The Red Sox would benefit most strongly if Masahiro Tanaka were to not be posted, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal writes. If Tanaka were to stay in Japan, not only would he not go to the Yankees, but prices for other starters (such as Ervin Santana and Matt Garza) would rise, and so would the value of the Red Sox's own pitchers, such as John Lackey, Ryan Dempster and Jake Peavy. Also, if Tanaka were to be posted next offseason, the Red Sox might actually bid for him. Right now, they don't have a need. Here are more notes from the East divisions.
- The Blue Jays have offered outfielder Colby Rasmus to two teams in exchange for starting pitching, the Toronto Sun's Bob Elliott writes.
- If Corey Hart doesn't re-sign with the Brewers, the team could quickly deal for Ike Davis of the Mets, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Hart could make a decision tonight about where to sign.
- The Mets have had discussions with the Legacy Agency, which represents Freddy Garcia and Cesar Izturis, today, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports (via Twitter). Puma notes the Mets could sign either player.
- The Braves are on the lookout for a hitter for their bench, and Eric Chavez could be their top free agent option, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman. They also continue to stay in touch with reliever Eric O'Flaherty.
alphabet_soup5
Was Colby Rasmus’ father included in the trade proposal?
Jaysfan724
We’re still making jokes about this? His father has not been a problem once in Toronto, and has barely been spoken about.
randytherobot
Cardinals fans are very slow.
teufelshunde4
No Cards fans have long memories for players who behave like idots and insult the fan base.
dc21892
I don’t see how Boston doesn’t have a need for a potential ace. You make it a priority if he becomes available. For
20M, that’s nothing for them. If they fail to strike a deal after that so be it, but they at least have to bid.
alphabet_soup5
For what it’s worth, most people see Tanaka as a #2 starter at best and not an ace. Maybe Boston feels sour after the whole Dice-K thing.
Mike LaRose
Why would they need a “potential ace”? Their rotation is quite strong .
dc21892
I’m not doubting the rest of the rotation, I’m just saying for a pitcher with his talent, you have to at least bid for his services.
Mike LaRose
I’m not so sure, my understanding is that they could bid for him then then the player can choose. Say he chooses the Sox, they spend 20 million to talk to him even though they don’t need a guy who may or may not be a good major leaguer. Sure they can bid, but should they?
dc21892
Yes because it’s only 20M. If he chooses them, and can’t agree to fair terms what’s the harm? Absolutely none. You can never have enough pitching. If he’s any good, and chances are he’s not terrible, it would be well worth the risk IMO.
Bob George
Only the team that signs him pays the posting fee. Every team could bid $20 mil and still only one would pay that, and only if he signs.
DiaperRauch
Why wouldn’t a team want to improve? They have the payroll flexibility to do it, there isn’t really a downside.
Mike LaRose
Because he could be bad, he hasn’t pitched in the majors so who knows what you’re going to get
MaineSox
Yeah, I’m 99% certainly they’ll post a bid, so they can at least talk to him. There’s really no reason not to post a bid since it doesn’t require you to actually pay anything unless you actually sign the player.
Bryan 18
As a mets fan, I’d rather have izturis than quintania but both aren’t that good…
Matt Galvin
I would say Red Sox for Rasmus but might not want to Trade SP in Divison.
zeles
Someone please take Ryan Dempster off our hands.
Runtime
If Rasmus+Prospects is the cost of getting a #2 pitcher…
I’d rather take my chances with a rotation of RAD, Buerhle, Morrow, Happ, and Rogers.
Jaysfan724
Yeah I’m interested to see who Colby is actually going to net. He had a strong year this year. Very funny how before this past year it was “trade Rasmus he stinks, Gose is the future” now the roles are reversed in the eyes of the casual Jays fan.
Mike Babiak
So true! I’d rather give away Gose… but what if Rasmus walks.. maybe get something for him now while his value is as high as it is.
Jaysfan724
I don’t know. I know it’s always a possibility, but as I mentioned above, he has finally found comfort in Toronto, I think he would be willing to sign an extension if the proper deal was offered.
DiaperRauch
Why not keep the depth? Bautista/Melky/Rasmus are all candidates to spend time on the DL in 2014, I’d rather have Gose ready in Buffalo.
BadBJay
Fans had every right to be hard on Rasmus. Finally, he produced. Getting Gose playing time is hard to do – especially when he has a weak bat.
John Meloche
Hutchison might be an option… Stroman appears to be ready and has been getting glowing reviews… Nolin might be a back of the rotation guy… The Jays have depth too with Drabek, Romero (if he can find himself)
Still I think they need 1 more SP they can count on but I don’t want to see them sell Stroman or Sanchez at this point.
Jaysfan724
Yeah after watching Stroman in the AFL I really want to see him in the majors. Jays also got Redmond too who put up fair numbers and there are rumors of McGowan being stretched out…and I guess we have Jenkins too for what he’s worth. Upgrade is definitely preferable, but the Jays have the depth.
John Meloche
I think they have a great potential #2-3 in Stroman and awesome that he was so undervalued due to his size. This offseason the tone has changed and people are seeing his potential.
BadBJay
Didn’t Stroman get suspended for PED use at the end of this season? That’s why he wasn’t available as a call up.
Jaysfan724
That was 2012…and it wasn’t even anything bad, just a supplement that contained something on the banned list.
BadBJay
OK, my bad.
John Meloche
the Jays 40 man was also a mess, I think they wanted to keep him off of it until 2014
John Meloche
2012 and part of 2013… he was not on the 40 man
DiaperRauch
It was a nasal decongestant, but yes he was suspended for it.
Jaysfan724
Side Fact: He paid off his mother’s mortgage with some of his signing money.
Gotta respect that.
John Meloche
Ya saw that Instavideo… he is pretty cool… just got a nice tattoo! Good follow on twitter/instagram
Jaysfan724
Yeah I’m a fan of the rapper Mike Stud who was his teammate at Duke and he put Stroman in one of his music videos. Probably would have gone pro too if he didn’t have to get Tommy John.
BadBJay
Sign Santana… Ervin or Johan.
BadBJay
Morrow will get on the DL by May. Happ and Rogers are totally unreliable.
Runtime
Morrow being on the DL again is my worst nightmare.
Just looking at my Morrow t-jersey makes me sad because I bought it the day before he hurt his oblique 2 years ago
John Meloche
Morrow is great except he is so fragile… I think you only plan on him pitching like 15 games and anything more is a bonus
BadBJay
someone needs to tell Morrow that “less is more”… and he should be in the pen.
John Meloche
He was with Seattle… He is just really good which is why he was moved to a SP… however if he has another injury filled year he could eventually find his way back to the pen… that being said no guarantee he stays healthy there either.
DiaperRauch
It’s tough as an organization to put a guy who accumulated 10 WAR over 3 years as a starter in the bullpen. If there were alternatives to him starting, I could see the idea being entertained, but Morrow represents the best chance of winning relative to most pitchers within the Jays organization.
George Vander Buist
No Happ, Maybe not Rogers. I don’t want to see Happ, I’d prefer Stroman immediately over him. Or Hutchison, Drabek, Redmond…all are better, some just marginally, but all are better
DiaperRauch
Drabek is not better than Happ. Happ isn’t very good, but he still has a much larger, and better pedigree of pitching at the major league level. Drabek is the worse pitcher, and it’s not close.
Mike Babiak
I’d tend to agree. Especially considering that his WAR was higher than Adam Jones’ last year. That’s saying something.
DiaperRauch
Adam Jones is one of the more over-rated players in the game. His defensive ratings are pretty underwhelming, his plate discipline is awful, and his numbers reflect that.
He stays healthy, has good power, and can run. He’s best-suited to be a RF going forward, and I’m skeptical as to how he’ll age into his post-prime given his approach.
Blanketsburg
If the Sox would eat a few $MM in the deal, could a Dempster-for-Rasmus deal make sense for both teams?
randytherobot
Lol no. Lester/Rasmus is pretty fair.
Blanketsburg
I know that Rasmus is more valuable than Dempster, but no way is he worth Lester’s value.
DiaperRauch
Lester put up 4.3 WAR in 2013, Rasmus put up 4.8. Steamer projects Lester to put up 3.3 WAR in 2014, and expects Rasmus to put up 3.3 WAR as well. Oliver projects Lester at 3.4, and Rasmus at 3.2, They are pretty well exact matches in terms of value and they’re both free agents at the end of the year.
BadBJay
Sure. We’ll add Joey Bats as a throw-in. No no no, EE would make the deal more enticing for the Sox.
Brendon K
Rasmus was one of the most valuable CF in baseball las year….are you kidding with this proposal?!
Blanketsburg
I guess I underestimated Rasmus’ power number this past season. He’s still a career .248 hitter, but I get that he is clearly the more valuable player of the two.
DiaperRauch
Batting average tells us next to nothing as to how effective Rasmus was during his at-bats at producing runs and avoiding outs, which is what the goal is.
Jay Sanders
Ryan Dempster is 37 years old, makes $15 mil and has a 4.87 ERA over the past year and a half. So no.
John Meloche
Colby finally blossoms so naturally we should trade him.
BadBJay
I agree, he improved. But I just don’t see him being “a winner”. More like a JD Drew type. Never living up to the promise/hype. Doesn’t hurt to shop around. But if they are thinking of replacing him with Gose, it won’t be a popular decision.
Jaysfan724
I think what you saw with Colby this year is probably what you will get…and I am pretty content with that. He was a lot more patient at the plate this year. I think he has finally found comfort in Toronto…for his benefit, getting traded again would probably impact him.
John Meloche
totally agree, he seems to be a mental guy… meaning having mental peace is what he needs and I think he found that with the Jays.
John Meloche
He was the 6th ranked CF in the MLB last year… Between Choo & Jones… So ya he kinda lived up to his potential last year and that was in only 118 games.
DiaperRauch
How do you get this “winner” status? It’s not his fault the Blue Jays starting pitching was downright terrible for much of the season. Colby goes out and does he job, and he did it pretty well relative to his peers in 2013.
BVHjays
You could argue it would be selling high. .357 BABIP last season and 4 of his 22 home runs came in just five games in September – when pitching quality tends to decrease.
Not saying that’s necessarily the case, he could have really figured things out and sustain something close to that production going forward. But I do understand that argument.
Jaysfan724
Only 118 games though…numbers would have been even greater with another 30-40 games played
BVHjays
That’s true too.
John Meloche
Its an obvious sell high… as I just pointed out below he was ranked 6th CF in WAR in only 118 games. The Jays just do not have a replacement… Gose is not a replacement at this point.
S.M. Jenkins
This is true. I don’t think Toronto has a readymade heir to CF.
MG83
You know who else could benefit if Tanaka were posted? 29 other teams.
Leonard Washington
Sox should still put in a bid as some suggested. Also I am totally comfortable going into the season with the extra pitching. Its not ideal flexibility wise but we have people who can hold down the IF if the season started today. Hoping Drew gets drawn out a bit and we find a way to get him to comeback.
Brendon K
Unfortunately Colby is another season like last year away from an 80-100mil contract…Not sure Jays will be wanting to pay that anyways…
Jaysfan724
That’s why you gotta lock him up now. AA took the risks with Bautista and EE, I’d be willing to do the same with Rasmus.
S.M. Jenkins
Really? That would make me nervous. Not saying it’s wrong or right necessarily but Rasmus’ peaks & valleys can be extreme.
Jaysfan724
So was offering extensions to one year wonders in Bautista and EE…it’s the risk you take. I understand you completely, extending him comes with no guarantees. I guess you could wait til the All-Star Break but his price will rise between now and then if he continues success.
DiaperRauch
there’s no sense in a player signing at a discount (which is what Encarnacion and Bautista did) when they’re 3 months away from free agency. It’s either you lock him up before the season, or put the QO on him and wish him good luck.
Jaysfan724
Edwin signed his extension 3 months away from free agency. But that was exactly my point…you do the extension now if you are going to do it.
S.M. Jenkins
Therein lies the rub. If Rasmus builds upon the strides that he made late last year, he’d be an absolute bargain, He plays a premium position as well & is a strong defender so that’s of note too.
Nevertheless, I don’t think I’d rush into negotiations at this time. He ended up having a nice campaign & as a fan I hope the gains are actual, but I feel it’s a riskier gambit than either Jose Bautista or Edwin Encarnacio when they were extended. Should be interesting…
BadBJay
If I had to guess which teams AA discussed Rasmus with… Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, and every south korean baseball team.
DiaperRauch
Why would the Dodgers want a 5th outfielder?
Gomez Toth
Izturis, who can’t run but also can’t hit…Garcia, who can’t throw but off whom I could steal second base. How can Mets fans not be weeping right now? Well, sure, weeping for the past five years, but still…
Jay Sanders
Why would any team even want Dempster? He’s 37 years old, making $15 mil and has a 4.87 ERA over the past year and a half.
Bob George
Does anyone really think that if Tanaka gets posted the Red Sox do not place a bid? They can always trade two of those 3 guys. Peavy and Dempster should be easy to trade, especially if the Red Sox are willing to pay some of their salaries.
Brent Nault
How about this?
Texas receives: RP Sergio Santos + CF Colby Rasmus + J.A. Happ
Toronto receives: SP Derek Holland + SP Alexi Ogando
Jeremy 10
I’d do it.
BadBJay
Precisely why the Rangers won’t.
DiaperRauch
That’s pretty light for Texas. Santos and Ogando are essentially the same thing (except Ogando has the luxury to pitch multiple innings), Colby has 1 year left before free agency, and Happ is pretty underwhelming.
That’s a definite loss of value if you’re Texas.
pft2
I think the Red Sox do go after Tanaka. Lackey, Dempster, and Peavy are all gone in the next 1-2 years and all have tradeable contracts. Buchholz is a bit of a question mark with his shoulder as well, and Lester will be looking for a big extension in return for 2 months of excellent pitching that followed 2 years of not so great pitching.
They have some pitching prospects but none is a certainty to be more than a #3 SP’er
Matt Talbert
Someone needs to sign Corey Hart I mean he’s got a good glove, can be a good clubhouse guy and a has 30 homers in his bat and on top of that comes at a discount: if I’m Pittsburgh or Miami I’m ringin this guy’s phone til I get him to ink the dotted line. I mean there is some value to be had here. And he’s not old either (what only 30 right – I mean sure he’s a slight injury risk but sooner or later he’s got to have some good luck for a change). I mean I might catch some flack for this but I’d rather have Corey Hart as compared to Trumbo (look at the cost difference). You can probably get Hart definitely for one maybe an extra year with an incentive laden mutual option and boom you basically got the same player for a little cheaper and not have to give up Skaggs+ to get him…smdh@DBacks (and yep I think he still has the ablity to play the COF or shoot you can stick him in LF if that’s where they are going to put Trumbo, I mean guys like Dunn, Gattis, and others can be placed out there)
jesse heiman
Braves should convince Matt Stairs to come out of retirement and try to hit some more pinch hit hrs
Slim_Hurley
Curious on what the Brewers would be willing to give up for Davis if they can’t resign Hart.
Zach Ripple
I’d rather not trade for Rasmus right now considering he’s only under contract for a year, but I hope the Mets go after him next year in free agency. He’d fit really nicely in right field for them once Chris Young leaves.
Mike Babiak
Makes sense. One of the best CF’s in the game moving to RF.
Zach Ripple
Well, considering Juan Lagares is the best defensive center fielder in baseball, it does.
Mike Babiak
Do you think he would sign with you if you told him he would have to move on over to RF?
Zach Ripple
Well if you pay him, I’m pretty sure he would. And he’s been a corner outfielder before. That would give the Mets EASILY the Mets defensive outfield in baseball.