The chatter regarding Reds’ left fielder Adam Dunn is picking up, and it’s only June 13th.  It’s looking more and more like we can add Dunn to our 2008 MLB free agents list, as his 2008 option becomes void with a trade.  Ken Griffey Jr. and various other Reds may be in play too.

Five articles referenced Dunn this morning.  The Newark Star-Ledger contains just one sentence:

"The Cincinnati Reds, who could be in position to trade reliever David Weathers and slugger Adam Dunn, had a scout at the [Yankees-Diamondbacks] game."

One imagines the Yankees may like a number of additional Reds, including Griffey and Mike Stanton.  But the Weathers/Dunn speculation is the most reasonable.  The Reds, by the way, have yet to approach Junior about any possible trades.  While we know Griffey would probably approve a trade to Atlanta, some real creativity would be required with his contract.  And he’d have to be open to playing left field.  Buster Olney noted today that the White Sox have at least had internal discussions about acquiring Griffey.

The Dayton Daily News has the scoop on scouts from many teams in attendance at the Reds-Angels game last night: the Braves, Astros, Dodgers, White Sox, Tigers, and more.  Actually the article references "Los Angeles" so that could be the Angels too.  Any of these clubs could conceivably make room for Dunn.  I imagine young pitching is the name of the game for Wayne Krivsky.

Besides the previously named players, Eddie Guardado, Scott Hatteberg, and Kyle Lohse could be on the market.  The Reds have a $3MM option for ’08 on Guardado and a $1.85MM club option for ’08 on Hatteberg.  Lohse, a Scott Boras client, reaches free agency after this season.

Stark’s Latest

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Jayson Stark has an assessment of the trade market over at ESPN.com.

  • Aside from the usual Mark Teixeira/Eric Gagne mentions, Stark believes many Rangers may be headed out at the trading deadline.  Specifically, he names Brad Wilkerson, Kenny Lofton, and Sammy Sosa.  Lofton is always a good midseason mercenary.  He’s like a Mike Stanton in that way.
  • Ken Griffey Jr. would approve a trade to Atlanta and might consider certain other teams.  Junior is making $12.5MM this year and next, plus a $4MM buyout for ’09.  Quite a bit of the contract is deferred, also.  $29MM over 2007-08 is still pretty steep, but now would be the right time to trade Griffey. 
  • Nationals – still asking too much for Chad Cordero.  Bowden’s got time to wait around for the right deal, I suppose.
  • Best option for Todd Helton still appears to be the Angels, in Stark’s mind.  That does not seem workable to me, because Casey Kotchman has broken out and Vlad needs access to the DH spot.
  • Speaking of DHs, this might finally be the year Mike Sweeney gets traded and gets to play for a contender.  If he heats up, maybe the Twins could snag him.
  • Michael Bourn could be a trade candidate, if the Phillies decide he’s only a future fourth outfielder.  Probably makes sense to keep him around if Aaron Rowand is going to walk after this season.
  • The Astros are buyers, and they have all sorts of needs.  A young catcher would be nice, but those are always in short supply.
  • Speaking of young catchers, Jarrod Saltalamacchia has received interest but the Braves are not biting.  A lot hinges on Scott Thorman’s performance and, of course, which young player the Braves are offered for Salty.  Most teams would love to have him.

Rosenthal On Slugger Market

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Yesterday’s Ken Rosenthal article does a great job breaking down the market for sluggers this summer.  As usual there are some big names for the taking, and as usual many of them come with hefty salaries or other flaws like injury history or Scott Boras.

A couple of AL West teams, the A’s and Angels, have been particularly powerless this year (both slugging less than .395).  The Twins and White Sox could use some pop too.  Over on the NL side, the Cardinals, Dodgers, Padres, and D’Backs could look to add a power bat.  One of the three NL West teams mentioned could pull away with a major addition.

The most intriguing name in Rosenthal’s article is Sammy Sosa.  He is having a respectable resurgence so far at .268/.331/.512.  While it would be fun to see him back in the NL, his right field defense could prohibit it.  But come on – how funny would it be to see Sosa don Cardinal red?  Another interesting subplot thrown out by Rosenthal would be Ken Griffey Jr. back to Seattle, something that seems to come up every year if Junior is healthy.

Dontrelle Willis Arrested, Griffey Hurt

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A couple of top baseball stories that can’t be classified as trade rumors but shouldn’t be ignored:

Dontrelle Willis was arrested this morning on a drunk driving charge and refused a breathalyzer.  It’s just a shame to see a stand-up guy and role model do this.  I mean we’ve all urinated on the street before but there’s no excuse for driving while intoxicated.

Meanwhile, Ken Griffey Jr. broke his left hand in a mysterious home accident.  Most likely a vigorous session of Guitar Hero was involved.  Griffey’s teammate, Adam Dunn, actually played the 2005 season with a broken hand.  I’m not sure which bones were involved in either case, however.  It’s still quite possible that Junior could be ready for spring training.

Soriano for Griffey Deal In The Works?

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It’s always fun to find trade rumors in Spanish newspapers.  El Nuevo Dia’s latest discusses an Alfonso Soriano for Ken Griffey Jr. trade that is cooking up.  The following is a rough translation (hat tip to Mariloren on the translation!):

The Reds and Nationals have been negotiating the Soriano for Griffey trade over the last few days.  Soriano refused comment when approached by the newspaper.  Details are the proposed transaction are still unknown.  If traded to the Nationals, Griffey would be reunited with former Reds GM Jim Bowden. 

My own commentary: I think the Reds would be the winners in this one.  Griffey is still on the hook for $41.5MM over the next three seasons.  Even if the Reds pick up a third of the cost, they probably come out ahead.  Soriano is a clear upgrade over the current choice to play second base, Tony Womack.  Of course, Ryan Freel might be better than both second basemen, but the Reds seem intent on using him in a supersub role. 

Despite subpar defense for a center fielder, the Nats would surely play Griffey out there.  The loser in the deal would probably be Ryan Church, who could be dealt if Jose Guillen proves healthy.

In other news from the article, Juan Gonzalez is still hungry to return to the Majors and try to reach 500 home runs.

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Signs of Reds OF Trade Mounting

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More and more, it’s looking like the Reds will deal one of their outfielders before the season begins.  First off, Jon Heyman’s column from yesterday:

"Now that Scott Hatteberg has been signed for first base, the Reds might shop that extra outfielder they’ve been carrying for a while. They have Adam Dunn, Wily Mo Peña, Austin Kearns and Ken Griffey Jr., with Peña most likely to go for young pitching. Previous owner Carl Lindner rejected deals for Griffey (including one with the Cubs last year), but maybe new owner Rob Castellini will do the right thing."

I must say, I hadn’t heard about that Cubs/Griffey offer before now.  Griffey to the White Sox, yes.  Anyway, Will Carroll also got in on the act today:

"Adam Dunn in left field? Who’s headed out of Cincinnati?"

I agree with Heyman – Wily Mo seems most likely to go.  But we should start with the Reds when figuring this one out.  The Reds need pitching.  Surprisingly, their rotation is actually already five-deep if Paul Wilson is able to take the hill.  The Reds won’t put a timetable on his return.

Possible matches: Boston, Cleveland, Kansas City, Minnesota, Anaheim, Florida, and Los Angeles.  OK, that didn’t exactly narrow it down.  But all these teams could use an outfielder and could probably come up with a youngster to get it done. 

Griffey To Boston For Arroyo?

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Well, Boston Dirt Dogs has an interesting one up just now.  Boston’s WEEI 850 is reporting that a possible Ken Griffey Jr. for Bronson Arroyo trade could be in the works.  I’ll do my best to find more.

On the surface, that seems like a terrible deal for the Red Sox.  Arroyo is about to be locked in for three years at a great price, and Griffey is probably a lock to play less games in ’06 than he did in ’05.  Not to mention Griffey’s huge contract and lousy defense.

Cardinals Nearing Huge Trade

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I’ve got a source near the Cardinals organization telling me "something big is happening."  Apparently, all company employees have received a memo threatening termination if any information is disclosed.  Luckily, I’m not employed by the Cardinals, so I’m free to gossip. 

I dropped a line to Lboros over at Viva El Birdos, a blogger who has a finger on the pulse of the team.  Lboros had an intriguing list of trade rumors and possible signings that have presented themselves within the past few weeks:

Acquisition of Bobby Abreu.  It is known that Abreu is on the trading block, although the asking price is sky high.  It would be hard to imagine a deal getting done without Major League-ready pitching prospect Anthony Reyes included in the deal.

Trade for Ken Griffey Jr.  Lboros speculates that Jason Marquis could be shipped to Cincinnati for Junior.  Given Griffey’s terrible defense in recent years, a move to a corner would make a ton of sense.  The Reds are desperately trying to acquire young pitching, although Marquis will become a free agent after 2006.

Jim Edmonds traded to Yankees for Robinson Cano and Chien-Ming Wang.  Sure, it’s a staggering idea at first.  Considering defense, Edmonds is still unquestionably the best center fielder in baseball even at age 35.  He’s under contract for $12MM in 2006, and the Cards do have a need for a second baseman and a cheap young starter.  Before you call me a crazy, evil Rumor Monger (that’s a half-truth), remember that St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz originated the rumor.

A.J Burnett signing.  This one is considered the most plausible by the Cardinal faithful, and Walt Jocketty’s wooing of Burnett is well-known.  Burnett’s agent stated yesterday that a deal could be "one phone call away."  Jocketty doesn’t seem like the type to go to five years, $65MM for a starter, but he has to be considering it.     

   

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