With a mere two and a half weeks to go before the deadline, here are your trade candidates at each position:
Archives for July 2009
Trade Candidates: Starting Pitchers
Roy Halladay's availability changes everything, because teams in search of an ace can target him instead of settling for lesser pitchers. But many arms could be moved in the next 17 days and some could even be traded in August. These pitchers, who could all conceivably be dealt, are ranked from highest 2009 salary to lowest:
- Roy Halladay, Blue Jays – At $14.25MM he's pricey, but he's one of the top pitchers in the game, capable of transforming a team's playoff chances like C.C. Sabathia did last year.
- Javier Vazquez, Braves – The rumors surrounding Vazquez have quieted lately, but he could be moved. He makes $11.5MM this year and next and can't be traded to any Western division team.
- Gil Meche, Royals – Meche makes $11MM this year and has $24MM remaining on his deal afterwards.
- Doug Davis, D'Backs – The D'Backs aren't impressed with the players the Brewers are willing to offer for their pitcher, who makes $8.75MM this year. Davis has been productive all season.
- Jon Garland, D'Backs – Another solid but unspectacular arm, Garland makes $6.25MM this year. No team acquiring him should count on receiving picks if he leaves as a free agent, because Garland has a clause in his contract that prevents teams from offering him arbitration if he has Type A stauts.
- Cliff Lee, Indians – He makes just $5.75MM this year and the Indians have an affordable $8MM option for 2010, so they'd have to see an awesome offer to part with Lee, who's following up his Cy Young season with another solid year.
- Brad Penny, Red Sox – Now that they've called on Clay Buchholz, the Red Sox once again have a surplus of big league pitchers. At $5MM plus incentives, Penny's affordable this year.
- Ian Snell, Pirates – He's pitching well in Triple A, where he struck out 17 in one game. The Pirates have tried to move Snell and his $3MM salary.
- Paul Mahom, Pirates – The Pirates have been willing to sell and Maholm's been effective this year. He makes $2MM, and has at least $11MM remaining on his deal after the year.
- Brian Bannister, Royals – At just $1.7MM, he's one of the cheaper starters out there.
- Carl Pavano, Indians – The Indians aren't contenders and Pavano has pitched better this season than he did in four years with the Yankees. He makes a base salary of just $1.5MM, but that could rise as high as $6.8MM because of incentives.
- Jonathan Sanchez, Giants – He makes less than $500k and, as we found out this weekend, he has the potential to be dominant.
Let's not forget about some free agent pitchers like Ben Sheets (may be injured), Pedro Martinez (about to sign), Odalis Perez and Paul Byrd.
None of the following pitchers are available now, but they could be if their teams fall from contention: Bronson Arroyo, Doug Brocail, Jason Marquis, Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn.
Odds And Ends: Holliday, Yabu, Bay, Latos
Some links to look through on the morning of the Midsummer Classic…
- This week's chat will take place today at 2pm CST.
- MLB.com's Mychael Urban keeps hearing about a possible deal that would send Matt Holliday, Orlando Cabrera and salary relief to the Braves for Yunel Escobar and prospects.
- The Giants released Keiichi Yabu yesterday, according to the Kyodo News. He had been pitching in Triple A.
- Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post says Albert Pujols belongs with the elite players in baseball history.
- John Tomase of the Boston Herald says the Red Sox still aren't talking with Jason Bay about an extension, but there are indications they may revisit his contract before the end of the season.
- It looks like the Padres will promote their top pitching prospect, Mat Latos, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock.
- In the second part of my Q&A with NESN.com, I discuss Pedro Martinez, Clay Buchholz and the Mets.
Pedro Martinez Rumors: Tuesday
Pedro Martinez starts his physical with the Phillies in about 20 minutes. Here are the latest rumors on the subject:
- ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says it's not a "slam dunk" that Pedro will pass the physical, but it's the only obstacle he faces and all signs point to an agreement in the near future.
- It's no surprise that David Murphy and Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News hear Pedro will sign if he passes his physical.
- Pedro told TV reporters that his poor showing last season was partially because of his father's death and his own health problems, according to Murphy.
Bankruptcy Won’t Exempt Cubs From Contracts
The Tribune Co. may take the Cubs to bankruptcy to complete the sale of their team to the Ricketts family, but the club will still be responsible for its players' contracts, according to David Roeder and Fran Spielman of the Chicago Sun-Times. Major league baseball guarantees payment on player deals, so the Cubs won't be able to avoid contracts like Alfonso Soriano's and Milton Bradley's.
A bankruptcy filing would bring the sale of the team closer to completion, but a bankruptcy judge and 75% of major league owners would still have to approve the transaction.
Victor Martinez Wants To Retire As An Indian
Victor Martinez never wants to leave the only organization he's known in his 11 pro seasons, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. V-Mart says he wants "to retire as an Indian" and can't envision himself in another team's uniform.
"This organization is great," Martinez said. "This organization has made me a better player and a better person. I love this organization."
The Indians hold a $7MM option for 2010 that they're expected to pick up, but Martinez has been involved in trade rumors this month because he's an impact bat and the Indians aren't in the race. The Indians would likely need to see a stunning offer to consider dealing him.
Odds And Ends: Pirates, K-Rod, Jackson
Some links to peruse in between home runs…
- Here are the latest minor league transactions from Baseball America.
- CBS Sports reports that Indian pitcher Rinku Singh picked up his first win as a pro. Check out Dejan Kovacevic's article on Singh's team, the Bradenton Pirates, which has players from five continents on its roster.
- Danny Knobler of CBS Sports has a source who believes a Roy Halladay deal is more likely in the winter. It's hard to imagine Halladay's value being much higher than it is now.
- Francisco Rodriguez told Kevin Baxter of the LA Times that he enjoys baseball less than he did growing up, but realizes it's a business.
- Edwin Jackson isn't bitter about his Tampa Bay Rays tenure, according to Kevin Baxter of the LA Times.
- The AP (via the Miami Herald) reports that a number of agents are pressing the Players' association to file a collusion grievance against teams.
- John Perrotto of PiratesReport.com revisits a deal that would have sent Paul Maholm to Toronto for Alex Rios in 2005 and wonders if the Pirates and Jays could make the same deal work today.
- Click here to listen to my chat with Justin Hull on 1570 The Score this afternoon.
Trade Candidates: Relievers
Just about every team could improve its bullpen and some clubs, like the Marlins and Rockies, are working aggressively to add relievers. Here are some of the names to consider, ordered from highest 2009 salary to lowest.
- Kerry Wood – He's been a disappointment in Cleveland, and the Indians owe him about $15MM before the end of next year, and possibly more in 2011.
- Rafael Soriano – Could the Braves get creative and deal Soriano ($6.1MM) or Mike Gonzalez ( $3.5MM), who will also become a free agent this winter.
- Danys Baez – At $5.5MM, he's an expensive option, but he could help a contender.
- LaTroy Hawkins – He's been effective in 38 appearances for the Astros, who are still in contention and may hold onto Hawkins ($3.5MM) and fellow reliever Jose Valverde ($8MM).
- Rafael Betancourt – He's still nowhere near as effective as he was in 2007, but Betancourt's pitched well enough this year; he'll make $3.35MM this season.
- Russ Springer – He's been hittable, but he can still strike major leaguers out. He makes $3.3MM this year.
- George Sherrill – Affordable and effective, Sherrill ($2.75MM) is under team control through 2011.
- Chad Qualls – The D'Backs already traded Tony Pena, so they may be reluctant to part with Qualls, who makes $2.5MM this season.
- John Grabow – Makes $2.3MM this year, before hitting free agency this winter. He's pitching well, but his control's been off this season.
- Matt Capps – Like Grabow, he makes $2.3MM this year, but Capps will likely hit free agency after 2012.
- Juan Cruz – Still tough to hit, but not as effective as last year, Cruz makes $2.25MM this year and more in 2010.
- Joe Beimel – The 32-year-old lefty makes $2MM this year. He's pitched well, but not quite as well as his 3.57 ERA suggests.
- Takashi Saito – A relative bargain at $1.5MM plus incentives, especially when you consider the affordable team option for next year.
- Heath Bell – At an affordable $1.3MM, the All-Star closer would be appealing to many clubs, especially since he's under team control through 2011.
- Cla Meredith – By far the cheapest option on this list at just $431k, he's had three respectable seasons in a row since his breakout 2006 campaign.
The Twins, Angels, Rangers, Phillies, Rockies and Dodgers are among the teams that could make deals to improve their respective ‘pens.
Pedro Martinez To Take Physical For Phils
2:57pm: Martino says Pedro's physical will take place tomorrow morning at 10am CST.
11:52am: Andy Martino reports that Pedro landed in Philly for his physical.
10:37am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that the physical will take place tomorrow, which means Pedro could sign as soon as Wednesday. Pedro, who should be ready for the majors in about three weeks, is expected to sign for less than $5MM prorated.
8:42am: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says Pedro will fly to Philadelphia today and take a physical today or tomorrow. Martinez should sign in the coming days if he passes his physical.
1:35am: WCAU-TV's John Clark is reporting that Pedro Martinez "may be touching down in Philadelphia Monday to meet with Phillies officials." Tentative phrasing, but enough to catch ESPN's eye. That Marc Stein ESPN article credits Jayson Stark with some info as well:
After arriving, it is believed Martinez will take a physical, which appears to be the final obstacle standing in the way of the 37-year-old right-hander signing with the Phillies for the remainder of the season.
I'm thinking Pedro will get a couple million bucks, and we'll all talk about the prorated amount to make him feel better. If a deal is reached, does Martinez have enough left in the tank to bring down the Phils' 5.04 rotation ERA? The team's high-octane lineup would be paired with a rotation of Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ, Jamie Moyer, and Martinez. I'm curious to see where Pedro would slot into the playoff rotation should the Phillies' four-game division lead hold up.
More food for thought: ESPN's Buster Olney said Thursday that a Pedro signing wouldn't affect a Roy Halladay pursuit. Would Moyer be the odd man out in the event of a deal, despite the money owed to him through 2010?
Odds And Ends: Chapman, Nats, Buehrle
More links for the afternoon…
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney believes the Phillies should let the Blue Jays take three A prospects, one B prospect and one C prospect for Roy Halladay.
- The Nationals point to the positives in this letter to their fans.
- Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman chose an agent, according to the AP (via ESPN).
- As Mike Viera of the Washington Post notes, Mike Rizzo's goals for the 2009 Nationals aren't based on win totals.
- Mark Buehrle told Derrick Goold that he'd like to wear a Cardinals jersey for one day.
- And there are some radio appearances to let you know about. I'll be on 1570 The Score at 4:05 CST, 830 KLAA in LA at 6:05 CST and FirstInning.com at 7:05 CST.
- And check out my thoughts on Roy Halladay over at NESN.com.
