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Poll: Will Cliff Lee Be Claimed On Waivers?

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Cliff Lee is on waivers, so MLB teams must now decide whether to place a claim on the left-hander. For the majority of teams, the decision will be simple. Lee earns far too much for most general managers to make a claim and risk taking on his contract ($21.5MM in 2012, $25MM per season through 2015, and a $27.5MM vesting option for 2016 with a $12.5MM buyout). It’s complex enough for GMs to boost payroll by a few million with a summer acquisition, so a player with $95MM on his contract will be out of the question in most cases. 

But Lee could tempt a team or two. He continues to pitch effectively — seven innings per start, five times as many strikeouts as walks and a 3.73 ERA in a so-called down year — and there’s no better staring pitcher available. Maybe $95MM for three-plus seasons would be acceptable for a team with aggressive ownership, such as the Dodgers. 

If Lee does get claimed, the Phillies could pull him back off of waivers, work out a trade, or assign his contract to the team that wins the claim (the left-hander can block trades to 21 teams). If he goes unclaimed, the Phillies will be able to trade Lee with the same restrictions they’d encounter in July or in the offseason. How will it all unfold?

Poll: Will The Cubs Move Soriano This Month?

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The Cubs made many trades before this week's non-waiver deadline, but Alfonso Soriano stayed put. Soriano wasn't dealt Tuesday despite some interest from rival teams. However, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer acknowledged on ESPN 1000 yesterday that "there is a chance” Soriano will be traded in August.

Two things would have to happen for the 36-year-old to be moved. He’d have to be placed on waivers and he’d have to approve the trade. Soriano is now hitting .273/.322/.499 with 19 home runs and 22 doubles, so he’d represent an offensive upgrade for many teams. Yet he earns $18MM per season through 2014, so there’s an excellent chance he’ll clear waivers this month. He also has a no-trade clause, which limits the Cubs' options. If Soriano does clear waivers, the Cubs can trade him to any team with his permission. In the unlikely event that he gets claimed, they can let him go for nothing but salary relief or work out a trade with the claiming team — as long as Soriano consents. How do you think it'll play out?

Poll: Which Team Should Have Made A Trade?

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The last ten days have featured dozens of trades, and most of baseball’s 30 teams were responsible for a share of the action. But four clubs — the Orioles, Nationals, Mets and Padres — decided not to make trades. The Orioles (starting pitching, third base), Nationals (bench depth, starting pitching) and Mets (bullpen help) considered upgrades with 2012 in mind, while the Padres considered trading established players such as Chase Headley. In each case the clubs ultimately decided against making major trades. 

Which of these teams, if any, should have made a move?

Poll: Biggest Name Traded Today

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As always, there are tons of intriguing names flying around on trade deadline day.  Our poll question is simple: tell us the biggest name that will be dealt today.

Poll: Which Starter Would Provide Biggest Boost?

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The addition of a player such as Zack Greinke or Matt Garza may mean the difference of making the playoffs or spending October on the golf course for a team like the Braves. With the non-waiver trade deadline looming, teams will be forced to consider the value of trading for a front-of-the-rotation starter and how that particular move may impact the remainder of the season.

The question becomes which available starting pitcher will contribute the most down the stretch to help a team reach its goals for the season. Will Ryan Dempster prove to be the second coming of C.C. Sabathia during his stint with the Brewers? Or will Cole Hamels flame out like Ubaldo Jimenez after he arrived in Cleveland last July?

Poll: Top Prospects For Rental Players

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No general manager enjoys trading highly-regarded prospects away. But until this year, GMs have been able to trade elite prospects for players on the brink of free agency with the expectation of obtaining two compensatory draft picks for the loss of the Major League player. It was unpleasant to trade top prospects away, but the draft picks helped replenish teams' minor league systems.

This year, the rules have changed, and teams can no longer obtain draft pick compensation for players acquired midseason. The change in rules, in effect for the first time under baseball's new collective bargaining agreement, creates a dilemma for baseball's GMs: is it worth trading a top prospect for a player nearing free agency when the possibility of obtaining draft pick compensation no longer exists?

It's not hard to see why some teams will refuse to trade top prospects for 'rental' players. In the view of many, the short-term gain wouldn't be substantial enough to overcome the loss of a player who could make an extended impact at the MLB level while earning a relatively modest salary.

But how else will a team obtain a star MLB player such as Cole Hamels or Zack Greinke? Surely second-rate prospects and salary relief won't be enough. And it wouldn't be the first time teams have traded elite prospects without the possibility of obtaining draft pick compensation. The Giants parted with Zack Wheeler last summer in the trade that sent Carlos Beltran to San Francisco (the Beltran-Wheeler swap isn't a perfect comparison, but it shows that some teams are willing to sacrifice top prospects for short-term upgrades).

So, if you were a general manager, would you go all-in despite the change in rules or hold onto your prospects?

Poll: Will The Phillies Extend Cole Hamels?

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The Phillies are reportedly preparing a large extension offer for 28-year-old southpaw Cole Hamels, who shut down the Rockies today at Coors Field in a well-scouted game.  We've heard Hamels expects to be paid as an elite pitcher, so his next contract is surely headed north of $100MM.  In recent months Matt Cain and C.C. Sabathia both chose extensions over the open market, signing five-year contracts worth $112.5MM and $122MM in new money, respectively.

The Cain and Sabathia contracts include reasonable sixth-year vesting options, but that fully guaranteed sixth year is probably what both pitchers sacrificed by signing prior to full-blown free agency bidding wars.  The Phillies already have one starting pitcher megadeal on the books, having created the template by signing Cliff Lee for five years and $120MM plus a vesting option in December 2010.  A year and a half later, a Lee/Cain/Sabathia-type contract would be a reasonable offer from the Phillies for Hamels, but he may want more.  The clock is ticking, because if they can't extend Hamels, the Phillies' best path is probably to trade Hamels for a nice bounty this month.  How do you see it playing out?

Poll: Which Addition Makes Most Sense For Pirates?

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The Pirates enter the All-Star break atop the Central Division with a 48-37 record and a legitimate opportunity to remain competitive in the second half. Pittsburgh, led by the MVP-esque play of Andrew McCutchen and strong pitching from its starting rotation, plans to be a buyer with the trade deadline quickly approaching.

As mentioned on MLBTR earlier today, the Pirates have expressed interest in Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin and Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton, among others. MLBTR's Zach Links suggests acquiring Quentin would require Pittsburgh to part with a lesser package of prospects whereas adding Upton to its outfield would demand a series of quality prospects given his ability and that he is under team control through 2015.

The question for the Pirates becomes whether they will take a conservative approach at the trade deadline like last season or go all in by making a splash at the end of the month with a star player like Upton. 

Poll: Trading Carlos Gonzalez

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The Rockies have baseball’s third worst record at 27-44 because they have the game’s least effective pitching staff, a crew that has allowed an average of 5.7 runs per game. Offseason pickup Jeremy Guthrie (6.34 ERA) has been both hurt and ineffective, ditto both Jhoulys Chacin (7.30 ERA) and Juan Nicasio (5.28 ERA). Jamie Moyer’s feel-good story came to an unceremonious end when he was released after pitching to a 5.70 ERA.

Last weekend, Joel Sherman of The New York Post opined that Colorado should consider trading outfielder Carlos Gonzalez for prospects while noting there is no indication that he is actually available. Troy Renck of The Denver Post countered today by saying CarGo is simply too young, too good, and too affordable to trade. The 26-year-old has hit .328/.385/.604 this season and is under contract for approximately $73.5MM through 2017.

Players like Gonzalez don’t getting traded very often, but it’s safe to say he would command a monster package. The number of teams that both have a need in the outfield as well as the young players to swing a deal is limited, but the Rockies will surely find suitors if they put one of their two superstar hitters on the market.

Poll: What’s Next For Jamie Moyer?

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Jamie Moyer opened the season as a feel-good story following his return from Tommy John surgery at age 49, but he lasted just ten starts with the Rockies before being designated for assignment this afternoon. The veteran southpaw posted a 5.70 ERA in 53 2/3 innings for Colorado.

At his age, it’s easy to assume Moyer will finally hang up the spikes. He’s shown tremendous perseverance by continuing his career after elbow reconstruction though, so it would be an unsafe assumption at best. That said, it takes two to tango. Moyer has to find a club willing to sign him so he can keep playing.

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