The Yankees completed a sweep against the Nationals on Sunday afternoon in Washington D.C. with a 4-1 victory. The win marked New York's third consecutive sweep of three games or more for the first time since 1998. With the Yankees taking three from the Nationals, the Reds (7-5) are now the lone MLB team with an all-time winning record against the Bronx Bombers. Here's the latest from around the majors…
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski has already conceded his interest in acquiring a right-handed bat before the non-waiver trade deadline, but any potential move hinges on the health of Victor Martinez, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. “The possibility (of Martinez returning) exists in a strong enough fashion that you have to give it some thought, but I don’t really know where that stands – and I don’t know that we will know until July,” Dombrowski said in an interview Sunday morning. “We may get Martinez and (Al) Alburquerque back. Those would be two pretty good acquisitions, and our bullpen actually has pitched pretty well in recent times.”
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (via Twitter) that the Dodgers are not interested in Cubs first baseman Bryan LaHair but are talking with Chicago about right-hander Ryan Dempster. Los Angeles may want to reconsider its stance as LaHair has a slash line of .297/.380/.560 as compared to .261/.322/.368 for the Dodgers' first basemen.
- According to calculations by Baseball America, the Red Sox will face increased penalties from MLB if they continue spending at their current pace to go 5% over their draft budget as pointed out by Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. When a team exceeds its budget by 5% or less, it is penalized by paying 75% on the amount over the threshold. Teams that go over by 5 to 10% are mandated to pay a luxury tax of 100% on the excess spending and forfeit their next first round draft pick.
What is the point of trading Lahair, not going to get much for him. Plus he is 1 of 2 power threats on the Cubs and 1 of 2 on the team that can actually take a walk!
I assumed they’d move him to the outfield once they dump some of Soriano’s contract.
Hopefully!
because he’s almost 30, having a career year, and is blocking their top prospect at 1st base? the Cubs are rebuilding both their big league team and their farm… by the time they’re contending he’ll be aging and expensive even if he keeps this up, so might as well flip him for a few good prospects if you can.
Why trade Lahair who is making very little than what he is worth? Cubs need to focus on trading Soriano and have someone pay any amount of the current contract he is on. I agree Rizozo is their best minor league player but if Lahair is doing above what he is asked to do,than why trade a great cheap player?
If they can platoon Rizzo and Lahair that would be great because it gives Rizzo a chance to be ready as the teams full time starter in 2013. He did great in the minors before but when he got called up he struggled alot as a padre.
like i said, by the time the Cubs actually need him, he’ll be making substantially more. Winning NOW is counter-productive, it drives you down the draft order, so anything and everything that can be moved for a profit should be.
The Cubs have prospects to play at third, 1st, and the outfield, all of which project to be substantially better than Lahair, who’s probably not going to repeat this performance next yet. and even if he does, he’s still close to useless against lefties.
So if anybody desperate for offense comes along offering a prospect or two that could be useful 3-4 years down the line, when the Cubs expect to be contending, it only makes sense to sell high.
If Lahair was five years younger then he’d be something to build around… but he’s a late bloomer and, unfortunately, is more useful as trade bait this year. Holding on to him just to keep Rizzo in the minors makes no sense when you could call Rizzo up after the deadline, let him get over any jitters he might have as a big leaguer, and have him ready to go out of the gate next year.
You can find ways to get Lahair in L or RF!
Brett Jackson and Matt Szczur, and now Jorge Soler. Three of the Cubs top prospects, all of them top flight fielders with power potential. all of them younger and all of them cheaper. Giving Lahair a long term contract risks saddling the Cubs with another Soriano problem if he doesn’t pan out.
And only one of those three will be in Chicago in the next 2 years. The idea that Lahair is blocking someone is laughable.
And Jackson is curently on pace to strikeout out 220 times per 600 ABs. That’s Mark Reynolds territory. Cubs are 13th in the NL in runs scored. An OF of Soriano, if they can’t trade him, DeJesus and LeHair in’ts horrible offensively. Campagna to CF as a defensive replacement late in the game. Rizzo, Barney, Castro, 3B anc Clevenger/W Castillo is a step forward in 2013. Work on the pitching. Any trade brings back a 7th or 8 inning RP, for example Lindbloom from LAD, and/or #3 potential SP, also LAD as exampla Eovaldi or Ely. Does the SP look a little better if Hendry gets McDonald for Lilly and Theriot instead of Blake DeWitt. McDonald traded days later, with a then LAD top 5 prospect for O Dotel.
Szczur: Power Potential? I guess he could develop, maybe, but I think I’ve seen scouts project him as nothing more than a 10-15 HR guy…could be wrong.
But I agree, LeHair getting a long term deal sets Theo back from what we all think he is trying to do and that is to get young franchise players around Castro and Rizzo.
Yeah he is really going to saddle the Cubs with a contract like Soriano’s!
Jackson and Szczur are both on the downswing and Soler hasnt even taken a pitch, I don’t think you can say that LaHair would be blocking any of them. Jackson has been plain bad and Szczur is 22 and playing in A ball with 1 homer and a .267 avg.
He’s not blocking their top prospect Lahair isn’t a priority, Rizzo will be up and starting whenever jed/theo think he is ready, you aren’t getting good prospects for him
Because the Cubs are going nowhere and need all the young talent they can get…that’s why
And you really see a team giving up any young talent for him?
Exactly right. He has not proven near enough for teams to give up a big haul for him yet. To me, it would make much more sense to let him play out the year and if next year he is still producing, then he is worth trading. Right now, no one is going to give up much of anything for him. Especially with the Cubs benching him against lefties.
top talent? no… some blocked prospect of moderate ability for a player who could, in theory, be the next Jose Bautista? maybe.
It’s probably not going to happen, realistically, but what possible harm can come from dangling the bait and seeing if anyone bites?
Bring back Polanco!
Polly and Hamels to DET?
we’ll give u Garza and Barney for Turner, Castellenos and a filler!
Pass like Pele
Polanco at 2B…in 2012?
Lolz
Yes, Polanco at 2B in 2012. Beats Raburn at any position in 2012 and we still run him out there.
I’m pretty sure Macpherson is completely misreading that BA chart. The Red Sox haven’t even signed their first/most expensive pick yet.
So you go 4-5% every time. You push it just enough, but not enough to lose your 1st round pick haha.
Great. Another financial limitation/penalty that the Red Sox can fall back on when they piece a roster together next year.
Cubs won’t get much for LaHair. Take away his hot first month and he is avg at best. For May and June, he is batting around .250 with 40SO in 123 AB. What makes it worse is that during that time the Cubs have held him out vs LHP because he cant hit lefties. So, he is batting essentially .250 vs RHP and can’t hit LHP.
I see a short reliever like Mark Melancon or Mark Prior, perhaps a fit for the Cubs, from the Red Sox, as a nice addtion to your 7 and 8 inning relief staff or perhaps as your closer options.
Melancon currently holds a hefty ERA which is very deceiving since he’s 0.00 in his last three appearances since being rercalled. I feel he was auditioning over the weekend with two appearances in Chicago. Prior, a former Cub, has been pitching well in relief with the PawSox.
I can’t wait to see that Detroit lineup with vmart in it. I don’t see a more dangerous 3-4-5 combo in the entire league. Add in Jackson is turning out to be better than anticipated in the leadoff spot and they could be a juggernaut. Don’t get me wrong, I’m much happier with what I’m seeing now vs the first 50 games and the team is coming around, but considering the Tigs will basically be swapped Delmon for Vmart in the five spot, I can’t help but believe that will be a monumental upgrade.
Get well soon Victor
-Detroit.
V-Mart is not going to be of any use to you until mid-August. Tigers need to hang close til then, otherwise it’s a real dog fight to the finish.
Remember last year when everyone was screaming to get rid of Jackson? So dumb.