As major league teams unveil their 2011 schedules, here are some news items….
- As Daniel Hudson improves to 6-1 with a 1.67 ERA as a Diamondback tonight, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that Hudson "probably" could have been a Brewer had Milwaukee accepted a one-for-one offer from Chicago for Prince Fielder. The problem at the time was that the Brewers projected Hudson as only a third or fourth starter and wanted more for their slugger. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 on any missed trade, but if Hudson continues to pitch well in Arizona, it will put even more pressure on the Brewers to get a big return back if they do end up dealing Fielder.
- An anonymous NL official tells Newsday's Ken Davidoff that Jose Reyes could command "one really good prospect, one solid prospect, and one or two medium-range prospects" in a trade should the Mets put their shortstop on the market this winter. This source seems in favor of a total rebuild for the Mets; he also thinks they should try to deal David Wright and Francisco Rodriguez.
- Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News cites Bronson Arroyo's durability, consistent win totals and veteran presence as reasons why Cincinnati should pick up the right-hander's $11MM option for next season.
- We've heard that the Rockies will look for a right-handed first baseman to platoon with Todd Helton next season, and ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill cites former Rockie Garrett Atkins as a possibility for the role. Atkins was non-tendered by Colorado last winter and after signing a one-year contract with Baltimore, was released by the Orioles last July.
- Interim Arizona GM Jerry Dipoto will interview for the full-time position tomorrow, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert (Twitter link).
- Any Boston fans tickled by A.J. Burnett's struggles this season might not want to crow too much, since Fangraphs' Joe Pawlikowski cites Burnett as comparable to the also-struggling John Lackey.
- Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press wonders if the Red Sox might pursue Jim Thome as a cheaper free agent DH option rather than pick up David Ortiz's 2011 option.
- Travis Buck's "organizational status is clearly at an all-time low" in Oakland, writes Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com. Buck is eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter and could be non-tendered given the number of other promising outfielders in the Athletics' system.
- If Jesus Montero can develop a solid catching glove to go along with his powerful bat, the Mariners may regret passing on New York's Montero-centered offer for Cliff Lee, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
- Blogger El Lefty Malo praises the Giants' acquisition of Cody Ross and some other recent Brian Sabean moves.
- Angels manager Mike Scioscia thinks the Halos just need a "tweaking" rather than an overhaul in the winter, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says upgrading the infield should be a top priority for the Cardinals in the offseason.
Does anyone really see Reyes getting that? Maybe I am just underrating him.
Anyways, I don’t see the Mets dealing Wright but if they decide to, AA should totally get in on that!
Wouldn’t mind getting Rodriguez if the Mets ate some of his salary.
No, and no wonder this genius is an anonymous source.
To put it in to perspective, this guy is pretty much saying that the Mets could potenially get Mike Moustakas, Danny Duffy, Derrick Robinson, and Salvador Perez for one season of Reyes. Thats completely absurd.
Also, not to continue kfetching, but David Adams ruining the deal for the M’s…Come on, when was the last time a sprained ankle hasn’t healed. If you get offered Jesus Montero you don’t pass it up Jack Z.
I agree, the sprained ankle thing was total BS. but I was on the Smoak band wagon. M’s could use a switch hitting 1B alot more than a righty power hitting catcher. Safeco = Death of RHB power.
While I agree that Adams ankle had nothing to do with he non-trade, the ankle was broken and he never returned from it. I heard somewhere that Z wanted Smoak over Montero because Smoak will be under team control during his prime when if they got Montero, he might be free at 27.
So they lock him up. Plus, its much harder to find a Jesus Montero than a Justin Smoak.
No doubt, I was just trying to explain the move. As a Yankee fan, I was very happy when the trade fell through and am very happy Jesus stayed.
Agreed. Although I still say he eventually gets traded with Betances and Adams for Zack Greinke.
Nope, no thanks. Grienke’s value has gone significantly down, and the Yanks don’t really have a need to trade prospects for a starting pitcher, when they can solve their pitching rotation ala FA, and some rookie named Nova might be starting. Besides the Yankees said they would not trade Montero for anybody, after Lee deal broke down. And the Yanks are being forced to bring up Betances along wih Banuelos. I’m pretty sure they have plans for them.
Yeah I forgot, the Yankees solve all of their problems through free agency. No seriously Henry, Betances might be one of the best pitching prospects in Baseball, but the Yankees do what the Yankees do.
Still, Grienke’s value has gone really down from a season ago, and remebe those social anxiety disorders. NY would eat him up, chew him out, smack him around, and critizize the Yanks for getting him. Betances on the other hand, I hope won’t be traded. That guy has a great future with the yanks
No one knows for sure if Greinke will fail in NY.
do you believe everything you hear? They’ve offered Montero up for everyone and their pitching coach..
I guess everyone= Lee, and Halladay. Those two pitchers are of cy young caliber. I don’t really care much if other people think montero is going to be traded, I have a good feeling he’s not.
Am I seriously the ONLY person in the whole world that thinks that Greinke’s social anxiety/anti-social condition would NOT play well in NY of all places? He’s a great pitcher, but it takes a lot of mental toughness to pitch in NY. I know he’s had therapy and it has helped him tremendously, but these psychiatric conditions never disappear fully, they simply become more manageable.
Also, I would not trade Montero for pretty much anyone. I was actually quite happy when the deal for Lee broke apart. 20 Year old catchers with passable defense and a bat that’s drawn comparisons to Miggy Cab don’t come along very often…
I never said that I think he will succeed in NY…I don’t. But I’m just saying what I think will happen. You are right though.
not a chance, besides greinke does not have the make up to pitch in NY and with his anxiety disorder its better for him for his own well being to stay in kc. He would absolutley melt down in the bronx
I just want to say this hoping many people on MLBTR read this,
A month or so ago, we had a huge post about whether Greinke would succeed if traded and I said absolutley not. But someone said that its not 100% that he’d succeed or fail. We just don’t know. So we can’t just say he is definetly going to fail in NY.
I think they would try to get soria into that deal as well…
He’s not getting traded in that deal
I’m with you man. It would have been really dumb and stupid to give up one of the bet prospects in baseball and out future C/DH/Whatever just for probably 2 months of Lee. Now we have a shot at Lee, and we still have Jesus.
I don’t care I’m glad we didn’t trade him. I’m also glad the Yankees said that they would not trade him for anybody after the Lee deal was broken down.
They offered Montero straight up for Soria
That was pure speculation. And wasn’t the supposed deal Joba + someone (not Montero) for Soria? I could be mistaken, but I think that was the general consensus, no?
*Dangled Montero for Soria straight up. Besides that speculation is probably wrong. Rumor until proven.
He won’t get that, he is very overrated. He doesn’t hit for high enough average to justify his on base percentage, his glovework needs improvement and by the way his range is way down. Reyes has that “Mets syndrome” in him, what I mean by that is things go the wrong way for him constantly, wheather it’s a slump, no hitting in clutch spots, unfortunate injuries, and he is certainly no leader or knows how to win. So they might as well trade him
The only person who would give the Mets that for Reyes would be the guy paying Reyes now, Omar Minaya.
Reyes hasn’t seen a full season since ’08, and given the fact he is going to be making $11M next year, there is no way a team gives top prospects for him now, nor should they.
Wright will not be dealt. Reyes being dealt is highly unlikely. Punch-out-Rod will be on the market though.
How about just KO-Rod?
K-Rod is like an Eevee. He can be K-Rod, BB-Rod, KO-Rod and others!
How about them two new formes? Abuseyourfatherinlaw-Rod and texyourgirlfriend56timeswhileviolatingrestrainingorder-Rod?
I love you.
The Mets have no reason to deal Wright
Jim Thome is putting up better numbers in fewer plate appearances, in an easier division…but a less hitter friendly ballpark and for 1/10th of the cost. In all honesty, what team wouldn’t want him? Sounds weird for a player who just turned 40, I know.
Isn’t it true that age aint nothing but a number? You are absolutley right.
Great Odds & Ends guys by the way. Isn’t this awesome j6takish?
I really do think Bronson Arroyo deserves his option to be picked up. He simply deserves it and is a factor for the Reds’ success this season. Great pitcher. Not a thrower.
Arroyo isn’t an elite pitcher….but you know exactly what you are getting when you sign him, and consistency in a pitcher is priceless. I just think it’s a lot for him. Especially when you have guys like Pavano and Lillly… who can (in theory) provide the same output at a fraction of the cost
If the Mets would trade Wright, which I doubt, the Red Sox should get on it. They are most likely losing Beltre in the offseason so third base will be open. Then you have Wright Pedrioa and Youk in the infield, not too bad. Maybe Theo can trick the Mets into taking Dice k too!
To get Wright it would cost the redsox Bucholtz and Top prospect.
The Sox shouldn’t and wont trade Bucholz. Plus, this Wright trade speculation is all bogus because he’s staying.
I would agree, and as a Big mets fan I would be extremely upset if they traded Wright. Reyes would make me mad but not as much as Wright
Why would reyes make you mad?? Mets are my 2nd favorite team…but if they traded reyes for a some good prospects, Id love that. He is injury prone and inconsistent…
Because as Frustrating Reyes makes me, he is still one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball and still can put up awesome numbers like he did from ’05-’08. Also, the Mets would have no one to put at SS.
Well if they can trade Reyes for some good prospects, they have Wilmer Flores who should be ready in a couple years for ss…meanwhile get a stopgap. I think they should rebuild around Wright and Davis. I just don’t see them competing with players like Pagan, Bay, Beltran.
And that anonymous NL official is probably affiliated with a team within the division. Of course they want those guys gone
Yeah really. And this guy should probably stay anonymous if he’s going to suggest such a large haul for a player with a .323 OBP who’s a free agent after next season.
I’ll trade papelbon, Anderson, bowden, Gibson for wright.lll thrw in dice-k.
No…
And what do the Mets do with Lars Anderson?
What would any team do with Lars? He might be a good org player to plug holes in the farm.
yeah. Maybe at best case scenario, an average 1B…Maybe at best, Casey Kotchman.
Kotchman at least is probably the best defensive 1st baseman, while I thought I read Anderson’s glove isn’t that great.
Your right. I meant offensive wise.
Why does everyone assume that Lars will be a nobody? He still has years to develop. It may be another Kevin Youkilis situation where Lars doesn’t get called up to play full time until he is 27. Now I doubt he will be a Youkilis but you never know. Minor league stats don’t always translate into Major League stats. Some have lit up the minors and sucked in the majors and some have been average players in the minors and lit up the MLB. I think it’s way to early to give up on his abilities.
Many people said throughout Dustin Pedroia’s life that he would end up being nothing as a baseball player and look what he turned into. It’s ok to speculate with me but to say someone is for sure going to be something, whether good or bad or average, is kinda stupid (imo) because you can’t guarantee how good a player will be until they have the chance to prove what they can do or can’t do.
Fair enough but he hasn’t lived up to expectations and has kind of been a disappointment.
Agreed.
People that said Pedroia would be nothing in baseball were saying it because he’s a midget, not because they were looking at his performance.
Your point? I already knew that, and knew it when I wrote what I wrote. My point is that if Pedroia ended being the player that he is when people said he would be nothing, why can’t Anderson do the same? Oh and if you looked purely at stats and performances then you would still say Pedroia shouldn’t be as good as he is. He just works harder than everyone else which is something Anderson could also do.
Way the mets become good is if they rebuild o get werth or lee this offseason.
And Santana comes back 110% from shoulder surgery…
and…where do you put Werth?
I think you mean if they get both Werth and Lee, I still dont think that would be good enough though…Werths numbers would decline in Citi Field.
“Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press wonders if the Red Sox might pursue Jim Thome as a cheaper free agent DH option rather than pick up David Ortiz’s 2011 option.”
Charley Walters is the most ridiculous columnist in the Twin Cities. He should be wondering where his next paycheck is coming from.
I know Brewers are desperate for pitching but a one-for-one for Dr. Huge would probably need a, you know, proven starter. No one should blame them for not taking that.
Tons of interesting stuff in this post and just as much stuff that’s laughable:
Did the White Sox really offer Dan Hudson for Prince Fielder? Perhaps, but that’s clealy an offer that the Brewers rightfully declined.
Re: Reyes and the “anonymous NL official” – classic Minaya. Reyes is a shell of his former self and is a year away from free agency. He’d probably net a “package” like Ryan Kalish and a B prospect from Boston, but that’s about it.
Re: Arroyo – “consistent win totals” as a reason for picking up an eight-figure option. Priceless. Not that I disagree with picking up the option…
Re: The COL 1B situation – the Rockies really can’t find a better platoon partner for their $18 million 1B than Garrett Atkins?
Agree wholeheartedly on Ortiz v. Thome. Decline that option, offer half that amount per year over two years to Ortiz and pursue Thome as plan B. I’d have to think Thome would salivate at the prospect of playing in Fenway Park.
Re: Montero / Lee – If the Mariners really passed on the opportunity to get Jesus Montero instead of Justin Smoak, that further tarnishes the former golden boy Jack Z.’s “legacy”. Maybe if the Mariners knew that Montero would hit .351/.396/.684 after the break, they would prefer Montero.
Only explanation for any blogger defending Brian Sabean is that the two are related or both receiving paychecks with the same logo at the top.
I like Mike Scioscia quite a bit, but I didn’t realize he’d become delusional already. “Tweaking”? I like the upside of Jordan Walden and Kevin Jepsen, but that bullpen needs serious “tweaking”. 3B is a black hole, Erick Aybar probably should be replaced given his .309 OBP and slightly below average defense. Catcher is an issue, as Napoli isn’t a legitimate big league catcher, Jeff Mathis can’t hit, and Hank Conger isn’t exactly proven. The outfield has been a disaster – Abreu has aged significantly, Hunter has hit, but now he’s a righit fielder, and the Halos have no one in center given the uncertainty around Boujos. They also have zero major league ready prospects, so seems like more than a “tweak” is needed to compete with the deep pockets that are now the Rangers.
I wouldnt want to give up Kalish for Reyes…not to mention also a B prospect. I never liked reyes, he is injury prone and inconsistent.
Thank Lord we didn’t trade Montero. I’m also glad that the Yankees said that they would not trade Montero to anybody, after the Lee deal broke down. It would have been really dumb to give up arguably the best pure hitter in the minor leagues and one of the best prospects in all of baseball and the Yanks future C/DH/Whatever for maybe only two months of Lee. Now we have a shot at Lee, and we keep Montero. I can now sleep well at night.
EDIT: Montero was easily the better offer than Smoak, but he’s good anyway, and the M’s have a bright future in their right side of their infield with Dustin Ackley, and Justin Smoak.
I liked the wave of people saying that the Yankees must have no faith in Montero because they keep trying to trade him. The have offered him straight up for Halladay and in a deal for Lee, not exactly just trying to move him haha.
Haha I know right. They only offered him in two deals, and the Yanks didn’t even sound in both of them like they were going aggresively. But do you think Montero is a lock a DH, while Romine Catches? Gary Sanchez after killing the GCL is struggling at Low-A. And Tyler Austin could even pass both of them.
I haven’t seen him catch in person, so I’m not fully sure. If he could just have Posada like defensive skills he would be tremendously valuble with his bat. Sanchez destroyed the GCL and didn’t look horrible in the NYPL. His defense is questionable from what I’ve read and despite better GCL his offense isn’t seen to have Monteros upside, which is not an insult by any means. I’m very intrigued to see how he does in low A next year. Romine looked like he tired out in his first full time catching gig, but seems like the most complete backstop of the group. I’m intrigued by Murphy as well as he us another nice bat. On AOL fanhouses top prospects at the AS break had Montero at 5, Romine at 15 and Sanchez at 25. Their C prospects are ridiculous right now.
Everybody says that if Montero played defense on a passable level like Posada, he would probably be the top prospect in baseball. But then again people like Jon Mayo, Jim Callis, and Keith Law would rank him right around 11, and give us more BS about how one scout said this, one scout said that, and especially Jon Mayo saying he’s not a Yankee hater. I think Romine will improve on defense an offense and cone back to have a strong year at AA. And the Yanks said they’re thinking of moving JR Murphy to the outfield.
Re: JR Murphy, yeah I’ve heard the universal consensus is that he’s not going to stay at C, specially with Romine, Sanchez and Montero in the mix.
As for Romine, it’s his first full season, he’s DEFINITELY tired out, he’ll bounce back next season.
As for the catching situation, until Sanchez develops his skills (which are apparently promising, but far away), I would think that the Yanks will have Romine catching 4-5 days a week with Montero catching the other 2-3 and DH-ing/playing 1st when Teix plays DH the rest of the time.
Oh, almost forgot, according to some scouts, they think that Murhpy could play at 3B as well, seeing as he is very athletic and has a strong arm. Perhaps he could be a Brandon Inge-esque player? He could start at 3B or in the OF and C on rare occasions? Versatility isn’t a bad thing! haha
Versitality isn’t a all. But the Yankees have Brandon Laird in their system even I he really needs to work on defense, and 2010 Draft pick Rob Segedin who I was happy about. He’s a potential 25 HR bat, with good defense.
Keep in mind that Sanchez is 17 years old, and playing the most demanding position on the field… he’s even younger than Bryce Harper!
Michael Pineda and Blake Beavan for Prince Fielder and Brett Lawrie could be great for both teams, Seattle needs power and a future third base, Brewers needs pitching, pitching and more pitching, their rotation and bullpen are awful, maybe the worst in MLB, OK maybe not Pineda, but Vargas , Beavan ,French, maybe Feiereband, Cleto for Prince Fielder and Brett Lawrie still great
Though the short term returns on the Hudson-Jackson trade are fairly similar, my sixth sense tells me that the decision to not trade Fielder for Hudson will look brilliant in the long run when compared to the decision to trade Hudson for Jackson.
Did this ‘anonymous’ official say the Mets would win the wild card this year too? Or that Oliver Perez would be a solid #3 starter?
Could the Angels possibly get Wright? They REALLY need to address 3B. Who could the Angels trade? Kendrick (move Callaspo to 2B), Rivera, and Trumbo and another top prospect maybe?
No thanks.
They would almost certainly have to part with Mike Trout.
That’s if Minaya/Wilpon/whoever is making the trades is smart enough to demand Trout, which isn’t a given.
I see the Angels signing Beltre or Inge
I see the Angels signing Beltre or Inge
Beltre would be a good move for the Angels. Depening on their cash flow, they should go after Cliff Lee too.
ok…so lets say the mets trade reyes…exactly who would you pencil in at SS ?
Ruben “.208” Tejada
LOL – exactly
our infield would be a 20 year old Tejada at SS…and a grumpy 34 year old Castillo at 2B..then when Castillo gets injured again…we can try out Justin Turner at 2B…or rush Reese Havens the way we did Tejada…
I love these arm-chair GM’s that wanna trade Wright/Reyes and yet cant come up with one even remotely equal alternative.
the mets fan base has to be the most suicidal, negative, depressing, racist, moronic fan-base…its like u took the worst from the red sox and the cubs and combined them into one…
yeah ya gotta believe all right…ya gotta believe in good medication if u wanna be a mets fan
maybe im just being a dreamer…but i think a large majority of our situational hitting problems are solved with just hiring back Rick Downs….firing Jerry…hiring Wally…moving HoJo to bench coach….
i think its insane that thole/ike are NOT playing winter ball this year….I think if those 2 step their game up next year…our lineup is REALLY DANGEROUS…
imagine a lineup of…
reyes
thole
beltran
wright
davis
bay
pagan
2B
P
average at best
Reyes is overrated.
I don’t think you want Thole batting second. Pitchers are going to figure him out.
Beltran sucks.
Wright is a middle of the lineup force in any lineup
Davis isn’t there yet
Bay is LOLworthy at best.
Pagan is a real wildcard…let’s see if he can repeat his ’10 performance
I’m sure they’ll spend money on a 2B that ends up being terrible.
P
wow…talk about worst case scenario x 10..
reyes is over-rated if u say he is the best SS…a healthy reyes is top 5 in my opinion.
thole’s track record so far indicates he is a punch and judy type hitter…so long as he continues to show discipline…I can see a .290/.360 OBP for thole…again…many factors play into this…but u act as if there is NO POTENTIAL for him to continue his current pace.
ok..beltran sucks…so far he is hitting .300 with 2 HR and 9 RBI’s in the past 10 games…but yeah..NO WAY he heals in the off-season and gives u career-line numbers
wright sandwiched between 2 good hitters will produce
Davis ( along with Thole ) will be best served with a good hitting instructor AND dedication to improvement. this is the one factor that does not come up in stats…
Bay more than likely will turn things around in 2011…
Pagan is as u said..the wild card…his ability to continue to produce will affect the rest of the lineup…he was without doubt the mets most consistent hitter in the clutch this year.
and im sure they wont spend money on 2B. at most they will cut Castillo (thank god)
and go with an internal option ( tejada/murphy/turner ) until reese havens is ready
Tejada isn’t a hitter. He’s shown that he can be a great defender though. Can’t deny that.
My thoughts:
-The Brewers would have been fools to accept a Hudson for Fielder trade, straight up. A half a dozen starts does not make you you a stud pitching prospect.
-There is no way the Mets could get the prospect haul described for Reyes. He’s injury prone and suffers alot of leg trouble. You take away his wheels and most of his offensive game is lost too. They could still get a couple viable prospects for him, but they’re not going to get an A+ prospect in the deal.
-Don’t trade Wright. I think he’s the only untouchable on the team. Sell high on Pagan. Stop overpaying mediocre players to big contracts. Who didn’t see Bay, L. Castillo as disasters? Get a better medical staff to protect your investment in your stars.
-Arroyo should have his option picked up. He’s a solid pitcher who eats innings and keeps your team in the game. He’s not a stud, but he’s more than serviceable.
-If Colorado can’t find someone better than Atkins to platoon with Helton, the GM should be fired.
-I disagree with taking Thome over Papi. Thome is already on record saying he choose going to the Twins to reduce his amount of playing time because he isn’t physically able to play everyday. Papi may be up and down, but he’s able to go every day.
-Someone finding it worthwhile to comment on Travis Buck’s future in Oakland is in itself newsworthy, because the player sure isn’t.
-The Angels do just need some tweaking. They need to address 3b, the bullpen, and a rotation arm. It would be great if they could get Beltre. But otherwise, they have the parts in place to succeed (considering Kendry comes back).
I 100% agree on selling high on Pagan. Pagan is a good player, but he’s not a great player–and he’s 29 years old. Swapping Pagan for a hole would also allow the Mets to sign Werth.
Werth will lose power once he leave Citizen Bank – forget him
Soooo, Hardicourt thinks Hudson is really this good? He probably thinks Zack Duke is an all-star pitcher because of how well he pitched when he first came up. Tim Wakefield too. Jeff Pico probably had a HOF career, heck he shut out the Reds in his first big league start!
Someone should tell Tom that two months does not a career make.
“anonymous NL official” – is another way of saying someone wants to rape the Mets on Reyes/Wright.
Krod is going back to the Pen…Penetitary that is
F-Rod should have always been his nickname. It fits well.
The Angels need to take Cliff Lee away from Texas, and sign Beltre too if they can. This should give them the Ace and the extra Pop to compete in 2011. Morales and Beltre would make a nice combo in the middle of that lineup.
Jared Weaver
Cliff Lee
Dan Haren
I like the sound of that. The Angels are my second favorite team, before the Bombers, and after Tampa, so I will be monitoring their offseason closer than other teams. Beltre(If he can keep up those numbers)and Morales would be dangerous in the middle of the lineup.