Tag Archives: MLB TRADES

Image

Trade Deadline Ideas

The trade deadline is fast approaching for all of baseball. Like most fans I have no idea where anyone is going to end up. I also am probably selling too short on many players in hopes my team the Royals can add something big. Now with all of that being said lets talk about what might happen.

Cole Hamels  – I do not see the Royals being able to pay the price in talent and the price in $$$ to the Phillies. Everyone more or less wants Hamels. The Dodgers have all the money in the world it seems and need another big arm to run the billion dollar machine.

I think the Royals could afford to bring in Hamels if they made another move to get rid of some salary. The books get a little heavier for next year now that Vargas is going to be taking up 10-12 million the next 18 months while somewhere in Arizona in shorts sitting next to a doctor. The bigger issue in my mind is the amount of prospects the Phillies will want in return.

The deal for Hamels that I would push for if I am the Phillies is attaching Ryan Howard and part of his awful deal onto the trade. The Dodgers are most likely not going to let go of their top few prospects in any deal which could become a sticking point in any Hamels deal. The Phillies were said to be willing to eat all but $10 million or so of Howard’s deal during the summer. If I am the Dodgers I use my truckloads of cash as a level B prospect in the Hamels trade. I pitch the Phillies take your pick from prospects 5-15, another from 20-35 two below the 50’s and we will take on $25-35 million of the Howard deal.

David Price – The Tigers are said to be sellers but the AL Central fan in me doesn’t believe it. If Price is dealt it will most likely be to a team that thinks they can sign next year. This brings the Dodgers back to the front of the line. I think the Dodgers could build a package around Ryu who is hurt but under control for another 3 years and Puig who is signed through 2018.

The Tigers could send a package of David Price, Yoenis Céspedes,  & Joakim Soria, to the Dodgers for Yasiel Puig and Hyun-Jin Ryu

This deal allows the Dodgers to get Price on this years roster and betters their chances of signing him next season. It also gets Puig who many thing would be addition by subtraction gone but with a stop gap replacement in Céspedes for a playoff run. This deal also brings much needed bullpen help.

The Tigers get back two All-Star caliber players that are under team control for several years on deals that are steals in the current market. The three biggest trade chips the Tigers have are used in this trade but bring back the biggest return in MLB proven players.

This deal strengthens the Tigers for next year for sure without completely killing their chances at a wildcard spot.

Johnny Cueto – There is lots of talk of Cueto coming to the Royals. I think this one has a chance but again I think some other team will throw more prospects at the Reds than the Royals can match.

Cueto – To Cubs

Jeff Samardzija – Goes to the Blue Jays. I have no clue for what but that is what I am feeling.

Mike Leake and Jay Bruce – To the Royals. I think this deal makes sense. The Royals get to spend less in prospects and cash on this pair and with Bruce they get  player to used or traded next year.

I think if the Royals make this deal they would have enough prospect value left to make a run at another bat or more likely another pitcher like Haren, Latos, or one of the Padres guys not named Shields.

I think the Shields deal keeps him out of the Royals plans because he got overpaid last summer.

 

Kansas City Royals Trade Options

Let me first start by saying I am a diehard Royals fan.

Ok, lets look at the AL. The Royals are now in third place in the Central. The odds of the Tigers falling flat on their face are slim to none. The Tigers are 7 games up on the Royals. The Indians are up a game and a half.

In the West three times are ahead of KC. The A’s and Angels even further out in front than the Tigers. Then Seattle is there at 52 wins. In the East  The O’s, Jays and Yanks are all up on the Royals. The White Sox, Red Sox, and Rays are all hanging around with the Royals.

Now I would love for the Royals to go out and get another ace but I know that isn’t going to happen. I know there is not a ton of cash coming from management to bring in new talent via trade or free agency next year.

So, what should the team do? This was the year we have all been told was worth waiting for since back in 2004.

The Options

 

Billy Butler

1. Keep Billy Butler this year and get him to take less than 12.5 mil next year. Billy has had a down year and can’t do anything other than hit. I have never been a big fan of 1/5 of the salary going to a DH.

2. Trade Billy for what you can get for him this season saving money this season and next for a more productive player. By my rough count shipping Billy out saves the team around 18-20mil over the next two seasons.

3. Keep Billy for this season and then tell him to walk or take 5-6 mil next year.

Big Game James

1. Keep him for the rest of this season and let him try and pitch the team into the playoffs. The odds of a playoff push seem to be getting farther and farther away each day. If Shields leave the Royals do get a 1st rounder next year in the draft but I honestly could careless about that.

2. Put him on the market trade him for young cheap prospects.

3. Put him on the market and take back a big leaguer who is on a bad contract but make his old team pick up a large chunk of that contract.

The Pen

1. Keep them all

2. Trade away one or two guys that are due for huge salary jumps.

Vargas

1. Keep Vargas

2. Trade him as fast as you can because you didn’t like his contract he signed this summer with the team.

These are the options as I see them.

This is the plan that I like

I like the idea of trading Billy Butler for a team that is willing to take on his salary and still send back a decent prospect only if it is part of a bigger plan.

This bigger plan would be to open the bidding on Shields and possibly Vargas. I would offer Shields a large contract extension this week. If he turns it down I start shopping him. I would also let it be known that Vargas is on the market. He has pitched very well this season but I still think his 4 year deal will come to hurt the team in year 3 0r 4.

If Shields turns down a long term deal at market value I call the Dodgers, the Cardinals, and the M’s right off the bat. Shields is a rental but I think all three of these teams have the money to keep him long term as well as the prospects to make a deal. The Dodgers also have a ton of outfield talent. Someone has to go eventually. If I am the Royals I ask for Kemp or Either and tell the Dodgers to pick up part of the bill. If Kemp is the target the Dodgers have to kick in more obviously but a deal built around Shields for Kemp and say 35 million and a low level prospect would allow the Dodgers to ad to their rotation without dealing away prospects. The Dodgers get to cut ties with Kemp for a small fee. Kemp gives the Royals a star on a deal that the team could stomach. Trading shields saves the Royals some cash that can be put towards Kemp. In this deal you also trade Butler saving the team another 20 mil that can be put towards Kemp. The Royals can call up Zimmer to finish the season hoping that Kemp’s bat and Zimmer ad a spark.

The Cardinals have fewer bad contracts but they do have more young talent. If the Cardinals believe the price on price is too high Davis could be an option. The something is true with the M’s

The idea of trading Vargas comes down to what a team will offer. I think that Royals have to be thinking about making bold moves that keeps the hope alive for next season while still being able to make a run at this year.

Yankees Fans Would Go Ape But It Just Might Work

I know what I am about to say is going to get every Yankee fans panties in such a big bunch but it might be the best gamble for the team.

Robinson Cano is a free agent at the end of the year. Mariano Rivera is retiring. The team still owes ARod a ton of cash if he isn’t banned from baseball. Jeter is coming off a broken ankle and will be retiring in a few years. Their big money first basemen can’t stay healthy, and their minor league system is not over flowing with top end talent.

Let’s start with Cano. All reports and rumors say that the Dodgers could be willing to go 200 million for Cano because they print money some place in the basement out there in LA. Teams like the Cubs, Phillies, Mariners, Mets, Nationals, O’s and maybe a few other teams could come out of the shadows with a pile of cash. The Yankees prob are the front runner for Cano but he will still listen to all offers in the offseason.

The Yankees are sixth games back in their division and they are fourth in the wildcard race. It might be too early to say they are out of the playoffs but I think it is easy to say that even if they make the playoffs they will most likely not do anything once in the playoffs.

Ok, now comes the part where I piss off all of Yankee Nation and most baseball writers. Oh, lets not forget Bud. The Yankees would be taking a huge gamble by allowing Cano to see what life could be like in LA, Saint Louis, Pittsburgh, Arizona, Atlanta, Boston, Oakland, Baltimore, or Tampa.

The Yankees could use the talent they would get back in the deal to help rebuild the farm system and shed a small contract or two in the deal. The Yankees agree to trade Cano with a wink wink long term deal already in place with Cano.  The Yankees will get back some good talent back and probably can get a team to over pay with the idea that they can convince Cano to stay.

This idea is an omission that this year is dead which will anger most fans. The last part of this deal is where everyone is going to hate me. You trade Mariano. Ok, now before you send the hate mail think about. Yes, he is a life long Yankee, yes he will go into the hall as a Yankee, yes he should retire as a Yankee, but the return on him could be huge.

Mariano could be on a championship team one more time to end his career, he could single handedly restock the Yankee farm system by pitching for another team for 3 months.

If Mariano really wants to do what is best for the Yankees he will allow them to trade him. It is not only good for the team but it is good for him. Yes, it will be odd to see him in a new teams uniform but get over it.

What would a team like Saint Louis, LA, or Arizona give up to have Mariano close out games? Most rental players do not bring a ton of value back to a team but I would bet that Mariano could bring back two top tier prospects plus  several other lower level guys from a team with a strong farm system and issues at closer. Yes, I am talking to you Saint Louis. Instead of going out and trading for another backend starter these teams could simply take that package of players and add 2 or 3 of their top 10 prospects to get the deal done. Yes, it is a situation where you are trading away tomorrow for yesterday but someone would be willing to do it.