In our post on the free agent market for second basemen, we named nine clubs that may be looking for help at the position this offseason but only a handful of solid regulars. Let's see how the trade market changes the supply.
Big Contracts
Chone Figgins (at least $26MM through 2013), Luis Castillo ($6MM in 2011), Carlos Guillen ($13MM in 2011), and Dan Uggla ($10MM+ in 2011) fill our well-compensated bracket of second base trade candidates. The Mariners moved Figgins from third to second base this year, and he posted a .259 batting average but still drew 74 walks. He could be swapped for another undesirable contract. Castillo is owed less and was pretty good in 2009, but carries a negative reputation. Guillen, who logged 393 innings at second this year, is viewed by Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski as a "jack of all trades." That's a pricey utility man, and his stock is further depressed by September knee surgery.
Uggla is included here but is not necessarily available. Perhaps he will be if the Marlins fail to extend him.
Utility Types
Jamey Carroll ($1.8MM), Skip Schumaker ($2.7MM), and Tony Abreu are utility types who can probably be had. Carroll posted a career-best .379 OBP this year. Abreu has crushed Pacific Coast League pitching in recent years, but hasn't performed in the bigs for Arizona.
Non-Tender Candidates
As mentioned in the free agent post, Jose Lopez, Ryan Theriot, Clint Barmes, Mike Fontenot, Willy Aybar, and Jeff Baker are non-tender candidates and therefore trade candidates. In the cases of Lopez, Theriot, Barmes, and Aybar, teams can just wait for the December 2nd non-tender deadline unless they would prefer to avoid competition from other free agent bidders. Fontenot and Baker could be tendered contracts.
Summary
I don't expect the Marlins to move Uggla this winter. Unless they do, the trade market adds only a few bad contracts and utility men to the second base hot stove picture.
You can probably add Jed Lowrie to the list as a utility type since he’s also played regularly at short and third as well but will probably end up being a second baseman. I’ve heard rumors he’ll compete against Scutaro for the starting shortstop but I’d be surprised if Theo doesn’t listen to offers or even throw him in as part of a big deal.
Yeah.. No wonder kept seeing his name being mentioned. Scuttaro even is better than virtually all those guys, except for Uggla. Why not just see what He would bring and keep Lowrie for SS with such a bare 2B market and insert Lowrie at SS in Boston like was planned 2 years ago?
While I don’t mind seeing Lowrie occasionally starting a game at short, I cringe at the thought of him being there as a regular. Lowrie’s really is more of a second baseman than a shortstop.
Is it because of his range? he does seem to not have a bunch of it there, though does not seem to have problems handling ones he gets to much and it *should* only be for 1- 1 1/2 years at the most, then have a super utility guy that they have needed for years, capable of playing everywhere in the IF.
Scutaro, with this limited market may actually have some interest, it really looks dire. Full of over the hill gang, to people that stay injured, to ones like Uggla that would require a teams TOP prospects in exchange.
Unless Boston could get something really sweet back for Lowrie, would really hate to move him yet, but only 1/2 season back from missing the last 1-1/2 years from multiple problems, hard to see that and would hate to see a potential AS 2b with power moved for a middle reliever.
i’m near certain that Mark Ellis will get his optioned picked up at 6mil then be shopped for more of a powerbat
Ferrariman what do you think about this…Prince Fielder to the A’s.
If any team has the pitching to make a such a deal happen, it’s the A’s.
They already have Daric Barton and his gaudy OBP and good defense at firstbase. although if Price was to DH(which i doubt he would want to), it could work. Rather see them sign an actual DH though such as Adam Dunn.
Well obviously I was thinking about the A’s signing Dunn as well, but I was thinking the Brewers could be interested in Barton plus Mazzaro and a few others. Regardless Ferraridawg, I’m really excited about the A’s off-season. It’s going to be interesting. They are still my dark horse for one of the big free agents i.e. Dunn for example and some roster shakeups and trades.
Doubt A’s would part with Barton to land Fielder, a rental.
1. They have Chris Carter
2. They have Prince Fielder for a year who could either get them a World Championship and 2 draft picks or both.
3. They can trade Prince at the deadline for 2 top prospects that can help their team otherwise.
i could see Mike Aviles being shopped.
For what exactly?
what do the Royals need?
not much because their farm system is loaded and the best in Baseball. They really dont need to trade Aviles.
true, but there will be interest in him.
i don’t know. He really doesn’t offer much defensively. The bat is nice but we’ll see. I could see a team like the A’s picking him up for maybe someone like Jerry Blevins.
If my shortstop was Adam Everett, or the 2009 version of Jhonny Peralta, I’d be interested.
loleverything
What DON’T the Royals need?
Actually, with the best farm system in Baseball which is extremely loaded and almost here, the Royals don’t need a lot. Just some stop gaps and patience is what they need.
they don’t have many top outfield prospects.
They do. Derrick Robinson, Darian Sandford, Anthony Howard, Cheslor Cuthbert might be an OF, Tim Smith. But if any position they could use, it’s an OF. You’re right Ferrariman.
Those kids you mention are more “second tier” prospects, like Jarrod Dyson–who we got a look at in September–and not legit prospects, like DeJesus and Johnny Damon were for KC years ago. I’m not excited about any of their OF prospects but Myers, Hosmer, Montgomery and Tim Collins are intriguing. Mike Moustakas is as well, but I’d love for him to draw a walk once in a while or he’ll end up being just another Jeff Francoeur type.
Derrick Robinson and Cuthbert are definetly legit. As are lamb, dwyer, keating, colon, giavotella, Duffy, Perez, Coleman, and Hardy among others.
I wish I could share your optimism, buddy, but years of watching “top prospects” fail has rendered me jaded. When I enlisted in the Army in the 1990s, I had a baseball card book full of “upcoming prospects” which enabled me to get the first cards ever made of guys like Chipper, Jeter, Piazza and Abreu, but I had far more cards of guys like Josh Booty, Brien Taylor, Reggie Taylor, Chad Hermanson, Decomba Conner, Casey Whitten, Daron Kirkreit, Alvie Shepherd, Eugene kingsale, Shon Walker–flameouts. The Royals system is unquestioning well-stocked. I just hope most of them succeed, like Billy Butler, and aren’t ruined like Alex Gordon. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, hoping Gordon finally figures it out in 2011 (Kevin Seitzer seems to speak a language the Royals understand) and becomes the “next George Brett” he was supposed to be.
just because their farm system is the best in baseball does not mean it will translate into the bigs out of the large number of rookies that made their big league teams this year how many of them have legit done something to help the club….5 maybe 6 in each league?…also how are you basing that they have the best system by the number of wins their farm teams have? or by what royals scouts are saying? or by what independent scouts are saying?
well having like 8 top-100 prospects is a good standard to judge the Royal’s farm system.
A farm system is judged on its ability to produce major-league talent that helps you win games. Until the Royals actually post a winning record I will assume that their farm system is worthless.
Are you kidding me? Seriously. Is that a joke?
No, it is not a joke. The Royals have had only one winning season since 1994 and should have been really loading up on talent with all of their high draft picks. I understand you can’t have “instant” success but 16 years is plenty of time to draft talent and put together a respectable major league team.
okay well now its finally in the system and will be here soon. Can’t look back in the past you have to take what you get and be patient and excited right now which is what we and they are doing. The Royals could have all of these guys up by 2012/13.
well developing 8 top 100 prospects is a good way to start winning ballgames at the majors. you can’t have instant success.
Are you serious?
You beat me to it. As a Royals fan, I want to see Mike “Channeling Chuck Knoblauch” Aviles out of KC. He can’t throw the ball accurately to first–not even from second base–and with Billy “The Human Statue” Butler at the initial sack, the Royals need infielders that can hit their mark. They have a good 2B in Chris Getz, but he must have been playing sly with Trey Hillman’s wife or something, because that moron never gave Getz a chance.
Alberto Callaspo is another possibility if the Angels spend on upgrading at 3B (i.e. Beltre).
maybe they should keep callaspo and trade isturisz…Callaspo is at least a better hitter.
callaspo was absolutely terrible the last month and a half of the year. i think the only thing that Callspo is superior at to Izturis is that he doesnt get injured like Izturis does
Wow! Carlos Guillen is due to get $13M in 2011? He’s got a spot on the All-Bad-Contract Team for sure, even with two good knees. Dombrowski may view Guillen as a “jack of all trades”, but I see him as a “Carlos who is stealing money”.
Guillen has the last of Dombrowski’s $ 80 million worth of bad contracts. A bad contract, in my world, is one that no other GM would take away, even for free. The rest of DD’s bad contracts are coming off the books this winter, but he’s already threatening to retain Inge and Peralta.
I’d take Figgins, contract and all, as long as it doesn’t take a lot to get him. Not my money, but I’d rather have Figgins back at third, and batting in the 2 slot for $ 9 mil per year, than Inge batting 8th for $ 6.6 mil per year! I’d also rather buy low on Figgins than buy high on Beltre.
I don’t understand what happened to Figgins in Seattle. I’m thinking he lost the protection of Angel’s line up and that Go-Go attitude, two components that’s missing with the M’s. Possibly he’s trying to justify the contract, but he’s just not the same guy. He may be a better fit in Mo town, playing with better hitters and under a manager that plays old school baseball. I totally agree with your thinking.
I’d definitely take a chance on Figgins (I think he’s perfect for Toronto). And for that matter, I’d consider J. Lopez’s offensive skills. Seattle was just soooo bad last year, I think it affected everyone on that team. I think literally every position player had an off year, or an underwhelming year (even Ichiro). Put Figgins on a better team and I bet he goes back towards his career averages. Same with Lopez if you can live with his defense. Seattle would have to eat a good chunk of Figgins’s contract and I think I like him better at 3b, but I’d trade for him.
I would bet there is a big market for figgens…depending on what the whitesox do with brent morell i could see kenny going after him..But i bet there will be a good amount of teams calling about him, asking the M’s to eat a good portion of his deal. and slotting him back to 3rd….its obvious that him being uncomfortable at 2nd hurt his game….and please I dont want to hear a single person say it was because of his park…that park is built for guys like chone and ichiro..Now Chone could stay, move back to 3rd and if they can get some pop or just a ew more consistant bats there and one more pitcher they might be a WS caliber team like we all thought they were going to be coming out of ST
I wouldn’t call Fontenot a non-tender candidate. He made only $1M this year, and is under team control for three more years. With Uribe possibly departing, Renteria definitely departing, Sandoval’s struggles, and Sanchez’s injury history, I’d be surprised if the Giants didn’t tender him a contract. They clearly feel confident enough in his ability to play third to put him in a playoff game, and since he’s already spent time at short and second, I’d expect the Giants to retain him for $1.5-2M as a useful left-handed bat and utility player/full-time replacement if someone else isn’t playing. The other option is Ryan Rohlinger, who would be cheaper (but not by much) and is probably a better defender but doesn’t hit nearly as well and is yet another RHH.
aaron hill could be a name worth thinking about too, AA has shown he will explore trades in the past, and is yet to get seriously burned.
and Kelly Johnson and Rickie Weeks.
The thing is, if you move Aaron Hill then who plays 2B? They don’t have any future 2nd baseman in the farm and why move him when his value is at an all-time low?
No Way AA move Aaron….he is going to bounce back and the jays need his bat in the middle of the line up ad his D in the middle of the field…he is pretty cheap all things considered and still young and locked up no point to getting rid of him
Would Brian Roberts be attractive to teams this offseason?
hell yes. Cardinals better at least inquire. Although i don’t think the O’s are into moving their franchise player even if he is like 33 and declining.
Well L.J. Hoes will determine that, but assuming the Cardinals at least offer some attractive pieces, they could work out a deal. A lot of teams could actually be interested. With all of that said, I don’t think the Orioles are going to move Roberts, but assumnig he is expected to have a comeback season next season he might be moved at the deadline. Just having some fun though, I wonder what the Cardinals could offer…Eduardo Sanchez maybe, Dan Descalso, Cody Stanley, Jermaine Curtis are some prospects that could interest the Orioles. Adron Chambers is another guy. The Cards also have some relievers on their MLB roster that they can dangle like McClellan. What about this, Casey Mulligan, Eduardo Sanchez, Niko Vazquez, and D’Marcus Ingram for Roberts?
replace Sanchez or Mulligan with Adam Reifer or Fernando Salas and i would do it.
also, i don’t think they can trade Stanley until midseason because he was drafted THIS year.
Can’t do that. Sanchez and Mulligan need to be the centerpiece. Stanley was traded this year? My bad.
i’m not exactly sure why the O’s would want 2 closing prospects in the same trade. that doesn’t seem to make much sense to me. how about: Lynn, Sanchez or Mulligan, Daryl Jones
neither Lynn or Jones impress me at all. Jones used to, but not anymore.
Sanchez and Mulligan are not definetly closers. One could set up and one could close or both could set up. I still say Sanchez, Mulligan, Vasquez, and Ingram but thats just me. If your reluctant to give them up I understand.
i’m reluctant to give up both Sanchez and Mulligan. fine with giving up one. why doesn’t Lynn even somewhat impress you? he had a pretty bad season this year, but he also dealt with some injuries and made it all the way to AAA in 1 year.
ok how about this…Mulligan or Sanchez, and Dan Descalso+blake hawksworth
Didn’t know he dealt with injuries my bad
doubt it the cards farm is thin already, if they were to get a 3rd team involved again maybe but doubtful….i dont see the cards making very many if any trades this winter…well except for colby rasmus to the whitesox for mark buehrle, mark teahan, jordan danks, and another minor leaguer(not named vicedio or morell or sale)
come on man. Seriously? Mark Buerhle? Mark Teahen? Jordan Danks? What?
Yeah wouldn’t every team want to deal a young, talented, 5 tool centerfielder under control for 4 years for a bunch of average players while taking on tons of payroll?
dude i was honestly kidding…..and to the STL cards, obviously kenny williams would have to pay for all of their contracts while handing the cards like 1 mill in cash too… jesus
Gotcha
I agree that it’s doubtful they would move Roberts since he’s one of Angelos’s boys. But I can’t see the Cards taking on Roberts salary given how much they already ahve to pay Carpenter, Pujols, Wainwright, and Holiday.
I can see Brandon Phillips being avalable. He supposed to make 11 mil next year
I’m guessing The Cardinals won’t be interested!
Okay so he’s getting 11 Mil next year, so what.
He is one of the Reds most valuable players why should they trade him?
I said I can see him potentally being avalable. 11 Mil is a lot for a Small market team
If Valaika turns out an impressive spring training then I can see Brandon being traded. His mouth and attitude from time to time is not something they want rubbing off on the young guys. Valaika was voted as the best defensive second basemen last year in AAA. He also has the bat to play at the MLB level.
yeah no way, he is young and very good, plus the reds are an over all young team look for them to be in compete mode for a while, no way they get rid of brandon
Could the Cubs pull a fast one on Seattle again and send Fukudome out west for Figgins? Would that even make sense? (I say yes just to get rid of Kosuke)
Kosuke would probably approve a trade to the M’s to play with Ichiro. what if they got fukudome and signed matsui? that would be pretty cool.
And if they signed Kaz Matsui, Hisashi Iwakuma, Kuroda, Wang, Saito, Kawakami, and Okajima!! And Yu Darvish!
That would be awesome!
Sadaharu Oh as manager!!
dont count out Yu, ichiro is a god in japan, much like is god like status here. He could easily attract him to the M’s, and if they signed kuroda it would help even more….also Koske might not be as bad of a fit for the M’s as a part time DH/LF/RF….if the m’s finally realize they got screwed and DFA bradley
you kids forgot Akinori Iwamura
(who, joking aside, would be a good it for the Ms)
how long before this thread gets to Hideki Irabu?
How about Travis Ishikawa. I believe he’s actually FROM Seattle!!
Just one more.
Yasahiku Yabuta
i dont think Matsui and ichiro get along
I would like to have Figgins on the Cardinals…I wonder what it would take to get him. I think it would be more than just a bad contract for bad contract. If we could unload Lohse and add a decent minor leaguer, would that be anywhere close?
probably not. Figgins at least didn’t have a horrible season and he finished strong with a ton of Stolen Bases. Probably not a good match.
Didn’t figure it would match up too well because the Cardinals would definately have to get rid of some salary to make room for Figgins…there just aren’t many options out there to improve the middle infield.
Agreed. I see Figgins having a strong bounce-back season next year.
Omar stuck the Mets with Castillo 6 mill, Perez, and Maine for 2011.
How bad is Willy Aybar with the glove at 2b? I’ve always thought he was under appreciated at the plate, could be a 20-25 hr guy with an everyday role, though i’m not sure he’s earned it.
I’d like to see the Astros get him and move Keppinger to SS with Manzella backing up or at AAA. Astros desperately need power and pence, chris johnson, lee, aybar, and wallace (if he actually has any power) would be a nice start to compliment bourn’s speed and kepp’s obp. If nothing else he’d be a huge upgrade in the switch hitting utility role that Blum had.