On Thursday, we examined what the Padres have and what they need. Now we turn to the question of which teams might make good trade partners and then consider some possible scenarios.
As of this writing, about half the teams in baseball appear to be in contention. Some will fall of the pace, although it’s impossible to know which ones. Others may not be interested in adding payroll despite their hot starts — Oakland, Florida, and Minnesota come to mind. The NL West teams are probably out as well — Kevin Towers has made a total of four trades (one with each team) within the division in 12 1/2 years. That’s out of 139 total trades, at last count.
Almost everyone needs pitching to some degree. Teams that could use help at second base, third base, or right field include Houston, Philadelphia, St. Louis, possibly the Angels (depending on Howie Kendrick’s balky left hamstring), the White Sox, Cleveland, Minnesota, Oakland, and Tampa Bay. Without running through all the particulars (I’ve scoured these teams’ rosters; you are free to do the same), here are a few ideas that I’d be looking to explore if it were my place to do so.
Talk to the Cardinals and White Sox about Iguchi
The Cardinals have Adam Kennedy at second base. He probably isn’t different enough from Tadahito Iguchi in terms of likely overall production to merit serious consideration. If St. Louis feels otherwise, though, I’d be asking about — and this should come as no surprise — right-hander Anthony Reyes.
Meanwhile, back in Chicago, the White Sox have Juan Uribe, who has been awful (.198/.262/.328) while making the switch from shortstop. They also have the untested Alexei Ramirez and might be inclined to bring in a more known quantity to fill the hole. Iguchi played for the Pale Hose as recently as last year and won a championship with them in 2005. As far as I know, he left Chicago on good terms.
Assuming the White Sox have interest, I’d be targeting center fielder Brian Anderson, who hasn’t done much in the big leagues but who has been a decent hitter (.293/.361/.474) in the minors. He is nothing special, but then, neither is Iguchi. We’re not looking for a savior here, just someone who can help plug a hole until Cedric Hunter is ready sometime in 2010.
I suspect the White Sox may be a better fit, although I’d rather find a way to get Reyes.
Talk to the Phillies, Astros, and Twins about Kouzmanoff
Kevin Kouzmanoff is a personal favorite of mine. I love the way he handled his poor start as a rookie and refused to get down on himself when things weren’t going well. That said, if the Padres can improve themselves in other areas, I have no problem moving him, especially with Chase Headley ready at Portland. The big question with Kouz is whether his perceived value might be too low because of his somewhat slow start (as Richard reminds us, his numbers are better now than they were at the same time last year).
The Phillies have Pedro Feliz at third base. He stinks. They also have Shane Victorino in center field. He and Kouzmanoff have similar contracts and should provide similar value. Philadelphia also has been giving Jayson Werth a lot of time in center, and aside from one memorable clank job against the Padres, he’s played well. I’m thinking the Phillies might be willing to fill a hole without creating another. Throw back a spare outfielder for a low-level prospect if needed. Or go bigger and try to include right-hander Carlos Carrasco in the deal.
(After initially coming up with this idea I bounced it off Eric Seidman, who is much more familiar with the Phillies than am I. He seemed to think they would be more interested in dealing Werth — no thanks — and that they aren’t prepared to give up on Feliz, who is signed through 2009. In other words, this may not be as good a fit as I originally thought.)
The Astros have Geoff Blum and Ty Wigginton. As a team, their third baseman are batting .215/.253/.323. There isn’t anyone on Houston’s big-league roster that could help the Padres, but down on the farm, right-handers Fernando Nieve and Bud Morris are somewhat intriguing. I don’t know much about either of these guys, but their numbers look good. According to Ben Badler at Baseball America, Morris throws in the low-90s but needs to refine his secondary pitches and may move to the bullpen. Houston gave up a boatload of prospects to get Miguel Tejada, and the system is a bit thin. I like the concept here, but I’m not sure there’s a good fit.
Up north, the Twins have Mike Lamb at third, but he’s more of a role player. Minnesota probably won’t want to take on salary, which should make Kouzmanoff an appealing option. The Twins have some talented but unproven youngsters at areas where the Padres need help, including right-hander Kevin Slowey (which is the worst name for a pitcher since Bob Walk), shortstop Trevor Plouffe, and center fielders Denard Span and Jason Pridie.
Slowey is a command specialist who probably fits into what the Padres like in a pitcher, though not necessarily what they need. He profiles as a back-end rotation option without much upside. Plouffe, who turns 22 next month, is a strong defensive shortstop whose bat has started to come around (.274/.326/.410 at Double-A in 2007, with slightly better numbers at the same level so far this year). This is a guy the Padres might want to target anyway, regardless of what they decide to do (or not do) with Khalil Greene — Pridie would give San Diego some insurance at the position and options further down the line should the club decide to move Greene or watch him walk away as a free agent after ’09.
As for Span, he’s a toolsy guy who is hitting well (.327/.431/.471) at Triple-A but who hasn’t shown much of a bat in the past. Like Slowey, he is 24 years old. Pridie, who came over from Tampa Bay along with Delmon Young this past winter, is the same age as Span and was more highly regarded coming into the season — Baseball America ranked Pridie #6 among Twins prospects and compared him to ex-Padre Steve Finley — but he’s been brutal (.220/.271/.305 at Triple-A) so far in ’08.
Of these possibilities, I like the way the Padres match up with Minnesota the best. I’m not sure how highly the Twins regard the prospects mentioned (especially Plouffe, who would seem to be the key to any deal), but this might be an area to explore. I’d at least want to be talking with these guys.
Talk to the Indians and Mets about Giles and/or Wolf
Because of Brian Giles‘ contract, any deal involving him is almost certain to include cash passing from the Padres to his new team. That said, there are potential suitors.
The Indians have Franklin Gutierrez in right field. Giles, who got his start in Cleveland, would represent a substantial upgrade. The Indians have several promising young pitchers, including Adam Miller, Ryan Miller, and David Huff. I don’t know how good (or available) they might be, but these are some names that stand out to me based on their numbers. Adam Miller once was considered a top prospect but has been slow to develop.
The Mets have Moises Alou in left field — Giles’ primary position before coming to San Diego. They also have a young left-hander who seems to have fallen out of favor (Oliver Perez), as well as some intriguing minor-league arms (Nicholas Carr, Angel Calero, among others). Perez won arbitration this past winter and is making $6.5 million in 2008. Wolf is cheaper and presumably less of a headache to the likes of Billy Wagner.
I’m guessing that the Padres wouldn’t have to pay as much of Giles’ salary in a deal involving Perez (because the Mets would be unloading a hefty contract of their own). It can be tough to get an accurate read on what’s really going on in New York because there’s always so much drama, but I’ve also heard that the Mets might be looking to move Aaron Heilman. I might suggest expanding a potential deal to include Heilman and Heath Bell, but judging from the latter’s first go-round with the Mets, that would be cruel.
Here, I like the Mets’ potential package a little better.
What I Would Do
Well, it’s really what I would attempt to do. Obviously the other teams involved have a say in all this…
- Trade Iguchi to the White Sox for Anderson (assuming the Cards balk at moving Reyes)
- Trade Kouzmanoff to the Twins for Plouffe, Slowey, and either Span or Pridie — possibly expanding the deal to include more players on both sides (I’m very uncertain of this move; there’s a lot of risk involved)
- Trade Giles, Wolf, and some amount of cash to the Mets for Oliver Perez and a minor-league arm
- Recall Headley and Antonelli (if he’s not ready, then go with Craig Stansberry or Edgar Gonzalez)
- Release Shawn Estes and Justin Germano (in fact, Germano was DFAd during the course of writing this post over several days), recall Josh Geer and Cesar Ramos
- Keep Greene — at least until Plouffe is ready
- Keep Greg Maddux — he won’t bring enough in return to offset the loss of his presence
So we now have a lineup that looks like this:
C: Josh Bard/Michael Barrett
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
2B: Antonelli/Stansberry/E-Gon
3B: Headley
SS: Greene (with Plouffe in minors)
LF: Paul McAnulty/Scott Hairston
CF: Anderson (with Span or Pridie in minors)
RF: Jody Gerut
Maybe one of McAnulty or Hairston emerges, maybe not. Whatever the case, Chad Huffman should be knocking on the door in spring 2009 anyway. Heck, if you’re feeling real crazy, you might even bring him up after the All-Star break.
Here’s the rotation:
Jake Peavy
Chris Young
Maddux
Perez
Geer/Ramos
Geer and Ramos look like marginal big-league pitchers to me, at best, but you might as well run ‘em out there and see what they can do. Once LeBlanc stops tipping his change-up, or whatever the heck his problem is, then you give him a more serious look. Same with Inman when he’s ready, probably mid-2009.
Concluding Thoughts
My suggestions may not be as radical as some people might like, but I don’t see a need to blow up the team based on the quaint notion that “48 games are more important than four seasons worth of games” (thanks to MB at Friar Forecast for expressing this sentiment more eloquently than I can). The important thing is to make incremental improvements and maintain a disciplined approach to whatever moves you end up making.
The problems with this team feel monumental because we’re experiencing them right now, but really this is just part of the cycle — well, unless you’re the Pirates — and things will get better. Not because of some magic pill or because anyone believes it will (ugh, please!), but because the management team in place has a proven track record of success. Does this mean they’ve never stumbled in the process? Well, you really don’t need to look further than the first third of this season to find your answer. But it also doesn’t mean they stumble all the time, or even most of the time.
It will be interesting to see what kinds of changes are in store for this team over the coming weeks and months. That’s the great thing about baseball: Even when the on-field product is scarcely worth mentioning (Thursday night’s power surge being a notable exception), there’s always something happening. Guess that’s why we keep coming back for more…
Seems like a lot of work to not really get anything back….hey they would save everyone’s salary for the rest of the year right?
1. As much as I think Estes is doomed to failure, I wouldn’t release him. I’d rather have LeBlanc working on things in AAA than the majors. Estes can take those beatings for him. And if he somehow manages to have hitters smack balls right to his fielders for another 4 starts, maybe you get something for him.
2. Not sure Maddux’s return will be that low. Yes, he was traded for Izturis, but that was because the Cubs wanted Izturis. They saw him as an improvement over Cedeno. Izturis was, after all, an All-Star in 2005. He didn’t deserve to be, but he was what the Cubs wanted. Is it unrealistic to think Maddux would net Lillibridge from the Braves? I’d gladly trade 3 months of Mad Dog’s intangibles for a possible solution at shortstop.
I can’t process this yet, but — I think the Marlins are a great trade partner. They are contending, need a third baseman, and could use some depth in the rotation (Wolf/Maddux).
Not sure what’s in their system, but it’s another place to explore.
#1@Mark Ase: True, except for the bit about not really getting anything back.
#2@Tom Waits: If they can get something for Estes, by all means they should do so, but I just don’t see it happening. If Maddux would fetch Lillibridge, that’d probably be worth doing. I did explore a Lillibridge scenario at some point but dropped it along the way because… well, I can’t remember why. I’ve actually been working on this piece for about a week and it’s changed a bazillion times. That’s why Slowey doesn’t show up in the final rotation. And I agree that there’s no need to rush LeBlanc. He should remain at Portland until he gets back on track.
#3@Alan: Not sure if we have enough to get any of them, but Florida does have a lot of arms in AA. Probably a pipe dream, but if they were sufficiently desperate Gaby Hernandez might be an option.
#4@Geoff Young: Yeah, I don’t see him getting a live human back, but I’d still rather have him absorbing the body blows than LeBlanc, or, worse, Inman.
#6@Tom Waits: Goodness, absolutely not Inman. That’s why we have guys like Geer and Ramos.
No deal for a real left fielders, Georff? There has got to be a guy who can hit for average and play LF somewhere in baseball.
From today’s UT…
A few Padres players find it strange that Towers recently sounded off about their effort and baserunning, attempting to heighten the players’ sense of urgency, yet the front office appears passive about promoting Headley. As for the environment Headley would enter, several players have said veterans such as Trevor Hoffman, Brian Giles and Greg Maddux excel at reducing pressure.
#8@PM: Yeah, there are plenty of those guys. Headley would be one if Kouz isn’t moved. Huffman is also an option, though possibly not this year.
#9@Coronado Mike: I’ve noticed of late a strange media obsession with Headley. It seems folks have gotten it into their heads that he’ll be some kind of savior and he should be promoted immediately regardless of how it might affect his development, the team, etc. If the front office “appears passive,” I’d submit that others appear “overly eager.” When Headley’s time comes, he’ll be here (or elsewhere) and probably stick around a while.
#9@Coronado Mike: Urine on the leg of a rookie is a proven cure for pressure.
#11@Tom Waits: I would punch Maddog squre in the nose if he did that to me…rookie or not.
That is just wrong on so many levels…and this is coming from a guy who has been known for a prank or 3 in his life…just don’t pee on my leg.
#10@Geoff Young: I actually think holding down Headley right now is a great call, given that the media is overly infatuated with him at this point.
#12@Coronado Mike:
I would be honored if MadDog saw it fit to honor me with a golden shower. That’s just me though.
I actually saw him at the coffee shop across the street from my work downtown on tuesday. Maybe next time i’ll build up the courage to ask him to haze me.
#12@Coronado Mike: Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#13@Phantom:
Me too! I think everyone is really expecting way too much from him. Not that I don’t think that he will be able to cut it but I think the average SDUT reader or SD sports talk radio fan thinks this kid is going to be our Justin Upton or Ryan Braun and that’s just really not who Chase is going to be.
The Padres seem that they also have some final evaluations to make on Hairston, Huber and P-Mac if they really are going to make whole-sale changes like they say. If Headley comes up to play left I imagine he plays there every night for the rest of the season.
I’d hang on to Estes as well. If he can string together some decent starts I guarantee KT can put on his sludge merchant hat and move him to a wannabe contender around the trade deadline for something, which is more than we get if he’s released. If he sucks it doesn’t matter, we’re not going to contend anyway.
A commenter at Gaslamp Ball last night mentioned there’s a Randy Wolf for T Gwynn Jr rumor going around Milwaukee. Bringing in Jr would be one way to get the spotlight off Headley.
Awe, don’t trade Giles…He’s my favorite player…
These are decent suggestions, but really they will just result in more boring, vanilla Padres baseball, only they’ll win like 5 more games a year.
Bold Prediction: Headley and Antonelli are WAY overhyped and will end up sucking.
“From the farm system that brought you Sean Burroughs and George Arias…”
#17@Anthony: “Now in centerfield, Sacrificial Lamb!”
Lets be honest here…..
We finally have an infield (minues 2B) that we can have around for several years. I think screwing with that now will create the rotating door we’ve been in since the days of Wally-Ball, Quilvio, Gomez & Caminiti.
The Padres are in a weird state right now and the poor play is only accentuating the “Get them out of here” mentality.
There are untouchables on this team in my opinion. My list:
Peavy, Gonzalez, Greene, Kouz, Young & Bell.
These are the core guys that you can add to and win NL West Pennants with.
Also, I have a dump immediately list:
Iguchi, McAnulty, Huber & Clark.
Those ‘Dump’ guys are taking up places on the bench where either younger guys could be getting time or learning from guys like Giles and Maddux. We’ve seen what the dump guys can do already this year and the result is nothing. Mediocre play from mediocre players. You may be asking where Hairston is in all of this and you would be right. However Hairston seems to know when to hit a timely homerun. Does that make him worth what the core players are….no, but his pop would be great giving guys the day off.
I agree with Mark that it appears that this scenario you have come up with Geoff is a lot of work for such little return. Especially with the Twins trade. I’m home-based here in the Twin Cities (after being transplanted from my San Diego home) and although Slowey and others look decent as a trade prospect I would pass.
I can’t wait to see how the Padres waste their first round pick in the draft this year.
“Wanted: control artist who’s fastball tops out in the mid 80′s, has a history of shoulder or elbow problems and will sign for a bag of peanuts”
MinnesotaMo, I like your “Dump List”
CrackAnulty and HuberStank need to go.
#21@MinnesotaMo: I respectfully submit a couple of numbers…
.320 –> .291 –> .269
That is KG’s OBP over the past 3 years…descending. Not a good trend.
His D has consistantly inproved, but a guy that makes outs at that type of pace is not an “untouchable”.
#21@MinnesotaMo:
Greene is only signed through 2009. He seems unlikely to resign here since Petco hurts his game so much, but he’s not your average bear, so maybe he does.
With Headley at 3b, the infield stays together longer, plays better defense, and probably hits better. I haven’t seen anyone who wants to “dump” Kouz, but if you can address other needs by moving him, it’s much smarter than playing Headley in LF.
What’s the alternative to making those trades? Playing .500 ball if we’re lucky the rest of the season, getting a worse draft pick in 2009, watching Maddux and Wolf move elsewhere (or possibly worse, accept arbitration), paying Giles 3 million to go away?
Two things of interest in Jason Stark’s latest column…
1. Grab your shopping carts: As the frustration mounts in San Diego, it’s looking more and more likely that the Padres could kick off their clearance sale any week now. The guy at the top of quite a few shopping lists figures to be Brian Giles, the Padres’ OPS leader. An official of one club that has spoken with San Diego went as far as to predict a Giles trade is “likely.” But hang on. Giles can block a trade to eight teams, and his $9 million option for next year automatically becomes an $11 million option (or $3 million buyout) if he’s traded. Plus, his exit would leave this team with just about zero offense from its outfield. “No,” one baseball man said, laughing. “Without him, they’d have no offense, period.”
2. The Royals would seem more likely to trade a relief pitcher or two than a position player before the deadline. But one Royals regular about whom we’re starting to hear other teams speculate is center fielder David DeJesus. GM Dayton Moore told Rumblings that at this stage in the Royals’ development, “we’ll evaluate anything.” But though Moore won’t talk specifically about any potential deal, he did say, “David DeJesus is a guy you can win with.” Also, DeJesus’ contract is so club-friendly (with salaries of $3.6 million, $4.7 million and $6 million through 2011), the Royals would need to get a spectacular offer to persuade them to move one of their more consistent players.
Guy on Jeff & Dave this morning brought up a great point. When you’re trading vets making the kind of $$$ that Giles and Maddux do, the level of prospeect you get in return depends on how much of that players’ salary the Padres are willing to pay upon trade.
If Moores offers to pay like 80% of Mad Dog’s 10 million a year contract and trade him to a contender, then we might get a good young player in return. But how likely is THAT to happen??
#16@KRS1: I have posted comments at the UT stating that I am concerned about Headleys strikeouts. I get a lot of responses from people calling me a Padre hater etc. One poster was comparing Headley to David Wright.
I dont know where this comes from. Talk radio, UT, Mad Friar, KT, Padres Website ?????
There is a good sized chunk of fans who believe the farm system is loaded with talent.
#27@Dave H: That’s not always true. It depends on how well the veteran player is doing. There are a lot of trades in which fairly expensive players move without money being involved. But it is true that sometimes the unloading team will “buy” a prospect by including some cash.
I’d sooner trade Maddux back to the Cubs to acquire Felix Pie or maybe Eric PAtterson if we’re lucky then most of those other moves. I don’t think the Cubs are really interested in keeping Pie because A) they made two FA moves to push Pie way back in the depth chart, of which one was frakking Edmonds, B) They haven’t given Pie much of a chance to play and work himself out of the hitting slump and C) the Cubs had been successful with marquis/dempster/etc but they don’t feel confident that that trend will continue.
Good point Tom, if a guy is hot it’s definately a lot easier to move him.
Giles has been hitting well lately, but at this point he’s still probably not in real high demand…
Loren, sad to say but the Cubs can probably do a lot better than trading Pie for Maddux.
I think the guy they need to look at trading is Randy Wolf. He’s been pitching well, eating innings and it would be a good idea to get some value before his arm falls off at the break.
#19@Dave H: Thanks for posting. I look forward to hearing your alternative suggestions on how to improve the team.
#28@parlo: David Wright? As in, the guy who plays for the Mets? That’s just asinine.
#21@MinnesotaMo: Thanks for posting. It’s funny: I’ve actually heard from one pretty smart baseball guy (not a Twins fan) who wouldn’t trade Slowey straight up for Kouz. Go figure…
#33@Geoff Young: I assume your response to Dave H was sarcasm, given his mean-spirited posts in this thread. Thanks for taking the time to do this task, and, even if I am not sure your proposed trades are viable, at least a good amount of thought is put into them. It is what makes this blog so much better than talk radio callers and UT article writers and comments sections. Cheers.
28: Headley = Wright from all the hypes on the radio. The more these talkies are talking the better Headley seems. The thing is these talkies are slumming for anything. There is not reason Headley should come up now. Part of these if the FO fault of trying to sell the public on the current state of the farm system as some players are buying into this hype as well.
Geoff, thanks for your response. The one guy I do like in your proposals is Brain Anderson, I think he’s a nice young player if we can get him.
The one intriguing guy in the farm system right now (and he has been mentioned on here before):
Will Veneble. Shouldn’t they be looking at this guy for possible center fielder, he’s been pretty hot this year?
Geoff, good thought process.
The only one that I’d hesitate to do is actually the deal that would make the most sense, with the Twins. I, too, have heard that Slowey and Pridie are not as good as expected. Denard Span, on the other hand, I don’t see how the Twins are going to part with. From what I heard from my Twins fans, Span’s very good.
I’m a *huge* fan of Will Carroll’s health and injury reporting at Baseball Prospectus … and, lucky for Padre fans, today’s entry is free for all …
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7568
Clearly the Padres (with Jake and CY and Bard recently doing on the DL) are getting top billing in his recent reports. He links to some very good articles which go in depth on Jake’s status.
This is MUST READ.
#35@The Fathers: Thanks, much appreciated. Actually, I’ve seen a couple new names on here this morning and I’m trying to get them involved in the conversation. The more, the merrier, especially if they bring something new to the table. I have a certain way of thinking about things and other people will see things that I miss. It’s a good way to learn, not to mention just chat with other passionate Padre fans.
#37@Dave H: Venable doesn’t excite me much. He’s 24 years old, and his power and strike-zone judgment aren’t great. Seems more like a fourth outfielder to me.
#38@Didi: Yeah, I’m very uncertain about the Twins idea. I’m also getting the impression from people I’ve talked to who don’t follow the Padres closely that Kouz’s perceived value is way down right now. Whether that extends to the front offices of other teams, I don’t know, but he might be a better guy to hold right now, especially if folks seriously believe Headley is the new Wright. Good Lord, someone needs to educate these people.
#17@Anthony: I would do a Randy Wolf for Tony Gwynn, Jr . trade in a second. BUT, if they are afraid of putting too much pressure on Chase Headley, I doubt they would want to bring in the son of the greatest player San Diego will ever see. That would be tremendous pressure, in the eyes of the FO anyways.
Funny thing happened after Kouz and Khalil hit those bombs yesterday. I woke up today and decided I didn’t want either of those guys traded…. at least for now. I mean, how many shortstops can hit the ball in the 2nd deck with such ease? And how many players in baseball can hit a line-drive out of Petco to right-center? Yesterday was a reminder of how much potential our left side of the infield has and how much they have underachieved this season.
OT … the Cardinals / Pujols perspective on the events of Wed night …
http://tinyurl.com/3uxa94
#37@Dave H: Well, that’s a strange set of judgments, when Brian Anderson is looked at as a prize. He’s already 26 and has failed just as spectacularly, in a much longer trial, than McAnulty and Huber. He can play some defense, and I wouldn’t mind giving him a shot, but I have the feeling that if he was a Padre farmhand he’d be on your “dumped” or “overhyped” list.
They are looking at Venable in CF, because his bat isn’t likely to play anywhere else. The question is, does he have the glove for it?
#40@Geoff Young: (re 38): That’s definitely something the front office has to consider. Kouz, even if it turns out that he’s not what we want as an everyday 3b, can still do some things. It makes no sense to trade him for 25 cents on the dollar. But we don’t need 100 cents on the dollar, either.
Last night’s game was a huge cheer-me-up … but so is making some nice 8×10 prints of these pics taken by a Padres team photographer and posted on Friar John’s blog …
http://tinyurl.com/3nalgf
http://tinyurl.com/4hkhdh
BOMBS AWAY!!!
Another good point Tom, Anderson was a flop in Chi-town; what I didn’t realize he is 26 already.
Guess I’m just grasping for straws with Veneble here, you never know when a guy gets playing time. I know they are completely different players but look at what’s happened now that Jack Custs has been given a shot.
I’m with you on trading Kouz especially to get a CF or pitching, but unless you want Edgar Gonzalez as your everyday 2b – I wouldn’t trade Iguchi. The offense is bad now, without Giles it has trouble competing in the Texas League.
Calling up Antonelli and especially Stansberry would be a serious mistake. I sympathize with people who want change, but I really don’t think there are that many trades and calling guys up from AAA who are hitting barely over .200, or below in Antonelli’s case, doesn’t seem to be the best plan.
Also Geer with an ERA of 4.85 and Ramos is even worse at might need a little more seasoning. Although I would look to call up Hayhurst.
Actually if you are really looking to shake things up Inman and Huffman, after Headley may be the best candidates for a callup.
Isn’t Oliver Perez a free agent in 09? Is that idea based on Ollie signing an extension with the Pads?
#39@LynchMob: He mentions CY coming back “Rip Hamilton Style”…wondering if a pitcher would be allowed to wear a face mask…They can’t have shiny jewelery, have batting gloves in their pockets, or have anything that distracts the hitters.
I am guessing that a lot of players/managers would object to CY coming out with a plastic mask over his nose. If I am in a pennant chase and come up against a pitcher like CY, you better believe I am complaining to the ump that the glare off his face mask is distracting.
#38@Didi: If another team’s front office thinks Headley is the next David Wright then I am all for trading him…NOW.
But since he is not really seen that way, I do not advocate that type of move.
Personally I’m not huge on trading Kouz right now. He’s proving himself as an everyday major leaguer, and giving him up for a B or C level pitching prospect who may or may not pan out seems a bit counterproductive.
Headley can play left.