ESPN: White Sox Alfonso Soriano Trade?
Breaking news from ESPN is that the White Sox are "extremely close" to acquiring Alfonso Soriano. It seems that Brandon McCarthy is the main piece of the deal.
The result would be a Murderer’s Row with five players currently slugging .539 or better: Thome (.632), Dye (.620), Soriano (.594), Konerko (.555), and Crede (.539). The Sox already lead baseball in home runs with 146.
What’s more, ESPN also reports that Kenny Williams is looking to strengthen his bullpen by sending 23 year-old southpaw Double A starter Tyler Lumsden to the Royals for Mike MacDougal. Lumsden isn’t striking anyone out, but still has a 2.69 ERA for Birmingham. He had elbow surgery in January of last year.
MacDougal has thrown four scoreless innings for the Royals since returning from a shoulder strain. He was able to cut his walks to a reasonable level last year and had his best season.
UPDATE: MacDougal is a done deal. Another pitcher was added to complete the trade.
Trade Rumor Roundup: 7 Days Left
Here’s the latest from around baseball…
Dejan Kovacevic mentions that the A’s are considering Sean Casey. Casey’s doing his usual good batting average/low slugging thing and he’s getting $8.5MM for it. The combined efforts of Dan Johnson and Nick Swisher have been inadequate at first, but would Casey really help? Johnson is hitting .485/.575/.848 in 33 Triple A at-bats; maybe he deserves another look. The Athletics, who are dead last in the AL in slugging, wouldn’t be helped by adding the powerless Casey. They need Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, Pat Burrell, or even Raul Ibanez to make a difference.
The Yankees have decided to hold on to Philip Hughes, and the Phils aren’t biting on whatever else they offered. According to George King, the Yanks think assuming Abreu’s contract and exercising his option should be enough. Still, it would be cool to see a nasty young Phillies rotation in 2008 with Hughes, Cole Hamels, Gio Gonzalez, and Scott Mathieson.
Also, I’m hearing that WPEN in Philadelphia has mentioned a trade rumor: Tom Gordon for Trot Nixon. Nixon is a good hitter (.400 OBP), though he’s 32 with declining power numbers. Given that Flash would be hands down the best reliever on the market, I’d expect the Phils to get more.
Kenny Williams didn’t deny the recent Soriano rumor, so now you know it’s legit. Kenny has been pretty shrewd with the media, so this is probably all part of his plan. Despite word of a possible contract extension with Washington, Buster Olney all but assured us of a Soriano trade in today’s blog.
Also, Olney nixed the A-Rod to the Cubs idea, explaining that Rodriguez is a bargain in the Yankees’ world. This column is kind of weird to me. Phil Rogers almost seems like he’s just cooked up a brilliant scenario or something, with Aramis Ramirez and Jacque Jones being swapped for A-Rod. Thing is, Bleed Cubbie Blue broke out this exact trade rumor three weeks ago.
RotoAuthority has a look at which pitchers have been abused this season.
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
Another day, another rumor roundup. Let’s throw everything fresh into the mill.
The Orioles are thinking about taking on one of Philly’s huge outfielder contracts, for some reason. I guess this could help next year’s push for third place. Baltimore is one of baseball’s most baffling teams to me. Abreu rumors have been floating around the Orioles since at least November.
The Cubs and Yankees may have something cooking, with Scott Williamson the likely candidate to be dealt. If the reliever market is really so inflated, why don’t the Cubs trade Howry and Eyre?
The Pirates are offering up all sorts of non-difference makers, but Mike Gonzalez could actually get them something decent. The 28 year-old southpaw has a 2.27 ERA in 39 innings this season. Fantay leaguers should start thinking about Matt Capps as his successor.
Trade rumor All-Star Ken Rosenthal is getting into the game more lately, with a full plate of whisperings posted an hour ago. Jose Vidro could become a Giant, and the D’Backs would love to trade Shawn Green (of course).
Unfounded rumors: Billy Beane may be shopping Mark Ellis and Jason Windsor, with possible interest in Brian Roberts…the Angels could be after David Dellucci…teams are calling the Mets about Alay Soler…Dallas McPherson is definitely on the block…there’s a decent chance Jon Lieber ends up a Yankee…the Mets and Nats are still talking about Livan Hernandez.
Nats’ Soriano Demands Revealed
According to Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press, the Nationals want three good prospects in return for Alfonso Soriano. As much as critics panned it, you have to admit that Jim Bowden is sitting pretty after his Wilkerson/Soriano deal.
23 year-old Tigers prospect Humberto Sanchez would apparently be the centerpiece of the deal. Sanchez dominated Double A for 11 starts this year before earning a promotion. Sanchez has been far more hittable in Triple A, and his strikeout rate slipped quite a bit. Still, it was an aggressive promotion. Sanchez’s stuff is described as "a shade behind Verlander’s and Zumaya’s" when he’s at his best, according to Baseball America. They project him as a "solid, middle of the rotation starter."
Brent Clevlen was actually ranked higher than Sanchez coming into this season. The 23 year-old rightfielder has good raw power but is hitting just .223/.303/.343 in 89 Double A games. Jair Jurrjens of Curacao is just 20 years old. He was promoted to Double A in June after 12 dominant starts, and his success has with a 2.78 ERA despite a 1.39 WHIP in 32 innings.
We know that the Angels are unlikely to part with their big-name prospects. The Yankees will need to surrender Philip Hughes and more. The Mariners are a dark horse, with players like Adam Jones, Chris Snelling, and Rafael Soriano likely to be desired.
Reds Send Kearns, Lopez To Nats In Blockbuster
I was fairly baffled by this trade. How in the world does swapping out Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez for Gary Majewski, Bill Bray, Royce Clayton, and Brendan Harris make the Reds a better team this year? (Ryan Wagner and Daryl Thompson were also swapped in the deal). Let’s analyze.
Lopez is a below average defensive shortstop. He’s probably amongst the five worst defensive shortstops in the game, as indicated by The Fielding Bible. The Reds are ranked just 12th in the league in defensive efficiency this year. Still, Royce Clayton is no defensive whiz at this point – he’s probably only a shade better than Lopez. So unless Krivsky has some fielding metrics that say otherwise, the gains on defense are minimal. And if both players keep hitting like they have been this year, the Reds lose a full win on offense.
As for the bullpen additions, I’m less impressed after I look more closely. Majewski is a 26 year-old reliever who does not miss bats (career K rate of 5.3 per nine). He’s also generous with the free passes. While he may have squeezed into the list of the ten best setup men last year, he’s not the most reliable option. 23 year-old southpaw Bray is more potential than results thus far, and he hasn’t shown much ability to shut down left-handed hitters. He’s got good stuff, but he’s still just a reliever.
Brendan Harris is a good little player; maybe he’ll be starting at second base for the Reds next year if Brandon Phillips moves over to shortstop. Righty starter Daryl Thompson is just 20, and adds needed depth to the Reds’ farm system. Still, neither has been making anyone’s top prospect list.
I tried to defend Wayne Krivsky a bit at first, but this trade just looks bad. The more I dig in, the less I like the players he acquired. And if the Reds – 1.5 games out of the wild card – don’t make the playoffs by a couple of wins, this trade is the reason.
For the Nats, Kearns would not be a bad option at all in center field. He’s got good range and a good arm. His power potential remains huge, and though RFK will dampen his stats. Great American Ballpark inflates right-handed home runs by about 15% while RFK deflates them by over 20%. This could cost him 5-6 homers annually.
Lopez is seeing his power numbers slip this season as he continues to pound the ball into the ground more than half the time he makes contact. The steals don’t add much value. Strip it down and mostly you’re left with one asset: the ability to draw a walk in 10-12% of his plate appearances. That’s a good thing, but it doesn’t outweigh the negatives. The idea of unloading Lopez made sense, but the execution was poor.
Go over to the Hardball Times to see Aaron Gleeman’s excellent take on the deal.
Reds Send Kearns, Lopez To Nats In Blockbuster
I was fairly baffled by this trade. How in the world does swapping out Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez for Gary Majewski, Bill Bray, Royce Clayton, and Brendan Harris make the Reds a better team this year? (Ryan Wagner and Daryl Thompson were also swapped in the deal). Let’s analyze.
Lopez is a below average defensive shortstop. He’s probably amongst the five worst defensive shortstops in the game, as indicated by The Fielding Bible. The Reds are ranked just 12th in the league in defensive efficiency this year. Still, Royce Clayton is no defensive whiz at this point – he’s probably only a shade better than Lopez. So unless Krivsky has some fielding metrics that say otherwise, the gains on defense are minimal. And if both players keep hitting like they have been this year, the Reds lose a full win on offense.
As for the bullpen additions, I’m less impressed after I look more closely. Majewski is a 26 year-old reliever who does not miss bats (career K rate of 5.3 per nine). He’s also generous with the free passes. While he may have squeezed into the list of the ten best setup men last year, he’s not the most reliable option. 23 year-old southpaw Bray is more potential than results thus far, and he hasn’t shown much ability to shut down left-handed hitters. He’s got good stuff, but he’s still just a reliever.
Brendan Harris is a good little player; maybe he’ll be starting at second base for the Reds next year if Brandon Phillips moves over to shortstop. Righty starter Daryl Thompson is just 20, and adds needed depth to the Reds’ farm system. Still, neither has been making anyone’s top prospect list.
I tried to defend Wayne Krivsky a bit at first, but this trade just looks bad. The more I dig in, the less I like the players he acquired. And if the Reds – 1.5 games out of the wild card – don’t make the playoffs by a couple of wins, this trade is the reason.
For the Nats, Kearns would not be a bad option at all in center field. He’s got good range and a good arm. His power potential remains huge, and though RFK will dampen his stats. Great American Ballpark inflates right-handed home runs by about 15% while RFK deflates them by over 20%. This could cost him 5-6 homers annually.
Lopez is seeing his power numbers slip this season as he continues to pound the ball into the ground more than half the time he makes contact. The steals don’t add much value. Strip it down and mostly you’re left with one asset: the ability to draw a walk in 10-12% of his plate appearances. That’s a good thing, but it doesn’t outweigh the negatives. The idea of unloading Lopez made sense, but the execution was poor.
Click here to see the fantasy take on this trade over at RotoAuthority.
Go over to the Hardball Times to see Aaron Gleeman’s excellent take on the deal.
Angels Trade Rumors: Alfonso Soriano and More
I spoke to my Angels source recently, and he had all sorts of good info about the team.
A recent hot surge has landed the Halos just two games out in the AL West. Because of this, GM Bill Stoneman is upping his demands and won’t cave in and send any of his future stars to the Nationals for Alfonso Soriano. The Angels are pleased with 28 year-old Juan Rivera and think he’s developing into a big bat in his own right. Rivera is hitting .277/.337/.505 on the season and has had a blistering July. Baseball Prospectus considers him most similar to Lou Piniella at the same age, though Rivera has more power.
Most of the Angels’ top prospects are untouchable: Nick Adenhart, Jose Arredondo, Howie Kendrick, Joe Saunders, and Brandon Wood won’t be moved (click their names to view their minor league stats this season). A couple of excellent young players who could be used in trades this month or in the offseason: Jeff Mathis and Erick Aybar. Aybar’s big league showcase didn’t generate the interest Stoneman wanted, and a Mathis became expendable with the emergence of Mike Napoli.
Some other players who have a good chance of being dealt are Brendan Donnelly, J.C. Romero, and Dallas McPherson. On McPherson, my source says he "would’ve been the centerpiece of a Soriano trade had he not been hurt." Mathis, Aybar, and McPherson will bring a fine bounty eventually, whereas the two relievers will be used more to acquire spare parts.
Nats Want Milledge for Livan
I find it almost comical that Jim Bowden would demand Lastings Milledge in a trade for Livan Hernandez. I know he wants to save his job with the next Scott Kazmir deal, but c’mon now. The Mets aren’t that desperate, are they?
Hernandez has an ERA over 6 and is only 31 years old in theory. He makes $8MM this year and $7MM the next. Whether or not Milledge is worthy of all the hype, the Mets could do a lot better. I still think Livan will come around and could help the Mets, but at that price they need look at internal candidates instead.
Milledge is at .284/.440/.447 in Triple A at age 21. The 17% walk rate is an excellent development, and you have to figure the 20 HR power will come with time.
The Nationals do need to find a way to stock up one of baseball’s worst farm systems. Hernandez, Jose Guillen, Alfonso Soriano, Nick Johnson, and Brian Schneider should keep the hot stove boiling all summer.
Nats Fire Sale?
Interesting article from Ken Rosenthal today. He mentions how the Nationals’ new management, in an attempt to build long-term could consider trades for Livan Hernandez, Jose Guillen, Alfonso Soriano, Nick Johnson, and Brian Schneider.
Johnson could bring an incredible bounty, especially if he continues to hit for this kind of power and stays healthy. Back in March, Jim Bowden signed Johnson to a deal well below his market value.
PECOTA calls for another nice year for Hernandez, though no one could’ve seen all of these HRs allowed coming. We could be looking to a season akin to his 1998 if this keeps up. Still, a team with a significant void in the rotation like the Mets could gain a few wins with him. Same goes for Guillen, who can handle either outfield corner capably. Should be a fun team to watch from a trade rumor perspective; I’ll try to establish some sources.