November 11, 200619 yr http://www.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2006-11...ed-trades_x.htm Five trades we'd make Posted 11/8/2006 12:57 PM ET The Yankees could get a couple of young pitchers and a third baseman by sending Alex Rodriguez to Chicago. Alex Rodriguez. Andruw Jones. Dontrelle Willis. Carl Crawford. Vernon Wells. These are five sure-fire major league superstars whose names you may or may not have heard thrown about in trade talk. Whether they have shown signs of wilting under the pressure of their team's market, have priced themselves out of their team's budget, are coming up on a free agent year or whether it's a combination of all those factors, all five of these players have a chance to move this offseason. We propose five trades that could handsomely benefit each player, as well as the teams that deal them. Alex Rodriguez to White Sox (The deal: White Sox get 3B Alex Rodriguez. Yankees get RHP Freddy Garcia, 3B Joe Crede and RHP Lance Broadway.) In January 2004, five weeks after his potential trade to the Red Sox fell apart, Rodriguez told the media that he expected to play for the Rangers for the rest of the 10-year, $252 million contract that he signed in December 2000. Three weeks later, he was traded to the Yankees. After New York's first-round playoff loss to Detroit this year ? the two-time American League MVP went 1-for-12 and was dropped to eighth in the lineup for Game 4 ? Rodriguez said he wanted to stay in the Bronx for a long time. Since then, his agent, Scott Boras, has said the third baseman isn't going anywhere. And Yankees general Brian Cashman has said Rodriguez is not available on the trade market. So, of course, trade speculation will linger around A-Rod until he actually takes the field at Yankee Stadium in 2007, if he does that at all. The time has come for A-Rod to move back to shortstop, where he earned two Gold Glove awards with Texas, and away from the shadow cast by Yankees icon Derek Jeter and the oppressive New York media. Cashman should change his mind and hook up with White Sox GM Ken Williams, who has long coveted Rodriguez, 31, still one of the game's best players. The Yankees need young power arms for their rotation and the White Sox can fit that need with Garcia (immediately) and Broadway (in perhaps a year). The Yankees would need a replacement at third for Rodriguez and the White Sox can fit that need with Crede. The Yankees may need to pare payroll to sign a top free agent pitcher, and shedding themselves of Rodriguez's contract fits that need. Garcia is still relatively young (30) by the Yankees' standards (they had 43-year-old Randy Johnson and 37-year-old Mike Mussina in their rotation this past season), and he has won at least 14 games five times in his career. Garcia also went 4-1 with a 2.29 ERA this past September while Johnson was fighting off back problems. In the 23-year-old Broadway, the Yankees merely aren't getting a player with the perfect name for New York. The right-hander went 8-8 with a 2.74 ERA in Double A last season and might fit in nicely once Johnson's contract runs out after next season. Yes, the Yankees would rather have right-hander Brandon McCarthy, who has top-of-the-rotation potential, instead of the less-proven Broadway, but Williams isn't likely to part with McCarthy. Crede gives them added insurance if Broadway doesn't pan out. Crede could have surgery to repair two herniated discs in his lower, troublesome back, but he's coming off a career year. The White Sox would get a superstar shortstop who is 36 homers shy of 500 and would combine with Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome to form one of the most powerful lineups in the game. Top prospect Josh Fields could play third base, and Chicago would still have a veteran rotation. The Yankees would still have more than enough offense. And they would have more money to go after Barry Zito, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens or Jason Schmidt on the free agent market. In essence, the Yankees could end up with Garcia, Broadway, Crede and Zito for A-Rod. Make the call, Mr. Cashman. -- Steve DiMeglio Andruw Jones to Red Sox (The deal: Red Sox get OF Andruw Jones. Braves get OF Coco Crisp, RHP Craig Hansen, OF Jacoby Ellsbury.) If the Red Sox are serious about parting ways with outfielder Manny Ramirez, they need another potent right-handed bat to replace him and protect David Ortiz in the lineup. Andruw Jones, who has a total of 92 home runs and 257 RBI the last two seasons, is one of the few players in the majors whose productivity can match up with Ramirez's. In fact, Jones has surpassed him over those two years. Jones, a nine-time Gold Glove winner, has the range to patrol Fenway Park's cavernous center field and skills to make Red Sox fans stop pining for Johnny Damon. As for Crisp, partly because of a broken left index finger that never healed and partly due to his free-swinging ways ? his '06 on-base percentage was .317 ? he never fit the bill as Damon's replacement. The Red Sox aren't eager to deal center fielder Ellsbury and relief pitcher Hansen, their two first-round picks from the 2005 draft. Ellsbury batted a combined .303 with 41 stolen bases and a .382 on-base percentage between Class A and Double A this past season, and he projects as a classic leadoff hitter. Not unlike that Damon guy. Hansen, a 6-foot-5 right-hander, had a rough go in his 38-game stint with the big club, but he had a 2.75 ERA in 14 appearances at Triple-A Pawtucket, R.I., and is almost 23. Still, the Red Sox have a wealth of talented young arms and would need to include top-notch prospects like Ellsbury and Hansen to make this deal happen. Jones has been an Atlanta fixture for 11 seasons and won't turn 30 until April. However, he's entering the last year of his contract and is represented by the hard-driving Scott Boras, factors that could spell the end of his Braves tenure on the free agent market, anyway. Atlanta can afford to lose Jones' punch. Chipper Jones, Adam LaRoche, Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann, all of whom had at least 24 home runs and 86 RBI, return to a still-potent lineup. What doomed the Braves was a pitching staff whose 4.60 ERA tied for 11th in the league, a departure from the team's mold of the past. Hansen would provide them with a young, lively arm. Atlanta could also benefit from some speed at the top of the lineup, allowing Marcus Giles to move down the order. Crisp might not be as selective as some would prefer, but he has thrived as a leadoff hitter in the past and has some pop. Plus, if he doesn't work out, there's always Ellsbury down the road. -- Jorge L. Ortiz Dontrelle Willis to Mets (The deal: Mets get LHP Dontrelle Willis. Marlins get OF Lastings Milledge, RHP Aaron Heilman, LHP Royce Ring.) When you're starting Oliver Perez in Game 7 of the regular season, let alone the National League Championship Series, it doesn't take Bill James and his panel of seamheads to analyze where the Mets have problems. They need pitching. Lots of it. Ace Pedro Martinez, who had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, is talking openly about retiring. Tom Glavine is turning 41 this spring. Steve Trachsel is a journeyman. John Maine is a kid. And, uh, yes, there is Perez. Therefore, the Mets should and probably will do everything in their power to trade for Willis. The Marlins, who hung onto Willis all season, realize his trade value will never be higher. He already is making $4.35 million, and since he's arbitration-eligible, is looking to earn at least $6.5 million in 2007. That's too rich for the low-budget Marlins. Willis has done wonders for the organization, but it's time to unload him. Florida needs a center fielder, and Milledge makes perfect sense. He's young. He's talented, even though he batted .241 in 166 at-bats last season. And yes, he's cheap. The Marlins will have to pay him less than $500,000. Throw in Heilman (who had a 3.62 ERA out of the bullpen but has major league experience as a starter) and Ring (another young pitcher with a live arm whom the Marlins can use in relief or convert to a starter), and the deal is perfect for both sides. Willis not only would be the Mets' finest young pitching star since Dwight Gooden, but also could be the one to lead the Mets to the World Series. "For me, a successful season is winning the World Series," Mets general manager Omar Minaya told reporters after the season. "Anything that's not winning the World Series, for me, is not what I consider a successful season." And with Milledge roaming center (a spot the Marlins had a hard time filling last season), the Marlins will again be able to make a strong run at the playoffs, even with a payroll hovering around $20 million. Marlins GM Admin Beinfest says that he wants to retain Willis for at least one more year, but if the right deal came along, Beinfest said: "You never say never." The timing is perfect. -- Bob Nightengale Carl Crawford to Braves (The deal: Braves get OF Carl Crawford. Devil Rays get LHP Horacio Ramirez, RHP Kyle Davies.) The Braves need a left-fielder and a leadoff batter. They could fill both holes in one trade for Crawford, an All-Star outfielder. The Braves have the young pitching to spare, and, while trading pitching is always a gamble, the Braves have done it before. Before the 2004 season, they traded pitching prospect Adam Wainwright to the Cardinals in a deal involving outfielder J.D. Drew, who hit .305 with 31 home runs in his one season in Atlanta. In 2006, Atlanta's 849 runs were second to the Phillies' 865 in the National League, and the Braves did that without a legit leadoff batter, something they've needed since shortstop Rafael Furcal left as a free agent last offseason. John Smoltz, who was 16-9 with a 3.49 ERA last season, leads the Braves rotation. They are also counting on rebound seasons from Tim Hudson? a reasonable thought considering he's 31 ? and Mike Hampton, who looks strong after he missed last season with an elbow injury. The Braves also have Ramirez, Davies, Chuck James (who went 11-4 with a 3.78 ERA as a starter last season) and maybe even Oscar Villareal (who went 9-1 with 3.61 ERA mainly as a reliever last season) in the mix for the rotation. So, losing Ramirez and Davies shouldn't hurt them. Meanwhile, the outfield is the Devil Rays' strength, and although it seems like a bad public-relations move to trade Crawford, it's a great baseball move for the organization. Ramirez, who will be 27 next season, has already won at least 11 games twice during a major league season. Davies, 23, has yet to have the same sustained success in the majors, though he jetted through the minor leagues and was 7-6 with a 4.93 ERA in the majors in 2005 and, even during his dismal 2006 season, struck out 51 in 63â…“ innings. Sometimes, the Devil Rays' situation seems too overwhelming for them, but no matter how explosive Crawford can be, his bat is not what's going to make the Devil Rays a winner. The Devil Rays think they have pitching prospects, but a team can never have too many. Teams that are built into contenders start by stabilizing the rotation and then worrying about the offense. (Check out the Twins and Athletics for successful teams that pitch first and hit second.) The only way to get a promising rotation that can grow a team into contending status is to build with numbers. A Cy Young candidate for Crawford would be nice, but it's better to have a group of prospects that can provide long-term depth to get the Devil Rays going right. -- Mel Antonen Vernon Wells to Astros (The deal: Astros get OF Vernon Wells. Blue Jays get RHP Fernando Nieve, UT Chris Burke.) Toronto's biggest dilemma this winter is what to do with Wells, their most complete player. His contract has one year to go at $5.77 million but the internal debate about whether to even attempt to sign him to a new deal has been going on for at least a year. It's not that the Blue Jays have to do anything with Wells, but if they have any doubts about keeping him beyond this year, he has more value in a trade now than at the July 31 deadline. Plus, if the Blue Jays are a contender, as they anticipate, it's hardly good form to be moving a player of Wells' caliber during the season. An offseason trade is the way to go but the key is getting good value for a career .288 hitter who has averaged 29 home runs over the past four seasons and will turn 28 in December. Houston is a good fit because the Astros desperately need another impact bat. The right-handed Wells could take advantage of the short left-field porch at Minute Maid Park and fit nicely as a No. 3 hitter in front of Lance Berkman. More important, he grew up in Texas, which could give the Astros a better chance of working out a long-term deal with Wells before he becomes a free agent. Wells' trade value would be higher if the team that's getting him knows it has a good chance to keep him. Meanwhile, Toronto can address some needs and still create more payroll flexibility. The Blue Jays spent freely last winter by signing pitchers A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan and trading for third baseman Troy Glaus. But the Blue Jays' shortcomings in 2006 mostly were among their supporting cast. The lower part of the rotation was a disappointment and Toronto is still at least one middle infielder short of being a serious playoff contender. Adding a promising young pitcher such as Nieve, who is ready to step into a major league rotation (and has the potential to set up and close, as well), would help Toronto's pitching depth, and the versatile Burke fits nicely into the low-priced pieces the Blue Jays have used well. These include Reed Johnson and Frank Catalanotto. Burke could play second base if the Blue Jays want to put Aaron Hill at shortstop or Burke could work into the outfield mix. That allows the Blue Jays to look for an impact bat either in the infield, because Hill could play shortstop or second base or the outfield. Take Wells' salary plus an additional $10 million-$12 million in payroll room Ricciardi expects to have and the Jays have plenty of good options. -- Paul White
November 11, 200619 yr Carl Crawford to Braves (The deal: Braves get OF Carl Crawford. Devil Rays get LHP Horacio Ramirez, RHP Kyle Davies.) This man gets paid to write about baseball? :blink:
November 11, 200619 yr Carl Crawford to Braves (The deal: Braves get OF Carl Crawford. Devil Rays get LHP Horacio Ramirez, RHP Kyle Davies.) This man gets paid to write about baseball? :blink: Seriously...I saw that headline and stopped reading.
November 11, 200619 yr All these trades share two things in common. The rich get richer, and the poor get the shaft. Heilman, Milledge and Ring. A wimp, a pimp and a gimp. To borrow a line from Lou, "these guys get paid to write about baseball"? :thumbup .
November 11, 200619 yr Author All these trades share two things in common. The rich get richer, and the poor get the shaft. Heilman, Milledge and Ring. A wimp, a pimp and a gimp. To borrow a line from Lou, "these guys get paid to write about baseball"? :thumbup . I nominate this as the posting of the week...Damn that was awesome!
November 11, 200619 yr All these trades share two things in common. The rich get richer, and the poor get the shaft. Heilman, Milledge and Ring. A wimp, a pimp and a gimp. To borrow a line from Lou, "these guys get paid to write about baseball"? :thumbup . I nominate this as the posting of the week...Damn that was awesome! LOL Sounds like everyone is getting a little bored. Can we just fast forward to FanFest, South Florida Fair, Strawberry Festival, and Spring Training? My sock drawer is sorted, lumber is expensive, and I really don't care if TO passed gas this morning or not.
November 11, 200619 yr All these trades share two things in common. The rich get richer, and the poor get the shaft. Heilman, Milledge and Ring. A wimp, a pimp and a gimp. To borrow a line from Lou, "these guys get paid to write about baseball"? :thumbup . LMFAO!!! nice, the Braves idea was retarded. Crawford to the Braves?? Come on.
November 11, 200619 yr Only this smiley accurately conveys my confusion over this article: :hairrollers
November 12, 200619 yr All these trades share two things in common. The rich get richer, and the poor get the shaft. Heilman, Milledge and Ring. A wimp, a pimp and a gimp. To borrow a line from Lou, "these guys get paid to write about baseball"? :thumbup . I nominate this as the posting of the week...Damn that was awesome! I second the nomination!! Giving away Dontrelle for Milledge and pitching? We have plenty of young arms and Milledge can't compare to Willis. I would be ashamed to put my name to this article.
November 12, 200619 yr I would be ashamed to put my name to this article. Bob Nightengale knows no shame when it comes to the Fish.
November 12, 200619 yr Woah. Talk about a horrible proposal. There are better centerfield prospects out there on teams that make more sense to trade with in the first place (ahem, Diamondbacks, ahem). Now that we're somewhat considered contenders again, no way do we trade within the division again.
November 13, 200619 yr Why would we want Milledge? New York hype is at it again. If we make a trade for a centerfielder and it involves Dontrelle Willis, you better believe it's going to be a household name player. I have no doubt in my mind!
November 13, 200619 yr Why would we want Milledge? New York hype is at it again. If we make a trade for a centerfielder and it involves Dontrelle Willis, you better believe it's going to be a household name player. I have no doubt in my mind! That's the reason why I think they're simply not going to trade Dontrelle. You can't trade Dontrelle for prospects and scrubs. It would have to be a big name to justify it, but getting that big name would likely more than negate the only "benefit" to trading Dontrelle - saving money. Any such player will cost as much or more.
November 13, 200619 yr According to recent articles, Beinfest is certainly not against trading Dontrelle. Since it seems like the Marlins are still being stingy, they very easily could trade him for prospects to keep his higher cost down this season. "Easily"? I'm amazed at how people can come to some of the conclusions they do around here.
November 13, 200619 yr According to recent articles, Beinfest is certainly not against trading Dontrelle. Since it seems like the Marlins are still being stingy, they very easily could trade him for prospects to keep his higher cost down this season. "Easily"? I'm amazed at how people can come to some of the conclusions they do around here. It's not jumping to conclusions...it's using common sense. And I never said I thought it was likely he would be traded. The point of my post was that if the Marlins WERE to move Dontrelle, it would be for a package of prospects. Think about it, why else would you trade Dontrelle Willis if not a cost cutting move? There is plenty of unproven talent in the minors that is apparently being coveted by other teams. If a team is interested in Jason Vargas, then by all means, trade him. The front office supposedly does not want to increase payroll much at all and Dontrelle will be making a relatively hefty sum in 2007. Why would they trade him for a player with equal salary? It makes no sense. To answer your question...because those are not the only two options. The choices are not a bucket full of untested prospects on one side and the $6 million man from ___________ on the other. Somewhere in the middle (and I almost don't like even discussing this because I believe Willis will not be moved this year) are stars in the making (and used for example purposes only REPEAT used for example purposes only), the Ryan Zimmermans, the Prince Fielders, the Kenji Johimas - in short players with a year under their belts who have proven their worth but will be cheap for years to come. About the only young position players I rank as untouchable is Ryan Howard and Mauer. I'm not saying there aren't others, but there just aren't that many not worth a Dontrelle Willis to a team in need of a Dontrelle Willis. For a new ownership in DC (and one could make the case it's a year or so too soon for them but again I'm using them because they're convenient) acquiring as the symbol of their franchise's future a showman and centerpiece like Dontrelle Willis would, I believe, be worth giving up their best young player. In DC, in a new park, Willis would pay dividends at the gate for years to come. Ditto other places with special situations. Notice I'm not talking about New York or Boston where he would just be another big name player. It's as much about the match off the field as it is on the field. And still, just one of them isn't enough to compensate a franchise like the Marlins for the package value of Dontrelle Willis (excluding Howard and Mauer of course). It's a Ryan Zimmerman and __________ . It's Chris Young and ___________ and ______________. You get the idea. I think those who look at Willis purely based on what he's accomplished on the field are significantly undervaluing his worth to any number of franchises. Of course, feel free to disagree, but that's how I see it.
November 13, 200619 yr In your haste to rebut my comments you ignored the fact I was using the players mentioned as EXAMPLES...sheesh. I said it over and over. But if you think Ryan Zimmerman will ever be as big in DC as Dontrelle Willis could be, I think there's something fundamentally flawed in your thinking. You missed my point completely.
November 13, 200619 yr Your point that in a money sense, marketability sense and personality sense Willis brings added value that isnt just there from the field. Yes, he does bring that value which is why I think he will end up here next year for the marlins till mid-season at least.
November 14, 200619 yr And when Zimmerman wins the rookie of the year today, he will be one step closer to earning his place in DC.
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