The Latest on Teixiera
As the Rangers fall further and further out of the AL West race, the rumors about Mark Teixiera keep coming up. But Jon Daniels says he’s not making any calls, though he expects to get plenty. Tex would be an upgrade for an awful lot of teams, but the most obvious one is the Yankees, who have both Jason Giambi and Doug Mientkiewicz on the disabled list.
Another interesting destination could be Detroit, where first base duties are being shared by the unimpressive Sean Casey and the underwhelming Marcus Thames. Better yet, the Tigers are stacked with young pitching, so there’s no doubt they have the ammo to get a deal done.
By Jeff Sackmann
Brew Crew Ball
Tigers Trade Rumors
Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press has the trade chatter surrounding the Tigers.
The first issue is the bullpen, which is having all sorts of problems. Joel Zumaya is out for three months after finger surgery, Fernando Rodney has been on the DL with biceps tendinitis, Jose Mesa predictably bombed, and Todd Jones has struggled recently. Logically, the Tigers are scouring the trade market for relief pitching. They still might sign Troy Percival. The main competition there seems to be the Phillies. Morosi also indicates that a trade could be worked out with the Rangers for Eric Gagne or Akinori Otsuka. Peter Gammons confirms Gagne’s availability, and also mentions Al Reyes as a trade candidate.
Last December, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski showed interest in Renyel Pinto of the Marlins and C.J. Wilson and Ron Mahay of the Rangers. That was back when the need was though to be a lefty specialist rather than just relievers in general.
One expendable player for the Tigers might be 29 year-old southpaw Mike Maroth. The Tigers were offering him up in December but couldn’t find a deal. Maroth had surgery a year ago to remove bone chips from his elbow, and was never right in ’06. While he’s made all his starts this year, Maroth isn’t pitching like he did from 2003-05. This year, his K rate is down even further, his control is off, and he’s allowed an unacceptable number of home runs (15 in 61 innings). Morosi confirms Maroth’s availability via an NL exec. The return of Kenny Rogers later this month may push him out of the rotation.
Maroth makes $2.95MM this year and then will be eligible for arbitration afterwards. He’ll become a free agent after the 2008 season. He alone probably won’t bring a useful reliever, but could be part of a larger deal.
Rangers Pursued Bonds
Fairly odd story about Barry Bonds‘s rich friends in USA Today yesterday. I suppose it’s not a bad thing to see a positive angle for a much-maligned player.
There was one interesting, rumor-related part – Bonds was close to signing with a mystery club last winter, and it was the Rangers. Maybe this kind of "outside the box" thinking by Jon Daniels could result in a trade for Jason Giambi, or comebacks for Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez. Let’s be honest – teams only care about steroid use to the extent that it gives them bad PR or wasted dollars. I forget where I read it but it does seem strange that Sammy Sosa‘s 600th home run is being viewed in a positive light but Barry’s quest for 756 is the opposite. If Sammy passes Willie Mays in two or three more years, will baseball celebrate?
Anyway, back to the Rangers rumor. I vaguely remember the Bonds/Mystery Team thing last winter, but thought it was made up by his agent. We got swept up in the Mystery Team phenomenon with studs like Steve Trachsel and Tomo Ohka last winter as well. In the past two years, we have heard such teams as the Padres, A’s, and Cardinals connected to Bonds. The Cards seemed like the Mystery Team for a few hours, but Walt Jocketty quickly denied it.
More Teixeira Talk
It seems that the hot topic this summer will be Mark Teixeira and a possible trade. This could end up another Alfonso Soriano/A.J. Burnett situation, where there’s tons of words wasted but no deal.
Buster Olney believes the Rangers will get some "tepid offers," with no team willing to pony up top prospects. He also mentions that the Yankees have little to no interest in getting involved. Though I think that could change if Brian Cashman is pushed out of power.
Teixeira makes $9MM this year, and could make $14MM or so in arbitration for 2008. As a Boras client, you know he’ll hit the open market after that. So if you trade for him, you’re basically getting 1.7 seasons of Teixeira for $20MM or so.
He’s an above average hitter, no one can argue that. An average first baseman will post an .800 OPS, while Teixeira should be around .900. The Tigers, Braves, Dodgers, and Orioles are all contenders with a weakness at first base. Maybe no one is shelling out two top shelf prospects/young players, but some team should at least come up with one. I still like a Daniel Cabrera for Teixeira swap. Cabrera, while young and inconsistent, keeps the ball on the ground and at least has the potential of bringing fair value. His 2007 walk rate, while still a problem, is easily the best of his career.
Not sure if the Braves would give up Salty for Tex, but I imagine Jon Daniels would be receptive. The Dodgers could give up one solid guy, maybe a James Loney. The Tigers might be able to solve their problem simply by playing Marcus Thames at first every day. Who says he can’t post an .850 OPS?
Heyman On Teixeira
With the trading deadline a mere two months away, we have to drum up some big names on which to speculate. The advent of no-trade clauses and the valuation of young pitching seems to have resulted in fewer blockbusters. Mark Teixeira seems to be this summer’s big name.
We last speculated about Teixeira two weeks ago. The Orioles and Nick Markakis were discussed, as well as the fit for the Angels. The Nationals were seen as a long shot. Jon Heyman has talked to some baseball execs on this topic, and he’s got more ideas. Heyman adds the Red Sox, Yankees, and Dodgers to the mix as well.
The Yanks seemingly wouldn’t mind adding a major slugger at first base, and Heyman’s source doesn’t think they want Todd Helton. But unless the Yanks revert to their old ways and trade The Franchise – Phil Hughes – a Teixeira acquisition seems unlikely. The Yankees don’t have other elite pitching prospects. They would have to go to more established players. The Rangers don’t have a fit for Robinson Cano, though Chien-Ming Wang and his groundballing nature could work.
There’s no real reason for the Red Sox to give up the farm for Teixeira, unless they just want to keep him from the Yankees. I don’t see it.
The Dodgers I see as a strong player. James Loney plus one of their top-rated starting pitching prospects and it’s a done deal. I’m not sure Nomar can handle third base these days, but I don’t see that problem preventing a trade.
Back to the Orioles – as much as Teixeira is dying to play for them, he’s not going to take a big discount and the price in young players will be high. Then again, if the O’s could work something out involving Daniel Cabrera but not Markakis, that gamble could work for both clubs.
The Angels are a fantastic fit, but when has Bill Stoneman ever made a trade like this? I guess there’s a first time for everything.
Let’s not count out the Mets, Braves, or Tigers, either.
Hunter A Fit With Rangers
The Rangers need a long-term center fielder, and they play 45 minutes from Torii Hunter’s hometown. Seems like a perfect fit, right?
Maybe. But according to Hunter yesterday, his heart still lies in Minnesota. It seems that if the Twins can muster even a fairly competitive long-term offer for him, he’ll stay. Hunter’s next deal will cover his age 32-35 seasons, at the least. $13MM annually might be considered a discount. Will the Twins at least offer Hunter a Johnny Damon contract? Even if they did, he would have to turn a blind eye to more lucrative offers. I think some team would give him a fifth year, and $15MM a year seems plenty possible following a career season.
The Rangers could certainly use Hunter in the lineup, especially if they trade Mark Teixeira for pitching (as has been speculated). The team entered the season with a $71MM payroll, down from a high of $105MM in 2002. Money coming off the books in ’08: Gagne ($6MM+), Lofton ($6MM), Wilkerson ($4.35MM), Sosa (about $2.4MM), and Mahay ($1.2MM). That’s about $20MM, plus a random Jerry Hairston here and there. On the other hand, some players have escalating salaries for ’08: Millwood ($1MM), Padilla ($2MM), Teixeira ($2.6MM), Blalock ($1.2MM), plus various other minor increases and arb-eligible guys. Still, the Rangers should clear about $13MM even if they keep Teixeira, meaning there is definitely room for Hunter in the payroll.
I should add that if Alex Rodriguez becomes a free agent, that’s $27MM saved for Texas.
Will Gagne Become Trade Bait?
Rangers closer Eric Gagne has quietly tossed 7.1 scoreless innings this season. He hasn’t pitched back-to-back days since returning from a hip injury, but the Rangers haven’t been winning much either. At 17-27, the Rangers are battling with the Royals for the worst record in the American League.
T.R. Sullivan writes in today’s mailbag that beyond Mark Teixeira, Gagne is the obvious candidate to be traded this July. Gagne is on a low-risk one year deal for $6MM, plus many tiers of incentives based on games finished and awards. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, Gagne also has "no-trade protection." I’ll have to do some digging to try to determine exactly what that means.
Stark’s Latest
Jayson Stark posted a new Rumblings and Grumblings column over at ESPN; it’s definitely worth a read. A summary of his trade rumors:
- GMs calling the Marlins have noticed that the team seems a little more open to trading Dontrelle Willis this year. Miguel Cabrera doesn’t appear to be under discussion. If the Marlins are out of the race in mid-July and a team ponies up with three legimate young regulars, they might be able to pry him away. The D’Backs or Dodgers could probably pull this off without damaging their current group too much.
- Stark says the D-Rays are considering promoting both Evan Longoria and Reid Brignac before the trading deadline, filling out the left side of their infield. Someone would have to be pushed out; maybe B.J. Upton to center, Akinori Iwamura to second, and Rocco Baldelli to another team. Stark reminds us of past interest by the Red Sox. And don’t forget all the interest from Atlanta in December.
- The Rich Harden trade rumors may just reflect frustration on Billy Beane’s part, and not actual availability.
- Stark also debates whether the Rangers would still be on the hook for $21MM if Alex Rodriguez opts out and then the Yankees re-sign him. Right now it’s an open question.
Perrotto’s Latest
John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus has quickly become another fine source for trade rumors. Some highlights from his latest column:
- The Twins would surrender a solid arm – maybe Jesse Crain, Juan Rincon, or Scott Baker – in return for a right-handed hitter. My own speculation: perhaps Wayne Krivsky, looking to stabilize his bullpen, would trade Edwin Encarnacion for Rincon. Rincon has been one of the best setup men in baseball for the past four years. On the other hand, Baker could really flourish in the National League and Kyle Lohse may leave via free agency after the season. Terry Ryan might want a more proven, reliable bat though. Buster Olney throws out Morgan Ensberg‘s name in his blog today.
- Some clubs already have center fielder Torii Hunter on the radar: the Red Sox, White Sox, Cardinals, and Rangers. I think there is no doubt the Rangers go in for one of the "name" center fielders this winter. I can see the Red Sox testing the waters but it would seem odd to block Jacoby Ellsbury for four or five years. Hunter is making the contract year argument, hitting .324/.358/.618 in 35 games. His previous career high in slugging was .524 in ’02.
- Perrotto confirms the finding of Michael Gluskin – Odalis Perez and Chan Ho Park are two names on the Orioles’ target list of starting pitchers. The O’s might have found some relief in the shrewd Jeremy Guthrie pickup – his last two starts against the Devil Rays and Red Sox were excellent.
Mark Teixeira Trade Speculation
Interesting trade speculation from Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News in Wednesday’s Q&A. If the Rangers – currently 14-20 – slide further out of contention, they could consider trading 27 year-old first baseman Mark Teixeira this summer. According to Grant, the bounty would have to include pitching and a Major League-ready first baseman or outfielder.
We know Baltimore covets Teixeira, so Grant’s idea of Nick Markakis and a pitcher for Teixeira could make sense on the surface. The first baseman becomes a free agent after the 2008 season, but I don’t see the Orioles sitting down with Scott Boras and working out an eight-year extension. I’m surprised we haven’t seen Teixeira’s name connected to the Angels yet; they’ve got the talent, the need, and the history of tolerating Scott Boras.
You may recall a Ken Rosenthal article from mid-March, where he paints Baltimore as quite anxious to acquire Teixeira. Rosenthal also throws the Nats into the mix since he’s a Maryland native and the team’s new ballpark will be opening. As I noted a while back, Teixeira won’t be a free agent this offseason but he won’t come cheap in ’08. His salary could jump from $9MM this year to $15MM or so through arbitration.