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SI.com: 20 best MLB decisions of the past year

Anthony Stalter — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:00:24 +0000

SI.com’s Jon Heyman put together a list of the 20 best decisions made by MLB teams over the past year.

His No. 1 was the Nationals’ signing of Stephen Strasburg, while his No. 2 was the Cubs’ decision to trade Milton Bradley to the Mariners in exchange for pitcher Carlos Silva (who is leading the club in wins, ERA and WHIP).

Heyman’s No. 4 best decision involves a team that has been one of the bigger surprises so far this season:

4. The Padres’ decision not to trade Adrian Gonzalez and/or Heath Bell

Everyone assumed new Padres GM Jed Hoyer would want to make a big splash and set the team up for the future by trading All-Star 1B Adrian Gonzalez, who could bring a haul with his reasonable contract ($10 mil over two years) and big-time talent. Word supposedly was that Hoyer had an obvious landing spot in his old haunt in Boston, where Hoyer had been an assistant GM and knew the system. That assumption was supposedly bolstered by Padres marketing materials that allegedly omitted Gonzalez.

However, Hoyer and Padres decision-makers held both Gonzalez and top reliever Heath Bell, fortified the rotation by adding stable veteran Jon Garland and kept their fingers crossed. To everyone’s surprise — except maybe San Diego’s brass — the Padres have been at or near the top of the NL West all year. Hoyer didn’t disrupt what former Padres GM Kevin Towers built in San Diego to satisfy his ego. Instead, he did the prudent thing. Just because Towers was fired by new owner Jeff Moorad doesn’t mean he did a bad job. It turns out there were some very good pieces in place, including what appears to be the majors’ best bullpen.

There is still some concern in San Diego that the Padres will be sellers at the trade deadline, but if they stay in contention in the NL West it’s hard to envision that happening. This is just speculation on my part, but I have to believe that if Hoyer does make a big move (i.e. trading Gonzo and/or Bell), it won’t come until after the season.

Until then, the Padres’ current roster will have every opportunity to make a run at the postseason this year.

Adrian Gonzalez wants Mark Teixeira money

Anthony Stalter — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:06:26 +0000

Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Adrian Gonzalez is looking for a contract similar to the one Mark Teixeira signed with the Yankees last offseason.

“This is a premium ballplayer,” said John Boggs, Gonzalez’s agent. “If you think you can get it done, he’s obviously somebody who’s moveable …

“I never try to dissolve the possibility (of a deal with the Padres), but I don’t see any signs.”

Boggs said his preliminary discussion with Padres General Manager Jed Hoyer was so superficial that “you couldn’t characterize it as a negotiation.” Boggs said Hoyer inquired as to Gonzalez’s expectations; that Boggs cited the eight-year, $180 million deal of New York Yankees’ first baseman Mark Teixeira, and that that comment effectively ended Hoyer’s exploration.

Gonzalez still has two years remaining on the four-year, $9.5 million contract he signed in April of 2007. He’s owed $4.75 million this year and there’s a $5.5 million club option for 2011.

If the report is true and Gonzo is looking for Teixeira-type money, then he won’t get it from the Padres. The more likely scenario is San Diego acquiring a package similar to the one the Rangers got from the Braves when they traded Teixeira to Atlanta in July of 2007.

It’s likely that the Padres would look to trade Gonzo by the deadline this year, so they’re not on the hook for any of the $5.5 million in 2011. After all, if they know they can’t pay him then there’s no sense in delaying the process another year, unless they think they can get more in return if they wait until 2011.

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Red Sox “working hard” to obtain Adrian Gonzalez

Anthony Stalter — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:27:36 +0000

Even after the signings of free agents John Lackey and Mike Cameron, the Red Sox aren’t satisfied this winter. According to FOX Sports.com, the BoSox are “working hard” to obtain Adrian Gonzalez in a trade with the Padres.

The addition of Lackey will give the Red Sox the flexibility to trade right-hander Clay Buchholz, who likely would be the centerpiece of any package for Gonzalez. Likewise, the addition of Cameron will give them the flexibility to trade outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

The Padres would be tempted to move Gonzalez if they could get Buchholz and Ellsbury in the same deal, sources say. However, the Red Sox would be very reluctant to include both, according to another source.

A separate person familiar with Boston’s position said the team is becoming comfortable with the idea of trading Buchholz. But the source expressed doubt that the Red Sox would include outfielder Ryan Westmoreland or pitcher Casey Kelly in the deal; at present, the Padres are trying to obtain one of the two high-level prospects.

This is a deal that may never happen because Boston won’t part with the necessary pieces in order to acquire a big bat like Gonzo. San Diego wants pitching and top-level prospects so that they can compete in a few years. Plus, Gonzo is a fan favorite so they’re not going to trade him without getting a haul in return.

Boston better be ready to part with a couple of key prospects if they want the San Diego slugger.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

White Sox interested in Adrian Gonzalez

Anthony Stalter — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:09:51 +0000

The White Sox are interested in acquiring Padres’ first base slugger Adrian Gonzalez but as the Chicago Tribune notes, bringing Gonzo to the “Windy City” won’t be easy.

But here are some reasons why such a trade could be difficult to pull off. First, the Padres would be seeking four top-notch prospects at pitcher, center field, catcher and second base for a player of Gonzalez’s caliber.

The Sox have touted pitcher Daniel Hudson, outfielder Jordan Danks and catcher Tyler Flowers as core players of their future. All three players could make the Sox’s 2010 opening-day roster, but trading all three would be a significant hit to the Sox’s development unless other young players accelerate their progress.

The Angels, known for their farm-system success, could aid the Sox, but wouldn’t be required to pick up the bulk of the cost for such a proposed deal.

Although Konerko nearly signed with the Angels four years ago and maintains mutual respect with Scioscia, a major-league scout who follows all three Southern California organizations said the Angels have depth in their organization should they lose Guerrero and wouldn’t have to pursue Konerko.

Juan Rivera could move from the outfield to DH. The Angels still have Gary Matthews Jr., who will earn about $23 million over the next two years as a part-time player.

Finally, new Padres general manager Jed Hoyer was an assistant for four years at Boston, which reportedly has interest in Gonzalez. The Padres and Red Sox have done business in the past, and Hoyer is very familiar with the Red Sox’s deep farm system.

Hoyer has a daunting task of rebuilding a franchise that has lost 186 games over the past two seasons. So if he inevitably trades his most valuable bargaining chip, he will make sure to get his price — which will be steep.

Williams traded for Peavy last year and now is hot for Gonzalez, so it appears that he’s willing to sell the farm in order to acquire the marquee talent to win another World Series. As long as Peavy stays healthy, the Sox have the pitching to compete for a championship, but adding a slugger like Gonzo would be a necessity to help provide some pop to the offense.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Red Sox, Padres discussing deal for Gonzalez

Anthony Stalter — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:28:35 +0000

According to a report by the Boston Globe, the Red Sox and Padres are in discussions about a deal that would send slugger Adrian Gonzalez to Beantown.

Padres GM Kevin Towers was said to be asking for “a ton” for Gonzalez according to one major league source familiar with the Padres’ thinking. Some of the names being discussed included Clay Buchholz, Lars Anderson, Jed Lowrie, Ryan Westmoreland, Justin Masterson and others, but no word on whether the Red Sox had offered a package for Gonzalez.

Less was known about the status of talks between Cleveland and Boston for Victor Martinez. The teams have been discussing Martinez for quite some time, but the Red Sox have been reluctant to deliver Buchholz for the catcher/first baseman.

Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi remained pessimistic about trading Roy Halladay, but as one team’s top advisor said last night, “where there’s a huge pitcher available some teams don’t show their best hand until the final moments of the deadline. You might see that with Boston at the end.”

I don’t know how Boston fans feel, but as an outsider, it seems like the Red Sox are lacking something offensively. They’re going to be in contention for either the AL East crown or the AL Wild Card no matter what. But adding a slugger like Gonzo would certainly add more pop to their lineup and give them some extra firepower against the Yankees and Rays in the division.

But is he worth the price? After a hot start, he’s only hitting .252 with 28 home runs. This is after racing out to 15 home runs and a .311 average in mid May. One would think that his numbers would rise in Boston’s lineup, but his average is death right now.

Twenty-five random MLB trade thoughts and predictions

Anthony Stalter — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:45:13 +0000

With the MLB trade deadline approaching on Friday, I have zero time to waste writing a creative intro that you’ll either a) take the time to read or b) take the time to read.

So I’ll cut right to the chase: I have got about a million random thoughts and predictions (25, actually) bouncing around in this noggin of mine, so I’ve decided to compile them in one heaping pile of organized chaos below. Feel free to add your own thoughts and predictions in the comments section and then we can play a couple rounds of “I told you so!” after the trade deadline passes on Friday.

1. I was close, but wrong with my prediction early last week that the Blue Jays will trade Roy Halladay to the Phillies. They would have traded him to the Phillies, but Philadelphia didn’t want to give up a promising major league starter in J.A. Happ, their top minor league pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, and a promising minor league outfielder named Dominic Brown in order to complete the deal. And who could blame them? That’s one steep price to pay, even for a player of Halladay’s caliber.

2. Instead, I fully believe that Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi was never going to trade Halladay in the first place, unless he was so blown away by an offer that he couldn’t pass it up. Halladay isn’t a free agent until after the 2010 season, so Ricciardi used this past month to gauge what he could potentially get for the ace for next year.

3. That said, if Philadelphia changes its mind, then Ricciardi has no choice but to deal the “Doc.”

4. For those who think the Yankees will come out of nowhere and land Halladay because “the Yankees get everybody,” think again. The Bombers won’t be the surprise team that swoops in with an offer at the last second – the Red Sox will.

5. A week ago, I thought there was no way Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez (and their manageable contracts through 2010) would be dealt by Cleveland. But now I’m buying into the notion that one, if not both, will be traded by Friday.

6. Indians Prediction #1: Cliff Lee winds up with the Rays or Phillies.

7. Indians Prediction #2: Victor Martinez winds up with the Red Sox or Dodgers.

8. This won’t please many Giants fans, but forget about names like Freddy Sanchez, Victor Martinez and even Nick Johnson, and start thinking about names like Ryan Garko, Marco Scutaro and Aubrey Huff.

9. The Giants won’t sacrifice their future by giving up prospects Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Tim Alderson or Angel Villanlona in a trade(s), even though they’re still in contention and in much need of offense.

10. Any team (ahem, the Red Sox) that thinks they’re going to get Adrian Gonzalez via a trade by Friday’s deadline is dreaming.

11. The Yankees are going to acquire an arm by Friday, but I don’t think it’s going to be a big name like Halladay or Lee, or even a not-so-big name like Ian Snell or Bronson Arroyo. If I had to make a prediction, I bet either Joe Beimel, John Grabow or Ron Mahay is in pinstripes by the end of the week.

12. In wake of the Cardinals acquiring Matt Holliday, Cub fans would probably love to see their club make a move to stay on top of the NL Central (they’re a half game up on St. Louis as of this writing). But what does Chicago have to offer in terms of prospects? They’re not going to trade third base prospect Josh Vitters and they’ll more than likely hang onto Jeff Samardzija given how inconsistent the back end of the bullpen is. So again, what do they have to offer?

13. Scott Rolen is going to be dealt by Friday. To whom I don’t know, but there has to be a team in need of a decent hitting third baseman and the Jays seem committed to finding a trade partner for him.

14. While we’re talking about old, injury-prone, but still decent third basemen, substitute the name “Troy Glaus” for “Scott Rolen” in the above sentence, as well as the “Cardinals” for “Jays.”

15. Freddy Sanchez…Freddy Sanchez…Freddy Sanchez…I’m stumped. I think he would be a great fit for the Giants, Cubs or Twins, but the Giants don’t want to part with any of their top prospects, the Cubs don’t have any top prospects outside of Josh Vitters (who they won’t part with) and the Twins seem content on sticking with Nick Punto and Alexi Casilla up the middle. So maybe Sanchez will wind up staying in Pittsburgh, which seemed unthinkable about a month ago…

16. …all right, all right – what fun is it to speculate that one of the bigger names on the trade market is staying put? (Roy Halladay is already filling that role.) I’ll take a wild stab in the dark and totally contradict what I wrote at No. 8 (hey it’s my column – I can do whatever the hell I want) by saying Sanchez goes to the Giants for Fred Lewis, Kevin Frandsen and Kevin Pucetas.

17. Giants fans just read that above prediction and want to know where they can send me a box of cigars. Pirates fans just read it and want to know where they can FedEx me the head of a dead animal.

18. Another team that could emerge as a possible trade suitor for Sanchez is the Tigers, who would love to add another bat for a second half run.

19. One potential move that I could see the Cubs and Pirates making is a deal for John Grabow, who could be had for a reasonable price (a couple of mid-level prospects) and would help Chicago’s inconsistent bullpen in the second half. But will the Pirates trade within the division?

20. The Twins and A’s shortstop Orlando Cabrera seem like a match just waiting to happen. Now Minnesota just has to put together a decent package to get Oakland GM Billy Beane to sign off on the deal.

21. Is it just me or are the Angels linked to every player on the trade market? I mean, more than any other team, that is. As of this writing, the Halos are targeting Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez, me, Michael Wuertz, George Sherrill, my boss, Scott Kazmir, Rafael Betancourt (before he was dealt to Colorado), your boss, and Matt Capps. Out of all of those names, I think Wuertz might be the only player the Halos move on.

22. After acquiring reliever Rafael Betancourt, I say the eventual Wild Card-winning Colorado Rockies are done making moves. Why would they need to add anyone? They haven’t lost since June 4.

23. One team that has been eerily quiet over the past couple weeks is the Brewers, who are currently three games back of the Cubs in the NL Central. Milwaukee keeps its farm system stocked with prospects like your Uncle Teddy keeps his cooler stocked with Bud Light, so something tells me the Brewers are bound to make a big move before the deadline. Those sneaky bastards are up to something…

24. Another team that has been quiet is the White Sox although unlike the Brewers, I don’t think Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen are working on anything. I think the Chi Sox are going to go to battle with the Tigers and Twins with what they currently have on the roster. Still though, it’s not like Williams to sit on his hands, so keep an eye on the Sox.

25. Even though the Rangers are contending in the AL West and would love to add a starter, they’re not going to give up any of their young prospects and make a rash move. Texas has the best farm system in all of baseball – they’re not going to mortgage their future for just one season.

Five MLB trades that don’t need to happen

Anthony Stalter — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:05:16 +0000

I get it – baseball trades are fun. They’re fun to speculate about, they’re fun to debate and they’re fun to analyze. But just because a club needs a bat, an arm or is just looking to shrink salary, doesn’t mean that a trade needs to happen.

I’ve compiled a list of five trade rumors and where they originated. I then discuss why each of them makes sense, but why they also don’t necessarily need to happen.

Rumor #1: The Red Sox will trade for Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Why it makes sense: Boston is growing impatient waiting for Jed Lowrie to recover from a wrist injury that has held him out since mid-April. They’re also tired of watching Julio Lugo (who is equally bad offensively as he is defensively) make a mockery of the game whenever he trots onto the field. While Nick Green has done well filling in for Lowrie while he’s been hurt and for Lugo while he continues to work on being the most overpaid player in professional sports, the Sox feel they could do better with Wilson. (There’s also a rumor making the rounds that Boston wouldn’t have to give up any top prospects in order to acquire Wilson – they just would need to take on the rest of his salary.)
Why it doesn’t need to happen: Wilson is excellent defensively, but he brings very little to the table in terms of offense. He’s also overpaid himself, as he’ll make $7.25 million this year and $8.4 million in 2010 despite being limited at the dish. While waiting for Lowrie to return to the field has been a slow death for the Sox, he’s cheaper than Wilson and gives the team a better overall player at the position (when he’s healthy, of course). Plus, Green has played well and Boston might be better served holding onto prospects in order to make a more productive move around the trade deadline (i.e. adding another bat in case David Oritz plans on hitting south of .200 all season) than one involving Wilson.

Rumor #2: The Giants will trade for Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla (Sun-Sentinel)
Why it makes sense: The Giants are playing better than most expected this season, but they’re doing it all with pitching. They’ve surrendered the fewest runs this year (233), but have scored the third fewest (248) themselves. San Fran might not be able to catch the streaking Dodgers in the NL West (as of this writing, the Giants are seven games back of L.A. in the division despite being six games above .500), but if they continue to play well, the Wild Card is certainly attainable. But they need offense – badly. While Uggla’s batting average has been atrocious all season, he does have 11 home runs and 40 RBI so the thought is that he could add much-needed pop to the Giants’ lineup.
Why it doesn’t need to happen: Yes, the Giants do need offense. But don’t forget that they play in a pitcher’s park so even if they did acquire Uggla, who knows how his power would translate to AT&T Park. And his average is death so if he’s not going to hit home runs, he’s not worth acquiring (and don’t forget that his defense is brutal, too). The Giants’ current starting second baseman is Emmanuel Burriss, who has zero pop and has struggled at the plate despite tearing it up in the spring, but he has an outstanding glove and he’s young. It’s rumored that the Marlins would be looking for young pitching in exchange for Uggla, but it’s not worth it for the Giants to give up a young arm like Jonathan Sanchez (even though he’s struggling) to acquire Uggla while there are still options within the organization (and I don’t necessarily mean Burriss, who has been brutal, but Kevin Frandsen, who has been absolutely hosed by the organization this season). Plus, the Giants aren’t one bat away from making a deep postseason run – they’re two or three bats away. Acquiring Uggla isn’t going to change that. The Giants have also been linked to players like Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko and I would say the same thing about them as I do about Uggla – those players aren’t worth giving up young arms with the Giants still a year or two away from seriously competing. Unless they could get a young bat in a deal, San Fran GM Brian Sabean should stand pat and continue his rebuilding plan.

Rumor #3: The Cardinals will trade for Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Why it makes sense: Manager Tony La Russa desperately wants to add another bat to the lineup to help protect Albert Pujols and upgrading the left side of the infield while Troy Glaus and Khalil Greene continue to miss time is a necessity as well. Tejada would cover both needs as he’s hitting .344 with six home runs and some feel as though he can play third base if needed, although he has never actually played there before.
Why it doesn’t need to happen: First and foremost, there’s no guarantee that the Astros would want to trade within their own division. Plus, despite currently being three games under .500 and in last place, Houston is only four games back of the Brewers in the NL Central, so they’ll hang onto Tejada if they feel as though they have a shot at the playoffs (however slim those hopes may be). But looking at this from the Cardinals’ perspective, acquiring Tejada doesn’t make as much sense as going after someone like Cleveland’s Mark DeRosa, who is also rumored to be available. Tejada will earn $13 million in 2009 and is set to become a free agent in 2010. Chances are, St. Louis wouldn’t re-sign Tejada in the offseason and they’d probably have to pay Houston a premium because it would be a trade down within the division. Throw in the fact that Tejada isn’t that great of a defensive player and adding him makes little sense. A guy like DeRosa would still give the Cards a quality bat, a better defender who has actually spent time at third base, and cheaper player to boot.

Rumor #4: The Padres will trade Adrian Gonzalez (ESPN.com’s Buster Onley)
Why it makes sense: It doesn’t make sense unless you look at it from the view of the Padres’ front office, who wants to cut team salary significantly. (That’s why San Diego has been actively shopping Jake Peavy.)
Why it doesn’t need to happen: This is more of a notion than a rumor. As previously noted, the Padres want to cut salary but they’ve been unable to move Peavy, so speculation has it that they could wind up dealing Gonzo if the right trade comes along. But while cutting salary is important to the front office, GM Kevin Towers can’t just give up a young slugger like Gonzalez in a cost-cutting move. Obviously Towers would get a couple of prospects in exchange for Gonzo, but would he be willing to take a lesser deal just to free up some money? If so, that would be incredibly disappointing for a Padre fan base that has embraced Gonzalez and hopes that he’ll still be around when San Diego eventually is competitive again (whenever that might be).

Rumor #5: The Red Sox will trade Brad Penny (Boston Globe)
Why it makes sense: With John Smoltz set to come back soon from a rehab assignment, Penny will be expandable to the Red Sox, who have discussed moving him to the pen (despite his unwillingness) when Smoltz returns to the mound. Boston seemingly has an abundance of starting pitching and if they could get a couple of prospects or a position player of worth in exchange for Penny, why not move him?
Why it doesn’t need to happen: A lot has been made about Boston’s pitching depth, but things could go from good to ugly at the drop of a dime. Dice-K has been brutal and has already made one trip to the DL. Josh Beckett started off slow, recovered to pitch incredibly well over the last month but then was shelled yesterday in Philadelphia. Smoltz is set to return from his rehab assignment, but who knows how he’ll pitch once he faces major league batters again. So essentially yes, the Red Sox do have a ton of depth. But that could vanish in a heartbeat and while Penny has looked good in his last three starts, teams aren’t going to be willing to overpay for the 31-year old’s services – especially knowing that Boston has an abundance of arms. In the end, holding on to Penny for depth and in case of injuries to other starters might be worth it in the end. Of course, if some club offers a top prospect in exchange for Penny (which is doubtful), then all bets are off.