This Week in Baseball 6/30 - 7/6

[geniusMoment 0]

Damn, I was really hoping someone would take Arroyo. If they can find someone to take him Cincy would have 30 million a year off their team payroll, and could be the biggest player in free agency this offseason

 

 

Dunn 13 million

Griffey 12 million

Arroyo 10 million

Patterson 3.5 million

Weathers 2.5 million

Ross 2.5 million

 

Even after factoring in raises they would have an insane amount of money per year, and really off that list who has given the reds great production outside of Dunn

[Dandy 0]

I don't want to turn this thread into a Redsfest and derail it into offseason free agency/minor league talk, but the Reds have started opening the checkbook under Bob Castellini. Perhaps in another thread I will run down the roster, salaries and contracts for their young guys, holes they need filled, etc. This team has a lot of bright spots for the future, and I hold out hope that they will be a top contender on a yearly basis after taking another year or two to get all the pieces they need.

[geniusMoment 0]

I can't believe the Brewers would be willing to give up this much for a guy they have no chance in hell of signing after this season.

 

 

CC to Brewers?

 

 

 

 

The Milwaukee Brewers are serious about trading for Indians left-hander C.C. Sabathia — more serious, perhaps, than any other club.

 

The Brewers' offer for Sabathia includes Class AA left fielder Matt LaPorta, according to sources with two other clubs that are interested in acquiring the pitcher.

 

Class AA shortstop Alcides Escobar also may be in the Brewers' proposed deal, one of the sources says.

 

And the Indians scouted the Brewers' Class A Brevard County (Fla.) affiliate on Wednesday night, looking at third baseman Taylor Green, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

 

The Brewers likely would prefer to substitute a lesser player for Escobar, or perhaps would insist upon additional talent if the Indians demanded his inclusion. But if the Brewers indeed were willing to give up both LaPorta and Escobar, the Sabathia sweepstakes might be over before they started.

 

"I can not imagine anyone would top that," the first source said.

 

The second added, "That deal should get it done."

 

Sabathia, 6-5 with a 2.16 ERA in his past 14 starts, is scheduled to pitch twice more before the All-Star break. The Indians could act quickly to maximize their return or allow demand to build by holding Sabathia until closer to the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

 

LaPorta, 23, and Escobar, 21, would be a steep price for Sabathia, who is headed for free agency at the end of the season. But the Brewers, facing a potentially dramatic off-season makeover, are in a more urgent position than other clubs, rival executives say.

 

Right-hander Ben Sheets is almost certain to depart as a free agent; he and Sabathia would be the two top starting pitchers on the market. First baseman Prince Fielder, represented by Scott Boras, could be traded out of fear that he would not sign with the Brewers long-term.

 

The Brewers would collect four premium draft picks if Sheets and Sabathia signed with other clubs. They also could obtain two or three minor-league prospects if they traded Fielder. But they would not be as competitive in the NL Central next season, even with right-hander Yovani Gallardo returning from knee surgery.

 

The Rays, another team interested in Sabathia, are not as motivated to make such a short-term grab, sources say. The Red Sox, deep in starting pitching, believe that the price for Sabathia would not be worth the marginal upgrade that he would provide over a pitcher such as right-hander Clay Buchholz in the second half.

 

The Yankees are monitoring the Sabathia sweepstakes, but seem disinclined to offer major prospects when they can sign the pitcher as a free agent. The Phillies and Cubs both want Sabathia, but their farm systems are not considered to be as deep as the Brewers'.

 

LaPorta, the Brewers' first-round pick in 2007, is an American League-type player, rival scouts and executives say, a right-handed slugger who is below-average defensively. He was a first baseman at Florida, but the Brewers have converted him to left field — a position occupied by Ryan Braun, who is signed through 2015.

 

The Indians badly need power. Center fielder Grady Sizemore leads the AL with 21 home runs, but designated hitter Travis Hafner hit only four before going on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain on May 30 and catcher Victor Martinez had zero before going on the DL June 12 with a right-elbow injury.

 

LaPorta is tied for the Southern League lead with 19 homers and third in the league in OPS. Three of his Huntsville teammates — third baseman Mat Gamel, catcher Angel Salome, and first baseman Chris Errecart — rank first, sixth and seventh in OPS, respectively.

 

If LaPorta were traded, either Gamel or Errecart could emerge as the long-term replacement for Fielder. The inclusion of Escobar in a deal for Sabathia, however, would qualify as a surprise.

 

"He's not a little bit better than Hardy defensively — he's way better," one rival executive says, referring to the Brewers' starting shortstop, J.J. Hardy. "Escobar is a phenomenal shortstop, a show-stopper. Hardy has lost a step in the field."

 

The Brewers, if they preferred to keep Escobar, instead could seek to include Hardy in the deal. But Hardy, whose OPS ranks third among NL shortstops, will be only two years away from free agency at the end of the season, and less appealing to the Indians.

[strummer 0]

The Braves have optioned Jeff Francoeur to AA

 

That's a real ballsy move.

[bob_barron 0]

Apparently Jeff's upset and angry by the move.

 

Maybe you should be hitting more than .234, Jeff.

[naiwf 0]

The Red Sox just got hosed there. Coco Crisp caught that ball, and the moronic 3rd base ump called it a trap. It was obvious even before the replay, which is why I hate when pundits go on and on about how good having a "human element" to a game is when the technology is there to get things correct.

[Brett Favre 0]

Who cares. They won.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

What the hell is going on in the Florida/Colorado game? I don't remember seeing a game that close with such a high score.

[Bored 0]

Rockies win it in the 9th, 18-17. Marlins blew a nine run lead.

 

In case anyone was wondering the record for must total runs in a game is 49 in this game.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

At least we won, right?

[Guest !!!]

For better or worse from my NL Central perspective, I think I can smell Mark Shapiro getting lubed up.

 

Short-term ecstasy risking long-term health. To put it in Wisconsin terms, Linebrink trade : a bratwurst :: prospective Sabathia trade : a deep-fried cheddar-filled bratwurst with a side of cheese curds

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I'm more convinced the Dodgers would pull the trigger on that trade than the Brewers. The Dodgers, from what I understand, have the pieces to at least make a reasonable offer. Moreover, it sounds like C.C. would like to be West coast bound.

 

Whatever. So long as the Cubs add a guy who can fill the number two slot, I won't complain about whether they get Sabathia or not.

[Guest]

Hey guys, Andruw Jones played well in his first game back.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Al, how would Arroyo look in Philly Red?

 

Awful. Flyball pitcher in Citizens Bank Park? It's bad enough to watch Brett Myers.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Red Sox/Yankees, Cardinals/Cubs and Mets/Phillies today, yet no posts? The Cardinals won on a two-out, two run single in the ninth, quite a finish.

 

John Maine just left the game in the sixth inning with an injury to his non-pitching arm.

[devo 0]

He looks more upset than hurt, so here's hoping he won't be missing a start. Rotation's patchy enough as it is.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I was at a BBQ, so I couldn't keep tabs on the Cards/Cubs game. We went inside for a bit during the ninth of the Yankees and Red Sox, however, so I was able to sit through the agonizing sequence of seeing the 4-2 Cubs ninth-inning lead in the top right corner slowly turn into a 5-4 Cards win.

[the max 0]

I've been busy stabbing my Julio Lugo and Jason Varitek voodoo dolls.

 

That Josh Bard trade looks great now. Varitek is cooked, but the only other option is Kevin Cash.

[DMann2003 0]

Bad news Nationals fans, looks like Elijah Dukes twisted his foot and had to be stretchered out in the bottom of the 7th flagging a Jay Bruce fly ball.

 

Edit: it's his patella he hurt apparently, tough brake.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Ryan Church left the game with dizziness. That's a baaaaaad sign.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I've been busy stabbing my Julio Lugo and Jason Varitek voodoo dolls.

 

That Josh Bard trade looks great now. Varitek is cooked, but the only other option is Kevin Cash.

What about giving George Kottaras a shot?

 

[Guest Vitamin X]

Rockies win it in the 9th, 18-17. Marlins blew a nine run lead.

 

This is why we need more Rockies baseball on national TV. They're more entertaining than the Yankees at home, that's for fuckin' sure!

[the max 0]

I've been asking myself (and my very disinterested girlfriend) the same question since the end of may.

 

Kottaras is OPSing .798 on the farm right now. Not much better than Varitek, but honestly, it's time to start looking at moving on...

[garfieldsnose 0]

Upsetting to see the bullpen blow a lead when they've been so good this season. Especially blowing it against the Mets, and hearing those Mets fans at Citizens Bank Park drown out the Phillies fans. This sucks.

[devo 0]

Aw Christ, now they're putting the tarp up? Damn it.

 

Edit: Hell of a game in Cincinnati tonight as Phillips hits a walk-off single to overcome a Cordero blown save.

[Bored 0]

I'm going to laugh my ass off if Varitek beats out Mauer in the popular vote for the starting catcher spot tomorrow.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Aw Christ, now they're putting the tarp up? Damn it.

 

Edit: Hell of a game in Cincinnati tonight as Phillips hits a walk-off single to overcome a Cordero blown save.

Looks like possibly the shortest rain delay in history.

 

Not to worry, if the game were called it's a Met victory anyway.

[devo 0]

I know, it's just that I've gotta be up early tomorrow and wanted to see the end. The longer the rain delay the less sleep I get.

[strummer 0]

Man the Mets actually came back against the Phils pen to win a game.

 

Only a dozen or so times more and they'll make up for all the times the Phils have done it to them the past 2 years

[garfieldsnose 0]

I hate every loss, but especially tonight with our pen blowing it, and the Braves and Marlins both losing.