MLB Trade Deadline--RJ Style

[fuhrdog]

With the MLB trade deadline less than a month away...figured it was time to throw out our annual RJ "trades that make sense to us" thoughts.

What about Capps to the Cards for Lance Lynn?

Furcal to the Brewers for Braddock?

Furcal to the Reds for Heisey?

Let's hear what you got.

[In the Corn]

It will be interesting to see what the Twins do. They are in a real bind unless they go on a tear in the next couple of weeks or completely crumble. They could be buyers, but they don't have a lot of chips to offer. If the are sellers, they could look to move Cuddyer, Kubel, Young, Thome, Nathan, Capps and Liriano. I'd prefer them to be buyers, but it sure would be fun to see what they could get back for these guys.

[Don Quixote]

Pirates--I'd be surprised to see the Pirates do a lot of dealing this month. They've gotten to their current "lofty" status (hey, over .500 and third place on July 4th IS lofty for them) by developing from within and signing a few inexpensive veterans, with none of the veterans-for-"prospects" deals that have been such failures for the last 15 years. I don't see them messing with what's working.

Of course, I'm not in Pittsburgh, so perhaps those closer to the situation have a better view.

Reds--I'm not a fan, but I am on the scene. The natives are getting restless, and want a better SS above all. They think that if Heisey becomes the full-time LF, if the starting pitchers get their heads on straight, if, if, if... Basically, like fans of many teams, they think simultaneously that (a) they have everything they need, they're the best, we have the best front office, harrumph harrumph harrumph, and (b) they need this, they need that, no one knows what they're doing, fire Dusty (can't argue with that, but I don't see it happening). Seriously, what they need IMO is to calm down. What the team needs is some consistency, a little imagination on offense (has Dusty ever heard of the hit-and-run, the squeeze, etc.?), and yes, a SS who can both hit and defend. I don't see them trading Heisey, and I'm not sure who wants Gomes, so Lewis becomes the expendable OF. One thing the Reds do have in their favor is a lot of current AAA kids who may be ready to make an impact somewhere, such as Alonso, Cozart, Francisco, Frazier, and Valaika.

If they go after a shortstop, the question is, "who?" Furcal isn't a bad option if he's healthy, but he's rarely healthy. OTOH, it may not take much to get him, maybe Juan Francisco. Reyes doesn't make a lot of sense unless the Reds can sign him to a long-term deal as part of the trade, and I'm not so sure the Mets are ready to make a deal yet. Hanley Ramirez is strictly a pipe dream. Other shortstops? The problem is that most shortstops who can field at all can't hit and vice versa. Perhaps Yunel Escobar (for Francisco?) or Mike Aviles (for very little), maybe Marco Scutaro after Lowrie comes back for Boston.

Best bet, if any, is Francisco and a TINSTAAPP for Furcal.

[Blue&White]

Beltran to the AL for whatever the Mets can get for him. Actually, it's going to be interesting to watch Alderson maneuver through the trade deadline. He's got to walk a fine line between Mets ownership, who are most likely going to be pissed if the season ends and they did not get anything for Beltran, and Mets fans, who are going to be livid if they trade Beltran while the Mets are theoretically still in the wildcard hunt. My guess is Alderson is hoping this just-before-the-break west coast trip goes as awful as the trip last year did so the Mets are out of it and he can start moving players without too much backlash. Of course, attendance is going to be awful.

[Moonlight J]

anything the Rays do surrounds the next 13 games. Next 2 vs Twins and then 11 vs Sox and Yanks. They have to go 8-5 there to avoid being sellers.

[revo]

Carlos Beltran to the Angels for Peter Bourjos & Hank Conger
Carlos Beltran to the Red Sox for Josh Reddick, Anthony Ranaudo & Felix Doubront
Rafael Furcal to the Red Sox for Jed Lowrie & a lower level prospect
I like the Furcal for Heisey trade
Brett Myers to the Yankees for Ivan Nova

[Hornsby]

Carlos Beltran to the Angels for Peter Bourjos & Hank Conger
Carlos Beltran to the Red Sox for Josh Reddick, Anthony Ranaudo & Felix Doubront
Rafael Furcal to the Red Sox for Jed Lowrie & a lower level prospect
I like the Furcal for Heisey trade
Brett Myers to the Yankees for Ivan Nova

The Angels don't need an outfielder.
The Red Sox don't need an outfielder.
The Red Sox don't need a SS.
Maybe the Yanks can snooker the Astros, but not for Ivan Nova straight up.

[Big Tymer]

Maybe the Yanks can snooker the Astros, but not for Ivan Nova straight up.

You do realize that Myers has been awful this year right? IMO, Nova > Myers when all factors are considered.

[Hammer]

You do realize that Myers has been awful this year right? IMO, Nova > Myers when all factors are considered.

Agreed

[Bodhizefa]

Erik Bedard (when he's off the DL for his minor knee issue) to the Red Sox for Josh Reddick (or Ryan Kalish). It's probably dreaming on my part, but Bedard's been nails this year and would be one of the best pitchers on the Red Sox staff at this point. I dunno, it seems like there could be a match there.

Bedard could end up any number of places looking for a top of the rotation starter. Cleveland (for who knows what), Cincinnati (for Grandal), Arizona (for Cowgill), Detroit (maybe for Dirks), and possibly even Colorado (for Blackmon) could all be options. He's an obvious health risk, but the benefits of Bedard in the rotation in a playoff match-up may emote enough drool from a GM to give up a decent prospect for him.

[revo]

The Angels don't need an outfielder.

They're playing that Bourjos guy.

The Red Sox don't need an outfielder.

Umm, have you seen JD Drew's numbers?

The Red Sox don't need a SS.

Marco Scutaro?

[Bodhizefa]

Carlos Beltran to the Angels for Peter Bourjos & Hank Conger
Carlos Beltran to the Red Sox for Josh Reddick, Anthony Ranaudo & Felix Doubront
Rafael Furcal to the Red Sox for Jed Lowrie & a lower level prospect
I like the Furcal for Heisey trade
Brett Myers to the Yankees for Ivan Nova

I just don't see any of these deals helping the buyers out enough to warrant the cost you're forecasting. Bourjos and Conger is a hefty price for Beltran (who, lest we forget, is already owed another $9+ million for the rest of the year). I could see the Angels possibly giving up Conger for him along with a low level prospect, but the Angels need Bourjos (all their other outfielders are slow and old, and it's not like Beltran would help out in that department) and the Mets don't really need a center fielder to push Pagan off the position. I think the projected Red Sox deal would be too pricey, too, as Boston doesn't really seem to have a great need for an outfielder once Crawford comes off the DL.

Furcal for Lowrie would likely be a downgrade at the position for the Red Sox. Not to mention Lowrie is still under team control for a good long while.

Ivan Nova may already be as good a pitcher as Brett Myers. That's more an indictment on Myers' skills degradation than Nova being good, but still, Myers would get thrashed in the AL East.

Just my two cents.

[cardboardbox]

Houston mgmt really screwed up by not dealing Myers last summer. I'm praying the idiocy stops when ownership officially changes over to the Crane group.

[revo]

I think the projected Red Sox deal would be too pricey, too, as Boston doesn't really seem to have a great need for an outfielder once Crawford comes off the DL.

JD Drew is 36 years old and has all of 4 HRs and 4 doubles(!) in 231 PAs. He's currently sporting a .652 OPS (79 OPS+). This is the final year of his contract. If the Sox think Reddick can take over for Drew full-time when Crawford returns, that's another story. Otherwise, you have an AL East powerhouse starting a player in a power position with the batting skills of a light-hitting SS. He's a candidate to be DFA'd shortly, IMO.

Let's also keep in mind Beltran is on pace for over 110 RBIs. He's having a great season and is well over his injuries, as he plays every inning of every game. He would be an enormous upgrade over Drew.

Again, same with Lowrie. Furcal, if healthy, would represent a big upgrade here. Lowrie is already 27 -- is he really still a "prospect?" Is he even an everyday starter, when healthy? After 800 PAs, he's a .258 hitter. If you can't say Yes with any conviction, how is that not worth the big upgrade that is Furcal?

SS and RF have been two blights on this team. If this were not a team like the Sox that "has" to get to the playoffs, I'd understand. But is there anything better that we know of available on the trade market?

[fuhrdog]

Houston mgmt really screwed up by not dealing Myers last summer. I'm praying the idiocy stops when ownership officially changes over to the Crane group.

Yep and with Myers owed 11M in 2012 and 10M in 2013 or a 3m buyout...I can't believe the Astros can get anything for him unless they eat his contract. In that case you might as well keep him.