It’s still a little early for struggling teams to acknowledge to fans that it’s time to start looking ahead to 2013 and beyond, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. As a result the trade market remains relatively quiet. Here are some of Olney’s notes on team needs and possible deals:
- The Red Sox are now focused on adding starting pitching.
- The Athletics are ready to talk trades now, so Brian Fuentes, Grant Balfour and Bartolo Colon are available.
- General managers are impressed by Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, just like everyone else. One GM told Olney Trout’s faster than Rickey Henderson. "He just rockets around the bases; you don't find players that skilled," the GM said. “They're all tooled-up, and they know how to play," another GM said in reference to the pair of young stars.
- Rival executives view Justin Morneau as a tremendously risky trade target because of his $14MM salary and history with concussions (Twitter link).
- Olney had more details on the trade market last night.
I’d take Trout over Harper.
I would too. Trout gives you speed and power. I would mind having either one of them. Time will tell on young players.
Trout may go 30/70, where as Harper may go 40/30. I’ll take the generational speed if it costs me a little power.
no way. harper is a once in a generation talent. The guy is unreal. Trout will be good dont get me wrong,
but harper has plus every tool and has way more power than Trout.
As Nationals STH, I hope you are correct. I obviously like what we have seen so far. There is a video, shot from the seats at Rogers Centre, of his assault on the Blackberry sign. The audio consists of something like “Holy crap! He’s only 19!”
What I like about Trout is that he is living proof that all the know-it-alls are often speaking out of their hats when it comes to the MLB draft. While he was regarded as a first-round talent, no one thought that he would ever be this good, much less this fast. Part of the reason is that he came from New Jersey (guess where I’m from) and not some sunbelt mecca, so they discounted his accomplishments.
I think of Trout waiting off camera at the 2009 draft while 23 teams drafted someone not named “Stephen Strasburg” every time I read people declaring that “X had the best draft” or “Y is a great selection.” Really? How do you know that? Did you have Mike Trout in your top ten in 2009?
Batting Average: Trout
On Base PCT: Trout
Stolen Bases: Trout
Power: Harper:
Defense: Trout
WAR: Trout
Actual Cost: Trout
sample size: 40 games
age: harper
and before you say “he’s only one year younger”, remember that you have to believe small differences are significant in order to find any of the stats you posted worth mentioning in the first place
and then remember that age is the most important factor of all them by far. you become a top prospect by hitting well in single-A at age 19. hitting competently in the major leagues at that age is just ridiculou
“The Red Sox are now focused on adding starting pitching.” No really. What happened to Bobby Valentine’s famous press conferences where he stated endless amount of times he liked and was satisfied with his staff? How thing change when after 40% of the season that staff is ranked 25th out of 30 MLB teams. And the starting rotation alone is ranked 27th out of 30 teams just ahead of the Royals, Twins and Rockies.
Yeah, I agree a manager should totally head into a season with a press conference where he says “our pitching is awful.” I’m sure that would do spectacular things for a team.
Play nice…!! Remember that pitching is always a very delicate situation. One day you’re shagging flies and you bust your knee, next night you’re pumping fastballs past a guy and next day your oblique is sore. Pitching is never an exact science.If you don’t believe me, ask Freddy Garcia or Micheal Pineda.
I understand where you’re coming from, but regardless of how muted, you should never toot your own horn. It’s still way too early.
It’s not like the Yankees’ pitching has been lighting the world on fire either: 4.29 FIP and only three places better than the Red Sox rotation (4.43 FIP)
I could see a package like this going, or rental for rental, aka Ellsbury straight up. I don’t know why but this package just seems like a perfect blockbuster candidate.
Kevin Youkilis
Ryan Lavarnway
Daniel Bard
I don’t know why, but Bard and Larvarnway just screams Marlins imo.
This is really not that good of a package, bard has shown that he really can’t cut it in the rotation, and that he is a backend starter or a setup man, youk has no trade value at this tiem.
That is because at this point? Any warm body behind the plate is a serious upgrade for the Fish.. In the dugout as a manager wouldn’t hurt either..
Well considering Bogaerts, Bradley, Brentzs, Barnes, and Jacobs are likely off limits Lavarnway does seem tradeable. Bard would be selling way low so I doubt he gets moved. Youk holds the cards to his destiny.
bogaerts is probably the only one on that list close to being off-limits
I don’t personally believe that anyone is every truly “off-limits,” but I’d have to agree that of those guys Bogaerts is the closest to it. I do have to say though that I think it would have to be a legitimate blockbuster deal for Bradley, or Barnes to be moved as well.
barnes moreso than bradley. i swoon over a .500 OBP as much as anyone else, but both players are playing at lower levels than they should be given their age & experience. i’m not eager to move either one, but they are sell high candidates
bogaerts is the only one outperforming in terms of age v. level
I get what you’re saying, but both of them are actually ahead of schedule by more than half a year according to the ‘age advancement scale’ so while they have shown that they should both be at a higher level, it’s because they are destroying an age appropriate (or even slightly age advanced) level, not because they are older than their competition.
The difference is that Bogaerts is 3 years ahead of schedule on the age advancement scale. Which is insane.
I am not sold yet on Bogaerts. yes.. he might be the top prospect and be the next Ramirez and playing in High A ball. Boston is the team that has held back Barnes and refuses to promote him as they did Bogaerts. They must be wanting him to refine his change. Whether or not he is is a good question as one interview a few games back he stated only throwing one the entire game.
Bogaerts still is K’ing a large amount (20%) and could still bomb. He would seem the ultimate sell high candidate (and Bradley) over the always nearly impossible to acquire power pitching, top of the rotation type that Barnes represents.
There is really no reason to move any of the 3 anyway. With beckett it seems hurting, more than the WeeI article put out it is past time to even think of making moves for pieces as it is and go into selling mode.
When do some of the Sox fans understand this team just isn’t good enough, extra playoff team or not? you cannot sell the future of a team for mediocrity.
Not directing that at you Maine and NFS, but the closet, “supposed” Sox fan who only comes out in September, or when things go bad and they realize Boston isn’t in the playoffs.
Striking out 20% of the time isn’t bad at all, especially when you’re walking 9% of the time and hitting for power. And when you’re 3 years younger than the average player in your league it’s actually really, really good. He’s also playing in a much less hitter friendly league than last year; I’d actually say that what he’s done so far this year is even more encouraging than what he did last year (K% is down, BB% is up, average is up).
you’re right about the scale, but college players should be succeeding at the pace they currently are. age is the most important thing, but background is a mitigating developmental factor
it’s the extreme degree of their success that is so encouraging; they’re both playing about as well as anybody can. bogaerts is playing at a lower level in terms of raw numbers, but as you said, is doing so at a level way over his head
for me the minors have been more fun to follow than the majors so far this year
Tell me about it, there are some really interesting prospects to follow right now and the major league team has been downright painful more often than not.
“the major league team has been downright painful”
Both literally and figuratively.. As in actual pains and injuries. Is it 2010?
Edit:
I would at this late stage even go and get MiLB package if they had even one of the Sox A ball teams available and of course the teams broadcast the games themselves.
Given the leagues un-official salary cap, and the strong need league wide to develop young cheap players I got to disagree. The biggest improvements we can make are via health and getting back people we have been missing. We have yet to reach full strength this year. Barnes is ridiculously off limits probably MORE than Bogaerts who is also certainly off limits. Maybe Brentz, Jacobs, and Lavarnway are the most likely to go if its for pitching. We arn’t losing any good pitching prospects.
how about aj burnett tearing it up in Pitt! on NYY’s dime!
Definitely gotta tip my hat, he’s been phenomenal.
And the yankees haven’t missed him one bit. Everyone in their rotation has a better era than he had last year.
that doesn’t exactly say much
Ouch.
This is looking like a new Bonds/Griffey Jr. duo.
The A’s will accept all trade offers for Fuentes, we will pay you to take him, please take him, and get ready for bottom of the 9th 3R game winning homeruns.
That’s what it would take to rid of the A’s of the gas can Funetes. Beane doesn’t want to admit the mistake but he should just waive him already. Call it a mercy killing.
Balfour is actually pretty good and might bring a halfway decent prospect.
Colon? Might as well keep him around unless you want to see Graham Godfrey and tyson Ross get eaten alive again.
Any takers for Barton, Taylor and Carter—the other three busts Beane can’t seem to part with?
“One GM told Olney Trout’s faster than Rickey Henderson. “He just rockets around the bases; you don’t find players that skilled,” the GM said. ”
Well, to begin with, Rickey wasn’t the fastest baserunner. He was the smartest baserunner!
Linares for Colon.. baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=linare… heard it here first.
As a Red Sox fan, I don’t understand why anyone thinks a 27-year-old with 87 minor league games has any value whatsoever.
That’s why he’d be traded for a half season rental that doesn’t have much value either…
Someone please take Fuentes! I’ll take a bucket of balls and a stick of gum for him..
I guess Mods don’t ever approve anything with external links. I suggested that Colon gets traded to Red Sox for Juan Carlos Linares, and provided a link that might give those who don’t know who he is an idea.
Big Brother is watching… and he disapproves
Colon isn’t an upgrade over anyone currently in the rotation, so I don’t see how that makes sense, or why they would do it (or why the Athletics would trade him for a 27 year old nobody in AA).
Red Sox should truly think about selling. I don’t want to see prospects going out to try and save a season that has no happy ending. This won’t end well. The writing was on the wall in April.
I’d trade Youk for a middle level prospect if you can, I’d trade Shoppach for anything, I’d give up Aceves for pieces, etc. It’s time to build the farm and trade spare parts for next year.