Cleveland Sports Forum

Tony weighs in:

2011 Trade Deadline: Target Edition


So it's been a lot more an interesting season for the Indians than just about any fan would have expected so far. The problem is they went from having a huge lead to being two games out of first now. This means a team everyone thought would be a seller, is looking to buy.

The question is how much can they spend and is it worth it to acquire a big name. So I am going to break down a few names and go over cost, impact, etc.

Let's start out big and then go down:

Carlos Beltran, OF, Mets

Pros: Switch hitting outfielder who does a lot of his damage from the right side, has a positive post season history, and the Mets are willing to eat salary.
Cons: Injury history, is a free agent to be, Mets want a lot.
Percent chance: 0%

Commentary: Back in May I was the first person I saw to bring up Beltran, so I would love to get him because it would make me look smart. In all seriousness, there are many issues with him though. One, he cannot be offered arbitration thanks to the wording Boras put in his contract, so this means no draft pick compensation if he leaves. Second, he has a no trade clause, and I am not sure he will waive it for Cleveland. He is heading into his last free agent splash, the Mets will definitely trade him, and he seems to want to go to big name contenders. Third, the Mets are asking for top shelf prospects. They are asking for guys who are in the top 50 in all of baseball. The Indians have a few guys who fit that mold such as Pomeranz, Chisenhall, and Kipnis. Beltran is not happening, so Tribe fans it is time to move on to other targets.

Hunter Pence, OF, Astros

Pros: Under contract for 2 more years, young, right handed.
Cons: Heavy cost in specs, in the midst of a near career year, will be up for a big raise in arbitration
Percent chance: 0%

Commentary: Pence is having the second best year of his career. The thing with Pence is he is a good player, but he is nowhere near a great player. He doesn't walk as he typically hits about .280 with a .330 OBP and 25 homers. He is a good, consistent player, but the high average this year along with going to an All Star game means he could get $10-12 million in arbitration. Until this year he was Choo without the walks or steals, and every team in baseball would have taken Choo over him. Is he worth the salary he will get and the cost in prospects to get him? People who think Houston will settle for a lesser package are dead wrong. The Indians have an incredibly deep minor league system, but in terms of centerpiece trade assets they only have four to five guys. Cord Phelps is not getting you Pence. A deal would start with one of the three big names and then include two other top 20 prospects. The front office is not going to trade the future for a good player, and that's why Pence will not be an Indian.

BJ Upton, OF, Rays

Pros: locked up though next year, young, righty, athlete
Cons: strikes out a lot, low and declining average, not much pop
Percent chance: 45%

Commentary: Tampa is a team that we have traded with in the past and are very familiar with. Upton has the advantage that he would not be a rental and would be back for 2012 as well. He had one great year, one good year and has been okay since then. He can steal some bases but is not the most efficient basestealer, has 12-16 HR pop, will take some walks but it is not enough to make up for his low average. In the last three years he has hit .241 or worse with an OBP of about .315. He will be good for 30 doubles, but all in all is a guy who has never quite lived up to his tools. In spite of feeling like he has been around forever he is only 26 years old so should just be hitting his prime now, and he has hit better on the road, so getting him out of Tampa Bay might do wonders for him. He is an interesting player just in terms of youth, pedigree, and ability. For a player like Upton it comes down to price, and Tampa Bay needs to make room for former Indians draftee Desmond Jennings. I don't think the cost to acquire him would be super high. A guy like Lou Marson might make a real attractive piece along with Raffy Perez for a team that needs to shore up weak spots while trying to win the wild card.

Hiroki Kuroda, SP, Dodgers

Pros: Top starting pitcher available, consistent player, if lost to free agency would get compensation picks.
Cons: Has a no trade clause
Percent chance: 0%

Commentary: Kuroda has been linked to the Tribe, and has been a very steady pitcher in the NL. For a smart team that does not have to give up too much you would also end up with draft picks back. If the Indians could trade from depth to get Kuroda they would then be able to turn around and be assured two picks if he left in the offseason. For a team like the Dodgers it is great to get prospects because they won't offer him arbitration and they would save some money, which is pretty huge for them right now. The issue is a full no trade clause, and little desire to come to Cleveland. Besides, if he does just stay with the Dodgers then he could avoid arbitration which is always a bonus for a player when it comes to free agency.

Josh Willingham, OF, Athletics

Pros: Right-handed bat, been on a tear recently, and has a good history.
Cons: Is coming off injury.
Percent chance: 40 %

Commentary: Willingham has been a consistent bat in baseball for the last six years. If you look at his numbers he has been a bit underrated as he might only hit .260 but he can take a walk and has a career OBP of .362. He has average power as a 18-22 HR guy. He plays power positions as a corner outfielder and first baseman, so this is why he has bounced around a bit. The thing is in three stops he has hit and played well. He really by this point has deserved to nail down an everyday gig and might get that in free agency next year. He is considered one the Indians main targets and for good reason as he is a solid right handed bat. He is something this organization lacks and he should not cost a king's ransom to acquire. I would not be shocked to see a deal that could be headlined by a reliever as Oakland is trading most of theirs. The only roadblock I see is deals might be slow until the bigger dominoes fall. Once a Beltran is out of the way all the teams chasing outfielders such as the Tigers, Giants, Braves, Pirates, Phillies, Red Sox and Rangers will be more interested. The other road block is Oakland is shopping everyone including fellow outfielders David Dejesus and Coco Crisp, which means a lot of deals are being worked on at once.

Kosuke Fukudome, OF, Cubs

Pros: Good defender and an excellent eye at the plate.
Cons: Owed $5 million still, no draft pick compensation, another left-handed bat.
Percent chance: 35%

Commentary: The Indians do have a trading history in the past with the Cubs, and Fukudome might not be the power bat that most fans want but he would be a big help. If he joined the Indians he would have the best OBP on the entire team by 21 points. He does not have HR pop but does have solid doubles power. He would fit ideally into the two-ole and be a guy the Indians can count on to get on base. His contract is structured like Beltran so he cannot be offered arbitration, so unless the Indians could resign him he is strictly a rental. If this team is going to start scoring runs it needs people who get on base and Fukudome can do this better than anyone on this list not named Beltran.

Ryan Ludwick, OF, Padres

Pros: Right handed bat, knows the stadium.
Cons: One good year, in the midst of a horrible year, hits righties better than lefties.
Percent chance: 70%

Commentary: The Indians know Ludwick and have a long trade history with San Diego as the front offices do about a trade every other year. He will not cost a lot to acquire in a deal, but I have to be honest I would much rather than Willingham or Fukudome. Ludwick had one fantastic year where his OPS was 150 points higher than any other year, and his HR total that year was only two worse than his next two best years combined. He has posted two good years and one great year. He doesn't walk, he strikes out a lot, and for his career hits righties better than lefties. Even if you think it's an issue of ballpark his road OPS is still .700. A .725 OPS is considered average, but his .700 OPS would still be an improvement for the Indians so there is logic in adding him. He has been in decline stat wise over the last three years, so I am not sure if he would get the Indians compensation picks or not. At the end of the day Ludwick will be the cheapest bat to acquire in terms of prospects and cash. Add in the history between the Indians and Padres and a deal seems very likely. I would expect the price to be along the lines of what the Indians got last year in trades for Kearns and Westbrook.

I also want to throw out two names I have been tracking that no one else has mentioned. I like to think a bit of outside the box, so I looked for guys who are young, right handed and blocked.

The first guy is Chris Heisey of the Reds. The past two years he has put up solid numbers in a limited role, but the Reds are also looking into outfielders so are not sold on him. In spite of his youth he could be acquired. The Reds biggest need matches up with the Indians biggest strength which is pitching, so I am sure a deal could work.

The player I really like though is Allen Craig of St. Louis. He is coming off a knee injury, but has hit with power on every level. The issue for him is that he blocked in St. Louis, plus La Russa does not like to play young players. Craig would be the 5th or 6th best prospect in a system which is incredibly deep if he still qualified. The depth on the major league roster is also high, so Craig should be a tradeable asset. The Cardinals need relievers in the worst way as they have managed to contend in spite of leading the majors in blown saves at 17. They cut their closer this year, and there best young arm just got hurt. St. Louis would be a natural match for the Indians to turn some of their many arms into a bat, and in this case one that is right handed with good power.

I know there are other names on the market, but these are the ones I have seen the most discussion on or actually seen linked to the Indians. As a fan I do hope they make a deal, but I would rather they do not over pay. While the C.C. Sabathia trade was great for Milwaukee, they are a team that has sold off its farm in big deals and all it has to show for it is one post season and one win in that year. So hopefully the front office can find the right deal that makes sense without costing the players who will be the heart of this team very soon.

Excellent article.

Even if all we're doing is trying to finish the season we should get a RH OF, since we really don't have any in the majors or in AAA. Could just be someone who is as good as Kearns used to be in 2010. And don't trade any of the top 4 prospects, or Hagadone or Lee, the best AAA relievers.

Just think what the Indians got last year in trades:

Zach Mcallister who at the time was a AAA pitcher with a 5.00+ ERA for Kearns was the best return.
Corey Kluber who at the time was a solid AA starter with modest prospects for Westbrook
Giovanni Soto who at the time was a Low A LH starter pitching well despite sub90-mph fastball for Peralta.

Let's offer Zach Mac or Gomez or Huff or anyone other minor league starter not named Pomeranz or Araujo or Sterling for some RF OF and save the rest of the moves for the offseason.

My 2 cents.

I like Willingham, and think he makes the most sense for the Tribe as far as "bang for the buck" goes.

Indians use Jason Kipnis' first career hit to walk off against Angels

Associated Press

CLEVELAND -- Jason Kipnis delivered his first career hit with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning to give the Cleveland Indians a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.

Kipnis hit a 1-0 pitch from Hisanori Takahashi between first and second base to give the Indians their 11th home win in their last at-bat and break a four-game losing streak.




Tony Sipp (5-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win after Bobby Abreu's two-run homer off Vinnie Pestano put the Angels ahead 2-1 in the eighth.

Angels closer Jordan Walden blew his seventh save in 30 tries.

Michael Brantley opened the ninth with a line single to left and stole second. After Walden struck out Asdrubal Cabrera on a 3-2 pitch clocked at 98 mph, Travis Hafner drove the first pitch he saw to the base of the wall in left-center, easily scoring Brantley to tie it 2.

Carlos Santana then walked and Walden hit Jack Hannahan in the right ankle with an 0-2 pitch to load the bases.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia brought in right fielder Torii Hunter to play as an extra infielder between first and second base.

Travis Buck hit a 1-0 pitch on one hop to Hunter, whose low and wide throw home nearly pulled Jeff Mathis off the plate, but the catcher completed the forceout.

Kipnis, called up on Friday, got the game-winning souvenir baseball from first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. Kipnis gladly accepted it and kissed it.

Angels starter Dan Haren struck out 10 over 7 2/3 innings and appeared in line for his fifth win in seven starts since June 24. The right-hander gave up one run and three hits, walking two.

Haren matched his season high in strikeouts, set May 8 in a 6-5 Angels win over Cleveland in which he got a no-decision. On April 12, he blanked the Indians 2-0 on a one-hitter -- a fourth-inning single by Shin-Soo Choo.

Maicer Izturis opened the eighth with a single off Pestano, who then retired Hunter on a long fly ball to center. Abreu stepped up, hitting only .152 (10-for-66) in July. The veteran pulled a 1-0 pitch into the right-field seats for his fourth homer and a 2-1 lead.

Cleveland scored in the first. Brantley lined a one-out double to right and came home on Cabrera's single for a 1-0 lead.

Indians starter Fausto Carmona worked six strenuous shutout innings for one of his best outings of an otherwise rocky season. Named Cleveland's No. 1 starter at the outset of spring training, he was pounded for 10 runs in three innings on opening day by the Chicago White Sox. He later lost eight of nine starts from May 19 through June 26.

Carmona strained a muscle in his right thigh while running the bases in an interleague game on July 2 in Cincinnati and didn't pitch until July 18, when he went six innings to beat Minnesota, 6-3.

He stranded two runners in the second, fourth and fifth innings. In the fifth, with Angels on first and third and two outs, Abreu hit a shot that appeared headed for the right-field seats. The ball seemed to lose velocity in the humid air and right fielder Buck caught it with his back against the wall to preserve Cleveland's 1-0 lead.

Game notes
Indians C Carlos Santana has one hit in his last 15 at-bats, a fourth-inning bunt single. ... Indians rookie RHP Alex White, out since May 21 with a sore right middle finger, threw a simulated game. Manager Manny Acta said trainers will see how White feels Tuesday before putting together a timetable for his return -- but it will be as a reliever. The Indians want to get White back as soon as possible and think that it will take too long to build up his arm strength to get back into the rotation. ... Indians INF Jared Goedert accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus. He was designated for assignment Thursday. ... Angels RHP Fernando Rodney (upper back strain) struck out two in a hitless inning on Sunday, his first appearance since June 8. "He had great stuff," Scioscia said. "He threw some fastballs past some pretty good fastball hitters." ... Hunter went 0 for 3 with a walk and is 4 for 39 (.103) since the All-Star break.

CLEVELAND -- The sun wasn't at its brightest, but the hazy skies forced most eyes to squint on Sunday afternoon. Ezequiel Carrera's shades, however, remained atop the bill of his hat.

In the sixth inning, with two outs and two on, Chicago's Adam Dunn lofted a fly ball toward the warning track in straightaway center field. Carrera ran a long way and turned his body in time for the ball to graze off the heel of his glove and drop to the ground. A pair of runs scored, and the White Sox took a two-run lead en route to a 4-2 win.

The center-field wall wasn't in play, but Carrera had to transition from the outfield grass to the solid rubber of the warning track to flag down the fly ball. But after the long run, he appeared to lose his balance.

No matter the reason for that costly gaffe, manager Manny Acta stood by his rookie on Monday, pronouncing Carrera "the best defensive center fielder" in the Indians organization.

Carrera repaid his manager's trust, making a diving catch in the top of the first to rob the Angels' Torii Hunter of a hit.

Carrera said that the sun didn't factor in to his miscue on Sunday, only that he misjudged the position of the ball as he rotated to make the catch.

Acta said that Carrera's faulty footwork did him in.

"He was kind of stumbling," Acta said. "The sun was to the side, and his sunglasses were on top of his hat, so the sun wasn't a factor. He just started stumbling back there and dropped it."

Nevertheless, Acta had no qualms about putting Carrera in center on Monday.

"He's just human and dropped a fly ball, simple as that," Acta said. "We trust that guy to play center field any day, and he'll continue to play center field as long as he's here."

Carrera couldn't recall another time in his career when he dropped a fly ball at a critical moment.

Neither could his manager.

"I can't pinpoint any occasion where he has mishandled a ball or anything," Acta said. "He just dropped that ball yesterday. He's been really good."

Terry Pluto from Sunday. I don't think I've seen it posted. If so, here it is again:

1. I was a bit surprised when the Indians promoted Jason Kipnis instead of Jason Donald from Class AAA Columbus. The Indians gave me the same reason for the move as they did when they selected Luis Valbuena over Donald to play second last month -- they wanted a left-handed hitter. They believe Orlando Cabrera can still help in terms of infield leadership, and he's hitting .274 (.749 OPS) vs. lefties. It's .231 (.534 OPS) vs. righties for the 36-year-old infielder.

2. Cabrera is batting only .186 in July. On the season, he is down to .244 (.598 OPS) and looks more like a utility infielder. But they'd rather use Jack Hannahan at third when Lonnie Chisenhall sits against left-handed pitchers, as Cabrera's defense at third is iffy. Hannahan is outstanding at third, and he's a lefty hitter batting .304 vs. lefties -- compared to .181 vs. righties.

3. So the plan is for Cabrera to play second and Hannahan at third against lefties, Kipnis and Chisenhall in the lineup vs. righties. Just to make it interesting, I'll toss in this fact: the left-handed hitting Kipnis was actually better (.313) vs. lefties at Columbus than against righties (.262).

4. Kipnis was an outfielder at Arizona State, and in his first pro season (only 29 games) at Mahoning Valley. He was converted to second base in 2010, making 23 errors in 121 games between Class AA Akron and Columbus. This season, he had 11 errors in 79 games for the Clippers. His fielding has "improved ... but still a work in progress," according to one Tribe operative. Another told me that Kipnis has "very good range," but can struggle "reading some hops and on some pivots."

5. Of course, the Indians thought Cord Phelps (five errors in 15 games) was ready defensively for second, and he lost his confidence in the field once he reached Cleveland. The point is no one is sure how any of these guys will react in their first trip to the majors. Chisenhall had the reputation of "work in progress" at third, but he has been acceptable with the Tribe.

6. Kipnis has not played the outfield since 2009, and there are no plans for him there -- but he can do it in an emergency such as what we saw early this week in Minnesota when Valbuena ended up in left. Valbuena was 3-of-22 with the Tribe, and really didn't look any better (granted, it was very brief) than he did hitting .191 in 275 at-bats in 2010.

7. As for Donald, give him credit for pounding on the door to Cleveland. Having recovered from his early season hand and knee injuries, he's hitting .336 (.920 OPS). In the last 10 games, he's 19-of-36 (.528). He's played 21 games at third, 20 at short. His defense has been decent for the Clippers. Donald played 47 games at short and 41 at second for the Tribe last year, hitting .253 (.690 OPS).

8. At the very least, Donald is being groomed to be a utility infielder next year. He's always hit lefties well (.286 in 2010 with the Tribe) and that should be a plus.

9. Kipnis batted only .103 (4-of-39) ion his last 10 games. The Indians write that off to him traveling to Phoenix and Salt Lake for various All-Star games, and then coming back to the team. They believe his bat is ready for the majors. He hit .312 in May, .324 in June. The question will be his defense.

10. The Indians need to flip Beau Mills and Jared Goedert. The team's No. 1 pick in 2007, Mills is having a breakout season in his third year at Class AA Akron, where the first baseman is hitting .300 (.880 OPS) with 11 homers and 49 RBI in 230 at-bats. He will be 25 on Aug. 15; it's time to see what he can do at Class AAA. Meanwhile, at Columbus, Goedert is batting .199 (.592 OPS) with four homers in 151 at-bats. He's 26 doesn't seem ready to help.

Cleveland Indians lose to Twins, 6-4View full sizePD file photoWould it be better, Terry Pluto wonders, to just tell Grady Sizemore to rest and recover and prepare for the 2012 season?

About Grady Sizemore ...

1. The Indians are talking about Sizemore coming back in 4-6 weeks from his latest hernia surgery and bruised right knee. Perhaps he will, but exactly what can the Indians actually expect in September? Part of me says let the guy rest and heal, and try again next year.

2. The Indians can point to July, when Sizemore's bat began to show some life: 13-of-46 (.283) with three homers and nine RBI. But on the season, he's at .237 with 10 homers and 29 RBI (.769 OPS) in 61 games. He didn't steal a base all season because of his knee problems. Nor did he cover the usual ground in center field that twice earned him a Gold Glove.

3. Sizemore got off to a fast start, hitting .378 (17-of-45) when he came off the disabled list in April. Of those 17 hits, 13 were for extra bases. Then he bruised the right knee and went on the DL. When he came back, it had been a major struggle until he was hurt again.

4. Since Sept. 9, 2009, Sizemore has had wrist surgery, two hernia operations and microfracture surgery on his left knee. He never was on the DL until 2009. From 2005-08, he missed only nine games.

5. Sizemore will be 29 on Aug. 2. He has a $9 million team option for 2012. It makes no sense for the Indians to pick it up. In the past three seasons, Sizemore is hitting .239 with 28 homers and 106 RBI in 796 at-bats. Because of injuries, he's not even close to the Sizemore who was a three time All-Star (2006-08).

6. Here's what the Indians should do: Approach Sizemore with an incentive-packed deal for next season. Give him a $2 million base, with bonuses for at-bats, hits, etc. They did the same thing for Carl Pavano. He signed for a $1.5 million base, and could earn up to $5.3 million in bonuses. Sizemore should be open to this, as the outfield remains wide open in 2012.

7. But the Indians also have to be realistic, viewing Sizemore as a bonus in 2012. They have to plan to be without him, meaning they need to add an outfielder for this season and 2012.

I certainly disagree with the statement the sun wasn't a factor. He looked up and squinted and shied away. He should have had his sunglasses on. I for one, at this time, am not overly impressed with Carrerra. I certainly would not call him our best center fielder.

I think his manager was just trying to sooth his feelings and help him with his self esteem.

GM Chris Antonetti chumming trade waters: Cleveland Indians daily briefing
Published: Tuesday, July 26, 2011, 6:34 PM Updated: Tuesday, July 26, 2011, 6:50 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer


Indians GM Chris Antonetti is still trying to make a trade to helph is ballclub.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The trading deadline is 4 p.m. Sunday and the Indians still haven't made a deal.
The Indians could use some help. They were 30-15 on May 23 with a seven-game lead in the AL Central. They've gone 22-33 since, but are still in the race. They entered Tuesday night's game against the Angels trailing first-place Detroit by one game.
GM Chris Antonetti talked to reporters before the game about his efforts to improve the Tribe.
Q. Are you confident you'll make a trade before the deadline?
A. I'm confident we'll do everything we can to make a deal. Whether that results in making a trade is difficult to say. As we've said all along, it takes two parties to make a trade. Despite our best efforts at this point, we haven't been able to do anything.
Q. What will it take to get the trade market going?
A. Our preference would have been to do something a few weeks ago. Again, we can't dictate that timetable. Hopefully, over the next day or two some dominoes start to fall and that opens up the market.
Often times when a trade of a certain player is made who might be holding up a market, once that player has been traded, that forces teams to look at other alternatives.
Q. Do you feel any of the talks you've had with other teams are close to producing a trade?
A. It's hard to say anything is imminent. The intensity of the conversation has picked up. The level of specificity has also picked up over the last two days. It's gone from a wide general net to focusing on trying to get something done.
Q. If you are interested in a player with a no-trade clause, how do you deal with that?
A. It depends upon the team. In the end, depending on the specifics of the provision -- if a player has a complete no-trade -- it's his decision where he ends up going.
Q. There is a school of thought that says if a team has a chance to win this year, it should go all out because you never know what the future will bring. Do you feel that way?
A. Our philosophy is to take advantage of every opportunity we have to get to the postseason and advance in the postseason. But you have to be mindful of the cost of doing that.
We are prepared to do what we can, to do what's reasonable, to improve the team. We can't be limited in our focus to the next 2 1/2 months. If you make a foolish decision now, it could be one you regret for multiple years.
Q. Would you be more inclined to give up some of your more talented players for a player or players who you can control for two or three years as opposed to renting a player for the rest of this season?
A. Generally speaking, we'd have larger tolerance for giving up players of more talent if we had multiple years of control.
Tonight's lineups:
Angels (55-48): SS Erick Aybar (S), RF Torii Hunter (R), DH Bobby Abreu (L), LF Vernon Wells (R), 3B Alberto Callaspo (S), 2B Howie Kendrick (R), 1B Mark Trumbo (R), CF Peter Bourjos (R), C Doug Mathis (R), RHP Jered Weaver (13-4, 1.81).
Indians (52-48): CF Ezequiel Carrera (L), LF Michael Brantley (L), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (S), DH Travis Hafner (L), C Carlos Santana (S), 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (L), 1B Matt LaPorta (R), 2B Jason Kipnis (L), RF Travis Buck (L), RHP Josh Tomlin (11-4, 4.12).
Him vs. me: Russell Branyan is 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI against Tomlin. Asdrubal Cabrera is 4-for-21 with two doubles against Weaver.
Lefty-righty: Lefties are hitting .272 (70-for-257) with nine homers and righties are hitting .211 (48-for-227) against Tomlin. The Angels have two lefties and one switch-hitter in the lineup.
Lefties are hitting .214 (66-for-308) with two homers and righties are hitting .184 (45-for-245) with three homers against Weaver. The Indians have six lefties and two switch-hitters in the lineup.
Umpires: H Mike Estabrook, 1B Ted Barrett, 2B Brian Runge, 3B Marvin Hudson.
Quote of the day: "I have a hard time believing athletes are overpriced. If an owner is losing money, give it up. It's a business. I have trouble figuring out why owners would stay in if they're losing money," Hall of Famer and former Angels slugger Reggie Jackson.
Next: Lefty David Huff (1-0) makes his second start of the season with the Tribe when he faces right-hander Ervin Santana (5-8) at 12:05 p.m. Wednesday. WTAM AM/1100 will carry the game. There's no TV.

Related topics: chris antonetti, cleveland indians.

Blue Jays Close To Deal For Edwin Jackson

By Tim Dierkes [July 27 at 9:21am CST]

The White Sox are in serious talks for a deal that would send starter Edwin Jackson and third baseman Mark Teahen to the Blue Jays for reliever Jason Frasor and a prospect, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal's colleague Jon Paul Morosi says this deal is close and money could be involved. The rumor was first reported ten hours ago on Twitter by a fellow named Doug Seyller.

The Jays' motivation for renting Jackson for two months and taking on a bad contract in Teahen is unclear, unless the prospect is of high quality. There doesn't appear to be a draft pick angle, as both Jackson and Frasor project as Type Bs. Perhaps Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is considering flipping Jackson to a contender.

The White Sox were known to be seeking bullpen help, and Frasor has a club option for next year. But maybe Kenny Williams' goal is to shed the $9.7MM left on the contracts of Jackson and Teahen. Sox pitchers John Danks and Gavin Floyd are also on the market, according to Rosenthal. The White Sox are currently 4.5 games out in the AL Central with another game against the Tigers tonight

Another White Flag for Chicago?

White Sox have too many starters.

Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that if the Blue Jays acquire Edwin Jackson, they may attempt to flip him to the Cardinals.
We're getting a bit ahead of ourselves here since the first trade isn't even completed, but early word is that Alex Anthopoulos has his sights set on Cardinals' center fielder Colby Rasmus. If A.A. can pull off this deal, he deserves major kudos.
Related: Cardinals, Blue Jays, Colby Rasmus

Source: Jon Heyman on Twitter Jul 27, 11:19 AM

Jays Acquire Rasmus From Cards For Jackson In Eight-Player Deal
By Tim Dierkes [July 27 at 1:34pm CST]
An eight-player deal was struck today, as the Blue Jays announced they've acquired center fielder Colby Rasmus and pitchers Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters from the Cardinals for starter Edwin Jackson, relievers Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel, outfielder Corey Patterson, and three players to be named later or cash considerations. The Blue Jays will flip Miller to the White Sox, according to ESPN's Buster Olney, who first tweeted the full details.

In Rasmus, Alex Anthopoulos acquired a good young player who had worn out his welcome with management, much like the Blue Jays GM did with Yunel Escobar last summer. Rasmus, 24, is hitting .246/.332/.420 in 386 plate appearances, a down year compared to 2010. He'll be arbitration eligible for the first time after this season, so he's under team control through 2014. Cardinals GM John Mozeliak recently called a Rasmus trade "highly unlikely," but as Strauss notes, the center fielder has "fascinated and frustrated" the Cardinals over the last three years and made repeated trade requests.

Miller, 38, has been used sparingly by the Cardinals this year, logging only 15 2/3 innings. Most of them came against left-handed hitters, but Miller hasn't pitched well no matter how you slice it. About $700K remains on his contract. Tallet, 33, has been ineffective as well and currently resides on the DL for an intercostal strain. He spent the previous five seasons with the Jays. About $263K remains on his contract.

Walters, 26, has logged 50 innings in the bigs since 2009. The righty has a 4.27 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, and 0.8 HR/9 in 103 1/3 Triple-A innings this year, his fourth stint at the level. Baseball America ranked him 19th among Cardinals prospects prior to the season, praising his plus changeup but projecting a long relief/swingman role.

Jackson, 27, was traded for the fifth and sixth times in his career today. The 27-year-old flourished in nearly 200 innings with the White Sox, and improves a Cardinals rotation that ranks seventh in the NL with a 3.84 ERA. The acquisition gives the Cards the flexibility to move Kyle McClellan back to the bullpen, leaving a rotation of Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Jackson, Jake Westbrook, and Kyle Lohse. Jackson, a Scott Boras client, figures to test free agency after the season as a Type B. About $2.9MM remains on his contract.

The Cardinals' bullpen gets a lift from Dotel, Rzepczynski, and possibly McClellan. Dotel, 37, has a 3.68 ERA, 9.2 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 1.53 HR/9, and 28.6% groundball rate on the season; he excels against right-handed batters. Should the Cardinals turn down his $3.5MM club option, Dotel projects as a Type B free agent in the AL at the moment. If the option is declined, about $1.7MM remains on Dotel's contract.

Rzepczynski, 25, switched to full-time relief this year. He has a 2.97 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 0.46 HR/9, and strong 65.7% groundball rate in 39 1/3 innings this year. He complements Dotel nicely, having dominated lefties and struggled against righties. Rzepczynski is under team control through 2015. Dotel and Rzepczynski do not appear to be a threat to closer Fernando Salas, writes Dan Mennella of CloserNews.

Patterson, 31, is hitting .252/.287/.379 in 341 plate appearances for the Blue Jays this year. He restores a little bit of outfield depth for St. Louis.

Though there are eight players in this deal, it mostly boils down to the Cardinals renting Jackson and Dotel and getting Rzepczynski long-term in exchange for Rasmus' three arbitration years. It's hard to see this as anything but a win for the Blue Jays.

Is that Tallet, the ex-Indian?