As you probably know by know, MLBTR will have 24-hour coverage of the Winter Meetings. I'll be at the wheel until 8am, so feel free to stay up late with me. Here's tonight's batch of overnight quick hits:
- Not surprisingly, Athletics GM Billy Beane told MLB.com's Jane Lee and other reporters that a long-term deal for Gio Gonzalez isn't happening anytime soon. Beane said they had talks last year. Gonzalez has become one of the hottest trade chips on the market at the Winter Meetings.
- Octavio Dotel could be a target for the Rangers, speculates T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Rangers brass met with Beverly Hills Sports Council (Dotel's agency) reps today, and some Texas officials have a high opinion of Dotel.
- John Harper of the New York Daily News is of the opinion that as tough as it sounds, the Yankees should be willing to trade Jesus Montero in a Gio Gonzalez deal.
- The Astros may name a new GM this week, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, and Rockies executive Bill Geivett may be the favorite.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times tweets that Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik met with Carlos Guillen's agent on Tuesday. We heard Monday they were one of five teams in on the former Tiger.
- Angels skipper Mike Scioscia told reporters, including Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times, that he prefers to add a starting pitcher rather than a bat: "…you need a full rotation to give yourself that opportunity to get into the playoffs." DiGiovanna's piece has a video link of Scioscia discussing C.J. Wilson, whom the Angels are targeting. The Angels though, reportedly won't offer six years.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears Mets GM Sandy Alderson would like to bring back Chris Young a minor league deal in 2012 (Twitter link). Young was limited to 24 innings with the Mets due to shoulder troubles in 2011, and has totaled just 120 innings since the end of 2008.
Not sure what Harper is thinking here. This is a young pitcher under team control for several years. This would take at least Montero + Banuelos if not then Montero+williams+Betances. No one would do a straight up trade of a number two starter for a future DH.
You’re right, but no one would trade multiple top prospects for a #2 starter who does slightly above average Away from his home park.
Montero for Gio is a bad trade for Oakland
Montero + Banuelos/Betances + others is a bad trade for NY
I don’t see a deal getting done.
A’s are not gonna get Montero for Gio Gonzalez. No way we trade our best prospect for a 3.5 WAR pitcher who would probably get lit up at Yankee Stadium.
Montero, Betances, and Swisher were offered for Matt Cain . . . a player with only 1 year remaining before free agency and very similar xFIP numbers to Gio.
So saying “no way” is a bit of a bold move there when your front office offered a BETTER package for a similar pitcher with less team control.
Montero, Betances and Swisher for Cain? When did that happen? Never heard about that before.
Right after Thanksgiving. MLBTR won’t let me link the source, but it was broken by Mike Silva of NY baseball digest. Google it and you’ll catch the article.
That was all speculation, no truth to it.
NY Baseball Digest is murky at best. They like to portray themselves as big players, constantly referencing their “sources”, but they make most of their stuff up. They also said Phelps was pitching for a 40 man roster spot in the AFL…totally ridiculous. Put zero stock in their “rumors”.
That’s not exactly a reputable source and flies in the face of the history of Montero related trade rumors. Yanks were hesitant to trade Montero for 1 year rentals of Halladay and Lee. I don’t see them giving up Montero + Betances + an everyday proven mlb hitter for 1 year of Cain. The fact that your source was the only source makes me feel it was a silly unsubstantiated rumor.
Montero, Betances and Swisher for Cain? When did that happen? Never heard about that before.
Where the heck did you hear that trade proposal?
It should be noted that Betances was listed as one of several minor league players the Giants could “pick from” including Noesi and others. I simply listed Betances, because he was the best of the bunch IMHO.
no way Cashman would do this because Cain’s a FA next year. That rumor was obviously bogus.
And there is also no way the Giants would turn that down
I put nothing past the Giants FO. Nothing. And the rationale would be that they already have too many 1b/LF/RF types (so Swisher nor Montero won’t fit) and they are built to win now.
Still I’d make that trade anyday of the week, just playing Devil’s advocate.
That was a rumor, and a bad one at that. They posted it on some obscure site. nydailyyankees news or something like that. It was reported by nobody else. It was a lie, and a bad one at that. Cashman is not trading Montero. Especially not for a scrub like gonzalez. I’m sorry, but Gio walks way too many people for Cashman to feel comfortable. If the Yankees actually want to get down to 189 million in payroll like has been speculated they cannot trade their young guys for garbage. They have to trade for Aces/MVPs, and nothing else. Look for them to sign a big FA next winter, but nothing this year.
Gio is far from a scrub but I agree in that Montero wouldn’t be included in a deal for him.
they give up montero for Gio, im sureevery yeankee fan would be pissed. maybe if it were Cahill but i still wouldnt give that much up for cahill. Montero and Nunez maybe, or montero and burnett lol
Where the heck did you hear that trade proposal?
Cain also has the playoff experience. what does gio have? id give those three up for Cahill.
Yea Montero is just too valuable too trade now…after all the potential he showed when he was called up…the only pitchers i trade him for are Kershaw,Lincecum,Felix,Strasburg, or Matt Moore.
If by potential, you mean luck (backed by his .400 BABIP during his cup of coffee), then yes.
Still a good/great prospect, albeit without a position, but still perhaps the most overvalued prospect by Yankee fans/media in quite a while (which is saying something).
Even if he is nothing more than a DH, I don’t see that being a problem for the A’s
Oh I agree. But a .800 to .900 OPS hitter that can be OK defensively at catcher is much, much, much more valuable then that same player as a DH. Yankees fans, on average, are still valuing Montero as a catcher. As a DH, his value drops quite a lot.
Still good/great mind you, just not as high as it was in 2010 when he was #4 in baseball behind only Strasburg, Stanton, and Heyward.
I’m a Yankee fan and I don’t value him as a catcher at all. I value him as a DH/1B/Possibly RF but unlikely
You, sir, seem to be in the minority. RF is interesting, especially at Yankee stadium as the range less demanding. If Montero can learn the position I think he could stick as a Yankee.
As for 1b, you have Tex for 5 years still, and DH is going to be an increasingly utilized rest stop for an aging ARod and Jeter. Montero just doesn’t fit for the Yankees, and I think other teams know that and are acting accordingly in demanding his name in trades.
Montero CAN’T play RF because he’s even slower than Posada. I’m not even sure if Adam Dunn or Jermaine Dye could do worse in RF than Montero likely would.
It’s not like RF is deep at Yankee Stadium and he would have a lot of ground to cover. As I said, possibly but unlikely.
He would only be playing 81 games a year at Yankee Stadium, to be entirely fair.
Yep, just like Manny playing LF at Fenway for 81 games
First point of all, Montero’s a top prospect, but he’s miles away from Manny to the tune of a .125+ point difference in MiLB OPS. Montero’s going to hit, but I don’t think anyone’s projecting him to hit like Manny. If he can somehow learn to hit like Manny did, sure, shove him wherever you can fit him in the field to keep his bat in the lineup, but again, Montero is no Manny.
Now, that said, I’m not saying it couldn’t be worked. IF it were to happen, you’d be best served flipping Gardner and Granderson so Gardner could compensate for Montero’s lack of range. Despite Manny’s garbage defense, the Sox had an excellent ability to compensate for it as for the majority of his time with us speedy center fielders (Damon, Crisp, Ellsbury) who could at least somewhat compensate for his diminished range.
I never said he had to play full time RF though
Jeter is not going to see a lot of time as a DH. If he needs a rest he’ll sit on the bench. His bat is not that valuable where the Yanks will play him there over a more valuable option.
I’m with you, mate, Montero needs to be untouchable. Outside of Cano, and to a lesser extent, Tex, there is no thunder to rely on beyond another year or two. Swish could go after this year, A-Rod is done, Granderson will need re-signing at a huge rate soon, etc.
I think the team should do something they don’t really do very often, and that is stick to what you got. No their rotation is not spectacular but as proven this year and many other years, a great lineup (which they have) and a great bullpen (which they have) can help you win games with just an average-above average starting rotation.
SP
CC
Nova
AJ
Hughes
Garcia
Long relief- Noesi, and maybe re-sign Colon again
If one gets hurt or is struggling, call up a prospect or make a trade.
I agree, the Yanks know they are dealing from an area of strength, there farm is loaded with pitching. Cash is being patient, Beane’s offer was redunckuious
This is the mistake that the world is making. Scouts are the ones that are trashing him as a C and that might absolutely be the truth. However, his VALUE as a PROSPECT has his defensive liabilities at C already factored in. He’s a top 10 prospect DESPITE the fact that his ability to catch is in question. If he had been an even average C he would easily be the #1 or #2 prospect in all of baseball. So this idea that he may be a DH is already factored into his prospect value.
cant forget when the yanks were in tampa, Tampa announcers were even saying Montero has the potential to be the next pujols at the plate. the kid has pop, give him a full season he could easily hit 30 HR’s his first full season. and dont say yeah he can because its yankee stadium. hes a righty not a left handed hitter.
DH is a position and I’m sure he would play 1b for us if we didn’t already have Tex entrenched for the next 4 -5 years.
Tex needs a rest also at times. especially like last year with all those double headers and only one day off in september
If by potential, you mean luck (backed by his .400 BABIP during his cup of coffee), then yes.
Still a good/great prospect, albeit without a position, but still perhaps the most overvalued prospect by Yankee fans/media in quite a while (which is saying something).
well we know felix isnt going anywhere. and Strasburg def isnt going anywehre. nats are trying to build a rotation around him and develop him into their ace for a long time. Kershaw could be pryed away but it would prob take alot. prob something along the lines of montero, betances, nunez, and hughes or nova. but you give up nova then your back to where you were coming into the off season, and thats the yankees having a 1 and 2 starter but who follows in 3 and 4 since they have Garcia who will prob be number 5. from what i heard on hot stove this morning is cashman is trying to shop burnett.
Yea Montero is just too valuable too trade now…after all the potential he showed when he was called up…the only pitchers i trade him for are Kershaw,Lincecum,Felix,Strasburg, or Matt Moore.
I agree. Gio’s not the kind of pitcher you wanna get when you trade Montero.
Yankees Top 15 Prospect List
1.Montero – Blue Chip
2.Banuelos – Blue Chip
3.Sanchez – Blue Chip
4.Betances
5.Williams – Blue Chip
6.Romine
7.Bichette.Jr – Blue Chip
8.Phelps
9.Warren
10.Murphy
11.Marshall
12.Heathcott
13.Mitchell
14.Gumbs
15.Culver
I wouldn’t want to see the Yankees part with either Montero or Banuelos for anything less than an ace-quality pitcher. Gio Gonzalez led the league in walks last year and was second in 2010. Harper tries to excuse this by saying Gonzalez tried to be too fine because of how little offense he expected to get. That’s ridiculous. His ERA is artificially low thanks to the cavernous dimensions of Whatever-they’re-calling-it-this-week Coliseum. The story his splits tell is one of a guy who pitches to a run-and-a-half higher ERA on the road and is helpless against a solid offense (Yankees, Red Sox, Rays; meanwhile the Royals, Twins, Tigers and White Sox have owned him his whole career).
We’ve got one overrated bust in the rotation already, and all AJ Burnett cost was money. No reason to mortgage the future in order to bring in someone who’s still more or less an unproven commodity. And if Gonzalez is so good, why wouldn’t a team like the A’s hold on to an affordable lefty starter under team control for four years?
I agree overall, but he is better than anyone the Yankees have except CC. Beane is doing what he should do be doing, and that is asking a lot for Gio.
I say the Yankees should just stick to what they have and hold on to their prospects. Otherwise wait til the trade deadline or sign someone else for 2013 if they can.
You yankee fans love to overrated your prospects.Montero is the only real good prospect but he is no catcher.The rest of the prospects are nothing special
Bitter Mets fan I see. Are you just mad because NY’s 2nd team lost their best player, is in a rebuilding mode and has a poor farm system except Zack Wheeler who they did not get until a few months ago?
No Yankee fan here said he is made to be a catcher. And name me a fan base that does not overrate their own prospects?
I think you’re just mad because 1 NY team will be in battle for 1st place and the other NY team will be in battle for 2nd to last place.
second place? more like the higher draft pick lol. Nats and MArlins will be fighting with the phils and braves for the division as they are only getting better. well the fish not so much they will dump everyone next off season lol. but the nats are up an coming and are building a very nice team
I said 2nd to last place (aka 4th place), not 2nd place
Interested to know which recent Yankees prospects you think have been characteristically overrated. Their farm system has produced a ton of Major League talent the last few years.
phil hughes (#4 overall) and joba chamberlain (#3 overall) jump out right away
Hughes and Chamberlain both had a couple of excellent years and have been hobbled by injuries. It’s not like they’ve been total busts or their careers are over. Both could still be productive pitchers yet.
the question was about overrating. they were ranked the 4th and 3rd best prospects in all of baseball and have come nowhere close to that kind of performance – ever
this isn’t bashing, they aren’t bad players. this is answering your question
that i def agree on. Rivera, Cano, Gardner, Jeter, Pettitte, Posada Robertson… i could go on an on but i just named a few who are with the yanks or was with the yanks lol.
Yep, Austin Jackson was overrated. SMH…… The Killer B’s are nothing special but are asked for in every trade rumor. As is Romine or Montero. Shoot even Mason Williams and Gary Sanchez are being asked for….
banuelos is definitely something special, as is montero. romine you probably have a point
Check out John Sickels he is the expert.
a jealous fan! must be a sox or mets fan. first off MLB scouts are the ones who rate these guys, and if you got that much better of an eye for prospects maybe you should become a scout. ill say one thing i feel sorry for the team tht hires you as a scout. you prob know nothing about anyone but montero because you watched a couple games to see what its like to win.
Montero is a rookie doing well in his first callup; in other words, Unproven yet.
Considering his future position at 1b/DH, I would say his trade value right now is pretty much same as other best rookies this year.
Certainly touchable if the offer is right.
Let’s say if someone like Hellickson or Pineda was offered straight up for Montero.
You Yankee fans still wont trade a future potential .850OPS DH for a potential Ace or #2 SP???
Face it,
Proven Aces like Kershaw,Lincecum,Felix,Strasburg,etc are way way way more valuable than Montero right now. Stop dreaming.
“Face it,
Proven Aces like Kershaw,Lincecum,Felix,Strasburg,etc are way way way more valuable than Montero right now. Stop dreaming. ”
No one said they weren’t. Stop making up stories.
And the problem is, all of those guys are better than Gio and Gio is not an ace, but is certainly a #2. And the A’s did not ask for Montero straight up.
Bryce Harper is unproven. I guess a Harper for Gio trade is unfair too for the A’s?
Jeez, bitter Yankee haters today. Nothing but complainers on Yankee stories.
I am not the one who mentioned kershaw, felix etc.
Check out the posts above, some yankee fans said they only want those proven Aces for Montero. That’s mission impossible.
I dont hate yankees, and actually like Montero.
Montero is a good hitting prospect, but not a future catcher.
Otherwise, yankees would not have offered him for 3months rental of Lee.
However, I do think Montero+2 B prospects for Gio is fair.
Montero + Banuelos is too much
“Check out the posts above, some yankee fans said they only want those proven Aces for Montero. That’s mission impossible.”
Why is that a “mission impossible”? Throw in Cano and you get most Aces. Not that the Yankees should/would do that.
“Check out the posts above, some yankee fans said they only want those proven Aces for Montero. That’s mission impossible.”
Why is that a “mission impossible”? Throw in Cano and you get most Aces. Not that the Yankees should/would do that.
He never said it would be a Straight Up trade though.
Gio is a #2? When did that happen? Don’t get fooled by that ERA, he faces the Mariners like 10 times a year. At best he’s a #3.
btw: look at his game logs, he’s average at best against teams like the Yankees, Red Sox etc and rarely finishes the 6th inning against better hitting.
haha u gotta be joking you must of been watching the wrong pitcher
No. Like Deekay said, he has been watching Gio. He’s been pretty good.
But he also happened to notice that he faced the M’s, the worst offensive team in baseball, by far, 6 times this previous year.
Montero is a rookie doing well in his first callup; in other words, Unproven yet.
Considering his future position at 1b/DH, I would say his trade value right now is pretty much same as other best rookies this year.
Certainly touchable if the offer is right.
Let’s say if someone like Hellickson or Pineda was offered straight up for Montero.
You Yankee fans still wont trade a future potential .850OPS DH for a potential Ace or #2 SP???
Face it,
Proven Aces like Kershaw,Lincecum,Felix,Strasburg,etc are way way way more valuable than Montero right now. Stop dreaming.
Montero is barely 22 years old. He can still learn how to catch. Posada came into the organization as a Second Baseman and learned from scratch. To give up on a 22 year olds catching ability already is straight assinine. The Yankees have the best catching instructor in all of MLB Tony Pena. He can be Martin’s caddy for the next year or 2 while DH’ing as he learns….
If the Yankees keep Montero, he will be DH and then possibly the OF, but if not then in all liklihood it will be 1B when Teixiera leaves, but that’s not for another 5 years. 1 of Romine and Sanchez who are better defensively than Montero will probably be their next catcher unless the Yankees keep Martin for awhile. Martin is still at a somewhat young age (28, will be 29 in February)
Sanchez is Horrible defensively. Every report I’ve read on him and the 4 times I have seen him play re-emphasize that observation. Again Montero is barely 22. Plenty of time to improve before Martin leaves.
I’m not saying you’re wrong or anything, but I heard they are “better” than Montero. In other words, they aren’t worse than him.
I agree. But like I said the kid is 22. Ozzie Smith didn’t learn to hit until he was 30…lol
And Gary Sanches JUST turned 19 six days ago. If you think that Montero’s catching can improve because he is only 22, then don’t you think that Sanchez’ can improve because he is over three years younger?
And Gary Sanches JUST turned 19 six days ago. If you think that Montero’s catching can improve because he is only 22, then don’t you think that Sanchez’ can improve because he is over three years younger?
You have a pretty bad argument.
Jesus Montero’s defense can improve because he is only 22yrs and 10 days old.
Gary Sanchez’ defense can’t improve because he is already 19yrs and 2 days old.
Does that really make any sense?
Let’s remember that Montero will be the Yanks starting DH at worst next year, besides being their top prospect. We are not talking starting A’s DH. We all know if you can hit they will find a place for you to play on most teams. The Yanks are the Gold standard, they make the playoffs every year. That’s why people either love them or hate them.
The Yankees have no reason to trade Montero for anything other than Felix, or Kershaw, Josh Johnson, etc. They can afford to see if he is the real deal. I know stories are slow right now sot that is why this terrible story has been posted. Gio walks way too many people to live in the East.
@0bsessions:disqus sorry I can’t continue on that post because it’s too small, but I never compared Manny and Montero with the bat. You had me all wrong. I’m saying defensively, Montero in RF would be like Manny in LF, in other words, probably poor. The only reason Manny was not a DH in Boston was because of David Ortiz. And I think in 3-4 years, A-Rod might have to be the full time DH.