Tribe Trades Broussard For Choo
Ben Broussard was reunited with his former platoonmate Eduardo Perez today. He was dealt to the Mariners for outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. Broussard and Perez will combine to make a lethal combo, just as they did at first base for Cleveland.
More teams ought to assemble this sort of sweet platoon. The combined efforts of Broussard and Perez this season come out to a .316/.358/.550 line, including 22 HR and 63 RBI. The .908 OPS is roughly equivalent to what Carlos Lee has done this season. The difference is that Broussard and Perez, or as I like to call them, Brourez, take up two roster spots and make $4.2MM less. By the way, I had no idea going in how hard it would be to come up with two players’ combined OBP. Did you know the denominator includes sacrifice flies but not sac bunts, and intentional walks are not part of OBP? I learn something every day. I figured it was just all walks plus hits divided by plate appearances.
Anyway, the decision to ditch Carl Everett and get a decent DH in there was long overdue. And Mark Shapiro snagged a well-rounded 24 year-old prospect in Choo.
Mariners Trade Rumor: Todd Walker
According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the Mariners are scouting the Cubs’ Todd Walker.
Walker would be platooned with Eduardo Perez at DH and would be used against right-handed pitching. From 2003-05, Walker has batted .290/.346/.458 against right-handers. The 33 year-old impending free agent makes $2.5MM this season. The Cubs have been trying to trade him since spring training.
Trade Rumor Roundup: 8 Days Left
To begin with, this just isn’t true. With the Kearns deal and probably Soriano trade, the 2006 deadline just can’t be classified as a dud. That honor belongs to 2005 for sure. The trading action never matches the buildup, but this year’s still a good one.
Read Ken Rosenthal’s latest. The White Sox are in the Soriano game, the Rangers have interest in Luis Gonzalez, the Braves could add another reliever, Julio Lugo still might become a Blue Jay, and the Brewers look like sellers. In my opinion, some Brewers besides Carlos Lee that could be unloaded: Geoff Jenkins, Corey Koskie, Brady Clark, and Dan Kolb. Koskie will need to recover quickly from his concussion, however.
Still hearing that the Cubs like Willy Taveras, which would definitely fit their m.o. of players who don’t get on base. Phil Rogers also mentions that Seattle’s Rafael Soriano is being asked about. It would be surprising to see the Mariners deal that kind of young talent.
Tons of great rumors coming from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. He’s got a rundown of the Red Sox, all sorts of teams scouting Humberto Sanchez, and more.
Buster Olney mentioned in his blog today that the Astros are among various teams scouting Elmer Dessens. The Astros are also looking at Damaso Marte.
Unfounded rumor department: Could the Dodgers be after Aramis Ramirez? Ramirez has picked a fantastic time to heat up, and L.A. has some top shelf young talent…is there anywhere Julio Lugo could go besides Toronto? How about the Rockies?
Rumor Roundup
Here are some trade rumors from the last day or so that we haven’t covered. All come from various newspapers or other published reports.
Yesterday ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported some Bobby Abreu interest coming from the Brewers. It was a longshot from the start given Abreu’s contract. Today it’s been revealed that Doug Melvin hasn’t even spoken to Pat Gillick on the topic, and the rumor was placed by a rival GM. Any guesses who?
Something seems to be brewing between the Yankees and Royals, and Reggie Sanders is the name that makes sense. The Royals would do well to unload the 38 year-old right fielder’s $5MM commitment for ’07. A deal could also include reliever Elmer Dessens, who’s signed through next season. For the second trading deadline in a row, Brian Cashman seems to be taking a more level-headed approach.
Another option for the Yanks is Kevin Mench of the Rangers. Mench has been jerked around a bit this year by Buck Showalter and could come at a reduced price. I recently outlined a couple of possible career paths for Mench over at RotoAuthority. His career may be at a fork in the road; he should take it.
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Mariners have become a major player for Alfonso Soriano. Bill Bavasi has stumbled with some questionable signings, but Seattle remains just four games out in a weak division. Don’t forget that Bavasi loves to deal with Kevin Towers more than any GM, so he may try to match up with the Padres somehow.
Reds Acquire Guardado
The Reds swapped oft-traded starter Travis Chick for southpaw reliever Eddie Guardado today.
Cincinnati’s bullpen ERA of 5.28 is dead last in the National League. They’ve also blown 13 saves, third worst. Current closer Todd Coffey‘s 1.38 WHIP doesn’t gel with his 3.08 ERA. He’s fortunate that it’s that low. With a 5.9 K/9, Coffey is more hittable than most teams like their closers. Since June 1st, Coffey has blown two saves and taken three losses.
35 year-old Guardado has been even more hittable, and he’s also had worse control and allowed a ton of home runs. The Reds should be on the hook for about $3 million bucks assuming the Mariners aren’t eating any salary. I’m not sure if this move improves their bullpen at all, but maybe a change of scenery will stir something in Guardado. After all, it’s only been 23 innings and Guardado was quite solid as recently as last year. Guardado was supplanted as Seattle’s closer by J.J. Putz this season.
Chick, a 22 year-old righty, has at least made progress in his strikeout rate at Double A. This trade reminds me of something Buster Olney said in his blog today:
"Many, many teams are looking for middle relievers but very few are available because, quite simply, most of them are cheap. "It really doesn’t make a lot of sense to trade a good middle reliever because you’re not paying him that much, and as soon as you trade one, you’ve got to find a replacement," said an AL GM. "Everybody is looking for the same thing," said another AL executive, "and there’s almost nothing out there.’"
This makes me think the Cubs might be able to get something halfway decent in return for their investment in Scott Williamson.
Interview With John Hickey
John Hickey covers the Mariners for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, writing frequent columns and even manning a blog. John was kind of enough to provide insight into all sorts of Mariners questions.
MLBTradeRumors: What’s your take on the extra day off for Kenji Johjima? Was Hargrove sending any kind of message or was there a miscommunication?
John Hickey: It’s an odd thing, really. Historically, when Hargrove gets a backup player into the lineup, he likes to get him two games in a row. (Willie Bloomquist gets two as often as not). So there is the thought that he was just being consistent in doing that for Rene Rivera. But mostly he just seems to want to make sure Johjima stays strong. Johjima played lots in Japan and will play lots here, but the season is about 27 games longer here — an extra month. Johjima has never played that much. So extra time off is warranted. Also, the Mariners only had two off days in April when normally they would have four or more. So that’s a factor.
MLBTR: Who do you think Hargrove will turn to first in the 9th inning if he gives up on Eddie Guardado – Putz or Soriano? Which pitcher would you choose?
JH: You go with Guardado for now. But he doesn’t have endless time to get his game together. He either is the productive closer he was or he works in setup relief for Soriano.
MLBTR: Richie Sexson: just an early slump, or something more?
JH: Hard to tell. The large number of strikeouts are alarming. But Seattle has faced very tough pitching, so some slumps are to be expected. To have every bat go south in unison, however, is alarming on any number of levels.
MLBTR: Carl Everett is hitting .212. Do you think Roberto Petagine gets a shot at DH at some point despite Everett’s contract?
JH: I would think so if another three weeks or a month goes by and there is no noticeable improvement, Hargrove will have to explore his other options.
MLBTR: Can you name which players you think are most likely to be traded this summer by the Mariners?
JH: This all assumes they’re not anywhere close to first place. In that case, Guardado, Moyer, Everett and Meche are strong candidates to go … if anyone is interested. Beltre could be on that list, too, but I think it would be impossible to move that contract without some sign that he’s something more than a singles hitter.
MLBTR: Will we see Shin-Soo Choo or Adam Jones in Seattle anytime soon? They are both hitting well in Triple A.
JH: Overall the club is higher on Jones than on Choo. But Choo has been up before and hasn’t really gotten a chance, so I’d think they go to him first. Remember, as soon as they call up Jones, there is no turning back the clock. He starts ticking off time toward salary arbitration and free agency. When a prospect is that good (if he in fact is), you want him to come up ready to play every day, or there is no point starting that clock.
MLBTR: Do you expect to see Daisuke Matsuzaka in a Mariners uniform in 2007? He and Felix would make a hell of a 1-2 punch.
JH: Do I expect it? I think the Mariners have a better shot at him than most of the other clubs, but Seattle is one of 30 options. He’s going to be 27 and free agent, and he was already considered the best pitcher in Japan before he turned in a standup performance in the WBC. It’s hard to see Seattle not making a strong run at him.
MLBTR: Is Mike Hargrove gone after this season if the Mariners don’t win?
JH: I would thing GM Bill Bavasi would be even more on the hot seat than Hargrove. He has presided over back-to-back 90-loss seasons, and (as i write this) a 9-15 start to the 2006 season. But, yes, Hargrove could be gone too if things don’t turn around.
MLBTR: Thanks for your time, John! Don’t be a stranger.
Is Johjima Hurting Ms Pitchers?
I haven”t gotten to watch any Mariners games yet this year, so I can’t speak to this directly. But a knowledgable friend emailed me this observation recently:
"Kenji Johjima is not framing pitches well at all, and is giving away location by setting up too early…can’t believe he’s getting with that so far–this won’t help Seattle pitching staff."
He speculated that Felix Hernandez won’t be able to post Cy Young type numbers this season because of Johjima.
Johjima can’t be blamed for Hernandez’s shin splints or lack of command in his first two starts. But I was wondering – have any Mariners fans noticed this behavior in Johjima? I haven’t seen anything to this effect mentioned over at U.S.S. Mariner, but I haven’t read through the comments.
Borchard For Thornton Trade Completed
The White Sox sent Joe Borchard, object of many fans’ scorn, to the Mariners for lefty reliever Matt Thornton. U.S.S. Mariner has detailed analysis if you’re interested.
I was reading the Tribune this weekend, and it had a section where fans explained what to do when you visit U.S. Cellular. One suggestion was along the lines of:
1. Order a polish and an MGD.
2. Heckle Joe Borchard.
3. Have another polish.
4. Repeat.
So who’s the new whipping boy?
Alfonso Soriano Trade Possibilities
Ken Rosenthal’s latest article mentions that a trade of Alfonso Soriano could happen, but Nationals are more likely to offer Soriano a long-term deal to convince him to become an outfielder. I don’t doubt Rosenthal, but let’s take a look at some possible suitors for the second baseman. I’ll assume that a trade signifies no position change.
First off, let’s narrow the field by looking at which teams lack an established 2B.
Blue Jays – Looks like Aaron Hill is the man at second base for 2006, and he’s a fairly solid hitter already. Plus, Soriano probably isn’t Ricciardi’s type of player.
Mariners – Jose Lopez will get the nod entering this season, and he slugged .505 during a couple of stints at Triple A. Giving him a full-time shot makes way more sense than trading for Soriano.
Marlins – Obviously the Fish aren’t dealing for Sori.
Mets – The Mets have made all sorts of splashes this winter, and adding a 2B isn’t top priority. They’d like to cut their losses with Matsui, but Jeff Keppinger and Anderson Hernandez are viable in-house candidates.
Cubs – The Cubs have a three-headed monster at second base, and Soriano probably doesn’t fit into the budget at $12MM+ over several years. The Cubs have a tradition of free swinging, and I could see Hendry trying this for 2006 if A)The Nationals win their arbitration case and/or eat some salary and B)the price is low.
Cardinals – St. Louis seems content with a battle between Junior Spivey and Aaron Miles for the 2B job. Plus, Soriano doesn’t seem like the typical St. Louis team player.
Padres – They’re going to let Mark Bellhorn, Eric Young, and Josh Barfield have a crack at 2B. Plus, I can’t see how Soriano would fit into the budget.
Of course, the Nationals already had an established 2B when they traded for Soriano, so maybe this isn’t the best guide. Rosenthal’s suggestion that Soriano will stay put is entirely logical once you break down the potential trade partners. If a deal was struck, it’d mostly be a salary dump and I think the only teams with mild interest would be the Cubs and Mets. Just my opinion.
Four Teams After Patterson
According to Bruce Levine on ESPN Radio 1000, four different teams have interest in Cubs former phenom Corey Patterson. The contenders are the Orioles, Mariners, Rangers, and Nationals. Hendry apparently wants at least two young players in return. A trade is possible next week.
Personally, I hope Hendry chooses quality over quantity here. Running down the teams:
The Orioles have nothing to lose by throwing Patterson in CF and seeing if he can reignite his career. The club doesn’t seem fond of Luis Matos at this point.
A trade to the Mariners would imply the departure of Jeremy Reed, which would be a curious decision by Bill Bavasi. We’ve heard in the past that he could go to Boston for various young starters.
The Rangers have a lot of outfielders – David Dellucci, Gary Matthews Jr., Kevin Mench, Laynce Nix, and Brad Wilkerson. Dellucci is a fit for DH, and the rest have all been mentioned in trade rumors. Why Daniels would want to replace one of the four with Patterson is beyond me.
Ryan Church is a better fit in right field for the Nationals, but that’s Jose Guillen‘s position. Brandon Watson and Marlon Byrd may not be regulars, so moving Church to left and giving Patterson a shot isn’t a terrible idea. Although Watson seems like a better option that Patterson based on his Triple A stats.
Thanks to Alex