I think we can officially say that the offseason rumor mill is churning full-force. Here's what's being said about the Braves today:
Mark Bowman at MLB.com refutes a rumor from yesterday that the Braves were discussing a potential Javier Vazquez trade with the Dodgers. While I trust Bowman's report, I also don't think it's altogether out of the question that the Braves would talk to the Dodgers about Vazquez. I know that Javy has a no-trade clause enabling him to block trades to AL West and NL West teams, but he's got one year left on his deal before he becomes a free agent again (and he could then return to the East Coast), and with a little financial inducement, he could probably be persuaded to go play on the West Coast for a year. The Dodgers have pieces that could really pique Frank Wren's interest: young, talented corner players like Andre Ethier and James Loney, and bullpen pieces like Hong-Chih Kuo and George Sherrill.
Bowman also giveth even while he taketh away, however. He does rule out the Yankees as a suitor for Derek Lowe, but affirms the Angels interest (barring John Lackey re-signing or Roy Halladay moving to Anaheim), and adds the Brewers to the list of teams that could have interest in Lowe. He says the Brewers have a keener interest in Vazquez, however. Any trade with the Brewers would almost certainly center around hitting prospect Mat Gamel (and I say "hitting prospect" because he doesn't yet have a position for his lead glove); perhaps we could survive sticking him in left field. But Gamel's not enough for Vazquez, and I'm not keen on any of their other offensive players (please no Corey Hart!). Todd Coffey and Mark DiFelice are attractive relief pitchers, but they still aren't that compelling. Harder to see how the Brewers make a good enough offer to get Vazquez.
In a final tidbit, Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (the king of all Japanese rumors) passes on a report that the Braves are looking at signing 36-year-old Japanese left-hander Hidetaka Kawagoe, who recently converted from starting to relief in Japan before being released by the Orix Buffaloes. He has a career 4.05 ERA in Japan, so he's nothing special, but again, Frank Wren can't go wrong accumulating bullpen options.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Nothing against a guy who can get three outs in the 7th — or who can get a double play with men on first and third — but if Kawagoe’s truly being considered as a middle relief option, Wren shouldn’t go higher than a mil or two on him. If he wants to prove himself in MLB, he’ll take it.
Also, Loney isn’t good. And after last year, I doubt Ethier’s going anywhere.
Like I said before,
Vazquez for Michael Taylor, Kyle Drabek and one or two more Phillie players/prospects. It’s a slam dunk for both teams. The Phillies get the pitcher they need for the 2010 playoffs and the Braves get the other young stud book outfielder to play alongside Jason Heyward. Not to mention the Kyle Drabek, who would look nice in the Braves future rotation.
And if Ruben Amaro plans on winning another World Series, he’s gonna need somebody else besides Cliff Lee to win when it counts the most. My Braves get younger, add pitching depth, become more athletic and they get to keep Derek Lowe for the long haul in spite of his bloated contract.
Vazquez for Michael Taylor, Kyle Drabek and one or two more Phillie players/prospects. It’s a slam dunk for both teams. The Phillies get the pitcher they need for the 2010 playoffs and the Braves get the other young stud book end outfielder to play alongside Jason Heyward. Not to mention Kyle Drabek, who would look nice in the Braves future rotation.
And if Ruben Amaro plans on winning another World Series, he’s gonna need somebody else besides Cliff Lee to win when it counts the most. My Braves get younger, add pitching depth, become more athletic and they get to keep Derek Lowe for the long haul in spite of his bloated contract.
Alex, I actually sort of doubt Kawagoe even gets a major-league deal, let alone $2 million. He doesn’t sound like the kind of arm that merits a 40-man roster spot and guaranteed money, and it also doesn’t appear that the Braves are facing a whole lot of competition for his services (heck, even the Orix Buffaloes don’t want him).
I’m also still a believer in James Loney, especially if he’s only one piece in a multi-player deal. He hit .303/.353/.480 through his first three years (over 1100 PA), and he finished 2009 strong, with a .285/.371/.413 line through his final three months, and even more importantly he hit .309/.387/.475 away from pitcher-friendly Chavez Ravine in 2009. Give him a friendlier home stadium and an occasional platoon partner, and you could really have something.
Coach, the Phillies won’t trade Taylor and Drabek for Vazquez, let alone two MORE guys. They won’t deal those guys in the division either. So you can toss those in the wastebasket with your Kawakami-for-Nelson Cruz and Luis Durango ideas. And I’m further puzzled why it’s a plus that we “get to keep Derek Lowe for the long haul.” Why is that so important to you?
Tom,know why can’t you come up with a better idea and why you insist on arguing with every I say?
I know why. Because you’re just as ignorant as ninety other percent of the people who blog, of whom rather sit back and play GOTCHA or KEYBOARD COMMANDO. Come up with a better idea than mine or shut the hell up.
And further more, you don’t have one clue as to what the Phillies will or won’t do. Does Cliff Lee ring any bells? The Phillies traded five players for him and Ben Francisco and yet you think they would have no interest in Vazquez for two or three more prospects? Ignorance is bliss on your part.
Coach, if I am as ignorant as you say I am, then I have to wonder why you spend your valuable time reading my blog. Perhaps you read just for the sheer entertainment value of the idiocy I’m consistently spewing, but that wouldn’t explain why you get so defensive in your comments. Either way, if you really do think I’m a certified ignoramus (and you are by all means entitled to believe that), I can’t say I see a reason for you to waste your time commenting here.
Then, let’s go back to Logic 101 here for a moment. You say, “Come up with a better idea than mine or shut the hell up.” To demonstrate the logic failure in that sentence, let’s say that you are a really bad baseball player. I am also a really bad baseball player, and I say to you, “You are a really bad baseball player.” I may not be any better than you, but that has no effect on the truth of my statement. You are still bad, even if I am bad also. I don’t have to have good ideas in order to know that yours are bad.
And even beyond that, I have presented plenty of ideas: read this post, where I discuss possibilities of trading Vazquez to Los Angeles or Milwaukee. The difference between you and I is that I realize that baseball trades are incredibly complex, and I make no claim to know enough to actually present 100% fully formed trade proposal. I can usually find holes in your ideas; by the same token, I can usually find holes in my own ideas as well. So I present thoughts in more general terms, saying “maybe this general thing could work” instead of “this is exactly what Frank Wren must do or I will label him a failure.”
Just to briefly address the Phillies idea, neither do you have one clue as to what the Phillies will or won’t do, so you’re in no better position to say what makes sense for both teams. And yeah, Cliff Lee does ring a bell somewhere, but does Cleveland being in the AL Central (and not the NL East) ring any bells for you? They might have interest, sure, but not if the price is Taylor and Drabek, who they wouldn’t trade for TWO years of Lee OUTSIDE their division, let alone ONE year of Vazquez INSIDE their division.
P.S. I really have no idea what “Gotcha” and “Keyboard Commando” are, but they sure do sound fun.
You know, I hate to say this, but this whole Tom vs. Coach thing has almost gotten fun to read. I still pull for Tom though. I’ve “known” him longer. Haha.