Stark’s Latest: Holliday, Lofton, Hudson, Greinke
Time to delve into Jayson Stark’s latest column for ESPN.
- The Rockies are 9.5 games out, and if they slip further over the next month they may trade Matt Holliday or Garrett Atkins (not both). If so, they’d be flexible on the number and ages of the players they’d want in return. Aaron Cook will not be traded.
- Stark talked to one team official who speculated the Pirates could keep their outfield intact in the name of a run at .500. Presumably they’d be doing this for the fans, but diehards would probably prefer a sweet bounty of young players and a better ’09 draft pick.
- As we’ve discussed here, the Mariners don’t have much to trade. Raul Ibanez has decent value, but Erik Bedard will probably stay put unless a new GM is installed.
- The White Sox "made the most serious run yet" at Kenny Lofton, but he they balked at his $2.5-3MM asking price. Kenny…c’mon. We want to see you in baseball this year.
- Orlando Hudson might’ve signed below-market to play in New York, but the Mets signed Luis Castillo through 2011. How about the other New York team, in the event of a Robinson Cano trade?
- One AL exec believes the Royals would be best served to trade Zack Greinke now, and get an influx of even younger talent.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Kemp, Bradley, Fuentes, Street
New Rosenthal. Seems like he just put a column out a few days ago.
- Rosenthal believes the Dodgers would consider trading a young player (especially Matt Kemp) for a slugger. He discusses what it would take to get Jason Bay, Magglio Ordonez, Adam Dunn, or Matt Holliday. This all seems like a bad idea for the Dodgers.
- There are certainly arguments for the Rangers to keep or even extend Milton Bradley. But Rosenthal thinks he could net "multiple high-end prospects" if Jon Daniels goes the trade route. He says the Rangers could shop some of their veterans while also trying to acquire a controllable reliever.
- Rosenthal’s best guess is that the Pirates will trade Xavier Nady or Jason Bay but not both. He says Neal Huntington is not under pressure to clear salary.
- The Cubs are interested in Brian Fuentes, which is a new one. Rosenthal adds that Jim Hendry plans to pursue the best available starter.
- The Brewers have many quality minor league trade chips, and they may be looking for a starter.
- Minimal trade interest in Huston Street, and the A’s have backed off the extension idea.
- The Yankees are "aggressively" trying to move LaTroy Hawkins.
- The Dodgers wanted to do an Esteban Loaiza–Juan Uribe swap, but the Sox just waited them out and signed Loaiza.
- Rosenthal says the Phillies "lack the prospect inventory" to get an impact starting pitcher, which I don’t agree with. He says they may look for another lefty reliever or bench bat.
Odds And Ends: Weaver, Mulder, Pena, Giambi
Here are a few random notes from the MLBiverse…
- Paul Hagen is reporting that the Mets are interested in acquiring a first baseman and/or a corner outfielder. Hagen says that Omar Minaya is rumored to be interested in Kevin Millar, Jason Bay and Xavier Nady. Hagen must share a source with Dan Graziano, who mentions the same trio. Might Aaron Heilman be used as bait?
- According to the minor league deal that Jeff Weaver signed with the Brewers, if he was not called up by this Sunday he could ask for his release. The Brewers and Weaver’s agent, Scott Boras, have agreed to extend that deadline to June 15.
- Mark Mulder, who has made three starts since 2006, announced that he would retire if a third surgery became necessary on his ailing shoulder.
- The Royals snagged catcher Brayan Pena off waivers from the Braves.
- Rany Jazayerli proposes a Cubs-Royals trade.
- Joel Sherman wonders if the Yankees could buy out Jason Giambi for $5MM and then re-sign him.
Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here. Tim Dierkes also contributed to this post.
Odds and Ends: Bay, Roberts, Cliff Lee
And here we have some random links I’ve collected over the past day or so.
- The Bucs will try to fill their open 40-man spots through low profile moves, not unlike the Jason Michaels one. They won’t move Jason Bay or Xavier Nady until they’re truly out of it. 4.5 games out of the wild card, they still have a prayer here on May 9th.
- Keith Law’s top 60 prospects list for the June draft has been published. Shortstop Tim Beckham heads the list.
- Gordon Wittenmyer looks back on the Cubs players rumored to be traded for Brian Roberts.
- Juan Uribe, partially on the strength of a great takeout slide, still has life with the White Sox.
- Nick Piecoro reminds us that the D’Backs were close to acquiring Cliff Lee in a deal for Carlos Quentin this winter. That would just be unfair, Lee as a part of that rotation. Ken Davidoff notes that the Mets discussed Lee as well.
- So…did the Yankees really have a shot at Micah Owings in the Randy Johnson deal?
Pirates Gaining Trade Value
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses five Pirates players who were discussed in winter trade rumors. Neal Huntington wasn’t satisfied with the offers, and decided to keep Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, John Grabow, and Damaso Marte. Huntington says Nate McLouth‘s name was only floated as a "trial balloon."
Bay, Nady, and Grabow have all increased their value through strong Aprils (in part via their stats, in part via good health). Marte seems to have recovered from a rough start. Let’s discuss some possible suitors.
- Bay is off to a .264/.396/.448 start. The 29 year-old earns earns $5.75MM this year and $7.5MM in ’09. His main asset is OBP; the Padres and Mariners could use a boost. And he’d still be a nice fit in left for the Indians.
- Nady is hitting .327/.358/.531. He’s also 29. He’s a Scott Boras client; he earns $3.35MM this year and will also be under team control for the ’09 season. He might be a good fit for the Mets, assuming they have the pieces to re-acquire him. The Bucs could always take Aaron Heilman as part of the deal and put him in the rotation.
- Grabow is under team control through ’09; Marte will be a free agent after this year unless a pricey $6MM option is exercised. The Phillies are said to be looking for a lefty reliever, and the Yankees have inquired in the past.
Will Mets Release Delgado?
Is Carlos Delgado the next Frank Thomas? Or worse yet, is he the next Mike Piazza? Sammy Sosa? Barry Bonds? (steroid implications aside). So asks Joel Sherman of the NY Post who’s headline – always in that in-your-face extra-bold verdana – reads "DELGADO ON HIS WAY OUT AT FIRST". With aging veterans out of work, and a rash of young talent being locked up, 2008 really feels like the end of one era and the marked beginning of the next.
An arbitrary fun-fact from Sherman, "In the past 25 years, just one champion has had a regular first baseman older than 32 (the 2001 Diamondbacks with 37-year-old Mark Grace)." Delgado’s making $16MM this season, and although 35 is often a notorious age at which batters decline, this cliff fall is not the norm. Still, a contract of that magnitude will keep Delgado in New York for at least a short while longer.
In Buster Olney’s latest, he speculated Delgado’s release, which seems to be slightly more than speculation at this point. Olney cited Xavier Nady or Scott Hatteberg as potential replacements should the Mets want to trade for a replacement. Nady, however, might not be available until the Pirates say "uncle."
Should the 35-yr old Delgado reenter free agent land, what kind of interest will there be? Most likely less than there was for Frank Thomas, but someone would throw him a bone as he’d be low risk, high reward. Not unlike Thomas, PECOTA projects a .265-20-80 season from the veteran and while that’s not a $16MM season, it’s still adequate production for many teams from a corner infielder or DH.
By Nat Boyle
Olney’s Latest: Nady, Delgado, Clement, Lofton
Buster Olney has some thoughts. Let’s have a looksee.
- He thinks that Xavier Nady could fit with the Mets or the Indians, but notes that the Pirates are sitting tight for now, hoping to compete this year. They’ll be singing a different tune in July.
- Olney goes on to speculate that the Mets could release Carlos Delgado if he continues his weak hitting. Nady would seem a decent replacement, though he hasn’t played first since 2006. Scott Hatteberg could be another option.
- In what he calls "pure speculation," Olney suggests that the Mariners trade Jeff Clement to the Red Sox for Coco Crisp and some pitching. It’s a rather vague trade idea, and I’d think that the Mariners could fetch a lot more than Crisp if they opted to trade Clement, who is having his way with AAA pitching.
- It appears Jake Peavy wants the Padres to sign Kenny Lofton. With the way Jim Edmonds and Scott Hairston are hitting, I can’t blame him.
Posted by Joe Pawlikowski.
To Be Dealt: Bay, Nady, Marte, Morris, Wilson
A short but sweet article came out in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette this morning detailing the Pirates’ five main trade candidates. No new or surprising names appear on the list but it’s a handy roundup for those not up to date on their Bucco news. As we head into the ’08 season (tonight!) the Pirates may not be contenders, but they could be difference makers.
Jason Bay – $5.75MM in ’08, $7.5MM in ’09 – I was surprised they didn’t deal him in the offseason, but the Pirates are wisely taking a wait and see approach with Bay. Surely he can’t be as bad as he was last season. Like the Pirates, PECOTA is predicting a moderate bounce back season, but not quite the elite 30 HR seasons of ’05-’06.
Xavier Nady – $3.35MM in ’08, arbitration eligible in ’09 – To make room for blocked prospect Steve Pearce, Nady needs to go; however, there’s enough doubt around the league that he can hit righties well enough to justify an everyday position. The Mets are the only listed suitor as they could use a corner OF/1B.
Damaso Marte – $2MM in ’08 with club option for ’09 – The article’s rhetoric seems to imply Marte is the most likely to be dealt with Yankees and Braves as suitors. When it comes to crafty, lefty relievers, expect a number of teams to come calling.
Matt Morris – $9.5MM in ’08, $9MM club option in ’09 ($1MM buyout) – Morris had a nice first half for the Giants last year(3.55 ERA) before regressing to his struggling ways. His talent should make it hard to trade him out of the NL, and his contract and could make it difficult to deal him to any team not desperate for someone to pickup innings. The Pirates should be crossing their fingers for another strong first half.
Jack Wilson – $6.5MM in ’08, $7.25MM in ’09, $8.4 club option for ’10 – The article notes that the Pirates will need a SS in return for someone on this list before they can comfortably deal Wilson as he’s the only everyday SS in their system. As Tim noted back in August, Wilson just wants out of Pittsburgh and will waive his six team no trade clause.
We’d love to hear from Pirates fans on all of this.
By Nat Boyle
Pirates Rumors: Nady, Capps
I always enjoy Dejan Kovacevic’s Q&As for Pirates insight. Let’s take a look at today’s edition.
- Kovacevic suggests that the Pirates’ decision to option Steve Pearce already indicates nothing is cooking on the Xavier Nady trade front. Pearce is a classic blocked prospect, as described in an MLBTR piece by Aaron Shinsano. One blogger isn’t buying Neal Huntington’s comments on the topic of Nady.
- A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I found it odd that the Pirates’ talks with Matt Capps would fizzle because Manny Corpas‘ affordable deal raised the bar. Today Kovacevic adds that he doesn’t expect talks to be revived until after the season.
Blocked Prospects: Steve Pearce
During 2007 Pirates prospect Steve Pearce hit a combined .333 with 31 home runs, 40 doubles, 113 RBI, and a .622 slugging percentage. The soon-to-be 25 year-old was named both Offensive Player of the Year by MiLB.com and the Topps Minor League Player of the Year. He ranks #43 on Kevin Goldstein’s Top 100 Prospects list for 2008 and received a callup last September. Yet, as of Monday he was reportedly sweating it when the team announced several cuts.
Pearce had played first base since he was drafted, but with the Pirates looking to locking up Adam LaRoche long term the team rerouted him to the outfield. The Pirates flirted with the transition late last year, giving Pearce 10 games in right prior to his call-up. Once in Pittsburgh he started 17 games in right field and only two at first. He hit .294/.342/.397 over 68 plate appearances; his bat appears nearly Major League ready.
Jason Bay and Xavier Nady await, each simmering on the hot stove. It’s a poorly guarded secret the Pirates would love to ditch Nady, but a recent chat with the Mets didn’t go anywhere. Bay was also the subject of several trade talks during the offseason and would likely come closer to fetching the young pitching prospects GM Neal Huntington craves (his short list is unlikely to include Scott Schoeneweis).
This all puts Huntington in a fairly comfortable position. He can afford to send Pearce back to Indy to get a few more reps at the new position while he waits for the right deal. But with Pearce’s bat looking to be big league ready, how long are Pirates fans willing to wait?
Aaron Shinsano writes for East Windup Chronicle and can be contacted at eastwindupchronicle@gmail.com