Friday, July 3, 2009

First to Third: Welcome to Trade Season

Earlier this week, the Pirates continued their annual dismantling, sending Nyjer Morgan, Sean Burnett, and Eric Hinske packing, this coming after Nate McLouth was dealt to the Braves. Mark DeRosa was sent to the Cardinals this week as teams continue to scour MLB looking for that "last piece of the puzzle" that would propel them to October baseball. With only five teams 10 or more games out of first place, trading may not get into full swing until the end of July, but here's a list of players that could get traded:
  • Matt Holliday, OF, A's: My pick for the AL West is in the cellar right now and likely stuck there for the remainder of the season. Holliday is a free agent and could help a lot of teams, if they're willing to pay the likely steep asking price.
  • Cliff Lee, P, Indians: Another year, another disappointment for Cleveland, who is currently sporting the worst record in the American League. Cleveland is due for a major roster shakeup and Lee is a free agent in 2010, unlikely to resign with Cleveland. Now would be a good time for the Indians to get some value in return for Lee.
  • Jack Wilson, SS, Pirates: Clearly, Wilson is not happy in Pittsburgh. After the most recent Pirate trades, Wilson criticized team management for the second time in a year and is in the last year of his contract (2010 team option). Time for Wilson and the Pirates to go their seperate ways.
  • Erik Bedard, P, Mariners: After a terrible 2008, Bedard has rebounded nicely and is 5-2 with a 2.47 ERA. A free agent at the end of the year, Bedard will command big bucks and probably won't get it from the Mariners. If his pricetag comes down, Bedard will be moving.





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3 comments:

Jesmi said...

With the emergence of Parnell, Kunz has become somewhat expendable. Teams were sniffing around him this winter too. I'd love to hang onto Niese -- I'm a big fan of his hook -- but if the Mets are to get a quality bat/arm, they'll likely have to give something up.

Adam said...

The Indians would have to be blown away to trade Lee; a deal like the one they got in return for Bartolo Colon (Lee, Grady Sizemore, and Brandon Phillips) could be enough. But you have to remember that Lee is under contract for next season at a relatively cheap $10 million. If they can't sign him to an extension, he will likely be traded next year, but there is no reason to trade him now.

Marc Edelman said...

incidentally, Cliff Lee has been traded a lot this week ... in fantasy leagues. I have handled quite a few trade disputes involving him. This seems to be because many teams got Lee at such a low keeper price in 2008.

I don't think, however, Lee will move in real baseball. The Indians already dumped Sabathia last year, and even though they are not winning, I don't think they will find an ace any cheaper through other avenues.