The Dodgers are looking for pitching and have had conversations with several teams about trades, according to Evan Drellich of MLB.com. The Mariners, Astros, Blue Jays, Indians and D’Backs are among the teams the Dodgers have spoken to. And at this point, the Dodgers are looking for one thing.
"I think pitching is the area probably – starting and relieving," manager Joe Torre said. "Whatever will tighten up what we have now."
No deals are imminent for the Dodgers, who are expected to have limited ability to add payroll. That means Dan Haren of the D’Backs ($33MM remaining on his contract) and Roy Oswalt of the Astros ($25.5MM remaining on his contract) may be too expensive for the Dodgers. Cliff Lee has a more affordable salary ($4.5 remaining), but numerous other clubs are pursuing him.
David Aardsma, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs, Kevin Gregg and Kerry Wood are among the relievers now pitching for teams the Dodgers have talked with. Starters like Brett Myers, Shaun Marcum, Fausto Carmona and Edwin Jackson could all interest the Dodgers.
i will trade you jurrjens and johnny venters for matt kemp!
That is a fair trade for both teams.
seriously? thats a fair trade?
No way…we need both those guys! How’s about Mike Dunn & Mike Minor for Kemp? Eh??
minor leaguers for a major leaguer? Not going to happen. How about Jair and Dunn?
re-thinking about it, Jair-’12 for Kemp-’11 seems kind of fair in itself since Jair is better. I say McLouth and Jair for Kemp and a B-level prospect would be nice.
What stipulation says Jurrjins is better than Kemp? Last I checked a 25 year old 5-tool, gold glove centerfielder is pretty legit, even if he did slump for a month. Course, last I checked, slumping was also allowed.
I don’t see any situation where we give up Kemp if it doesn’t net us Hanson.
Jair has an extra year on Kemp and both are pretty amazing. Also Dodgers and Kemp weren’t on great terms.
the thing is they just had a fight they got over it its done and their fine
Why not ask for Hansen AND JJ? Seriously, quit being a homer for a second. Kemp has a ton of potential, but is not hitting up snuff, his defense has been terrible, his baserunning worse, and his own organization questions his attitude and benches him for 3 days in the middle of a pennant race. JJ is cheap, young, and a stud starter who put up one of the top seasons in the game last year at age 23. His last two starts since coming back from the DL have been awesome. He can’t become a FA until 2014. It’s a perfectly fair trade – whether it’s in the Dodgers interest to do it (I think not for tactical reasons) is certainly arguable, but JJ is a premium return.
I didn’t know that June was the middle of the pennant race. I guess that means it started in April. BTW, Kemp was benched, not put on the DL.
I said benches him for 3 days – nothing about the DL. Reading comprehension is your friend.
I didn’t know that June was the middle of the pennant race
You are probably right here – without adding something LA isn’t catching anyone. Besides, games on June 27, 28 and 29 against div rivals and the Yanks don’t count in the standings. It’s really the perfect time to bench your “centerpiece”.
I misread. Nice snark.
I misread. Nice snark.
I said benches him for 3 days – nothing about the DL. Reading comprehension is your friend.
I didn’t know that June was the middle of the pennant race
You are probably right here – without adding something LA isn’t catching anyone. Besides, games on June 27, 28 and 29 against div rivals and the Yanks don’t count in the standings. It’s really the perfect time to bench your “centerpiece”.
Why not ask for Hansen AND JJ? Seriously, quit being a homer for a second. Kemp has a ton of potential, but is not hitting up snuff, his defense has been terrible, his baserunning worse, and his own organization questions his attitude and benches him for 3 days in the middle of a pennant race. JJ is cheap, young, and a stud starter who put up one of the top seasons in the game last year at age 23. His last two starts since coming back from the DL have been awesome. He can’t become a FA until 2014. It’s a perfectly fair trade – whether it’s in the Dodgers interest to do it (I think not for tactical reasons) is certainly arguable, but JJ is a premium return.
I think Marcum or Carmona would be really good fits for the Dodgers.
Marcum even more so, he’s really cheap. Would make a terrific #3 over the next few years behind Kershaw and Billinglsey.
That’s true.
Would love me some Marcum
I really like the Marcum possibility as well.
Why trade for shite Ned, get Lee and oswalt or nobody!!!! Don’t trade just to trade llike last years shite!!
Reds send the Dodgers Harang for next to nothing, he’d likely fair pretty well in the NLW and their larger parks, and then trade for Lee.
How about Guthrie and Ohman for James McDonald, Jerry Sands, and Andrew Suiter
We aren’t trading any of our top prospects for a mid-4 ERA guy and a LOOGY we ourselves cut loose last season.
Awful trade. Really awful. First off, screw Ohman. Second off, is Guthrie really any good? I havent looked this season, but I’m doubting he is any better than last season. Thirdly, Sands is the best hitter this organization has in the minors, he should be off limits unless we get back an all-star (not fan voting all-star, true level all-star) player.
It’s hard to get pitchers when your farm system is bare and you refuse to add salary.
The farm system is hardly bare. The issue is that almost all of our better prospects are 3-4 years away from being studs. The reason this is a problem is because a GM trading away his star needs to get something tangible in return for his player to avoid a fan revolt. If the Jays traded Halladay last year for a bunch of high-ceiling Low-A guys they would have nothing to show for it for the next several years and the fans would be pissed. If your team doesn’t plan to contend for a few years, we’re your best trading partner.
Again, the same tired old storyline. Of course the Dodgers have a “limited ability to add payroll.” Except for the Yankees, who doesn’t? The dollar amounts for Haren and Oswalt are for multiple years, so why not at least mention what these players would cost any team this season, so a real comparison could be made? Seems the big problem with trading for Oswalt (for any team) isn’t the money as the number of major league ready players the Astros would demand. I guess that’s not mentioned in this article because it doesn’t fit with the “Dodgers can’t spend money because of the divorce” storyline.
I dont see how LA and AZ would match up for a Haren deal. Assuming LA wouldnt want to add too much more to this years payroll – who comes back to AZ? Kemp? I dont know – i dont get it.
Maybe it could be an Ely, Elbert, and someone else deal? But thats saying LA is taking all of Harens salary as additional payroll… hmmm….
You know what would be cool for us (ie: will never happen)? We trade every last player in our farm system for Haren, Drew and Reynolds. We won’t have the operating expenses of a minor league system and they can restock. Lawls.
lol. I would probably do that if i was AZ… lol….
Ned needs to seriously drop the “Matt Kemp isn’t going anywhere” hammer. Every blogger and his mother thinks kemp is available and there just isn’t any substance behind the assumption.
How do you know? Maybe, just maybe, Ned doesn’t feel that “Matt Kemp isnt going anywhere” isnt necessarily a true statement.
Doesn’t matter if he does or doesn’t. It isn’t healthy for a team’s centerpiece to have to read this stuff, nor is it healthy for a team’s fanbase to constantly be speculating about a player who is still in uniform. Even if hes lying through his teeth he should still say it.
I can’t agree. Every player has to get used to being on the block. None are immune to being moved, at the right price. It’s one of the pressures of playing the game.
I 100% agree that it’s part of the game, but it’s one thing when a media outlet tells you you could be traded and another thing entirely when your employer does nothing to deny it. We all know we could be fired at any time, but if someone in another department suggests you are getting fired and your boss does nothing to let you know you’re wanted, you tend to not care so much if your day-to-day production is up to par.
But the media doesn’t actually know anything. Mostly they are just speculating or outright guessing. Teams can’t respond to every speculation floated by some sportswriter or blogger. Being traded also isn’t at all like being fired. It’s not like anyone is talking about Kemp being released, or traded for a bucket of balls, or even a player to be named later. If someone like him goes, it will be for top-drawer talent. IMO, if a player can’t manage that sort of pressure, then they should not be playing baseball professionally.
All that said, I hope the Dodgers stick with the Matt Kemp Project. I’d hate to see him become the star he could be playing for somebody else.
What would you guys trade for Haren if you were GM?
I don’t know, probably not a lot considering the salary overhang and the risk. How long does he have left in his contract, two years after this season? I guess it depends on whether you think he’s just having an off year playing for a lousy club, or he’s beginning to break down.
GScott is the only sensible person I’ve read on here for a while. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, G. KEMP AIN’T GOIN’ NOWHERE and if he does, The Dodgers are stupid, which isn’t saying much.
GScott is the only sensible person I’ve read on here for a while. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, G. KEMP AIN’T GOIN’ NOWHERE and if he does, The Dodgers are stupid, which isn’t saying much.
Isn’t that the whole purpose of this site? To be speculating about players still in uniform? I’m a Braves fan and I speculate about trading Braves players for other pieces all the time.
I think Guthrie, Marcum, or Carmona would look good in Dodger Blue, but they would have to part with at least 2 B-prospects for any one.
LOL, at people who want to trade for Matt Kemp. He is going NOWHERE.
Kemp is 25 and will end up with a 30/30 year. He’s under contract for one more year and I predict he will sign another extension with the Dodgers after that.
McCourt won’t own the Dodgers after 2011. Jamie McCourt will see to that. And I am sure the new owner will have deeper pockets that McCourt has.
Selig was forced to let McCourt buy the Dodgers because Fox only wanted to sell to an owner who would allow them to continue to hold their TV rights on the Dodgers. That contract is up after the 2013 season. I am sure a new owner will see the intrinsic value of that when they buy the team off McCourt.
So, bottom line is that Kemp is going to stay a Dodger, IMO.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but even when the Fox broadcasting rights expire, they don’t necessarily revert to the owners of the Dodgers, do they?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but even when the Fox broadcasting rights expire, they don’t necessarily revert to the owners of the Dodgers, do they?
hahaha Edwin Jackson. that would be GREAT.
FWIW, according to Cot’s, here’s Haren’s current financials:10:$8.25M, 11:$12.75M, 12:$12.75M, 13:$15.5M club option ($3.5M buyout)So his cost for the balance of 2010 is $4-5m and for the two seasons beyond is at least $29m. Any club taking on that commitment better be ready for disappointment (and fan outrage) if he doesn’t regain his ace form.
FWIW, according to Cot’s, here’s Haren’s current financials:10:$8.25M, 11:$12.75M, 12:$12.75M, 13:$15.5M club option ($3.5M buyout)So his cost for the balance of 2010 is $4-5m and for the two seasons beyond is at least $29m. Any club taking on that commitment better be ready for disappointment (and fan outrage) if he doesn’t regain his ace form.
I say we trade martin too… we need a new catcher…. and maybe a second baseman…. heres an idea… pursue an uggla and josh johnson trade…. or go for a miguel montero and haren trade…. we do need some clutch hitters
uggla and josh johnson for who, kershaw matt kemp and martin?
Please, I just ate, I do not need throw up my dinner from terrible trade offers.
That’s not to say I wouldn’t love to have Josh Johnson, but Uggla is a liability defensively, and Kershaw is 22 while Johnson is 25 or 26 and Johnson is MUCH more of an injury risk. Kemp is better than Uggla overall and Martin, while almost completely useless with a bat, still holds some good value.
uggla and josh johnson for who, kershaw matt kemp and martin?