In September of last year, Mike Axisa wrote this in reference to Grady Sizemore:
Curious about how untouchable Grady Sizemore is? I had to create a category for him just for this post. In the entire history of MLBTR, no one ever bothered to write any rumors about him…
Even after an offensively-challenged, injury-shortened 2009, the Indians front office is adamant about keeping the outfielder. However, an item on the ESPN.com rumors page argues that the 27-year-old won't be around by the time the Tribe is ready to compete.
Sizemore's rather reasonable deal runs through 2011 with a club option for 2012. He'll earn $5.6 this season, $7.5MM next season, and $8.5MM in the option year. It should be noted, however, that the club option becomes a player option if the three-time All-Star is dealt.
The ESPN piece suggests the Yankees, Red Sox, Mariners, and Phillies as potential suitors for Sizemore's services. Dealing the outfielder, they say, could help the Tribe bolster their pitching.
What sayeth you, MLBTR commentariat? Should Chris Antonetti & Co. move Sizemore this season?
The way the contract is built means Sizemore has far more value to the Indians than to other teams. Someone would have to overwhelm them. I don’t see someone doing that in this market.
Not to mention that Michael Brantley is a long way from being a plus CF option.
Depends on where that front office sees itself.
If they think they’re on the cusp of contending, as early as next year, they should keep him. If they don’t they should move him while his value is adequate. Yes, he has lost value recently, but it makes sense to move him before he loses anymore.
He strikes me as an injury prone outfield version of Carlos Pena, with a tad more speed and a bit less power. He just punched his ticket onto the hype train in 2007 with some webgems and leadoff HRs.
Injury prone? He’s missed only 5 games or less in each season in the major leagues, save last season. Not sure how that makes him injury prone.
Also, I doubt he’s a hyped player necessarily, you don’t usually get that type of consistent production out of center field, not to mention what appears to be pretty good defense there as well (Granted, I don’t know his UZR/150).
Carlos Pena…lol you couldn’t be further off…
Sizemore is a 30/30 player who plays plus defense in CF. He has quite possibly the 2nd or 3rd most beneficial contract to his club right now (Longoria and Agon come to mind).
For the Indians to trade him this year some club would have to offer the moon for him, next year at the all star break would be a much more likely time table for him to get traded.
Keep him. He is their for 2012 and is the type of pLayer you can build a team around.
Question for Cleveland fans.. how do people in the city feel about him. I know he was a hero in 08, but did the people get angry about his injury in 09 and write him off some, or is he still loved? His public perception, IMO, will have a lot to do with if or when he is dealt
He is still the face of the franchise and the most important player on the team. I think most people would still like him even if he was traded… it’s not his fault that the Dolans are running the team to the ground.
People weren’t mad at Grady for the injury, but rather the front office for handling it poorly. It was obvious that Cleveland wasn’t making the post-season come July, but they insisted on playing him instead of shutting him down and preventing further injury.
Keep him until the option year. At that point, Fukudome is gone, Byrd is a RF or 4th OF most likely, and the Cubs can trade for him!
this is not meant to be a biased whitesox fan because i truly DONT hate the cubs. but they simply dont have the farm system to trade for him it would literally have to be either a farm draining or a blow away type deal its all or nothing or 4-5 of your top 5 prospects for him from any team….i was only throwing out a deal for him with the whitesox but there is no way that happens….and there is no way the cubs could deal for him, they would probably have to start with starlin castro and he is as close to untouchable as it gets for the cubs without dealing with no trade and contract issues
jwsox, I get that you’re not trying to run down the cubs but I would say much like I know little about the sox farm system, you know little about our farm system. Our farm system was rated in the top 10 across the board this year and continues to improve as we finally have hendry holding onto prospects instead of trading them. We do have the pitching prospects to pull of a sizemore trade in my opinion. It would come at too high of a price though if you ask me
im sorry I never meant to come off like the sox have the farm to do it..they dont if the tribe is looking for 1-2 good pitching prospects, a out field prospect who is still raw at the plate and a catching/1st base prospect with some pop but thats about it then yea we can get the deal done…but the fact is i dont think there is a team out there with the farm system to get grady simply because they dont need to trade him
Don’t take offense to this, but I don’t think the Cubs would be able to pull off a deal either. They do have a great farm system, but it is full of position players. If they tried to acquire Sizemore, the discussions would probably start with Jay Jackson, Jeff Samardzija, and Andrew Cashner. I don’t think the Cubs would go for that at all, and they would offer one of their position players. Castro wouldn’t go because Cleveland has Santana. Vitters wouldn’t go because Chicago would want to hold onto him, and Cleveland has a great 3B prospect in Lonnie Chisenhall. I also don’t think that they would trade any of their SS of OF, because Cleveland is fine with those positions in that regard. Do the Cubs have pieces to pull off a deal? Possibly. But as you said earlier, it would come at too high a price, so they couldn’t pull off the deal.
white sox….hudson, torres, jordan danks,+ another prospectand/or mark kotsay(eating his contract) for grady….sox line up is 1 of these 2 grady-pierre-beckham-konerko-carlos-AJ-rios- teahan- alexi…..or……pierre-beckham-grady-konerko-carlos-aj-rios-teahan-alexi with jones and kotsay(if they are still there) on the bench subbing for guys every few days to keep every one rested and healthy…grady in center, rios in right, carlos in left but i doubt the indians would do a deal within the division without getting a major leagu pitcher ie John Danks or Gavin Floyd as well
You tell the Cubs fan they don’t have the system for Grady Sizemore than flip it right around and propose a trade including a talented arm in Daniel Hudson, nothing more than a mop up guy in Carlos Torres, a athletic yet extremely strikeout prone Jordan Danks and for some reason including Mark Kotsay??? Sizemore is a premier center fielder and the Tribe would have to be blown away to deal him, which certainly doesn’t consist of a solid pitching prospect, one toolsy yet raw & flawed outfielder and a bunch of filler for a stud center fielder within in division.
torres a mop up guy? did you see the games he pitched last year he was very good and showed great promise. He is still very raw but still pretty good…jordan danks is major league ready in terms of Defense and close to major league ready in terms of the bat thus the close to major league ready guy they would want i threw in mark kotsay so they could have a corner out fielder for free to fill in while brantley gets practice playing Cf and while danks gets ready and we would need to move someone to make room for sizemore…I also said that the deal would more than likely not get done with out including either floyd or john danks….I also said in the post to the cubs fan(which was actually after my proposed deal for the chi sox) I said in my post to him that i was only throwing a deal out there and that i knew it would NOT get done… the only way sizemore gets moved(WONT HAPPEN) is if it is for like I said 4-5 of a teams top prospects…and im talking teams with prospects in the top 20….I would bet the tribe will take calls and say something like this…
“Oh you want grady? well your not in the AL Central or in the AL at all so I’ll go a little bit easier on you….I want Your Top Out Field Prospect+ You Top Pitching Prospect+ Your TOP 5 infield prospect+ Another Top Out field Prospect+ another Top Pitching Prospect, someone that could step in a year or two and close for me…You got that you just might get Grady”
They DONT HAVE TO TRADE HIM…and probably will be able to extend him if they want. Once the kerry wood money comes off the table and the hafner money comes off they will have plenty of money to extend the wonder boy. And he seems like a mauer type guy will take less money they he would get in the market to stay with the team. we all know mauer could have gotten 200+ mill grady could potentially get that as well…if the whitesox want grady they would have to totally empty their farm so a deal more like john Danks+Hudson+Jordan Danks+Jared Mitchell+an infield prospect+ maybe even Bobby Janks..then turn around and move kotsay or jones somewhere else to open a roster spot…
youre talking to get him because he is soo cheap this is a johan type thing because the team to get him will have to empty their farm to get him…this also is not like the padres and gonzo, the indians might have the money to keep sizemore unless the padres make a post season push they wont be able to keep gonzo past next season
and not to mention the cubs literally dont have the farm…their farm is stock full of older hitters no real promise other than castro given that colvin is battling for a starting job
“and not to mention the cubs literally dont have the farm…their farm is stock full of older hitters no real promise other than castro given that colvin is battling for a starting job”
The Cubs’ top 5 hitting prospects (Castro, Vitters, Jackson, Burke, Lee) are all 21 or younger…
Keith Law ranked the Cubs’ farm system at 7th in baseball, while the White Sox were 29th, I believe. It’s the Sox that don’t have the farm system.
castro isnt going anywhere and neither is vitters…castro will more than likely be called up this season to play SS and more theriot to 2nd…and vitters is going to take over for aram or be moved to 1st to take over for lee
My god your post is all over the place and I don’t know where to even begin. Grady Sizemore $200 million dollar player???
Anyways I’ll stick to what I was initially talking about. Just because Carlos Torres posted one solid season of minor league baseball and beat the Cubs doesn’t really establish anything. The guy is a 27 year old “prospect” with nothing special to offer in the way of pure stuff. His curve & cutter doesn’t exactly set him apart from any other prospects and he is far from overpowering. I’m not sure what you see in the guy besides one quality season registered against AA bats. He’s nothing more than a guy that can be used for a spot start, or possibly as a long reliever out of the pen which gives him little value in a trade. Danks is a toolsy player that gets across the board praise for his D but his plate recognition isn’t improving and he’s still striking out over once a game in the minor leagues. Profiling as a lead off hitter those numbers just won’t fly in the majors, especially with little pop.
can i just say that i said that this deal wil not get done…this was more of a joke of a deal sending sizemore to the chisox…And i know that hudson and Danks still have things to work on which is exactly why they were sent to the minors and are still prospects. . Which is exactly why this type of deal wont work but at the same time when a team is re building they want to stock up on players with high ceilings and alot of potential which is exactly what hudson and danks are….so im sorry i didnt mean to upset you
and why couldnt he get close to a 200 mill contract? he is only going to be what 27 or 28 when this deal is up. He is a good hitter for average, good power hitter, good base runner and base stealer, great defensive center fielder. He is a very very very good all around hitter. Why couldnt he get a 10 yr 20 mill per deal from someone like the yankees or bosox or cubs?
What could happen is instead of letting it go to the club/ player option, Cleveland could just sign him to a contract where he receives half a million more every year getting rid of the option years and turning them into him being signed for those years. Sizemore would do this bc he gets more money and will play on a much better team. Indians would do this bc they would get so much more back for him.
Reds shouldtrade for this guy, a package of Yonder Alonso + Travis Wood + Zach Cozart should get the deal done
Yonder Alonso + Travis Wood + Juan Francisco for Grady. Get this Done Walt
im not going to lie the only name i know there is yonder alonso but I doubt that works the indians havea young guy at first he isnt that great but still…this is going to be one of those 5 for 1 type deals….hey actually now that i think of it they reds should pull a deal off for him and reunite kerry wood and dusty…then dusty can go out there and make wood throw 200 pitches and blow his arm out again
For what it is worth, I’m a Detroit Tiger fan but my heart goes out to the Cleveland fans. It’s got to be a special kind of hurt to see Cliff Lee pitch against CC Sabathia in the World Series knowing that just two years previous they both were pitching for Cleveland. Has anybody seen where that young talent and the cost savings went too in a lineup devoid of players including Victor Martinez? Even when your “rebuilding” you need exciting players that can help put fans in the seats. More fans means more money, more money means more resources to sign high draft picks and free agents. Cleveland will take a trade that “bowls them over” for Sizemore, but then again, what team wouldn’t trade any team member for that one of a kind, -thank you sucker- super lopsided trade? Cleveland signed a great player to a great contract and there is no reason to trade him. “IF” Cleveland is going to have even a chance to contend or even to look respectable they need to have Sizemore patrolling the outfield for them.
with as good a deal as the indians have for this guy they can’t trade him and get back enough…the only way to do that is extend him on some mega-deal, wait a year, and then trade him since you can’t do a sign and trade.
I highly doubt they trade Grady, I don’t even think they’ll entertain the idea. The backlash from the fans would be so severe. I mean, these people have already seen the team dodge commitment to Sabathia, Lee, and V-Mart. Then go and spend money to essentially bolster their DL. I feel that it would be a kick in the face to their fans if they went and dealt Grady.
I think “dodge commitment” is a really poor choice of words but then again you are a sox fan who probably believes the tribe should have locked up a 30 yr old Victor to an extension even with Carlos Santana ready to contribute.
Under no circumstances do you trade Sizemore. He is an elite player that should be hitting in the 3 slot and is a cornerstone of the rebuilding effort. His contract for the next three years is team friendly enough for a player of his talent.
I think the Braves have the players that would interest the Indians just not sure they would want to give up that much to obtain Sizemore. I think he is terrific.
Im a huge cleveland fan and have been forever. Grady is still loved and the new people that do go to games are huge supporters of his. If you trade him, after trading Lee, CC and Vmart, I will never go to another game.
You can only rebuild for so long, so there is no way to justify trading your best player who has a very club friendly contract.
How about the Braves as a trade partner? This is Cox’s last season and the Braves are trying to go for it all! At the moment, they have a glaring need in center and do not have a reliable leadoff hitter (2 areas Grady thrives at). The Braves have the depth in their farm system to dig in and acquire a player like Grady. They can package 2 of their top tier prospects (2 of Either Arodys Vizcaino, Julio Teheran, Craig Kimbrel, or Randall Delgado), a second tier prospect like Mike Minor, Cody Johnson or Jordan Schafer, and 1 major league talent between Matt Diaz, Melky Cabrera, or Nate McClouth. That’s an attractive package to acquire someone who the Braves will have in control for some time and an excellent return for the Indian to build off of.
McClouth is a reliable Cf which is why he won a gold glove yeah he had a down year last year but he will bounce back. But I would say this a deal that you just gave out there with McClouth+2 top guys+1mid level guy would be hard to turn down. And i think it would have to be Nate and not melky
i might be totally wrong but torii hunter’s deal is up the same time as sizemore… could be a good fit in anaheim
Probably would have to give up Vitters Brett Jackson, Jay Jackson and prolly Darwin Barney or Ryan Flaherty for my cubs to get him
yeah, lucky the tribe already has a rising shortstop in cabrera or else i’d be sure that hendry would have to add castro and subtract another player.
I highly doubt that the Indians will sign Sizemore. Though they do have more money coming off the books this season. Peralta, Wood, and Jake Westbrook are all at the end of their contracts.
He won’t be traded this season unless someone gives them the “moon.” (as someone else said on here)
The Indians want to lock up Choo and Cabrera soon if possible. The Indians offered Sabathia and Lee extensions, but didn’t offer Victor a deal. Paul Dolan, the owner of the Indians, talked about it during the Indians’ home opener on Monday.
This is dumb. I’m not an Indians fan, but I can tell you for sure that they’re not going to trade Sizemore, especially since he’s not at a peak value right now. It doesn’t make any sense on any level. Besides, if you want to rebuild, you build around Sizemore. Plus, you’ll push already frustrated Indians fans over the edge.
If both Adrian Gonzalez and Grady Sizemore were on the trading block for THIS years trade deadline; Sizemore would be worth more than Gonzalez.
They are both very good players, but to me Sizemore is absolutely the more established player. Not only that, but if he were traded in July 2010 the team acquiring him would get the rest of this year and two more FULL years at a very team friendly rate. He’s been playing full time since the beginning of 2005; and while he was hurt last year for a good part of the year, Fangraphs still rates his 2009 performance (in just 106 games) to be worth 9.6 million bucks.
To better my argument, not only will the team that would get sizemore get the extra year, but they would also get:
-a player who can hit pretty much anywhere in the lineup.
-he’s got the speed and on base skill set to hit leadoff
-he’s got the bat control and obp to hit #2
-he’s got the power to hit 3 thru 6.
-he could hit in the bottom third of the lineup but he’s too good of a player
-he plays a very good center field and has a decent arm
-he’s got a year with 33HR’s and 38 steals (there are only 4 players who are currently in the 40-40 club and he undoubtedly has the potential to join them)
-he can give his team alot of flexibility with their offense and defense with the ability to play any of position and hit anywhere in the order.
As for Gonzalez:
-He’s an excellent player
-he’s got a ton of power
-he plays great defense
-he gets on base (but i tend to think that alot of his obp is b/c he walks so much: he led mlb in walks and was second only to pujols in intentional walks. I would guess that if you give him someone like say…Youkilis, Arod, even Torii Hunter if he went to the angels he would definetly see a dramatic fall in his walks and thus his obp)
-he’s affordable for this year and next…
Overall i just think that there is no way anyone can deny either of these guys as being absolutely elite players in the game. I would personally take Sizemore b/c he is under team control for an extra year, has the ability to hit anywhere in the lineup and has produced in both the American League and under the heat of a pennant race (and has ok to good number in 43 postseason games).
And even if i’m wrong, the Indians could get incredible value back for Sizemore if they put him on the block. It has the potential to get into the 5 or even 6 players for 1 range.
Also, I read someone saying Brantley isn’t even close to MLB ready? isn’t he on the big league roster right now??? you must know more than the indians personnel and scouts?