Poll: Beltran Or Upton?
Tonight's post regarding the emergence of B.J. Upton on the outfield trade market has already prompted a lengthy, and still growing, discussion thread among our faithful readers.
In short, the Mets have new competition in their quest to trade their premium outfielder, Carlos Beltran, in the form of the Rays and Upton. Because of the complicated circumstances surrounding a potential Beltran trade, interest is shifting toward Upton, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.
Beltran might be more attractive because he's a better hitter than Upton. However, questions remain about Beltran's defense in the outfield, as he's probably best suited for work in a corner spot. As well, he's a free agent at season's end, and his contract includes a stipulation that he may not be offered arbitration, meaning teams will be reluctant to part with top prospects for a two-month rental who won't yield compensatory draft picks. Upton, meanwhile, is a better defender, is a pure center fielder, and is under team control through 2012.
If you were a team searching for an outfielder, would you pursue Beltran or Upton?
Which outfielder would you trade for?
-
B.J. Upton - the team control and better defense are more valuable. 53% (10,783)
-
Carlos Beltran - the offense is more important. 34% (6,875)
-
Someone else 14% (2,788)
Total votes: 20,446
Poll: Francisco Liriano’s Trade Value
Twins lefty Franciso Liriano is an intriguing potential trade candidate. It feels like he's been around forever, but he's just 27 and under team control through 2012, so he's still well within his prime years and relatively cheap for another season and a half.
Liriano's raw stuff is nasty, but the road back from Tommy John surgery in 2006 has been marked by notable highs and lows. He appeared to be fully recovered in 2010, posting a 3.62 ERA (2.62 FIP), 9.44 K/9, 2.72 BB/9 and 53.6% GB percentage. He's regressed in 2011, however, with his control (4.65 BB/9) being especially problematic.
Between Liriano's bouncing between dominance and mediocrity, and the Twins' uphill climb in the AL Central (eight games behind the Indians through today), it's quite possible that the lefty could be made available on the trade market this month. This came up in last week's MLBTR Chat with Tim Dierkes, who suggested that the Twins would probably recoup a top-50 prospect in exchange for Liriano, considering his age and contract status. (For reference, here are Keith Law's, Baseball America's and Baseball Prospectus' respective top-100 prospects for 2011).
The reasons to justify such a payment for Liriano are self-evident: His potential is huge, and he's been dominant for stretches in his career. But is it a no-brainer? Prospects are valued as highly now as they've ever been, and Liriano's inconsistencies are scary, as is his reliance on what may be an arm-taxing slider, as Eno Sarris of Fangraphs recently illustrated.
If you were a suitor, what would you do?
Give Up A Top-50 Prospect For Liriano?
-
No - the prospect is too valuable, and Liriano too inconsistent. 52% (4,310)
-
Yes - Liriano's potential is worth the risk. 48% (4,054)
Total votes: 8,364
Your Opinion On Ryan Howard
The Ryan Howard post yesterday sparked quite a debate. Now is your chance to see how your peers feel about his comments and contract renewal. Click here to vote on whether you feel he was out of line.
Today’s Poll: Michael Young
We’re trying something new here at MLBTradeRumors.com, a reader poll. Today’s question:
Was Michael Young‘s contract extension a smart move by the Rangers?
Click here to take the poll; you can also view the results.