Tag: MLB Trade Rumors

5 Pitchers the Dodgers Could Still Acquire Before the Waiver Trade Deadline

Acquiring Joe Blanton, Shane Victorino, Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Hanley Ramirez may not have been enough for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their pursuit of the 2012 World Series title.

After Blanton’s latest poor start, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has reported that the Dodgers are still on the hunt for another starting pitcher.

While the Dodgers did have interest in CC Sabathia according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, it is doubtful that they will make another move of that magnitude.

Instead, the Dodgers will most likely look through the waiver wire for a pitcher who can fill in at the number four or five slot.

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Pirates May Have to Consider Parting Ways with Pedro Alvarez This Winter

While the Pirates are on the verge of slipping out of the race for the division title and falling out of the second wild-card spot, Pedro Alvarez’s days in Pittsburgh could be coming to an end. 

Alvarez has 21 home runs and he knocked in 60. Pretty good numbers, right? Not when you look at the whole package. The majority of those numbers have come during streaks. While all players have hot streaks, Alvarez has two or three a year and accumulates the majority of those home runs and RBI during that time.

The only consistency we have seen from Alvarez is how overmatched he appears at the plate. He seems to guess wrong almost every pitch. He swings at balls and takes strikes. To say he is lost at the plate is not an overstatement. I can honestly say that I can’t recall a player in a starting lineup who hurts his team as much as Alvarez does. This may seem unfair and harsh, but I am being honest. If Alvarez performed this way in a major market, he would already be in the minor leagues or watching from the dugout.

Tonight’s game against the Dodgers was a prime example of the majority of his games this season. He had three strikeouts and a weakly hit ground ball to first base with a runner in scoring position. His fielding also came into question.

In a fourth inning that saw the Dodgers score three runs, the wind was taken right out of the Pirates’ sails. Alvarez couldn’t catch a relatively routine line drive. For whatever reason, the batter (Matt Kemp) was awarded a hit. It was a gift hit. To be fair, Walker didn’t use two hands when attempting to tag Kemp on the bases, and the umpire said Kemp was safe because Walker didn’t have control of the ball. If Alvarez made the initial possible out, the next play wouldn’t have even been an issue.

Alvarez has had fielding issues all year. While he makes great plays from time to time, his poor defense outweighs those other above-average plays.

The question remains: What should the Pirates and Neal Huntington do regarding Alvarez?

I say deal him when the winter meeting roll around. Let’s face it, coming into tonight’s game, Alvarez’s career batting average was .232. He is now hitting just around .230. The Pirates third baseman has been up and down in the minors since his debut in 2010. This is Pedro’s first full season.

Let’s remember that Alvarez went to Vanderbilt and didn’t turn pro until he was 23 years old. He is now 25 and doesn’t show any signs of progressing. In fact, you can make the argument that he played his best baseball when the Pirates first brought him up in the middle of that 2010 season.

While Huntington would have to weigh his options and discuss which direction to go, I have an example trade. I think it makes sense for both teams.

Chase Headley had been discussed in trade rumors prior to the non-waiver trade deadline. The Pirates were one of many teams rumored to be interested. While Headley wasn’t traded, he also has not been signed to an extension with San Diego.

It has also been stated by numerous sources (Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and Buster Olney of ESPN) that the Padres felt they could get more for Headley during the offseason rather than the trade deadline. If that’s the case, why not center a trade around Alvarez and Headley? Alvarez would get a fresh start in San Diego, something that would help him. The Padres would get a player under contract for a few more years. The Pirates would get a player who can take Alvarez’s place at third. Finally, Headley would put up more power numbers in PNC, compared to Petco.

The Pirates can’t afford to keep up this project with Alvarez. On the surface, Alvarez put up respectable power numbers to this point. The Pirates should use the offseason to try and use the value he has now, and deal him. The Pirates can’t put up with no production in the sixth spot of the batting order. This is becoming more and more apparent the longer this season goes.

I do realize that there are a number of Alvarez fans out there, and they won’t like this article. I’m not solely centering on Alvarez for the Pirates’ poor play as of late. There is enough blame to go around, including the starting pitching (McDonald) and some issues with the bullpen.

I honestly hope that I am wrong and Alvarez puts the Pirates on his back and helps them toward a playoff berth this season. That being said, I believe it would be wise to send Alvarez somewhere else unless he completely turns it around these last seven weeks of the season.

If the first four and a half months of the season are any indication, it is hard to imagine Alvarez turning it around. I really do hope I’m wrong though.

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MLB Trade Talk: If Marlins Put Josh Johnson on Waivers, Should Yankees Pursue?

I really wanted the New York Yankees to get Cliff Lee if he fell to them on waivers.

In fact, if anyone has known me long enough to follow my work, you’ll remember that I have wanted the Yankees to get Lee dating all the way back to my very first story on this website in June of 2009.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were the team that was awarded the claim on the Phillies‘ 33-year-old lefty, and Ned Coletti and Ruben Amaro, Jr. have until Sunday to work out a deal.

So Yankee fans, we can all cross off Lee from our wish list of players we’d like to see in the Bronx.

It’s alright, though. We still have the rest of the month of August to figure out if we want to pursue a player through waivers.

When reading Buster Olney from ESPN’s blog, I got an idea.

What if the Miami Marlins put Josh Johnson through waivers?

Clearly, they are not contending this year and Johnson was in a ton of rumors this past July as part of many trade scenarios—though none of which really involved the Yankees.

The 28-year-old is 7-7 with a 3.85 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 133.1 innings in 2012. What’s been great about Johnson in 2012 is that he’s been healthy, making 21 starts so far this season.

Back on November 11, I did a story on whether the Yankees should pursue Johnson in the offseason, and some of you thought it would be too risky because of his health.

Well, here we are almost nine months later and Johnson has remained healthy. He’s also owed about $19 million through the 2013 season, which would be a lot less than picking up the $25 million per season that Lee would have been owed if claimed.

Now, again, what if the Marlins put him on waivers and he falls to the Yankees?

Should Brian Cashman claim him and try to strike a deal?

I’ll be honest, I’d hand over Dellin Betances at this point if that’s the kind of player it will take for the Marlins.

I don’t know if I would consider Manny Banuelos or Mason Williams, but I wouldn’t be 100 percent opposed to it in a deal for Johnson.

Let’s be realistic, look at the Yankees’ rotation right now: CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Phil Hughes, Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia. Then, in a month, throw in Andy Pettitte.

It’s a good rotation. But is it a World Series rotation? Could it contend with the Angels, Tigers or Rangers?

My gut feeling says no on August 4.

If Cashman swung a deal to get Johnson, paired him with Sabathia at the top of the rotation, and added in Pettitte and Kuroda, that’s a solid group to go to battle with during October.

I know the Yankees are trying to take the whole $189-million-payroll-before-2014-thing into consideration. We all know this.

Right now, I don’t care about 2014. I care about October of 2012. Anyone else who claims to be a Yankee fan should too.

Cashman should care about that also, and so should Hal Steinbrenner. His dad surely would have cared about October in this kind of a deal. He would have given Cashman the green light to make it if it meant raising another trophy in October.

Making a deal for Johnson would both serve in the short- and long-term future of the team by solidifying a rotation with two strikeout pitchers who can dominate a lineup.

It’s a big “if” though—if the Marlins decide to put Johnson on waivers.

If they do, and he drops to the Yankees, I honestly feel like they should take a chance and claim him.

If they have to inherit his salary, so be it. But knowing Miami, the Yankees would likely have to give back some prospects for the Marlins ace.

A lot of you want the Yankees to do something to enhance their chances for the World Series.

Adding Johnson would be that type of move.

Would Cashman do it though? Only time will tell.

Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.

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MLB Trading Deadline: San Francisco Giants GM Brian Sabean Delivers the Goods

The San Francisco Giants went into the trading deadline needing to fill three obvious areas of deficiency: a lack of power in the lineup, a lack of depth on the bench and in the bullpen due to the loss of closer Brian Wilson earlier this season.

For Giants’ general manager Brian Sabean, two out of three wasn’t bad.

The late-inning reliever never materialized, because it didn’t exist. The relievers that the Giants were rumored to be interested in were ultimately not legitimate options to replace Santiago Casilla in the ninth inning.

Jonathan Broxton and Brandon League were the two biggest names that were moved on the relief market, and while both throw hard, neither misses enough bats to be considered an upgrade on Casilla. You can’t fault Sabean for failing to acquire bullpen help when the help that was out there wasn’t good enough to warrant selling part of the farm for.

Casilla has been awful over the past month, but his strikeout rate per nine innings (K/9) of 10.2 is much better than that of Broxton (6.31 K/9) or League (5.44 K/9).

In acquiring Marco Scutaro and cash from Colorado for minor league non-prospect Charlie Culberson, Sabean bought low on a player who is a good bet to bounce back in the second half. Scutaro struggled in Colorado, but the main culprit was simply bad luck. Despite an excellent line drive rate, Scutaro saw his batting average drop to .271 from .299 last season.

Scutaro struck out looking in a crucial at-bat on Monday night, but he’s also hitting .400 with a walk in three games since coming to the Giants. With Pablo Sandoval on the shelf, Scutaro is probably the best hitting infielder on the current roster. Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy is going to have a hard time keeping Scutaro out of the lineup when Sandoval returns.

When Sandoval comes back, the Giants could play Scutaro over the light-hitting Ryan Theriot at second base, over the similarly offensively-challenged Brandon Crawford at short, or they could leave Scutaro at third and replace struggling first baseman Brandon Belt with Sandoval. More likely, Scutaro will be a spot starter at all three infield positions, and a massive upgrade over Joaquin Arias and Manny Burriss, who was recently designated for assignment, on the bench.

While the acquisition of Scutaro did not garner the same excitement as Tuesday’s acquisition of Hunter Pence, the deal for Scutaro may turn out to be just as valuable given the low cost to pry him away from Colorado.

The Giants’ acquisition of Pence on Tuesday was more costly in terms of both cash and prospects, but it filled the huge need for thump in the middle of the lineup. The Giants entered Tuesday with the fewest home runs in baseball and the 25th worst slugging percentage.

Pence is having a down year, but his 17 home runs and .447 slugging percentage provide a huge boost to the middle of the Giants lineup. Like Scutaro, Pence is a solid bet to improve over the final two months of the season. His .784 OPS this season is down from his career .823 OPS, and way down from the .872 OPS he put up last season.

The Giants had to part with Nate Schierholtz, number two prospect Tommy Joseph and minor league pitcher Seth Rosin to get Pence. The cost was high, but with the Los Angeles Dodgers acquiring League, Hanley Ramirez and Shane Victorino before the deadline, the Giants were forced into action.

Sabean gets high marks for his deadline work, but that doesn’t automatically mean the Giants will hold off the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks in the tight National League West race. All three teams are evenly matched on paper after the flurry of trade activity over the past week.

While I hated to see Joseph get dealt, Sabean did well to hold onto top prospect Gary Brown as well as all of the Giants’ top pitching prospects. In the end, he gets an ‘A’ for upgrading the roster without dealing Brown, Belt or any of the top arms in the system, and for getting a player in Pence who the Giants control for next season as well.

The only question left to answer is whether or not these moves are enough to hold off the surging Dodgers and Diamondbacks. If the Giants come up short, it won’t be for a lack of in-season activity by their tire-kicking general manager.

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Chicago White Sox Land Francisco Liriano in Trade with Minnesota Twins

According to the Chicago White Sox Twitter feed, the White Sox have traded for division rival Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota will receive left-handed pitcher Pedro Hernandez and shortstop Eduardo Escobar in the deal:

Liriano is 3-10 with a 5.31 ERA in 2012 on a porous 42-58 Twins club. He has recorded 109 strikeouts on the season to go along with an opponents’ batting average of .239.

Chicago gave up Pedro Hernandez and Eduardo Escobar in the deal. Hernandez has an ERA of 18.00 in four innings pitched in a White Sox uniform this season.

Escobar has played in 35 games in 2012, posting a .195 batting average with two RBI.

Chicago was in desperate need of adding to its starting-rotation depth before the 2012 MLB trade deadline. Zach Greinke would have been a great addition, but as far as value with this trade, the White Sox didn’t give up too much to acquire the former highly touted Twins prospect.

Liriano has produced an up-and-down career filled with the highest of highs (12-3 with a 2.16 ERA in 2006) and the lowest of lows (5-13 with a 5.80 ERA in 2009).

Despite struggling for the majority of his career, aside from two quality seasons, Liriano has failed to live up to expectations. At age 28, the White Sox taking a chance on Liriano makes complete sense.

Not only do the White Sox bolster their starting pitching depth by giving up little in return, but they also grab a guy with great potential if he can control the strike zone.

We have seen it before with major-league players; a change of scenery can do a player good. Maybe this change is one that earns the White Sox a division title.

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MLB Rumors: Evaluating 3 Los Angeles Dodgers Trade Targets

One thing is for sure—the Dodgers will look to add one more quality starting pitcher to their rotation before the MLB trade deadline. 

According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the Dodgers’ quest for another arm to add to the rotation will come down to the Chicago Cubs‘ Ryan Dempster, Miami Marlins‘ Josh Johnson or Tampa Bay Rays‘ James Shields.

Given that the Dodgers will need to sacrifice a nice bundle of minor-league prospects to acquire any of their targets, there will be risk involved with any one that they bring in. That being said, these three are not created equally, and each has their own positives and drawbacks that they bring to the table.

Here’s the breakdown on all three and how they fit into the Dodgers plans.

 

Ryan Dempster

Dempster appears to be target No. 1 for the Dodgers, as Heyman points out that the Dodgers and Cubs have already been engaged in trade talks.

2012 Stats: 5-5 2.25 ERA 1.04 WHIP 83 K’s

Positives: Obviously, Dempster has been pitching at a very high level all season, Dempster would provide the Dodgers with a veteran presence and has been consistent throughout the season.

Dempster can’t overpower batters and his 83 strikeouts this season is very modest, but he keeps the ball in the park and allows his defense to make outs.

With the additional run support he would see with the Dodgers, his 5-5 record would improve as his other stats indicate a much better record.

Drawbacks: With talks between the Cubs and Dodgers coming to a standstill, it would seem that bringing Dempster into the fold may ultimately cost too much. Dempster has pitched the best of the three targets, but he’s in a position to have the highest price.

 

Josh Johnson

Johnson is rumored to be a backup plan if the Dodgers aren’t able to land Dempster. At 28 years old, Johnson provides a much better option than Dempster if the Dodgers are looking to add a pitcher they could keep in the long-term.

2012 Stats: 6-7 4.14 ERA 1.34 WHIP 105 K’s

Positives: The physically imposing 6’7″ Johnson is a powerhouse pitcher that can rack up the strikeouts. When healthy, Johnson is the kind of pitcher that can take every start deep into the game and has the ability to lead a pitching staff.

At seven years younger than Dempster, the Dodgers would be adding a pitcher that could be a force on their staff for years to come if they can get him to commit long-term.

Drawbacks: Firstly, his numbers are not close to Dempster’s. Johnson’s ERA is almost a whole run higher than Dempster’s and his whip is .3 points higher. He may be able to pitch more innings for the Dodgers, but his injury-shortened 2011 season still has to be a bit of concern as the pennant chase gets closer. 

According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, the Marlins have publicly shopped Johnson but that they are also asking for elite prospects in return. With the Dodgers reluctant to give up their top prospects for Dempster, it’s hard to imagine they give up much more for a pitcher who is pitching significantly less effectively.

 

James Shields

Shields is another backup plan if the Dempster trade doesn’t work out, according to Heyman, Shields is 30 years old and has pitched for the Rays for all seven years of his major-league career.

2012 Stats: 8-7 4.52 ERA 1.46 WHIP 134 K’s

Positives: Shields may not be as physically imposing as Johnson, but he is still a workhorse of a starter that will eat innings and keep the Dodger bullpen fresh as the season wears on. Shields has pitched 200+ innings each of the last five seasons while posting consistently serviceable numbers.

If Shields can reclaim the success that he had last season, he is capable of putting up ace numbers, he posted a 2.82 ERA in 249.1 innings.

Drawbacks: While Shields durability is one of his strong suits, he has yet to notch a complete game in 2012. After posting his best season last year, his numbers have largely returned to the mediocrity that he has been known for so there’s no guarantee that he will be able to post his 2011 stats again.

Shields may ultimately be the most lackluster of the options but he would be a serviceable innings eater for the Dodgers, and he could be had at a relatively low cost in terms of what the Dodgers give up in a trade.

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MLB Trade Rumors: The Miami Marlins Know They’re Stuck with Josh Johnson

The Miami Marlins are doing the opposite of trying to sell Josh Johnson. To ask for an organization’s top prospects in return for a guy who’s been battling health issues is one thing, but he hasn’t been the World Series champion pitcher we still try to envision him as. 

The asking price for Johnson is high, unreasonable and irrational for most every team in the majors. 

According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the Marlins are asking for players comparable to Jurickson Profar and Travis d’Arnau to get the trade talks going.

Josh Johnson is not worth the Texas Rangers‘ and Toronto Blue Jays‘ major league ready, No. 1 prospects—plain and simple.

Unless the Marlins are willing to lower the price on JJ, there’s no way any team is going to bite. The Rangers and Angels have reportedly backed out from trade talks involving Johnson because they feel the price tag is too high. But if the price comes down, Texas is willing to talk. 

Another issue is Johnson’s home and away split. He is definitely a better pitcher in Miami (5-4, 3.35 ERA) as opposed to his awful numbers on the road (1-3, 5.48 ERA).

Is Josh Johnson a sub-par pitcher? No. But he is not as high-priced as the Marlins organization is trying to sell him as. His 2012 numbers aren’t as attractive as his 2009-10 numbers, when he was a combined 26-11.

Since then, he’s 9-8 and has struggled with injuries.

Will JJ go at this year’s trade deadline? Possibly. According to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, the Marlins want more for Johnson than the Los Angeles Angels gave up for Zack Greinke.

If that isn’t an indication of what the Marlins are trying to do, I don’t know what is.  

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Philadelphia Phillies: Trading Shane Victorino or Hunter Pence More Practical?

As the baseball world surpasses 72 hours until the trade deadline at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 31, more and more rumors will arise and materialize into trades. Some of the most heated rumors involve two of the Philadelphia Phillies‘ starting outfielders, Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence.

Given the team’s current last-place standing in the NL East by a 14.5-game margin, the Phillies are best suited to sell rather than buy this year.

In need of prospects to rebuild their thin farm system, the Phillies’ only chances of doing that are trading away their proven talent to acquire multiple prospects who could make the team younger as well as help out the club in the future.

It makes sense for the Phillies to at least consider trading away their center and right fielder. Maybe they want to trade one of them rather than both, or maybe none at all. It’s up to GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. and the rest of the Phillies front office to make that decision, and it’ll be based upon who they could get in return for each of the two former All-Stars.

In trading Victorino, any team acquiring the Flyin’ Hawaiian would get a speedy center fielder who’s a spectacular defender and an above-average hitter when he’s hot. Unfortunately for the Phillies, he hasn’t been hot this season.

Not once.

In fact, he’s hitting just .256 on the season, and the last time he hit a home run was almost two months ago, on June 8 against the Baltimore Orioles. Last night he hit a double that gave Victorino his first RBI since July 14. He simply doesn’t have it this year. At least he’s stealing bases…when he gets on base, that is.

The Phillies have dangled Victorino into the open waters and have tried to get a sense of which teams are nibbling on him and what they’d be willing to offer.

So far, according to CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury, the Phillies have received interest in Victorino, but whether the Phillies are interested in what they can get in return for him is a different story. The Phils have asked for relievers (via Stark) in return for Victorino, including Tampa Bay‘s Wade Davis, Pittsburgh‘s Brad Lincoln, Cincinnati‘s Logan Ondrusek and the Dodgers‘ Josh Lindblom, among others.

But considering that the team has been rebuffed on every offer, it makes it worth wondering whether the Phillies should even trade Victorino for that small a return.

 

Not that the Phillies don’t need the bullpen help, though. Their relief ERA this year is 4.59, good for fourth-worst in the majors. Besides closer Jonathan Papelbon and long reliever Kyle Kendrick, the Phillies lack a reliable veteran arm who they can turn to in the seventh or eighth innings.

Victorino could net them that veteran presence in the bullpen, and even if that’s all they can get for him, it might be a worthwhile investment. Might be.

Victorino’s ineffective offense has lowered his trade stock, and for a Phillies team who needs to rebuild their farm system more than anything, he’s not the best option to do that. Hunter Pence, on the other hand, would net the Phillies some more prospects in a trade.

Pence was acquired by the Phillies at the deadline last year for a massive prospect package consisting of right-handed starter Jarred Cosart, first baseman Jonathan Singleton, outfielder Domingo Santana and reliever Josh Zeid. All four of those pieces would have bolstered the Phillies’ farm system, with Cosart and Singleton considered top-50 prospects before the season by Baseball America.

 

Now that the Phillies may consider trading Pence only a year later, it makes no sense that Pence was acquired to begin with.

But that’s in the past and can’t be reversed. Sure, the Phillies have a depleted farm system that ranks in the bottom of the league rather than the top half, but hey, what are you going to do?

Pence has been hitting the ball much better than Victorino this season, hitting .267 on the year, but he was hitting as high as .288 as recently as July 8. He’s been in the midst of a slump of late, but Pence is a second-half player and should be able to bring it back up. Unlike Victorino, who’s got less than 10 home runs to his name this season, Pence has hit 17 and has 59 RBI.

 

Also unlike Victorino, Pence isn’t a speedster nor a valuable defensive asset. In fact, his UZR/150 this year is minus-14.2, currently the worst mark of his career, and it isn’t even close to his second-worst mark, which was minus-5.3 last year. He’s not just bad defensively. He’s a liability.

However, Pence’s biggest upside for the Phillies is the potential prospect haul he could bring in if dealt. Victorino’s an impending free agent, and since the new CBA doesn’t allot draft-pick compensation to teams that acquire mid-season rentals, his value has dropped even more immensely than his stats suggest.

But with Pence, who’s got another year under team control before free agency, that’s not an issue. That’s where the prospect return comes in.

 

If Pence was traded, he could easily bring in two top prospects and a mid-level prospect. He’s by far the best right fielder potentially available in a trade this summer, and his right-handedness makes him even more valuable to some specific teams like the San Francisco Giants, according to FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi, who tweeted this yesterday:

The other benefit in trading Pence for the Phillies is that they don’t have to spend as much money next year. Sounds cheap? Maybe. But hear me out.

Pence is arbitration eligible for the fourth and final time next year (as a Super Two player, he gets a fourth year of arbitration). He’s expected to make somewhere around $14-15 million next year alone, and if he’s retained, not only is his salary more a deterrent next year if they decided to trade him then, but other teams won’t like his impending free agency, as is the case with Victorino.

And of course, there are luxury tax ramifications. Pence’s estimated $15 million salary is another $15 million on the books for the Phillies if they keep him. If not, they’re $15 million further from the surpassing the $178 million luxury tax.

 

That also impacts them this year. The Phillies sit on, or slightly over, the luxury tax threshold. If they deal Pence, they don’t have to worry about being the first National League team to surpass the threshold in history, nor paying 17.5 percent on every dollar over $178 million in payroll. And when we’re talking millions over, than can amount to big bills to pay.

There are pros and cons to trading Victorino and Pence. Maybe both should be traded to give Domonic Brown and John Mayberry, Jr. more playing time. Maybe only one should be dealt. Maybe neither one.

I’m for trading Pence AND Victorino, but if I had to choose one, I’d trade Pence.

If you can get three or four top prospects for him who can contribute in the near (and somewhat distant) future and also bolster your farm system rankings to make future moves, why don’t you?

You save money in the process and recoup the benefits. As much as it’s disappointing to trade away a player you just acquired a year ago, maybe it’s best for Amaro to restock the farm system this time.

What do you think? Please answer the poll and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Atlanta Braves Trade Rumors: Braves Should Pull the Trigger for James Shields

It is no secret that the Atlanta Braves are in the market for a starting pitcher, but they should make sure they do not come away from the trade deadline empty handed. They must acquire James Shields.

Atlanta has the fourth-worst starter ERA in the National League. That includes an impressive first half by Brandon Beachy until he got injured. The problem is that they have relied too heavily on unproven youngsters, and now they need a more veteran presence in the rotation.

The team attempted to acquire Ryan Dempster from the Chicago Cubs last week, but the deal fell through. According to Jayson Stark of ESPN, talks between the two teams are unlikely to pick up again. 

He also goes on to say that “teams believe Ben Sheets’ three great starts have dramatically reduced the Braves’ sense of urgency to trade for a starter.”

This would be a mistake for the Braves. They are currently in a position to make the playoffs, but without another quality starter they will drop down in the standings very quickly.

Mike Minor has gotten back on track lately, but he is too inconsistent to trust in the stretch run. The same goes for Randall Delgado, who has shown promise but cannot be counted on in big games.

As far as the addition of Ben Sheets, he has already exceeded realistic expectations in his first three starts. However, Atlanta should not count on this type of production for another two months. After pitching only half a season in the past four years, the Braves should only consider what Sheets provides as a bonus.

Now that Zack Greinke has been traded, James Shields is the best option available. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported that the Braves are among the teams interested in the veteran. Considering the lack of alternatives, they should make the trade.

Shields has struggled of late, but a switch to the National League might benefit the right-hander. He has pitched over 200 innings every year since his first in the majors, and is as reliable as they come.

Atlanta might not want to mortgage the future for a run at the playoffs this season, but with this talented team in Chipper Jones’ last season, they should give it all they got. With plenty left in the farm system, the future will still be bright.

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MLB Trade Rumors: Top Landing Spots for Remaining Pitchers on the Market

Where are the top landing spots for the best remaining MLB pitchers reportedly on the market?

The MLB’s Tuesday trade deadline is rapidly approaching and teams are, as usual, hurrying to try to make short or long-term fixes to their ball clubs. Teams are made and broken with late July deals of this kind.

Due to the new collective bargaining agreement, recent changes in trade deadline rules have altered the way teams are approaching this year’s deadline. Teams are less willing to take on “rental players” due to those changes which specify that teams will not receive draft-pick compensation for acquiring those players.

Let’s take a look at the big name pitchers who are reportedly on the trade market and where they will likely end up, if anywhere, before Tuesday’s deadline.

 

 

Josh Johnson, SP, Miami Marlins

Johnson has a favorable contract situation and has a vast amount of potential working in his favor. He’s a very desired commodity, one of the best potential targets for clubs looking to improve the middle-to-bottom of their rotation. His ceiling is certainly much higher, but with his inconsistent play, especially on the road this season, is he worth the risk?

That’s the question teams are asking themselves right now as the Marlins continue to desire a hefty ransom in exchange for the right-hander.

Top Landing Spot: Texas Rangers: With the Angels adding Zack Greinke to their rotation, the Rangers need to make a move in order to keep pace. The Rangers are reportedly interested and engaged in talks, but not fully committed to the idea of surrendering the asking price due to concerns about Johnson. Also, they don’t need to hoard prospects when they are ready to compete and win a World Series NOW.

Most Likely Landing Spot: Miami Marlins: The Marlins are asking way too much for their ace in a down year. If they are willing to get more flexible, something may catch fire. However, as it sits right now, don’t be surprised

 

 

Matt Garza, SP, Chicago Cubs

Matt Garza may have been shutdown until after the trade deadline, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation and rumors about where the Chicago Cubs right-hander will end up.

 

 

According to Jon Heyman, CBS Sports baseball insider, the Cubs are reportedly looking to move the starting pitcher after breaking off contract extension talks this past spring. The timing of Garza’s injury may have stalled the Cubs ability to move him before Tuesday’s deadline, but they certainly are not going to stop there.

Heyman also said the team will more than likely continue to pursue trade options into the winter if they cannot move him now.

Top Landing Spot: Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers need to upgrade their starting rotation as they begin to make a push for the postseason. As buyers right now, they may be able to cut a deal to get Garza cheaper due to the injury that has him sidelined until after the trade deadline. However, the Cubs may be willing to wait until winter in order to get full value for Garza.

Most Likely Landing Spot: Chicago Cubs: The Dodgers are buying right now and may be able to lure Garza away from Chicago for the right price. However, due to his injury, the Cubs may be stuck and unable to move him as desired.

 

 

James Shields, SP, Tampa Bay Rays

Shields told media that his recent struggles haven’t been attributed to the mental effects of trade speculation and rumors that have surrounded the right-hander.

Rays manager Joe Maddon said, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, he doesn’t think the Rays will move Shields before the deadline.

“All this conjecture does occur, and there’s reasons why they’re pointing at James. But I still believe in my heart of hearts that it’s not going to happen, and it’s going to move on and we’re going to be normal and he’s going to pitch like he can over the last two months of the season.”

At the same time, if Shields doesn’t recover from this slump he is in, this may be the most opportune time for them to benefit from dealing their former ace.

Top Landing Spot: Atlanta Braves: The Braves are interested in Shields and are currently in position to make some noise in the NL pennant race. They’ve got young pitching talent that Tampa desires and would be ideal trade partners. They need to do something in order to maintain pace with the other wild-card hopefuls:  Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and L.A. Dodgers. All of those teams are looking to improve at the trade deadline and the Braves are no different.

Most Likely Landing Spot: Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays will likely hold onto Shields and hope he turns the corner and returns to his former self down the stretch. The team is currently in the running for a wild-card berth and selling now, especially a talent like Shields, would signal giving up by general manager Andrew Friedman.

 

 

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