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Trade Bait: Milledge to the Nats
Trader Jim has done it again, he’s acquired another bat with decent potential upside for lesser players. The Washington Nationals’ GM Jim Bowden traded Brian Schneider and Ryan Church for Lastings Milledge.
Milledge tore through the New York Mets system a couple seasons ago and was the next in line of Mets prospects to make a big impact. He possesses decent power, speed, and a good arm. But his lackluster defense has regulated him to the corner outfield spots. He also has displayed some inappropriate behavior over the past couple seasons.
Bowden will let him settle into centerfield, even with his prior problems on defense. The entire outfield will have decent upside as Willy Mo Pena will patrol left field, Milledge will be in center, and Austin Kearns will be in right. All three have power bats that may break out in Washington’s new stadium.
The Mets get two players with very limited offensive upsides, but great intensity as Baseball America writes. Schneider supposedly handles a pitching staff well and should throw out runners much better than Johnny Estrada.
Ryan Church has spent plenty of time between the bench and various outfield spots over the years. He started for much of the season in 2007 and put up decent numbers, but lacked the power needed of an outfielder without much speed. He’ll slot into rightfield and be more of a solid presence than Shawn Green was.
You’d think that New York GM Omar Minaya could’ve gotten more out of Milledge, but his stock has dropped over the past year as personality questions abound and his offensive upside doesn’t seem as great as they thought. The Nats look to come out as winners of this trade but may now need to find a stop-gap catcher to replace Schneider until former Rule-5 pick Jesus Flores is ready. Also, the middle of their lineup is very right-handed now.
Although Dukes has more talent than Gibson, it is likely that Gibson will fare better in the long-term as it may be too hard for Dukes to let go of his problems. Tampa Bay has made some pretty good deals this off-season so far. But it will be interesting to see what trader Jim has up his sleeve about the outfield surplus though. He may be gearing up to trade for a pitcher. But given his history in Cincinnati, it’s doubtful.
Trade Bait: Cabrera and Willis
You want a blockbuster trade during the Winter Meetings? You got one! The Detroit Tigers traded six players to get third baseman Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Florida Marlins. The Tigers paid a hefty price as they had to give up a potential superstar prospect in Cameron Maybin, a lefty starter who pitched in the majors in the same year he was drafted in Andrew Miller, as well as four others.
Cabrera was the main impact bat on the trade market, and is a better hitter than any of the free agents (not up for indictment) available. I’ve heard many accounts that compare between him and Manny Ramirez in both bat and nonchalance, but as noted in one of my recent columns, you can even compare his bat to Alex Rodriguez’. Cabrera’s bat makes the Tigers lineup look almost silly as he joins a core that includes Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield, Pudge Rodriguez, Carlos Guillen, and breakout Curtis Granderson.
Dontrelle Willis had a down year, but he could still rebound to his prior form and make the Tigers rotation very formidable. The increase in walks last season could be attributed to him nibbling the corners more as he lost confidence in a horrid infield defense last season. If the rotation stays the same it would include Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers, Dontrelle Willis, Jeremy Bonderman, and Nate Robertson, which would be deeper than most other teams.
These two push the Tiger to the probable top of the AL Central race.
The Marlins didn’t walk away with nothing though. In addition to Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller, Florida gets catcher Mike Rabello, and righthanders Eulogio de la Cruz, Dallas Trahern, and Burke Bandenhop.
Maybin is the real jewel of the trade. He has tremendous speed and the frame to develop impact power as he develops. In 2007, he batted .316/.409/.523 in the minors.
Miller has a 93-95 mph fastball with good sink, but he also has a great slider that is probably better than his fastball. He does have some problems getting right-handers out though. It’s a fact that will necessitate him to refine a third pitch, like a changeup, in order to keep righties off balance.
De la Cruz has a power fastball, 100 mph powerful. He also throws a good curveball. But even with his powerful fastball, he doesn’t strikeout many, he’s more of a groundball pitcher. He could possibly become a setup man in time.
Trahern has average stuff, but gets groundouts by the dozens. He viable could become a middle reliever in time.
Badenhop earned the Tigers’ minor league pitcher of the year award in 2006. His sinker also induces groundballs well, catch a trend here?
Mike Rabello is a switch-hitting backup catcher that hit decently for his role last season. He should play the same role in Florida.
Overall, it’s a decent haul for the Marlins, but they could have done better. Although I believe Cameron Maybin will be better than anyone in the Dodgers’ rumored package of Kemp, Kershaw, and LaRoche, the overall package would be better. But that rumored offer didn’t include Willis. The Marlins’ payroll is now low, very low. Kevin Gregg and his $2.5 million salary is now the team’s biggest drain. How can they afford such a high salary?!?!?
The Tigers are built to win NOW, that’s it. They have basically emptied their farm system this off-season in trades for Edgar Renteria, Cabrera, and Willis.
The Winter Meetings are fun aren’t they?
Trade Bait: Young to the Twins
In one of the biggest young talent trades I’ve seen in a while, the Twins acquired Delmon Young, Brendan Harris, and Jason Pridie for Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, and Eduardo Morlan. This was a long rumored trade that started out as Delmon Young for Matt Garza alone. MLBTR was on top of it the whole time.
In Delmon Young, the Twins get the former number one overall pick in the 2003 draft. Young has immense offensive potential and will provide an immediate boost to the Twins’ offense. He could put up 25 home runs with a good average as soon as next year.
Brendan Harris will likely settle into second base for the Twinkies, providing passable offense for the position.
Jason Pridie put up good numbers in Triple-A after an early injury. Although he’s projected to be more of a 4th outfielder, he could become a decent stop-gap centerfielder for the team until they find something better.
Matt Garza gives the Tampa rotation an immediate boost. He should slot into the third spot and put up more solid innings than either current #3 candidates, Jason Hammel, Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson. As he develops, he could move past James Shields and into the second spot in the rotation.
Jason Bartlett is a pretty good defender, he should give the team some stability at shortstop until Reid Brignac is ready for the majors. But Brignac has stalled out some at Double-A, making Bartlett good insurance if he doesn’t make the majors . Bartlett also gets on-base at a decent clip, but he has little power.
Morlan was a last-minute replacement for Juan Rincon after the Rays were worried about Rincon’s arm. He can sling the ball in the upper-90s, but the Twins regulated him to the lower-90s due to command problems. He also has the makings of a good slider that could make him a good setup man in the pen for the Rays soon.
With Michael Cuddyer and his arm likely to stick in right, Young will probably fit into left field. It should keep Jason Kubel in the DH spot to keep his problematic knees off the turf as much as possible. But the trade makes the infield a question mark as Harris doesn’t really fit at shortstop.
From a pure talent view of this trade it looks as if the Rays made away with the most talent, even if the Twins got the best player in the deal.
Kerry Wood Remains a Cub
Kerry Wood re-signed with the Cubs today, getting a one-year deal worth $4.2 million with $3.45 million in incentives. The former starter is reportedly going to stay in relief all season as the Cubs confirmed that closer Ryan Dempster will be going into the rotation.
The team initially will go with a closer-by-committee setup that will include Wood, Carlos Marmol, and Bobby Howry. Although I would like Wood’s occasional fire on the mound with the imposing stature of a pitcher that once struck out 20 in a game, the other candidates for the position are pretty good as well. Howry’s experience late in games could give him a leg up, but you’d think that the team would like to keep him in a role he’s used to. Carlos has electric stuff, but his youth could make him more likely to implode in the role.
Rumors floated that Wood turned down a few multi-year contracts to return to the Cubs. It’s nice to still see the occasional commitment to your team in this world of free agent contracts.
But every time I hear any news about Wood or Mark Prior, I still wince at what could have been if they weren’t touched by Dusty Baker. The Reds have so much talent in Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey, hopefully GM Wayne Krivsky and other Reds officials will slap his hand if he starts to overwork either of those two pitchers.
Francisco Cordero now a Red
The Cincinnati Reds are finalizing a deal with closer Francisco Cordero. The deal, as reported by MLB.com, is a four-year, $46 million deal with a $12 million club option for the 2012 season.
Cordero is a major help to a Reds bullpen that had a 5.31 ERA and converted only 34 of 61 saves, a 55.7% save conversion rate. But he cannot be the savior for the entire pen though, Wayne Krivsky still has his work cut out for him.
Dave Weathers will presumably assume the setup spot in the pen with young Jared Burton in the setup mix as well. If Bill Bray’s shoulder stays together, he could be better next season. Former starter prospect turned reliever, Tyler Pelland, may become a setup man for the team down the road. Other candidates for middle relief will likely be Gary Majewski, Jon Coutlangus, Brad Salmon, and Marcus McBeth. Todd Coffey seems to have fallen out of favor with the Reds though.
Some analysts are wondering if this signing is really going to help the Reds. Although it won’t help much in the wins column this season, it should help the team down the road. The team has two young stud pitchers coming up that are nearly ready for the majors. Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto are prospects that carry high hopes for the Reds. But many rookies have fragile egos and if they go out and pitch well only to see 44.3% of the close games, that they leave with a lead, ending in loses it will be devastating over a full season.
But for Cordero this signing was a little odd. Is the difference between this contract and the Brewers’ $42 million offer really that far apart? You’d think that giving up $4 million to be a closer for a team that is set up to be a major contender for the next four seasons would be a good tradeoff. Something tells me that we could see him requesting a trade after a couple seasons, wanting to be on a winning team.
Joe Kennedy Passes Away
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Joe Kennedy’s family. He passed away at his in-laws’ home in Florida this morning. The reason for his death is unknown at this time. “The cause of death is unknown at this time,” Lapa told FOXSports.com. “The best guess at this point is either a heart attack or a brain aneurysm. The way he died was sudden. There is no reasonable explanation for what happened.”
Joe came up through the Tampa Bay organization and was probably the first prospect that the Rays envisioned to be at the top of their rotation. He was decent for a couple years for the team after being called up from Double-A, but struggled thereafter and was traded to the Rockies and eventually the A’s. Kennedy did find some success as a reliever with the A’s but bounced around much in 2007.
He became a free agent at the season’s end and was looking forward to revitalizing his career with his first free agent contract.
Torii Hunter is now an Angel
After rumors were rampant that that as many as five teams had submitted bids on Torii Hunter, it looks as if the LA Angels had the best offer. Hunter signed today with the LA Angels for five years and $90 million. Yesterday it was released by MLBTR that Hunter received five offers with those five assumed to be the Rangers, White Sox, Dodgers, Royals, and Nationals. Hunter had an early preference for the Rangers and it sounded like the White Sox were hard after him as well. But in the end he surprised us all.
Actually, it’s the Angels that probably surprised us more. They already had an overflowing outfield with Vlad anchored in right, last year’s crazy signing of Gary Mathews Jr. in center, Garret Anderson splitting time in left and DH, and other players that deserved playing time in Juan Rivera and Reggie Willits.
The Angels have amassed a large amount of talent now not only in the outfield, but in the starting rotation. The Hunter signing and the trade for Jon Garland have created a setup that shows signs that a trade MUST be in the works for the Angels. The two most rumored trades that the Angels supposedly been having discussions about have been for Miguel Tejada of the Baltimore Orioles or Miguel Cabrera of the Florida Marlins.
Players like Reggie Willits, Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders should provide a little interest to either team. Juan Rivera could also be of interest if the Marlins want to move Josh Willingham to first base, or if the Orioles want to push Jay Payton to centerfield or the bench. Rivera should have 25 home run power if he’s fully recovered from his leg injury. Sure, the cornerstone for a trade for either of the Miguels would probably have to be stud pitching prospect Nick Adenhart.
Any way the deal is structured, the pieces are there. We just need to wait and see who it will be.
Trade Bait: Mota for Estrada
After the Yorvit Torrealba signing fell through, the Mets looked to other options to fill out their vacancy behind the plate. On Tuesday, the Mets traded for Johnny Estrada to be the mix for the new backstop.
Estrada hit .278 with 10 home runs and 54 RBI for the Brewers this year. Johnny hits for a decent average for a catcher, batting over .300 three different seasons during his career. He’s eligible for arbitration this winter and can become a free agent after the 2008 season. He’ll go into contention with newly resigned Ramon Castro for playing time.
Estrada fought through injuries this season with a torn meniscus and a bone spur in his right elbow. But he hopes to be at full strength by spring training. He will have to improve his throwing to keep from looking like a lighter-hitting Mike Piazza behind the plate though.
In return, the Milwaukee Brewers obtained reliever Guillermo Mota. Once a fireballing setup man for the Dodgers, Mota hasn’t pitched as well the past three seasons.
It’s doubtful the Brew Crew can get much out of Mota, but pitching coach Mike Maddux has revitalized careers before. What’s more important for the Brewers, they have opened up a spot for a new catcher. They’ve been rumored to be in the mix for Jason Kendall.
Estrada’s defensive inabilities will make this trade a win for Milwaukee if they can keep Mota’s ERA under 4.25.
Trade Bait: Garland to the Angels
In a somewhat odd trade today, the LA Angels acquired pitcher Jon Garland for shortstop Orlando Cabrera. Garland had been rumored to be on the trade block for the past couple years, but this is an odd deal, even for White Sox GM Ken Williams.
The Angels will get a starter for their staff that will likely fit into the number three or four slot in their rotation. If defensive wiz Erick Aybar does take over for Cabrera, the defense behind him in LA will be better overall than what he had last season in Chicago, hopefully resulting in better all-around numbers. This will make their rotation probably the best in the AL West going into the season. Although Garland will be a very good #4 starter, why would they give up their starting shortstop and major cog in their offense for a fourth starter?
The White Sox get out of this deal a Gold Glove shortstop in Orlando Cabrera. Cabrera also had one of his best offensive seasons in 2007 as he scored 101 runs and hit a career high .301 for the Angels. He should give a very good defensive boost to the young starters that the White Sox are trying to nurture along. Cabrera should also be a good offensive addition in the two spot in the order. This move does put recently resigned shortstop Juan Uribe in relative limbo though. He could be moved over to second base if they do not believe that Danny Richar will work out. Or he could take a super-utility role if the Sox decide to trade Joe Crede. If Crede is traded, Uribe could be a defensive replacement for Josh Fields and substitute elsewhere in the infield, still garnishing him 400+ at-bats.
The trade leaves the Angels’s offense even more lackluster as Aybar might not be ready to hit in the majors. It also makes the White Sox rotation thin. Mark Buehrle and Javier Vazquez make a good combination at the top, but the rest of the rotation has the faltering Jose Contreras and some youngsters who haven’t proven they can stick in a big league rotation.
This is certainly an odd trade, but it may be just the start of some other trades that will improve both teams overall. Let’s hope so.
Trade Bait: Oscar Villarreal to Astros
Does new Houston Astros GM Ed Wade have an affinity for stocking up on veteran relievers? First he acquired Geoff Geary with outfielder Michael Bourn. Now he’s traded for Atlanta Braves reliever Oscar Villarreal.
Villarreal has been one of the few regularly solid relievers for the Braves over the past couple seasons after coming over from the Diamondbacks. Although he pitched decently last season, Oscar’s walks per nine innings rose, resulting in an ERA 0.63 points higher than 2006.
In return, new Braves GM Frank Wren got yet another centerfield prospect, Josh Anderson. Anderson is an absolute speedster. But it is questionable that he will be able to hit enough or walk enough to be a leadoff hitter in the majors. Can hitting guru Terry Pendleton have an impact on him?
Ed deepened his relief core while not giving up a piece that he planned to use in the future. Anderson gives the Braves a short-term centerfield option until one of their two top centerfield prospects are ready. It also gives Wren some leverage if he plans to trade for another centerfielder. It also opens a spot for one the Braves young relievers that are out of options.
If the Braves go into the season with Anderson as the starting centerfielder and he doesn’t hit above .270 or walk much, the Astros definitely walk away with the better part of this trade. If the reliever that replaces Villarreal does a comparable job, while Anderson plays the 4th outfield spot, the Braves could come out ahead.
