Could A-Rod get traded this winter? If so, at what price?

The Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs last night, and part of the blame goes to Alex Rodriguez, who had a terrible post-season, collecting three hits in 25 combined at bats. Because of that terrible performance, there were/are trade talks involving Alex Rodriguez right now, according to several reports all around the game.

At first there was speculation that the Marlins were interesting in acquiring the 37 year old third baseman, who is owed $114 million over the next five years. The Marlins are an interesting case, because A-Rod is apparently "Mr. Miami" according to the owner Jeffrey Loria. That indicates that he would be willing to acquire him not only for his abilities, but to sell some tickets as well. There is no question about the Marlins and their terrible attendance each and every night, but bringing in A-Rod would definitely put some people in the seats, but how much would it cost to acquire the third baseman?

Now, we have to look at it this way; What are the Yankees trying to get rid of A-Rod for? Because of his attitude and large contract? Or possibly because they are looking to get younger. I personally believe that the club is trying to just get him out of New York because he brings so much media attention. Was it this post-season's performance that kind of stirred the pot and opened some more eyes? Yes, but keep in mind that other players on the team struggled and no one is talking about them. Swisher, Granderson, and Cano all had horrifying post-season's, but since they are not making $25 million per season, they will not be mentioned in possible trade talks. To me, that is how I know that the Yankees just want to get rid of A-Rod because of his contract.

If the Marlins, or any team for that matter, were to acquire A-Rod, it would take quite a commitment. Let's say the Yankees cover around $90-95 million of his contract, then the acquiring team would have to first pay A-Rod around $20-25 million for being their third-baseman. At this point in his career, Rodriguez is not worth that kind of money. Also, and I'll use the Marlins as an example, I wouldn't want A-Rod on my team. He is a 37 year old third baseman who is way past his prime, and if I was in Miami's front office, I would want to get younger because the team is not ready to compete right now. Now, assuming that the Yankees eat up that money that I just mentioned, it'll cost a few prospects as well. Those prospects will probably not be outstanding, but maybe a few B-'s or C+'s would cut it.

Overall, I actually don't see A-Rod being traded this off-season, simply because there really aren't any perfect matches, and rightfully so. Who would want a media-driven, overpaid third baseman who is way past his prime. There will be a bunch of teams "interested", but that doesn't mean anything.

Mets won't look to trade Duda this off-season

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets will not be inclined to trade outfielder Lucas Duda this off-season, even though a report earlier in the month indicated that the Mets would be open to trading Duda or Davis this winter to address other needs.

The the Mets dealt Davis, that would open up the first baseman position for Duda. Duda has hit 15 homers and 57 RBI in 446 plate appearances for the Mets this season, and has got sent down to the minor leagues earlier in 2012.

Analysis: As a Mets fan, I would be very upset if the Mets' front office dealt Davis or Duda. Davis is having a great season, and is a piece of the future. He shouldn't be dealt, and neither should Duda. I guess I would trade Duda at the right price, perhaps in a package for an outfielder like Shin-Soo Choo or Justin Upton. I really hope that the Mets don't trade Davis though, because he haw incredible raw power that Duda does not have.

Revisiting the Chris Iannetta trade

I was very surprised when the Rockies traded away Chris Iannetta last fall, but now I realize why they did it. They knew that they had young catcher Wilin Rosario coming up through the farm system and it was only a matter of time until he would take the starting job in Colorado. I somewhat understood it from the Angels' standpoint, because they had Hank Conger, who was not ready for the big leagues, and Bobby Wilson, who is a backup catcher at best. While this trade is not the sexiest of the year, it will certainly affect both sides if the Angels choose to keep Iannetta for the next two years. Here is a breakdown of the trade:

Rockies get:

Tyler Chatwood- (Triple-A stats)- 5.79 ERA, 9 starts, 37.1 innings pitched
                          (MLB stats)- 5.32 ERA, 15 appearances, 8 starts, 47.1 ERA, 5.1 BB/9

Angels get:

Chris Iannetta- 8 home runs, 23 RBI, .249 batting average, 60 games, 193 plate appearances


It's safe to say that this trade hasn't severely affected both sides so far this year. Honestly, I think the Rockies won it through addition by subtraction. Iannetta had a decent tenure with Colorado, but getting rid of him was necessary to let Rosario play everyday. I'm sure that Colorado was happy that they could just get SOMETHING for Iannetta. Chatwood is a decent pitcher, but we all know that the Rockies have an odd way of handling their pitchers. He has had a rough year, but then again he is throwing maximum 3 innings per outing due to Manager Jim Tracy's project 5183. Honestly, I think Chatwood may turn into something special, perhaps a #3 starter at best, but he definitely won't be an ace. As for Iannetta, he hasn't really stayed healthy this year, and I have a feeling that Hank Conger is going to take his job. Iannetta has some pop to his bat, but I don't think that he will return to being an everyday catcher anytime soon. So, Overall, I think that the Rockies have won this trade through addition by subtraction, and because Chatwood may turn into a decent pitcher.

Orioles interested in Juan Pierre

The Orioles have some interest in trading for outfielder Juan Pierre, but the Phillies are not eager to trade him. Baltimore has been looking for an outfielder ever since Nick Markakis went down with a broken wrist a few days ago. Philadelphia won't get much in return for Pierre at this point of the season, so it seems likely that he will stay put.

Pierre signed a one year deal with the Phillies in January. He has definitely been a bargain, hitting .304 in 385 plate appearances. He also has 34 stolen bases in 40 attempts. He wouldn't be eligible for the playoffs if Baltimore or any team for that matter were to acquire him.

Analysis: I doubt that the Phillies would let Pierre go. I would imagine that they would want to retain Pierre and keep him as a key piece of that bench in 2013. Pierre is a very good bench player, and would play well with the Orioles, but I simply don't see the Phillies letting him go for basically nothing.

Revisiting the Johan Santana trade of 2008

More than four years ago, the Mets pulled off a big trade to acquire a big name starting pitcher, and that pitcher was Johan Santana. The move surprised many of us, because we didn't realize that Santana was even on the market. Many of us believed that he had a future in Minnesota, and should have stayed there. The Johan Santana trade has actually affected both sides drastically, and the prospects that the Twins received at the time looked very good. Now, fast foward to 2012, Here's a breakdown of the trade: (2012 stats)

Mets get:

Johan Santana- (recently shut-down for remainder of the season)- 4.85 ERA, 21 starts, 117.0 innings, 8.5 K/9.

Twins get:

Carlos Gomez- (playing for the Brewers)-  .257 batting average, 16 homers, 44 RBI, 30 stolen bases, 110 games, .303 on-base percentage.

Phil Humber- (playing for the White Sox)- 5.81 ERA, 24 appearances, 16 starts, 100.2 innings, 4 strikeouts, threw a perfect game earlier in the season.

Deolis Guerra- (Triple-A stats)- 4.87 ERA, 29 appearances, 8.8 K/9 , 57.1 innings.

Kevin Mulvey- (Double-A stats w/ Mets, retired earlier in the season at age 27)- 5.59 ERA, 13 appearances, 19.1 innings.

As you can see, the trade hasn't really benefited both sides, especially the Twins. I'm not just saying that because I may have a little east coast (Mets) bias in me. Santana has been very injury prone since joining the Mets, but, with the exception to this year, he has been effective when healthy. Keep in mind that the Mets signed Santana to a mega-contract after the 2008 season, so that is ultimately why he is still in Flushing through 2013. As for the Twins, the trade has been a mess. The Gomez and Humber experiments didn't work out, and the two of them, especially Gomez, are seeing regular playing time now with opposing teams. Gomez is a good ballplayer, but occasionally strikes out too often, therefore putting up a poor on-base percentage. Humber is nothing more than a #4 pitcher, even though many thought that he was finally coming into his own as he tossed that perfect game earlier in the season. Guerra, a former top prospect with the Mets, hasn't been able to figure it out in the Twins' organization. He is still 23 years old, so he has some time to develop, but it seems like he has been in the minors for a long long time and may want to consider a different job soon. Mulvey bounced around with a few teams before he returned to the Mets this Spring. He pitched poorly in Double-A, and retired. 

Honestly, it's actually tough to truly say who won this trade. Santana was great with the Mets in 2008, but his contract is a head-scratcher right now and will limit New York's payroll flexibility for next season. The prospects, as you can clearly see, haven't worked out for the Twins but the Twins did in fact get SOMETHING for him. I'm going to say that the Mets won the trade, but that is debatable. 

 

Padres may keep Headley, look at some pitchers

Padres executives have told reporters that they may want to keep third baseman Chase Headley this off-season. GM Josh Byrnes says that he considered a few deals from opposing teams last month leading up to the non-waiver trading deadline, but he doesn't feel urgent to trade Headley.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports mentions that San Diego may want to pursue a few starting pitchers this off-season, such as Hiroki Kuroda.

Analysis: I'm not a huge Chase Headley fan, but considering that he plays in PETCO Park, his numbers are pretty darn good. I think that it is the right call to keep him, because they can build their lineup around him and Carlos Quentin. As for the pitching, I fully expect San Diego to pursue a starting pitcher in the off-season. Who knows? A pitcher may even want to go to San Diego to boost his free agent value for the following season.

Giants interested in Steve Pearce

The Giants are interested in Astros outfielder Steve Pearce. Ever since the Melky Cabrera suspension, San Francisco has been searching for an outfielder who handles left handed pitching as well as Pearce, who has a career .275 batting average against them.

The Astros claimed Pearce off of waivers from the Orioles last month. If Pearce is traded, that would mean that he was with five different clubs in 2012. This season, he has played with the Twins, Yankees, Orioles and Astros.

Analysis: I doubt that the Astros care if Pearce is on the team or not, so I'd just let San Francisco have him for cash considerations or a PTBNL. Nothing special.

Indians will consider trades for Choo

The Indians have told other teams that they will listen to trade offers this off-season for their outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. GM Chris Antonetti has told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that he has tried multiple times to sign Choo to an extension, but Choo and his Agent Scott Boras have been unreceptive in the discussions.

Choo is under team control through the 2013 season, and is arbitration eligible for the final time this fall. The Phillies, Pirates, Dodgers, Rangers and Reds were linked to Choo leading up to this year's non-waiver trading deadline. Teams like the Mets and Giants could express interest in Choo if he is made available in the off-season.

Analysis: I know that Choo is a fan favorite over in Cleveland, but I think trading him makes sense. I'd try and get a few young pitching prospects for him, because the Indians' starting rotation is awful. Choo definitely has a considerable amount of value, considering that he is one of the most consistent players in the game and has an above-average throwing arm.

Revisiting the Michael Bourn trade one year later

Last summer, the Astros shocked the baseball world by trading their star center fielder Michael Bourn to the Braves in exchange for a bundle of prospects. Before acquiring Bourn, the Braves were desperately looking for a lead off hitter. At the time, Bourn was one of the best, if not the best, lead off hitter in the game. Let's take a look at how this trade has impacted each team this season. 

Braves acquire:

Michael Bourn- .289 batting average, league-leading 34 stolen bases, 9 homers, 52 RBI, 10 triples

Astros acquire:

Brett Oberholtzer- Triple-A stats: 5.00 ERA, 13 starts, 75.2 innings pitched, 10.8 H/9

Paul Clemens- Triple-A stats: 6.73 ERA, 20 starts, 101.2 innings pitched, 12.8 H/9
                      Double-A stats: 4.11 ERA, 5 starts, 30.2 innings pitched, 8.2 K/9

Juan Abreu- (In Blue Jays organization)- Triple-A stats: 0.00 ERA, 1 appearance

Jordan Schafer- .216 batting average, 26 stolen bases, 23 RBI


As you can see, its clear that the Braves have probably won this trade. Bourn has been fantastic for Atlanta this year, and is making former Astros GM Ed Wade look like an idiot for trading him away for practically nothing. Bourn is a free agent after the season, and even if he leaves Atlanta, and I still think that the Braves got the better end of this deal. Oberholtzer and Clemens do not look good at all, considering that they are really struggling in the minor leagues. Both of their hits per nine innings really startle me as well. Abreu is in the Blue Jays organization now after being claimed off of waivers by them a few weeks ago. Schafer was supposed to be the center fielder of the future for Atlanta, and many fans were worried when they traded him away. He was looked horrible this year, and has gotten into some trouble off the field.

Revisiting the Roy Halladay trade of 2009

Halladay was a fan favorite in Toronto

In December 2009, the Blue Jays surprised the baseball world by trading away their ace pitcher Roy Halladay to the Phillies. They hoped that trading him would bring in several young pieces that would help them in the future. The Phillies have definitely been pleased with Halladay so far, and Toronto hasn't really been able to see what they got in their young players yet. Here is a breakdown of the trade: (Stats are as of August 20, 2012)

Phillies acquire: 

Roy Halladay- 3.80 ERA, 17 games started, 92 strikeouts, 7.4 K/9

Blue Jays acquire:

Travis D'Arnaud- Triple-A stats: .333 batting average, 16 homers, 52 RBI, 303 plate appearances

Michael Taylor- Triple-A stats: (In Oakland's farm system): .293 batting average, 12 homers, 62 RBI, 17 stolen bases

Kyle Drabek- 4.67 ERA, 13 starts, out for season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.


There's no clear cut winner in this deal, even now, three years after it happened. The Phillies are reaping the benefits of Halladay's consistent performance, even though he has somewhat struggled this year. He is getting older and his health is starting to be questioned. Philadelphia has definitely gotten a lot out of him though, and even though he is 35 years old, he surprisingly is still a top pitcher in the league. As for the Blue Jays, the return hasn't been that great so far. Travis D'Arnaud is a bright spot, and might get called up next month when the rosters expand. Michael Taylor was immediately shipped to Oakland in the Brett Wallace deal, and Wallace never played a single game for Toronto. Drabek has had a lot of trouble staying healthy, and hasn't been able to live up to his hype so far.

Revisiting the Ubaldo Jimenez trade of 2011

Last summer, the Indians were in the thick of a divisional race and decided that they needed to desperately upgrade their pitching. They chose to make a trade that would help them in the short-term, by acquiring pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez from the Rockies in exchange for prospects Alex White, Drew Pomeranz, Joe Gardner, and Matt McBride. At the time the deal looked very smart for both sides, because the Rockies were looking to get younger pitching. Like I mentioned before, the Indians were looking to contend. Jimenez did not play very well down the stretch for the Indians, and Cleveland ultimately missed their shot at the playoffs. Jimenez is still young, and Cleveland wants him to develop into their ace. Here is a breakdown of the Jimenez trade as of August 10, 2012:

Indians acquire:

Ubaldo Jimenez- 9-11 win loss record, 5.25 ERA, 23 games started, league-leading 77 walks

Rockies acquire:

Alex White: Triple-A stats: 3.71 ERA, 11 games started, 60.2 innings pitched
                     MLB stats: 5.75 ERA, 12 games started, 61.0 innings pitched

Matt McBride:  Triple-A stats: .354 batting average, 10 homers, 77 RBI, 395 plate appearances

Drew Pomeranz: Triple-A stats: 2.51 ERA, 9 games started, 46.2 innings pitched
                            MLB stats: 4.76 ERA, 12 games started, 56.2 innings pitched

Joe Gardner: Double-A stats: 4.64 ERA, 18 games started, 23 appearances, 106.2 innings, 9.3 H/9


As you can clearly see, this trade hasn't really seriously affected either side so far. The Indians are stuck with Ubaldo, and his terrible performance on a consistent basis. Obviously he is going to have to figure himself out because if he doesn't he will probably be dealt out of Cleveland. As for the prospects in Colorado's farm system, they have been pretty bad for the most part. Alex White and Drew Pomeranz have been awful, but you have to take in account that they play in the hitter-friendly Coors field. I have a feeling that they might figure themselves out eventually, it just might not be in a Rockies uniform. McBride seems like a very good hitter, and may have some upside. Gardner is struggling in Double-A, and I can only imagine how he would do if called up to the big leagues.

Overall, it looks like we will have to wait another few years to see how this trade unfolds. The Indians, at the moment, seem to be losers in the trade because Ubaldo has been THAT bad. At least the Rockies got some players with decent upside.

Should the Giants try to trade Zito this month?

I recently read an article on bleacherreport.com  that talked about whether the Giants would consider trading Barry Zito and the rest of his massive contract to a different team sometime this month. At first I agreed with the article, thinking that moving his contract would free up a lot of payroll. Then I thought, Zito has actually had a pretty decent season this year, and why would the Giants get rid of him? We all know that the Giants have one of the best rotations in baseball, but what if one of their pitchers gets hurt and they need  a replacement. Now I realize that Zito wasn't really brought into San Francisco just to provide rotation depth, but at this point, that's all you can really use him for.

Zito is owed $19 million for this season, and $20 million for 2013. After 2013, he will be eligible for free agency, if San Francisco chooses to buyout his contract for $7 million. I'm sure that Zito would interest a lot of teams if put on waivers, such as the Orioles, Yankees, Rangers or Cardinals. I doubt that a team would want to take his ginormous deal and stash it in their payroll.

The reality is, the Giants are actually better off with Zito on their team. Now if I said that a few years ago, I'm sure that the entire city of San Francisco would be calling me crazy. Like I said earlier, Zito is pitching exceptionally well, and he is currently serving as the team's number 5 starter. If the Giants were to replace Zito, there really wouldn't be any solid replacement with postseason experience. Eric Surkamp could have been a candidate, but he had Tommy John surgery in July. They also have Brad Penny, who has been working out of the bullpen this season. We don't know if he is ready for a starter's workload and if he is going to even stay healthy.

In my opinion, I think the Giants should keep Zito. Trading him wouldn't be smart considering that San Francisco is in a tight race with Los Angeles for the division. Despite Zito's contract, I feel like he can still be an asset for San Francisco.

Marlins desperately trying to unload Carlos Lee

The Marlins are begging teams to take first baseman Carlos Lee off of their hands. Lee was acquired by Miami last month from Houston.

At 36 years old Lee offers little defensive value, so some teams might view him as a right handed bench bat.

Soriano will not accept trade to Giants

Alfonso Soriano was removed early from today's Cubs-Pirates game because the Cubs front office planned on trading him to the Giants. Soriano has told reporters that he will not accept the trade to the Giants and will remain with the Cubs unless they figure out a new team to deal him to.

Soriano has hit .274 with 19 homers and 61 RBI in 94 games for the Cubbies this year.

Should the Athletics buy or sell?

Coming into this season, I honestly thought the Athletics would be the laughing stock of the American League, with the exception to the Twins. If you told me that they would be 55-46 by July 30, I would have probably thought you were high on drugs. After selling off a ton of their star players last off-season, Billy Beane (pictured) and Co. pretty much wanted to get their young players some exposure to the big leagues in order to start the rebuilding process. Little did they know, trading away their big name players was probably the best thing they could have done.

Trading Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill brought in some nice pitching prospects, most of whom are currently contributing at the major league level. Trading Andrew Bailey brought in Josh Reddick, who has been a spark plug for the Athletics offense. They also acquired closer Ryan Cook in the Cahill deal, who has pitched great with Oakland. Once again Billy Beane has found no name players and turned them into star players, for a fraction of the cost. When the Tigers released Brandon Inge earlier, practically no one wanted to even show interest in him because his skills were degrading. Billy Beane realized that he would be a cheap option and could just simply need a change of scenery. He was right, Inge thrived with Oakland over the first few weeks but has cooled down since then.

Anyway, the title of this article is Should the A's buy or sell? Honestly, I'm a very conservative fan. If my team is doing bad at the deadline, I would want them to trade some players to acquire some prospects that can help the following year. This situation with Oakland, however, is different. The Athletics actually have a shot this year, and I think that they should make some trades. Should they give up top prospects? Absolutely not. Billy Beane's Moneyball approach can only take his team so far, and he is going to have to bring in a good bat or two eventually. Doing that with a small market team without giving up top prospects is a difficult task, but I think he is capable of getting some deals done.

The Athletics offense has always been a weakness, and they will need to upgrade it. Recently, they acquired catcher George Kottaras from the Brewers which is by no means a blockbuster move, but it is definitely an under the radar move. Kottaras will fit in perfectly with Beane's system, because he draws walks and puts up incredible on base percentages each and every year. A position that should be upgraded is shortstop, because Pennington/Sogard have not been getting the job done. There have been so many reports lately saying that Oakland has been looking at Jays' shortstop Yunel Escobar. While Escobar is a great player in all, that really wouldn't be a good move considering that Toronto's asking price for the young shortstop is very high. They have also looked into acquiring Jimmy Rollins, and supposedly he won't cost a top prospect if Oakland covers most, if not all, of his remaining salary on his contract. That would kill Oakland, because like I said before they are a small market team, so Rollins is pretty much out of the equation. Stephen Drew is a possibility, but the asking price for him is also pretty high, according to several reports.

The starting rotation is full of rookies, and then there's Bartolo Colon. I don't know if Colon and his, large stature, will sustain the final two months of the season. That's why, if I was Billy Beane, I'd be going after a starting pitcher like, perhaps, Dempster? The A's need a veteran presence in that rotation, and Dempster would be a great fit, although a trade to Oakland is highly unlikely.

There are plenty of other positions that Oakland needs to upgrade. They could either choose to lay low at this year's deadline, or they could make a big splash, which is unlikely. Oakland doesn't want to ruin its future and I don't blame them. Overall, Billy Beane has a tough decision to make, but at least its a good decision to be making.

Kevin Correia requests trade

Pitcher Kevin Correia lost his rotation spot to the newly-acquired Wandy Rodriguez a few days ago, and he has now asked the Pirates to trade him.

Correia, 31, has pitched to a 4.24 ERA with a 51% ground-ball rate. He is making $3 million in his final season of a two-year, $8 million deal he signed with Pittsburgh back in December of 2010.

Pirates GM Neal Huntington has planned to use Correia out of the bullpen for the most part, but he also planned on using him for a couple spot starts as well. Huntington also realized that using him out of the bullpen would damage his free agent value this off-season. He went on to say that he would be open to trading Correia, but only if it makes the Major League team better.

Mets, Cubs have talked about Soto

The Mets have recently talked to the Cubs about the possibility of trading for catcher Geovany Soto. However, the two sides aren't likely to complete a trade.

The Mets are comfortable entering the 2012 with Josh Thole as their starting catcher, but they would like a proven backstop who bats from the right side to complement Thole. The Mets could re-start talks for Soto or a different right handed hitting catcher this off-season. The Mets previously had interest in Ramon Hernandez, Kelly Shoppach, and Miguel Olivo.

Soto has hit .195 in 194 plate appearances for the Cubs this year. He has had trouble staying healthy since 2008, which was the year that he won the Rookie of the Year award for the National League.

Dodgers, Cubs have talked about Soriano, LaHair

The Dodgers and Cubs have had discussions about the availability of Alfonso Soriano (pictured) and Bryan LaHair in a possible Ryan Dempster deal. The Dodgers have made it clear that they want to make a few more moves in the next couple days.

The Cubs are "desperate" to trade Soriano, who will earn $18 million per season through 2014. Chicago has offered to pay for most, if not all, of Soriano's salary in order to get a good prospect in return.

Soriano has hit .274 with 19 home runs this year. The Dodgers have also talked to the Twins about possibly acquiring Justin Morneau and Josh Willingham.

Orioles interested in Liriano

The Orioles have inquired about pitcher Francisco Liriano, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Baltimore has been looking for a starting pitching for a while, and they don't have much interest in Greinke anymore.

The Angels, Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, and Braves have been interested in Liriano in the past. Liriano has posted a 5.31 ERA in 100 innings this year. He will earn $5.5 million this year, and is a pending free agent.

Angels interested in Mijares, Rzepczynski

Mijares has had a nice breakout season. 

The Angels have expressed interest in Jose Mijares of the Royals and Mark Rzepczynski of the Cardinals in search of a left handed reliever. The Angels have also shown some interest in Joe Thatcher of the Padres.

Mijares has had a very nice year, posting a 1.72 ERA in 36 2/3 innings pitched with Kansas City. He will be arbitration eligible after this season.

The Cardinals acquired Rzepczynski last year in the three-team deal centered around Edwin Jackson and Colby Rasmus. He has a 5.06 ERA in 32 innings pitched this year, and will also be arbitration eligible after this year.

The Angels currently have Scott Downs and Hisanori Takahashi as their left handed relievers in the bullpen, and they are supposedly willing to include center fielder Peter Bourjos in a deal.