Interesting Rumor (Tampa Bay players)

[Backtobanks]

Benmaller.com is reporting:

 

Coco Crisp is still part of the Red Sox's plans, so Florida is looking in another direction. At the Winter Meetings, the Rays' Rocco Baldelli's name was circulated around, but if there was any steam to make a move for him, it quickly fizzled out before the general managers left Orlando on Thursday. Keep an eye on a couple of other Tampa Bay products -- B.J. Upton and possibly Elijah Dukes -- as possible candidates

 

I certainly would like to see Baldelli, Upton, or Dukes in the Cubs' future.

[tkenm356]

Coco Crisp is still part of the Red Sox's plans, so Florida is looking in another direction.

 

That's weird...

 

The New York Post believes both the Yankees and Red Sox are trying to acquire Mike Gonzalez from the Pirates.

George King suggests that the Yankees could give up Melky Cabrera and Scott Proctor, while the Red Sox are offering Coco Crisp. Considering that Gonzalez's injury history dates back to his days in the majors and he still hasn't put in a full season in the majors, he probably isn't worth either supposed offer.

 

Looks like the Pirates are gonna fleece the Red Sox or Yankees for Gonzalez. Ethero ne of those would be a good move fot Pitt.

 

As for the Rays rumors, I too would like to see one of them in a Cubs uni... but the Rays are likely asking for way more than we can afford, sad to say

[Ivy Walls]

Benmaller.com is reporting:

 

Coco Crisp is still part of the Red Sox's plans, so Florida is looking in another direction. At the Winter Meetings, the Rays' Rocco Baldelli's name was circulated around, but if there was any steam to make a move for him, it quickly fizzled out before the general managers left Orlando on Thursday. Keep an eye on a couple of other Tampa Bay products -- B.J. Upton and possibly Elijah Dukes -- as possible candidates

 

I certainly would like to see Baldelli, Upton, or Dukes in the Cubs' future.

 

I think in part the league is disciplining TB as they continuely overprice themselves instead of looking at their strategic growth. Crawford and Baldelli are merely means to an end....meaning improvement to a competitive team on the field....right now they are not competitive with Crawford or Baldelli.

 

Crawford offers them the most help on the way of improving....Murton-Marshall & Ohman (or Weurtz & Marmol) would improve the club by getting a OF'er with in level production and then add young pitching & relief.

 

Then trade Baldelli or Duke for another three-for-one, all MLB ready or super A level prospect.

 

Keeping them offers nothing but good players who would fit into roles on contending teams...TB has to work and continue to make improvements incrementally and then get lucky with players who turn into something.

 

Look at Florida....look at Arizona, look at Seattle or Oakland....they make trades that appear on the surface to be underneath the value but their clubs improve.

[craig]

The New York Post believes both the Yankees and Red Sox are trying to acquire Mike Gonzalez from the Pirates.

George King suggests that the Yankees could give up Melky Cabrera and Scott Proctor, while the Red Sox are offering Coco Crisp. Considering that Gonzalez's injury history dates back to his days in the majors and he still hasn't put in a full season in the majors, he probably isn't worth either supposed offer.

 

Who knows if it's true, but interesting. Will Ohman looks an awful lot like Mike Gonzalez. Age, experience, WHIP, K/BB/H/IP, they look an awful lot alike. Ohman more healthy recently. Gonzalez obviously has better ERA's because Ohman is a HR-guy, Gonzalez not.

 

Given the Cub situation and in the event that Boston was willing, would you trade Ohman straight up for Crisp and his $16/3 salary?

[LuckyPup]

The New York Post believes both the Yankees and Red Sox are trying to acquire Mike Gonzalez from the Pirates.

George King suggests that the Yankees could give up Melky Cabrera and Scott Proctor, while the Red Sox are offering Coco Crisp. Considering that Gonzalez's injury history dates back to his days in the majors and he still hasn't put in a full season in the majors, he probably isn't worth either supposed offer.

 

Who knows if it's true, but interesting. Will Ohman looks an awful lot like Mike Gonzalez. Age, experience, WHIP, K/BB/H/IP, they look an awful lot alike. Ohman more healthy recently. Gonzalez obviously has better ERA's because Ohman is a HR-guy, Gonzalez not.

 

Given the Cub situation and in the event that Boston was willing, would you trade Ohman straight up for Crisp and his $16/3 salary?

sold.

[goonys evil twin]

 

Given the Cub situation and in the event that Boston was willing, would you trade Ohman straight up for Crisp and his $16/3 salary?

 

Without a doubt. A middle reliever for a potential impact starting position player? That's a no-brainer.

[LuckyPup]

goony's right- i would rather trade Eyre and his salary but if we could get Crisp for Ohman then we would have to make that deal-Crisp just has too much potential value -

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The difference between Ohman and Gonzalez is that Gonzalez is hard on LH and RH(and therefore faces them in a normal proportion) while Ohman is a LOOGY that faces almost as many LH as RH. Gonzalez is looked at more as a potential closer than a LOOGY/Setup guy. He's got more value than Will. That said, I'd still try to make the deal for Crisp.

[Mephistopheles]

Don't think Theo doesn't notice that Bob Howry's ERA+ the last three years has been around 160 and had a 71:17 K:BB last season.

[craig]

I just raised the question because contractually and in terms of age, Ohman and Gonzalez are similar, and first glance at their K/BB/H/WHIP/IP looked much alike. Ohman has pitched more over the past two years, but as TT noted, he had more appearances, so he does profile as a situational lefty whereas Gonzalez seems to be a full-inning, one-inning-per-appearance late reliever.

 

Ohman is a guy who I think has significant trade value, due to K-rate and contract.

 

Whatever theo might like or some of us posters might be willing to offer, I guarantee that Hendry would *not* be willing to give either Eyre or Howry for $16/3 Crisp.

 

I just thought Ohman might be somebody that Hendry might realistically be willing to trade, and who has enough value that Boston might at least think about it before answering, even if the ultimate answer might be "No".

[davearm]

I don't think Hendry would have any reluctance whatsoever to taking on Crisp and his contract.

 

That goes double if he's presently sitting on an offer he likes for Jones.

 

And triple if the cost is just Will Ohman, who's not only redundant, but a guy Hendry doesn't seem real happy with after the contract squabble last spring.

 

The Cubs are clearly playing for 2007, and Crisp would clearly help them in 2007. Whatever happens after that doesn't seem to be entering into Hendry's thinking a whole lot these days.

[Balsa]

I don't think Hendry would have any reluctance whatsoever to taking on Crisp and his contract.

 

That goes double if he's presently sitting on an offer he likes for Jones.

 

And triple if the cost is just Will Ohman, who's not only redundant, but a guy Hendry doesn't seem real happy with after the contract squabble last spring.

 

The Cubs are clearly playing for 2007, and Crisp would clearly help them in 2007. Whatever happens after that doesn't seem to be entering into Hendry's thinking a whole lot these days.

Good point, I wonder if that's why we haven't seen much on the Jones front, because he's been waiting to acquire another OF first so as not to trade from weakness.

[biittner77]

I don't think Hendry would have any reluctance whatsoever to taking on Crisp and his contract.

 

That goes double if he's presently sitting on an offer he likes for Jones.

 

And triple if the cost is just Will Ohman, who's not only redundant, but a guy Hendry doesn't seem real happy with after the contract squabble last spring.

 

The Cubs are clearly playing for 2007, and Crisp would clearly help them in 2007. Whatever happens after that doesn't seem to be entering into Hendry's thinking a whole lot these days.

Good point, I wonder if that's why we haven't seen much on the Jones front, because he's been waiting to acquire another OF first so as not to trade from weakness.

 

But if he trades Jones doesn't that create a weakness? The Cubs can always trade Jones during ST. Better to get the CF first and then figure out what to do with Jones. They could always psoture a Murton/ Jones Platoon or perhaps someone blows them away with a trade for Murton and they keep Jones.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

The D-Rays beat writer was on XM yesterday talking about possible moves, he stated pretty clearly that Tampa has no intention of moving Carl Crawford--zip, none, not gonna happen. He did indicate that Baldelli is possible, but (where have we heard this before) Tampa would have to be "overwhelmed" with talent to trade Rocco.

 

These guys just don't seem to get it that they'll never improve their pitching if they don't use some of their excess hitters in trade. Upton, Dukes, Baldelli, Crawford, Gomes--there isn't room for all of them in Tampa. The Rays are stupid if they don't sell when the market is at its frothiest and get themselves some young pitchers that they desperately need.

[Balsa]

I don't think Hendry would have any reluctance whatsoever to taking on Crisp and his contract.

 

That goes double if he's presently sitting on an offer he likes for Jones.

 

And triple if the cost is just Will Ohman, who's not only redundant, but a guy Hendry doesn't seem real happy with after the contract squabble last spring.

 

The Cubs are clearly playing for 2007, and Crisp would clearly help them in 2007. Whatever happens after that doesn't seem to be entering into Hendry's thinking a whole lot these days.

Good point, I wonder if that's why we haven't seen much on the Jones front, because he's been waiting to acquire another OF first so as not to trade from weakness.

 

But if he trades Jones doesn't that create a weakness? The Cubs can always trade Jones during ST. Better to get the CF first and then figure out what to do with Jones. They could always psoture a Murton/ Jones Platoon or perhaps someone blows them away with a trade for Murton and they keep Jones.

Yeah, that's exactly what I meant.

[davearm]

I don't think Hendry would have any reluctance whatsoever to taking on Crisp and his contract.

 

That goes double if he's presently sitting on an offer he likes for Jones.

 

And triple if the cost is just Will Ohman, who's not only redundant, but a guy Hendry doesn't seem real happy with after the contract squabble last spring.

 

The Cubs are clearly playing for 2007, and Crisp would clearly help them in 2007. Whatever happens after that doesn't seem to be entering into Hendry's thinking a whole lot these days.

Good point, I wonder if that's why we haven't seen much on the Jones front, because he's been waiting to acquire another OF first so as not to trade from weakness.

 

But if he trades Jones doesn't that create a weakness? The Cubs can always trade Jones during ST. Better to get the CF first and then figure out what to do with Jones. They could always psoture a Murton/ Jones Platoon or perhaps someone blows them away with a trade for Murton and they keep Jones.

That's the whole idea.

 

You can go ahead and take the offer you've got in hand for Jones once you've secured Crisp for CF.

[biittner77]

That's the whole idea.

 

You can go ahead and take the offer you've got in hand for Jones once you've secured Crisp for CF.

 

If Hendry really did have an offer for Jones that he liked he'd already be gone. By waiting he can probably get a better offer as teams get more desparate. But that has little to do with signing another CFer first.

 

The Cubs have in house options at CF even without Jones. None are ideal but they are serviceable. So there shouldn't be any desparation on the Cubs part. In fact, Hendry has already hinted that Pie could be the starter in CF.