Here's the latest on the Diamondbacks courtesy of Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic..
- The D'Backs have had multiple looks at Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis and GM Kevin Towers is reluctant to go down that road for several reasons. Towers is turned off by the money owed to Youkilis and is also balking at the asking price. The Red Sox apparently were asking for Gerardo Parra to be included in a deal for the veteran.
- There are still indications that Arizona would be willing to trade left-hander Joe Saunders if the right deal came along. Interested clubs include the Braves, Orioles, Red Sox, and Pirates. Trading Saunders, who makes a reasonable $6MM this year, would open up room for top prospect Trevor Bauer.
- On the whole, the Diamondbacks are on the fence about whether to make moves that will help their cause in 2012 or to instead look to add a piece for 2013 and beyond.
Arizona would be a tough trade partner, as the vast majority of their prospects are either contributing in the major leagues or, like Red Sox prospects, are in the lower levels of the system.
Yeah, but do you really need much more than Saunders for Youk… Lately Youk has been brittle and terrible. I think that would help the sox lack of rotational depth.
I’d be comfortable with a Youkilis + cash for Saunders and Albaladejo trade.
If the cash were significant, or if the BoSox ate a large portion of Youk’s contract, then this trade would actually make some sense, though it’s questionable how much Youk really brings to the Dbacks as it is.
IF I’m KT, I walk away.
Why would the D’Backs do that trade?
Trading a pitcher giving thema 3.50 era and a reliever for a 33 yo 3b who hasn’t been able to stay healthy the past 4 years, and barely tops 15 hr/season anymore.
I really don’t see why they would pull that one without getting any prospects. Youk unless he produces would just be a salary dump at this time, they dont need to give up large value to get him.
The Dbacks have a number of pieces that other teams would love, including Bauer, Corbin, and Skaggs who are all at a ppoint where they could contribute on a big league roster. They also have a few position players within a year of vying for a spot. They also have depth on the big league roster with 4 starting OFers (plus a 5th in AAA), 2 1Bs, and in the next few weeks 3 SSs.
They have plenty of trade material. The problem with trading with the Dbacks is that their minor league talent is pretty much untouchable, or will cost an arm-and-a-leg. And the Dbacks needs are so very specific that there are few trading partners with pieces that could fill those needs.
Right. My point was that there’s zero chance the Sox could net Skaggs/Bauer/Corbin/Parker in a Youkilis deal even if they ate all of his salary. The Red Sox desperately need minor league starters for the upper level of their system.
They definitely won’t get Parker from the Diamondbacks since he is currently pitching for the A’s.
why would the Braves have intrests in Saunders for any reason lol
One of the main reasons they haven’t demoted Mike Minor yet was because he’s the only lefty in the starting rotation. Getting Saunders gives you a proven (if only slightly above average) lefty while letting Minor figure out some control in AAA. Teheran was solid the other night, but again, he’s a righty and the Braves could be looking at his service time if he got the call.
The Only Way, and I do mean the only way the Orioles should trade for Saunders is to get Gerardo Parra as part of the deal as well.
I don’t think the D’backs will catch the Dodgers this year, although from seeing the highlights against the Angels last night. They did look pretty solid. However, solid won’t be enough to catch the Dodgers.
Why in the world would the Dbacks package Parra with Suanders? And what do the O’s have that would be worth that kind of package in return. There is no urgency to move Saunders. He’s performing well and has a team-friendly salary. KT has already stated many times that so long as the rotation stays healthy, there is no objection to keeping Bauer in AAA until call-ups.
Parra is only a fw months older than Upton, and is quietly (though with a bit more notice now) putting up impressive numbers for a lead-off hitting 4th OF that would be a starter on more than 75% in baseball. On top of that, after the season ends, Parra will just be going into his 2nd of 4 arbitration years, meaning he is still exceptionally affordable.
Am having a hard time figuring out why the orioles (or anyone in the AL East) would want Saunders. He is a Ted Lilly, Derek Lowe, Javy Vazquez, AJ Burnett type a team just needs to look very closely at those numbers before even considering bringing back to the AL and his pedestrian overall numbers even put up in the weak AL West before even being shipped off to the NL as it is..
This guy is a back of the rotation innings eater at BEST.. Go and see if can get your old workhorse Guthrie back from the Rockies 1st, they may think he can’t hack it there perhaps and be looking to dump his salary and at least he has proven can handle the AL East. Saunders? Offer them Mark Reynolds back.. It’s all he is worth and not paying one thin dime of Reynolds salary either..
That doesn’t make any sense. You’re saying that Saunders’ numbers would get worse if he pitches in the AL East, but then you turn around and say that Guthrie (whose ERA is about twice as high as Saunders’) would be a better acquisition? You can’t have it both ways… and it’s not like every pitcher inevitably pitches worse moving from the NL to the AL. A certain Jason Hammel would have something to say about that…
It makes all the sense. Guthrie has proven himself in the AL East and did it for years. Saunders never, ever did anything even in the weak (then) AL West.
Guthrie, when he played for the O’s had a miserable defense, plus offense behind him as well and Saunders had a tremendous offensive team beating up on inferior Oakland and Seattle teams.
Saunders has consistently outpitched his peripherals throughout his entire career. Depending on the team, he is a #3-#5. Most teams he is a #4. He’s a :HP that gets both righties and lefties out and pitches a truckload of innings reliably every year. He’s a ground ball pitcher that has a reasonable contract. He’s no superstar. Nut teams could do a LOT worse than Saunders, especially given he is on a one-year contract.
If the sox ate some money and threw in a prospect, i think that deal could get done…
NOO!! Don’t trade Youk! As a Red Sox fan I love knowing the Sox have lost 8 of their last 11 because Youk is playing everyday w/ his .212 avg while a .290 Middlebrooks rots on the bench & Agon’s avg & power plummets daily because he’s constantly worrying about learning a new position & thereby ignoring his bat. I’m sure the Sox anemic offense of late has nothing whatsoever to do with what I just wrote…
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Seriously though, at this point, the way Youk is playing & with his history of injuries, the Sox will be lucky to get a AA bat boy for him.
D Backs are not trading Parra as part of a Youkilis deal. I don’t think they’ll trade Parra, unless some team is desperate and wanted to overpay by sending a good, young, cost controlled, near MLB ready SS in return.
If the asking price for Youk is really Parra, then the Dbacks need to just say, “No thanks” and hang up the phone. Even if the BoSox eat a significant portion of Youk’s contract, that’t still trading away a high-upside young talent for an expensive rental veteran that has significant questions regarding his ability to stay on the field and to contribute as a substantial upgrade for the Dbacks.
I’ll admit, I am biased. I’ve never liked the idea of trading for Youk since the talk began earlier this season. And now that Roberts is starting to come around again, and the Dbacks are still planning of activating Drew soon, I’m not sure there is any real need to make a trade for 3B.
The Dbacks can still be relevant this year with what they have, making the Dodgers work for the division. If they can avoid trding away talent now and develop it for next year, they are that much stronger next season when the rotation has Bauer instead of Saunders and probably a fwe newer, fresher bullpen arms.
I agree with your post. KT is known as a “gunslinger” and active in trades, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him hold steady. Of course, I think he’ll still trade Saunders if a deal comes around that makes sense. If it doesn’t, I think he’ll just keep Saunders.
I honestly will be surprised if Saunders is not traded around the deadline. But I suspect that he’ll be traded for high-value prospects (not studs, but high value). Or, he might still get traded as part of a deal to bring a REAL 3B to the Dbacks to complament Roberts since Bell is just yet another AAAA player backing Roberts up.
What I don’t see happening is the Dbacks trading away the rest of Saunders’ reasonable salary to acquire someone that will cst them significantly more as a rental player. If they trade Saunders, it will be for a future piece, not for 3 months of play.
It’s not like Saunders is exactly stinking the joint up, so there is no hurry to shake up pitching.
The Red Sox even expecting anything for Youk, let alone someone like Parra seems odd to me.
nha they dont expect anything in return, 1st in line gets him. just because he has been awful doesnt mean the red sox are going to just hand him.
AZ isnt going to hand over Parra either. I have a feeling AZ was trying to get Middlebrooks, and thats where the Parra name came up.
Redsox would NEVER trade Middlebrooks for Parra, your wrong in every way possible lol
Thats funny because I would never trade Parra for Middlebrooks. How many Gold Glove’s does Middlebrooks have? Parra’s first year as a starter received one. His bat is above average and he can steal bases with ease when he gets the opportunity. If there was a 6th man of the year type of award in baseball then Parra would win easily. He’s a starter on pretty much any other team, and a damn good one too. Middlebrooks is still unproven and with Parra you know what you will get- the best defensive outfielder in baseaball (yeah I said it) and a solid bat to go with it.
I like Parra as much as the next guy, but best defensive outfielder in baseball is more than just a slight exaggeration. He would never have even won his GG last year if they hadn’t changed the rules on voting making each OF position get one instead of just 3 OF gloves.
In LF he had exactly one LEGITIMATE opposition to the award. Last year he was arguably the 2nd or 3rd best defensive OFer on his own team.
Upton won the Fielding Bible, and CY got flat-out hosed.
Parra is not the best defensive outfielder in baseball, and his bat is decidedly below average. If you wouldn’t trade a 4th outfielder for an all-star caliber rookie third baseman you’re insane.
With full playing time, Parra is a 3 WAR OFer under team control. He is a good starter.
the red sox arent trading trade middlebrooks period. he is the 3rd baseman now and for the future so he is staying in bosox uniform. As for parra, if he is such a good player as you are saying, then why would the d backs even consider trading him. you making him sound like his the 2nd coming.
Sauders isnt a upgrade, i dont really think the red sox need him. If the red sox have to eat some money then they should not do a youk for sauders trade at all. i just dont think sauders would be successful at fenway and especially against the rest of the al east teams.
This is ridiculous. Even if the Red Sox threw in all of Youkilis’s salary for the next century (and maybe more), the Diamondbacks couldn’t use him for anything. He’s inferior to what they already have, even the lamentable Josh Bell. As for trading away Parra, you must be kidding. Perhaps Parra for Youkilis, money, and Pedroia might be considered.
More to the point would be to trade away Justin Upton. Parra is already a more significant contributor and is improving more than Upton. It might be fun to see Upton in Fenway. Maybe Upton for Pedroia would be a fair trade, but the Sox can keep Youkie.
Youk, money AND Pedroia for Parra? An OF’er w/ no power & a low batting average for Pedroia plus more? Pedrioa – MVP, ROTY, 2 Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers, and the spark plug of the team … that Pedroia?
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Seriously, homie, learn to just say NO because drugs have fried your brain, kid.
Yeah – the above proposal was silly, but Parra isnt going to be in a deal for Youk unless Boston pitches somehting else in. Like maybe a SS prospect?
Upton shouldnt be traded now.
Not going to happen. Nor could the Dbacks expect to get back enough in return to make any trade worthwhile anyway. He’s going through too many hot/cold spurts this season and is going into the escalating years of his contract.
i think if the price for saunders is cheeper then for dempster the pirates should get saunders but i would be happy with either one.
I agree, it is a dumb deal, but I’m all for it as a Sox fan and I hope it gets done so Youk gets traded.
KT isnt that dumb. We won’t trade Parra, period. He alone with his contract is worth much more than Youk even if Youk gets more than half of his salary eaten up by Boston. Just hang up the phone KT.
Parra is not going to Boston.