midseason 2008 trading and rumor mill

Millar haha. Who do they even have to trade at this point? I'd gotten the impression the cupboard was pretty bare after the Santana deal.

They should look at VMat.

have heard Holiday to just about everyone.

Can't believe that'll happen give his H/R splits and what I would assume would be the Rockies' asking price.

i know

haha just kidding

someone needs to free joe koshansky from being stuck behind helton

Dan (Buffalo, NY): Jayson, don't you think the Yankees will be more desperate for Sabathia come July and therefore overspend for him? What are your thoughts on a Sabathia/Peralta for Cano and two mid level hitting prospects deal?

Jayson Stark: (1:05 PM ET ) Brian Cashman would have to completely change philosophies to make that deal. For one thing, Robinson Cano and two "mid-level" prospects wouldn't do it. It's going to take three high-level young players. And if the Yankees wouldn't make that trade for Johan Santana, whom they at least would have had around for years, why would they make it for a rent-a-player? And while the obvious response is, they could negotiate and sign him, what would Sabathia want to give up free agency? He'd want (ta-taa) the Santana contract. So if he gets traded, how can it be to the Yankees?

D'oh with ACTUAL logic.

"Ta-taa" indeed

sa da tay

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=905

Griffey to TB?

god that sounds like an awful idea

will carroll is such a fucking clown

a guy writes an article about a player liking another team so he can generate copy then wc spins it even further with some bullshit analysis of a trade that isnt going to happen

great job everyone

Fact is, Jon’s one of the best in the biz and if he’s hearing things, things are there to be heard.

--------------
THIRD SENTENCE OF JON'S PIECE:
Griffey, 39, has a no-trade clause but has told intimates that if the Rays stay in the race, he'd consider waiving his veto power to go home.
-------------

** UPDATE: Reader C.B. points out that Griffey holds 10/5 rights and could hold up the deal if his option is not picked up. That’s definitely a complicating factor, especially with no money deferred. My guess would be that this kind of demand would be a dealbreaker for Tampa, leaving Griffey with a decision about how much winning and being close to home really mean to him.

my guess would be that YOU ARE AN IDIOT SIR

Jeez I hope when Will Carroll dies you wait at least two hours before pissing on his grave.

deez only upset about trade rumors, not media-enabled wars

will Rox put Holliday on the market?

http://cokin.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/dave-cokins-hardcore-baseball-062408/

I think I check MLBTradeRumors about 10x a day, hoping the Padres have traded away their vets for chum.

OK, how can the A's be looking to move Harden, given where they are?

A's always be rebuilding. Would they give him up for Ryan Ludwick (sell high!!!)?

Beane doesn't think they can really compete in the playoffs, and I kinda don't blame him. Plus, Harden is never healthy, so if you can get even close to full value for him, you've got to take it when you can. Maybe he'll stay healthy long-term, but it would be a surprising development.

Harden for Ludwick isn't happening (unless he's a throw-in for a bigger prospect-laden deal).

how can anyone who saw the '06 Cardinals think any team "can't compete in the playoffs"?

if ever there's a time to move harden, you'd think this is it. you'll never get better value for him than now, and there's no way he's still healthy by october imo~

ya but the cardinals at least had the best baseball player in the world on their roster

http://www.joesportsfan.com/jsfpics/columns/weaverNirvana.jpg

how can anyone who saw the '06 Cardinals think any team "can't compete in the playoffs"?

The 06 Cardinals were a very decent team that went into a nonsensical slump at the end of the season. They finished near .500, but that didn't represent the kind of season they were having prior to that. If you want to pick a team that represents "anything can happen," the Rockies seem like a better example, especially knowing what we know now.

But you can't make this sort of judgment based on the most unlikely occurrence. Sure, it's possible that the Giants will make the playoffs this year, and maybe they have the starting pitching and veteran leadership (ha) to win in the postseason. But it isn't likely. The A's are not going to catch the Angels, and they don't match up well on paper with a number of other AL teams.

I don't think the A's will trade Harden until the deadline, and if they've closed the gap by then, I'm sure they'll keep Harden and trade him in the offseason. But it's hard to look at this team and think they're a playoff contender.

Also, their attendance yesterday was 11,129. The attendance this year has been pretty bad. If the fans don't believe, why should management?

Cyrus (San Francisco, CA): Rob, Even if the A's can contend, wouldn't Beane likely unload Harden? It seems to me this is the time of year where Billy Beane pits every contending team against each other and fleeces one of them for half their farm system. Harden is great, but he's on a 95 pitch count and is bound to get injured. Either way I can't see the A's winning the WS, so why not get everything you can while his stock is so high?

Rob Neyer: (12:54 PM ET ) I don't know that I can argue with your logic, but I can't recall Beane making a single mid-season deal in which he gave up a lot of talent. Usually he gets talent in the middle of the season, and trades it after the season.

I don't think the situations are the same though. The A's moves have been pretty budget-conscious since they announced the Fremont relocation. I definitely agree that Beane won't make a move unless he thinks the package is very good. He won't settle.

I have a feeling that the move to Fremont will be financial suicide.

What percentage of fans take BART to Oakland games? I have been to over 100 A's games and have never driven even once. So now that gas is $5+, the idea to move to a location FURTHER from Oakland/SF and not anywhere close to public transportation does not seem to be the wisest move possible (aside from re-signing Eric Chavez to 6 years or whatever).

It's an interesting question. I'm thinking that they'll offer some sort of shuttle system from the Fremont BART, something akin to the MUNI line that runs from Embarcadero to AT&T. But Fremont is definitely a bad spot for a team, and especially bad for people who don't live in Oakland. Ever tried making the drive from Castro Valley to Hayward during rush hour? It's about two miles, and takes like 45 minutes. Pure hell.

That said, if they can leverage the South Bay, and maybe find a way to get fans from San Jose to come to the games instead of supporting the Giants, those are fans that simply have more money to spend than your average Oakland fan. The Giants make a lot more money per fan than the A's do.

(07-08) 15:39 PDT -- The A's traded away Rich Harden today, sending him and Chad Gaudin to the Cubs for four players.

I don't understand the Harden/Gaudin deal at all.

Me either.

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland A's today traded right-handed pitchers Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin to the Chicago Cubs for right-handed pitcher Sean Gallagher, catcher Josh Donaldson, infielder Eric Patterson and outfielder Matt Murton. The A's have also recalled left-handed pitcher Dallas Braden from Triple-A Sacramento and transferred Mike Sweeney to the 60-day disabled list.

I mean, I wouldn't do that trade for Harden, and certainly wouldn't THROW IN Chad Gaudin.

No Vitters makes even less sense.

Gaudin for Gallagher is about a wash so it's basically Patterson, Donaldson and Murton for Harden which sounds completely wacky unless another PTBNL is involved (and presumedly is Vitters.)

wow

amazing trade for the cubs wtf

???

esp after the haren trade, which made total sense

this seems borderline criminal

Harden's velocity has been down lately. If I'm Hendry, I'm conducting a thorough physical.

Guys, Harden has pitched one full season out of 5 and a half, and that was a LOOOOONG time ago.

This is a huge gamble for the Cubs. Do you honestly think Harden has the stamina and strength to make 30+ starts this year? He's surpassed 19 GS only once in his career. Billy Beane is selling high on a highly-prone-injury-risk player of which he has many (Chavez, Crosby, Thomas, etc.)

The problem with that argument is that selling high generally involves getting something of ya know value back. Patterson and Murton aren't valuable (esp. to the A's) and Donaldson is no one's idea of a FUCK YEAH prospect.

Now if the A's are getting Vitters then again it makes more sense.

if youre going to sell high on an ace itd be nice to actually get something of value in return instead of giving it

this is a ridiculous trade - btw i suggest everyone check out how harden faired against the NL this year xps

the worst case scenario for the cubs this season is harden isn't a factor because of injuries and they have to rely on what pitchers they've had up to this point, minus gallagher. the worst case for the long run is gallagher turns into a perennial cy young candidate and harden goes further down the route of mark prior. murton and patterson, eh.

What gamble? We need another SP, there is huge upside even if a potential risk to Harden and we weren't really using those other players much anyway.

Sean Marshall just smoked the Cardinals anyway so we still have backup #5.

Glad to see Murton will get some playing time as an A.

PLUS Gaudin.

I don't really see the gamble here. They weren't using Murton, Patterson is meh, Donaldson is years away and they have a catcher anyway and Gaudin at worst should be able to replace Gallagher. Even if Harden doesn't pitch a game they mostly are no worse off than they were before.

pre-pube stache = A+

Wow Niemann is 6'9/280 according to B-R. That's mighty large.

sorry, that Pudge trade is a big shrug to me. He really sucked at the plate til the last 4-5 weeks and he may very well go back to that.

Jon Rauch is 6-11, 300#

http://www.joesportsfan.com/jsfpics/cards/Johnson.jpg

Milwaukee 1987 = Williamsburg 2002? Just lookit them bedroom eyes.

xp That's even larger.

also Rapozer, never got an ILX email from you, but I found yr geemail addy and sent you a Mets mssg.

sup
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Jon_Rauch.jpg/469px-Jon_Rauch.jpg

Jonah Keri claimed in his espn chat today that the Red Sox are exploiting the Manny trade talk just to cockblock the Rays from getting Jason Bay (his words, not mine). It makes sense!!

when's he due xpost

No one mentioned Arthur Rhodes to the Marlins for RHP Gaby Hernandez yet? It's done.

Will Carroll (1:03:49 PM PT): Wait, wait ... Bay to Boston? Is the Manny deal something out of a George Romero movie?

Not Monkey Shines, I hope!

Maybe the Pirates & Sox are involving the Dodgers & Kemp?

haha

The Yankees talked about trading infielder Alberto Gonzalez to the Nationals for pitcher Jhonny Nunez, SI.com has learned. No word if the deal was done.

http://pawatercooler.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/siren.gif

RIP the next Derek Jeter?

I think Alberto Gonzales the attorney general had a better chance of being the next Derek Jeter.

Edes on NESN: "I'm being told that a trade has gone down with Manny Ramirez. No details yet, but something is in the commissioner's office."

Will Carroll (1:22:15 PM PT): Manny to Dodgers?

Kevin Goldstein (1:22:15 PM PT): It's 3:21 and people are telling me Manny may have been traded. It just . . . won't . . . die.

Will Carroll (1:22:51 PM PT): Yep, I have two sources on this one, plus Jon Heyman. NO idea on particulars.

how many years left on bay's contract?

Signed through 2009 at $7.5MM.

whoa wtf jason bay better produce like a motherfucker in boston or he's gonna get the '07 regular season drew treatment 10x worse.

now I DEF have to get dodgers tix for august

i really can't wait to see bill plaschke's first manny column

manny = winner. this even plaschke can't deny (I think)

Manny Ramirez. Great player. Hall of Famer.

But what else are we getting?

A troublemaker.

A clubhouse divider.

A player who doesn't hustle. Who clogs up the bases. Who takes breaks in the outfield.

In short, not a Dodger. Not the Dodger we need.

Not now.

Not when this team is so close.

hahaha thats about perfect

lool

people who dont want manny ramirez on their team should stick to cricket

YANKEES
VICTOR ZAMBRANO
TOGETHER AT LAST
in the minors

"small sample size" and all the bullshit but jason bay's home/road splits in '08:

home: .290/.359/.571
road: .273/.393/.455

krukhead edition:

15 HR/45 RBI at home
7 HR/19 RBI on the road

In Los Angeles, they are celebrating, the big bat they need has finally arrived

In Boston, they are celebrating, the clubhouse cancer removed once and for all

In Los Angeles, it's Manny being Manny

In Boston, Manny isn't being Manny anymore

Manny Ramirez has been acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and will bring many impressive numbers with him; 510 home runs, 1672 RBIs, a .312 batting average, and other numbers that Stat Boy DePodesta would be happy to talk to you about. But numbers don't play the game; people do. And Manny Ramirez is not a person who will bring the heart this Dodger team so desperately needs.

This Dodgers team has been full of players with no grit, no hustle. Guys like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Andruw Jones have only served to block from the lineup the heart this team needs from its emotional core, Juan Pierre. Factor in the injuries to Nomar Garciaparra and Rafael Furcal, and this is a team playing on no emotion.

Now add to the mix Manny Ramirez. Sure, he'll hit the ball a long way. Might even drive a few guys in. But he doesn't give this team what it really needs; dirty uniforms, taking the extra base, smart baseball. This Dodger team already has enough compilers like Kemp and Ethier. What this team needed was a sparkplug. Instead, they got Manny Ramirez. Good luck with that, Dodger fans!

This Dodger team already has enough compilers like Kemp and Ethier.

Fun fact that's really hard to find on the internet: the Dodgers are 4th from the bottom of the NL in runs scored.

Please tell me this is fake.

Plaschke:

Perhaps nobody in baseball history has performed better in a more pressure-filled World Series, as he was the MVP of the 2004 Series that broke the Red Sox's 86-year title drought.

Yet a couple of weeks ago, during a sixth-inning pitching change at Fenway Park, he momentarily departed left field to make a cellphone call.

These two events really do cancel each other out.

why bother keeping track of runs? team w/ the most # of and dirtiest uni's gets the W!!

lol yeah my friend wrote that

tho plaschke's real column aint much better: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke1-2008aug01,0,4821970.column

Unofficially, it doesn't take a Laker fan to understand that they were given a gift the size of Pau Gasol.

lol way to instill the dodger fans with confidence, bill

Milwaukee 1987 = Williamsburg 2002? Just lookit them bedroom eyes.

I actually had a conversation on another message board about the most hipster-looking baseball team. Someone mentioned the 1985 Phillies; I countered with the 1982 Brew Crew.

http://www.go4thestars.com/10282gt.jpg

http://www.joesportsfan.com/jsfpics/cards/Moose.jpg

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/sports/brew/img/aug02/jg815.jpg

those dudes are too athletic and confident lookin to pass for hipsters

find the most depressing sad-sack team ever and u got ur hipster all-stars right there

FASANOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

See Bad News Bears Go to Japan, then.

Better yet, don't.

I'm pulling for a waiver-flavored Jarrod Washburn NYY merger, BTW.

http://www.mopupduty.com/rance.jpg

When did "hipster" become "mid-80s state cop"?

HAHAHAHA~~~

or "early '90s physics professor"

Odds on a "GNC customer in Zubas" shift?

i blame Napoleon Dynamite.