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.

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]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/12/17/red-sox-%e2%80%9cworking-hard%e2%80%9d-to-obtain-adrian-gonzalez/feed/ 2 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/07/31/red-sox-padres-discussing-deal-for-gonzalez/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/07/31/red-sox-padres-discussing-deal-for-gonzalez/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:28:35 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=21975

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.

- The Brewers and Mariners are in serious talks that could send starter Jarrod Washburn to Milwaukee according to the Journal-Sentinel.

- The Yankees are looking for arms and according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark, the Bombers are interested in the Bucs’ Ian Snell, John Grabow and Matt Capps, the Nats’ Joe Beimel, the Royals Ron Mahay, and the Reds’ Bronson Arroyo.

- The Giants are still in desperate need of bats and according to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Indians have been scouting the G-Men’s farm system. Could either Victor Martinez or Ryan Garko be on their way to San Fran?

- Despite Toronto GM J.P. Riccardi saying there is a very slim chance that a trade will happen, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that talks between the Phillies and Blue Jays remain intense. The paper also suggests that the Phillies could turn their attention to Cliff Lee if a deal for Halladay cannot be struck.

- According to the Boston Globe, the Red Sox still remain very much in the hunt for either Roy Halladay or Victor Martinez.

- The Dodgers are denying that a deal between them and the Indians involving Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez is in serious discussion. FOXSports.com reported over the weekend that L.A. and Cleveland were discussing a blockbuster trade that would send Lee and Martinez to the Dodgers for James Loney and either Chad Billingsley or Clayton Kershaw.

The Red Sox found their answer for spelling the oft-injured Mike Lowell as they traded for Pirates’ first baseman Adam LaRoche on Wednesday. Pittsburgh acquires minor leaguers Argenis Diaz and Hunter Strickland in the exchange.

This isn’t going to be a move that sets Boston apart from the Yankees or Rays in the AL East, but on the days Lowell needs to rest his fickle body, Kevin Youkilis will slide over to third and LaRoche – who is an upgrade over Mike Kotsay – will play first. BoSox fans aren’t going to do back flips in the streets after this move (especially considering LaRoche is hitting below .250 and his defense is below average), but they didn’t give up much and he gives them a better bat than Kotsay in a three-man platoon with Youkilis and Lowell.

As for the Bucs, they did well getting two young players for LaRoche, who becomes a free agent after this season and wasn’t going to be worth bringing back anyway. Garrett Jones (who apparently is Mickey Mantle of all a sudden) can now slide over to first to fill LaRoche’s vacant spot in the field.

Comment fodder: Are the Red Sox done, or will they still pursue another bat? And now that they’ve shipped LaRoche out of town, is Freddy Sanchez the next one to be traded by Pittsburgh?

With the All-Star break quickly approaching, many MLB teams are trying to figure out whether or not they’ll be buyers or sellers later this month. It’s a tricky game front offices must play, because they don’t want to alienate their fans by suggesting that their club is already out of contention with half the season left to go, but teams also don’t want to miss out on adding a piece for the future because they’re hanging onto a veteran that won’t play a significant role down the line.

That said, I’ve compiled a ranking of the five most intriguing names that either are on the trade market, or could be. Granted, every player outside of guys named Pujols, Jeter and Howard could potentially be on the trade market, but I tried to keep the list to only those names that continue to pop up in the weekly rumor mill, whether their teams have officially those names as available or not.

Two names you won’t find on the list are Dan Haren and Jake Peavy, even though they have been brought up in various trade rumors. The Diamondbacks aren’t going to trade Haren unless some team offers a ridiculous package (as in multiple top prospects) and Peavy’s injury situation has all but killed his trade value. I would be shocked if either player gets dealt this season.

1. Matt Holliday, OF, A’s
Even though he hasn’t exactly set the league ablaze with his bat so far this season, Holliday is still an easy choice for No. 1 on this list. He becomes a free agent at the end of this season and while the A’s aren’t going to give him up for a copy of Jose Canseco’s book, they’d certainly like to get something for him before he walks at the end of the year. Holliday would probably be most successful moving back to the NL since he’s struggled a bit since joining Oakland, so teams like the Cardinals and Giants (two clubs desperate for bats and willing to part with prospects) would be ideal fits. At 29, he still has years of production left in him and he’s the best pure hitter available on the market.

2. Jermaine Dye, OF, White Sox
The Sox are one of those teams that are still trying to figure out if they’re going to be buyers or sellers. They’re currently just three games back of the Tigers in the AL Central and it wouldn’t make sense to trade away one of their best hitters if a postseason berth is in sight. But just three weeks ago, the Sox were in the midst of a funk and rumor had it that they were considering dealing Dye, Octavio Dotel and even Bobby Jenks for prospects. If Chicago comes back from the All-Star break and starts slumping again, it might be difficult for GM Kenny Williams to pass on the opportunity to build for the future by trading the 35-year old Dye to a potential contender desperate for offense like the Giants. The problem is that Dye has a limited no-trade clause in his contract for the next two seasons and would have to waive that in order to join another club. Would he be willing to waive his no-trade clause to join a contender? Or will he stick with the Sox hoping that in the end, they’ll be a contender themselves. Time will tell.

3. Yunel Escobar, SS, Braves
Truth be told, Escobar intrigues me more than Holliday and Dye because of his youth (he’s only 26). But I just don’t know how likely it is that the Braves would deal him, even though his name surfaced in this trade rumor earlier this week. Outside of getting a couple chances to pinch hit, Escobar has rode the pine the past five games. Granted, that’s mostly due to a hip injury, but the Braves are rumored to be willing to give Escobar up for a good hitter because they’ve grown increasingly frustrated by his immaturity. He had an incident last week where he pointed to the press box and mouthed an expletive after the official scorer charged with him an error during a game against the Yankees. So if the Braves don’t want him, why would anyone else? Because the kid can hit a little (he’s batting .293 with seven home runs and 40 RBI) and he plays a premium position (shortstop). If Atlanta were willing to take a little less to ship him out of town, Escobar would be intriguing to a team like the Red Sox, who desperately want a shortstop.

4. George Sherrill, RP, Orioles
With the O’s currently residing in the basement of the AL East, they’re debating whether or not to make Sherrill (who is garnering a lot of attention) available. The Marlins are reportedly interested and they would surely have the prospects to help Baltimore build towards the future. The problem is that they don’t currently have a replacement for Sherrill and they’re not going to give him up for cheap. He currently owns a 2.51 ERA and has 17 saves on the year. He’s also under team control through 2011 and has been fantastic in his last couple outings. He would definitely bolster a contender’s bullpen, although once again, he might command a steep package seeing as though Baltimore isn’t desperate to move him.

5. Garrett Atkins, 3B, Rockies/Nick Johnson, 1B, Nationals
I couldn’t decide between these two because they both play corner infield positions and each bring something different to the table offensively. Atkins was facing a possible demotion to Triple-A in early June, but is starting to see some regular at bats again. Considering he’s only hitting .224, why would Colorado be putting him back in the lineup when Ian Stewart has already belted 14 home runs this season? One theory is that the Rox want to boost Atkins’ trade value and the only way to do that is by playing him. Colorado is in desperate need of bullpen help and would love to add a reliever so they can continue to push for the NL Wild Card. If they can get Atkins hot, they can deal him for the bullpen help they sorely need. One team that has already been mentioned as a possible suitor is the Red Sox, who just placed Mike Lowell on the DL.

Johnson is a middle-of-the-order bat, although he hasn’t been hitting the long ball much this season. He is, however, batting .295 with 20 extra base hits. The Giants have been tied to Johnson, as they would love to add more protection for Pablo Sandoval and Bengie Molina in the order.

- According to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney, the Red Sox might have interest in Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins after Boston recently placed Mike Lowell on the DL. Colorado is searching for a reliever to help improve their bullpen.

- Rumor has it that the Braves’ increasing frustration with the talented, but immature Yunel Escobar could land him on the trade block. Considering he’s only 26 and is batting .293 with seven dingers and 40 RBI, there would certainly be a market for him if Atlanta does eventually make him available.

- Even though some believe that the Mets are still actively searching for offensive help, manger Jerry Manuel told reporters that the club “has enough.”

- The Arizona Republic suggests that if the Diamondbacks get a package similar to the one they got when they acquired Dan Haren from Oakland a few years ago, the club could still be willing to move the starting pitcher. A trade seems awfully unlikely though.

- The Mariners have reportedly started discussions with the Padres regarding a trade for third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff according to FOX Sports.com.

According to the Boston Globe, the Red Sox “have left no stone unturned” in looking for a shortstop to replace Julio Lugo. The club would love to plug Jed Lowrie into the position, but the 25-year old hasn’t played since early April due to a wrist injury.

Some of the names that the Sox have been linked to around the league include Omar Vizquel, Jack Wilson, J.J. Hardy, Orlando Cabrera, Bobby Crosby, Jason Donald and Miguel Tejada, but so far no trade has come to fruition.

I’m not a Red Sox fan, but even I’d rather scratch my eyes out with an ice pick than watch Lugo play another inning. He’s absolutely brutal in all facets of the game and it’s flabbergasting how much Boston is currently paying him ($9 million this year, $9 million in 2010, $9 million in 2011) to be the worst player on the diamond most nights. At some point, the Sox are just going to have to eat that contact to ensure Lugo never plays in Boston again.

Getting back to the club’s options, Vizquel has openly said that he wants to play for the Sox (which is a bit of a slap in the face to his current team the Rangers, but moving on…) and is currently batting .345 this season. He’s 79 years old (at least), but the guy still plays shortstop like he’s 30, so he would be an immediate upgrade over Lugo defensively.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Red Sox make a move or if they’ll just wait for Lowrie to come back (whenever that may be). If they decide to wait, here’s hoping for Boston fans that Nick Green continues to see the field and not that suck-the-life-out-of-you Lugo.