With Heath Bell now on his way to Miami, the Padres are more likely to look to the trade market than free agency for late-game help, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock. Some more from the NL West here….
- Ryan Morgan, Pablo Sandoval's agent, told Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that he has had "very broad discussions" with Giants VP Bobby Evans about Sandoval's 2012 contract and that Sandoval is open to a multiyear contract. Sandoval is going through the arbitration process for the first time this winter and Baggarly thinks the two sides could revisit the idea of an extension if Sandoval shows up in great shape to Spring Training.
- Mark Cuban is interested in bidding to become the new Dodgers' owner, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Cuban will receive a "bid book" that contains the team's financial information, though having a bid book doesn't necessarily mean Cuban will indeed make a bid to buy the team.
- The Dodgers have already much of their free money this winter and are still short two starting pitchers, reports Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times. Both Dilbeck and Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) don't think the Dodgers will have enough to re-sign Hiroki Kuroda.
- Also from Knobler (via Twitter), the Rockies turned down the Braves' offer of Martin Prado in exchange for outfielder Seth Smith and prospect Nolan Arenado. Given that Arenado is one of Colorado's top prospects, this was a total pie-in-the-sky offer from the Braves.
- Newly-signed Rockies catcher Ramon Hernandez appeared on the Venezuelan sports radio show Los Cronistas today (Twitter link, in Spanish) and said he isn't sure if he'll be physically able to keep playing beyond his current contract. Hernandez will be 37 by the time his two-year deal with Colorado expires. Thanks to Nick Collias of our sister site Rumores de Beisbol for the translation.
- Justin Upton holds the top spot on Keith Law's list of the top 50 players who are 25 years old and under (ESPN Insider subscription required).
I feel like we only have one rotation spot to fill. I really like Eovaldi, and we have De La Rosa coming back half-way through the season hopefully. I think if we resign Kuroda we should be set, with Eveland and Antonini, plus whatever non-roster invitees, as the backup plan to Eovaldi.
I’ll literally cry if Eveland’s our 5th starter come Opening Day
Why? Eovaldi did great.
Webster would probably be a better option than Eveland or Antonini…
No surprise the Rockies turned that one down. Still, I’m glad the Braves asked. Seems to indicate that they’re actually trying to trade Prado for something valuable instead of dumping him for salary relief.
Totally agree that it is refreshing to see Wren go for a stud prospect and Smith for Prado. However, he needs to include a good pitching prospect so that the Rockies actually contemplate such an offer. Colorado needs pitching and the Braves have plenty of it to secure someone like Arenado.
The only way the Braves would have got Arrenado would have been if they offered Delgado, Visciano, Tehran, and Jurrjens. There’s no way the Rockies are trading Arrenado, especially for Martin Prado
i think Delgado, Visciano, Teheran, AND Jair would be way too much for just one prospect.
Overvalue much?
Come on. Arrenado’s really valuable, but no need to go overboard with it.
Seriously.
Jurrjens/Prado/Hoover for Smith/Arenado is more than sufficient.
I’d be more comfortable with that . But think we could do better than this trade with the Rockies and Smith .
Pass.
I like that proposal very much.
So Arenado is arguably a top 5 hitting prospect Seth Smith has a Career .830 OPS the Rockies are not trading that for a Super U coming off a horrible season, a guy who would be Jason Hammel 09/10 at best at Coors field, and another 24 year old RHP to go with Chacin(24), White(23), Pomeranz(23), Nicasio(25), Chatwood(22), Gardner(24), Houston(24), Friedrich(24), Bettis(22), Cabrera(23) will all be competing for 5 rotation spots next year
You are seriously overvaluing Smith and undervaluing Prado. Smith is nothing more than a platoon partner. Prado was an everyday all-star 2nd baseman just a year ago. I’m not saying being named to an all-star team is a be all to end all. Honestly though, Smith/Arenado for Prado is closer to being an even trade than just Smith for Prado.
I’m not saying that out of opinion, I am saying that because that is what Dan O’Dowd would ask for, not me. I personally think Arrenado is worth Prado, Jurrjens, and a PTBNL
I can accept that explanation.
O’Dowd needs a reality check . 2 former All-Stars for a platoon player and a prospect is too much by far .
Wren had probably just gotten off of the phone with A’s GM Billy Beane, then thought he was equally as shrewd for some reason.
Wren has made some outstanding trades. I think he is one of the more underrated GMs in baseball.
No, it isn’t. That would be an EXCELLENT return for the Braves. Arenado would be the heir apparent to Chipper Jones. He is one of the best prospects in baseball. As a Braves fan, I do that trade in a minute.
Thats nuts . Teheran alone is a top 5 prospect .
According to MLB.com (I used it cause it was the most updated site available) Teheran is #4 and Arenado wasn’t even in the top 50 . He was ranked #4 in the Rockies system behind Rosario , Pomeranz , Friedrich . And of all those guys in the top 50 , Teheran was #4 , Vizcaino was #46 , and Delgado wasn’t on there but played well in his limited time in the majors last year where as Arenado has yet to even play in the bigs yet .
I’m not big on Seth Smith . But if we did a trade with the Rockies for those two , I’m thinking more along the lines of Prado , Jair Jurrjens , and (at best) Delgado , for both Smith , Arenado . And I still think that its too much for a platoon player and a good prospect .
look rankings dont mean crap, manny banuellos is ranked 13th on mlb.com prospect rankings and in just 2 games he had a 6.61 era, one of those games he started. and he is supposebly the best pitching prospect out there and i dont buy it. and ima yankees fan. Montero is number 6 but he will be a yankee come opening day because of his monster numbers he put up in just a month! and the Rockies do have tyler matzek who is ranked 43 as a SP. he will be good in the pros. but back to topic the braves would be dumb to dump their prospects for a guy who close to 30 years old. their better off signing jose reyes. just saying
my mistake on banuellos it was betances who sucked in the majors with a 6.75 ERA in just 2.2 innings pitched and he was ranked in the top 25 prospects in baseball
So that small sample size is proof that rankings don’t matter? Come on buddy, Just say no to stupidity.
Nope. Arenado isn’t going anywhere and the Rockies just traded for pitching. We have pitching prospects coming out of our ears.
We do? Have you checked the AAA roster recently?
Once they get a Humidor installed in CoSprings they will let pitchers play there, untill then the are going to keep young pitchers away from a Park where EY2 posted a 1.000+OPS
Coming out of our ears? Doubtful. How about just a starting rotation for 2012? We don’t even have that.
“Pie in the sky”? I hope it was lemon meringue or key lime…although we are talking about the south so it was probably pecan.
I’m betting it was peach
Here’s hoping Sandoval stays with the Gmen for years to come.
Yeah Dan O’Dowd’s not dumb. Arenado won’t be traded.
Not for what he is asking for . But then again , Wren’s not a box of rocks either . I don’t see him offering up much more than Prado and a prospect not named Teheran , Delgado or Vizzy for Smith and Arenado .
and thats why the trade wont happen
Thats fine by me . Smith is less valuable than Prado . And Teheran and Vizcaino are higher ranked prospects than Arenado . So there really isn’t much else to talk about .
Arenado is higher ranked then Vizcaino actually ..
And Smith is about 1/6 cheaper then Prado, with an extra year of control.
Smith is arb-eligible for the first time this winter and is likely going to fall somewhere in the $1.5-2 MM range. He’s less expensive than Prado but he won’t be making the minimum anymore.
true, but prado is going in to arb with a 3.1 base no? That will go up as well
Can you tell me where you see Arenado ranked higher than Vizcaino? I think Arenado was higher than Randall Delgado in midseason lists, but I remember Vizcaino being in the 10-20 range and Arenado in the 40s at midseason 2011.
If he refuses to move Blackmon to get Prado, then you may have to revisit your definition of “dumb”.
Anyone know where Kershaw ranked on that 25 and under list?
5th
5th? Wow. I like Upton, but I’d take Kershaw over Upton in a heartbeat.
Law said Kershaw would be higher but for the injury uncertainty associated with all pitchers. That line of reasoning is hard to disagree with even though I think a number of teams would take the young ace.
Ned needs to go
Once Cuban buys the team he will be.
In all seriousness though, this is Cuban’s chance to own a team (and a huge big market team at that). Due to it being sold on a bid basis, the owners don’t get a vote on the new owner as long as their financials are in order (if I remember correctly).
Three reasons why Cuban should not and will not be the next owner of the Dodgers. (1) He’s already on the record that a billion is too much for the team, and it seems very likely it will sell for significantly in excess of a billion; and (2) he is on the record as saying that it will take many years to rebuild the franchise. This suggests that he’s not willing or prepared to make the needed investment. Finally, (3) he’s got no interest or history in Southern California. This makes him the wrong person altogether, for no other reason than this franchise needs to reconnect with Dodger fans and you don’t do that by being from somewhere else and living somewhere else.
Here why I don’t completely agree with you:
1) He may say that but himself along with other investors could easily make up that money. He doesn’t entirely own the Mavs, just a part of them (the majority). Also, it could just be a tactic on his part. This is me speculating and what you said did come from the horses mouth, but I don’t think it is simply that cut and dry. But who knows, it could be. I think he also made this statement prior to McCourt agreeing to sell the land and TV rights as well (if the judge allows it of course).
2) Anyone will agree it is going to take years to rebuild the franchise. That is not meant to say it is entirely “on the field” related. He may mean build up the Dodger name in terms of prestige. McCourt has sullied the name of the franchise (even at the same time you can’t argue that he repaired some damage done by Fox in terms of bringing back former Dodgers). You can look at the next free agent class and know that it is not looking good. I don’t want an owner who just tosses money around and see what happens (i.e. the Cube over the last couple of years). Smart owners know you just can’t buy players and expect it to all work out. Cuban is a smart owner and knows this. This is all me inferring from what he said, but he may have meant you need to build the team from the farm and bring in appropriate pieces. The CBA has made that much more difficult, but of course he didn’t know that at the time. When you indicate that he is not “willing or prepared to make the needed investment”, all you have to do is look at the Dallas Mavericks. He has kept them consistently in contention and with the 8th highest payroll in the league. I think that it shows (whether you agree or not) that he and his GM are smart with the money they spend.
3. I always think that the owner needs to be from SoCal to be ridiculous. John Henry is from Illinois and bought the Red Sox (with others) and managed to respect the tradition of the franchise and bring them into contention. Anyone who buys the Dodgers is going to latch onto the history and tradition. All you need to do is listen to how people talk lovingly about the Dodgers and the tales of yore (when the O’Malley’s owned them). After this McCourt debacle, I am sure the new owner is well aware of what is expected of them in terms of the tradition of the Dodgers.
Didn’t mean to ramble on that long and to sound like I’m fellatiating Cuban. I like him a lot and you’re right, he COULD be a bad owner, but the evidence points to the contrary.
On the first point, I don’t believe that any experienced investor is going to find a property to be more valuable simply because others are co-investing. That does not change the return on investment calculation one iota. You’re right, it might be bluff and bluster on his part, but at this point I’d have to say that Cuban appears to be undervaluing the franchise. Maybe with a plan, maybe not.
Second, I agree a “complete” rebuild will take years because revitalization of the farm system can’t happen overnight. What can happen immediately however with any committed, well-capitalized owner is that payroll can increase to something more reflective of one of the largest media markets in the country, and a team with historically a top-level draw. With a new media deal right over the horizon I can easily see payroll increasing immediately to $130-150m. Of course that doesn’t guarantee an instant winner, but it sure helps. We’d be right back in the hunt for premium free agents, that’s for sure.
Third, I really believe that local ownership would be a huge plus in this case. This franchise needs to reconnect with fans after years of neglecting this relationship (from Fox through McCourt). Speaking for myself, I want an owner who’s at home games nearly every day. I want an owner who recognizes that the Dodgers are a symbol of civic pride, not just a business. You just don’t get that from someone from another state who collects sports franchises. The good news is that So Cal has lots of very, very wealthy people who could not only swing the deal but put a local face on the franchise which it has lacked for a long time. I think it will help, a lot. Of course YMMV!
I agree with you and your point that he can very easily be devaluing the franchise, or just flapping his gums. I think once he gets a look at the books (from 2 years ago, not exactly last year) and see the Dodgers are incredibly profitable when run intelligently he may change his mind/confirm his opinion depending on what camp you’re in.
And on point #3, no owner is at more of his home (and definitely more of the away games) than Mark Cuban!
And lastly I also agree there are quite a few Los Angeles based owners I would have here happily as well. Cuban definitely isn’t the be-all-end all, but just a smart, passionate owner who embraces intelligent discourse in sport and who rabidly loves his team.
For some quick reading, here is an article from Fan Graphs last month about him and the Dodgers if you haven’t seen it already. The stuff about him and the statistical reviews he does (whether you agree or not) is very interesting:
fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/cuban-for-dodgers-ow…
Seth Smith has no value to the Braves given that he’s a lefty that can’t hit lefties, so even though he’s included in the trade, it may as well be Prado for Arenado straight up.
Just as light beer is not actually beer, this would never actually happen. You may have a point about Atlanta looking for a RH bat, though. I’ll at least leave you with that. 🙂
Miller Lite is the only beer I could think of with that worked well as a username pun.
Smith would be just a throw in . If O’Dowd wants more than that for the pair , he can keep them . There are better options out there and the Braves have extra chips to make something happen . The only reason that these discussions are going on is because the Rockies want Prado . But they aren’t gonna just get him for nothing . By nothing I mean Prado for Smith straight up .
I honestly do not understand O’Dowd’s reluctance to trade Blackmon to get Prado. The one area the Rockies actually have a little depth is in the OF, and overvaluing one guy who could bring back a player at one or more positions of real need (2B, 3B) really puzzles me.
I don’t really think these writers know what they are talking about. I can’t imagine the Braves accepting an offer of Seth Smith and Charlie Blackmon for Prado. That is two more left handed hitters for an already lefty heavy team, and it would mean giving up one of their only solid right handed hitters.
Agreed, 14…Smith and Wheeler I think gets the discussion going a lot further than it has gone already…O’Dowd is the MASTER at over-valuing prospects; I actually don’t fault the Braves one bit for asking for Smith and Arenado…it’s just won’t happen…if O’Dowd is valuing anyone correctly, it appears to be Arenado…the kid looks solid…in fairness to Smith, I think he needs to be given the opportunity to hit lefties more often…Tracy plays match-ups WAY too much IMO…and it drives me nuts as a Rockies fan…
Agreed 100% that Tracy needs to let Smith hit lefties and stop playing matchups!
Really Freddie Freeman your second best hitter last year, Smith had better numbers in 3/4 the AB
Yes, because Smith’s numbers in Coors while being shielded from lefties are comparable to Freeman’s in a neutral park playing every day.
Coors isn’t what it used to be, but it is still one of the top 2-3 hitters parks in baseball. Besides, Prado is extremely versatile and Smith is a part-time player (although I agree that he hasn’t been given enough of a shot to hit lefties).
Haha Seth Smith is an average platoon player with bad numbers against lefties and on the road. He only seems to have good hitting numbers because of Coors Field. The guy is straight fools gold.
it is bad that a rookie was our 2nd/3rd most productive hitter last year, but if you think smith’s season (as a 28-year-old) was more legit than the rookie who played the majority of the season as a 21-year-old, then you either: a) are completely delusional; b) haven’t seen freeman play enough to know anything about him; c) are still upset about the numbers he posted against the rockies last season – in 8 games, .438 BA/ 1.094 SLG/ 1.579 OPS/ 8 R/ 3 2B/ 6 HR/ 11 RBI; or, of course, d) all of the above… i’ll take freeman over smith any day…
Any chance someone could post the top 25 or so of Keith Law’s list? Muchos Gracias