Beerleaguer for breakfast: Hot stove open thread

To get you started, here are some names spotted recently on MLBtraderumors.com and other sites.

The Phillies could be looking to address bullpen help even before they wrestle away a starter. Luis Ayala is available now, having been designated for assignment by Minnesota June 22. Keeping in the American League, Seattle's Miguel Batista is reportedly on the block as someone with a rubber arm to devour middle innings. Closer Joakim Soria is reportedly unavailable, but the Royals may be prepared to trade pitching. Former assistant Mike Arbuckle was spotted scouting Phillies' farmhands. David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News speculated that right-handers Gil Meche and Brian Bannister might be potential targets for his former associate Ruben Amaro Jr. Other starters floated recently include Arizona's Doug Davis and New York's Chien-Ming Wang. There's a report that the Blue Jays want to get out from under Vernon Wells and Alex Rios. Neither would be a fit for the Phillies' needs, but Austin Kearns and Josh Willingham of Washington might. Kearns is having a horrible season, but might fit as a 25th man off the bench. Willingham, the worst-fielding outfielder I've seen all season, represents my idea of a great 4th outfielder with right-handed pop. The price may be too high for him; Willingham belongs in the American League.

Comments

[EastFallowfield]

Can't we get one of those deals like a Thome or Sheffield one where some team pays most of their salary for the guys to hit HRs for some other team?

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Please no Brian Bannister.

[Tony D]

Willingham rakes at CBP.

[J.R. King]

Kendrick for Kearns or Willingham. KK could crack the Washington rotation for cheap.

[Jimmie J.]

Willingham. Forget Kearns.
Any closers available?
How 'bout a utility infielder that can hit a bit?

[MG]

I don't understand why Lidge needs to continue to go out of his way to BS about the health of his knee. That comment about "taking inventory on the mound" about his knee was one of the more ridiculous ones in a while by a Phils' player.

Seriously he gripped the rosin bag 7 times during the 3 batters because he was "taking inventory." If he is hurt (and I really do think he is trying to gut out there), then he doesn't need to go out of his way to say that his knee is "100%" or that he is feeling just fine. Just either don't talk about it or give a scripted answer.

Unfortunately, I think it is only a matter of time before Lidge is put on the DL again and this time permanently for the year. Just hope that he doesn't need major knee surgery that will cause him to miss significant time including next season this offseason.

[J. Weitzel]

Kendrick is an interesting topic. It looks like he should be traded. He would have value for teams like Washington. I think you probably move Kendrick for a part at this point.

[MG]

I still don't understand why some people are getting on Amaro's case about not having made a move yet though or saying the trade market is really nonexistant right now.

It is still nearly a month to the trading deadline, there are some much tighter races than expected (e.g, AL West), and there is no clear runaway WC in either division. It basically keeps a ton of teams in some type of playoff race for the time being.

Plus, a team just can't be seen giving up so early in a tight with such a tight economy. Subpar attendance lightly would take a notable hit.

I do think Amaro will get another starter and that the Phils do need another starter (even a Doug Davis type) to ensure that they make the playoffs. That really should be the goal.

The more problematic issue is if Lidge goes down for the year I don't see how the Phils fill his shoes too. It usually is possible to fill one notable hole at the trading deadline but filling two is pretty much impossible.

[loctastic]

Wow, I am completely not-whelmed by that list of names. Hopefully it gets interesting by the deadline.

[thephaithful]

Trade KK? More like, Call him up for thursday.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

"Call him up for Thursday". Eh, no thanks. Give me Carrasco.

[sneed]

The Phils under Gillick and Amaro have had some success now picking up 2nd and 3rd tier pitching at the trade deadline and in the waiver period. Lohse, Moyer and Blanton, for example. I wouldn't assume that their move this summer will differ significantly from their approach; if anything, a clearly weakened division, coupled with an emerging farm system, may force them to hold tight even if they don't want to.

[J.R. King]

In re Kendrick:

I'm all about having starting pitching depth at AAA, which is why I was against trading KK at the beginning of the season. But now that Kyle has slipped below Carrasco, Carpenter, Bastardo, and probably Rodrigo Lopez on the depth chart, he has more value in a trade than as a Phillie. If he can fetch a righthanded bench bat from a team looking for young cheap pitching, it's time to move him.

[J. Weitzel]

I'm not ready to say Kendrick has slipped quite that far, but his value in a trade might outweigh his value as a 7th starter.

[PhillyFriar]

I've been harsh on Amaro at times, but he's taking the right tact here: there will be more pitching to be had the closer we get to the end of July.

There certainly aren't as many impact starters on the market as we might have expected a few months ago. Webb is out for the season, Peavy and Bedard are banged up, Cliff Lee is basically unavailable, and Halladay was always a pipe dream.

When it comes down to it, it doesn't look like there will be a stud starter available. In that context, Gil Meche would actually be a decent move provided the Phils wouldn't have to surrender Drabek, and The Good Phight threw out Paul Maholm's name as a decent option as well. If Bedard ever gets healthy, he would of course be a decent option as well. Whatever the case, giving up prospects for someone like Bannister or Davis -- neither of whom is a real improvement over what we have -- is not a good idea.

[Jack]

Yeah, I mean, if you can get ANYTHING that could contribute this year, you would trade Kendrick for him. If you could get Willingham as your right-handed bench bat, that would be a great deal for Kendrick.

[J.R. King]

It's kindof a moot point because we agree that he should be traded, but I think it's safe to assume he's below Carpenter and Bastardo. Both got call-ups while Kyle was in Allentown. If Carrasco starts Thursday, that's another pitcher who I would say has passed him.

[MyBurrellsKeeper]

Think we could still get kobiyashi for kendrick?

[Jonesman]

I had plans to head up to Reading to see Drabek pitch tonight, but apparently it will be newly promoted Yohan Flande. There is an article about Flande in the Daily News today, hopefully he can be another solid arm in the pipeline. And check out the picture because he looks just like Mos Def.

[baxter]

Flande looks way older than 23 in that picture.

[MFiP]

Beltran possibly out for the season, career in jeopardy.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06302009/sports/mets/season__career___could_hinge_on_docs_dia_176778.htm

Ugh. This sucks.

[R.Billingsly]

Thanks for the link, MFiP. It's hard to believe the injuries the Mets have had this season. On this board we go back-and-forth with Mets fans (some like yourself who are knowledgeable and respectful, and others that are completely obnoxious) about which teams' injuries are more detrimental. If Beltran is out for the season, that is a HUGE blow, especially with the year he was having prior to getting hurt. Missing 15 days or even 30 is one thing. To miss the rest of the year when your team is in contention is another altogether.

[MFiP]

Honestly, if it turns out he's done for the year, I hope Omar stays put and doesn't make any moves out of desperation. Wright is having an outstanding year (sounds strange since he only has like 4 HR, but the BA/OBP are off the charts), but he can't do it alone.

No point in bringing in a Matt Holliday type when chances are you'll still end up falling short. The injuries have left them with too many holes, so they're better off staying put then plugging 1 or 2.

[TheGodfatherSJP]

As much as I recognize the need for a right handed bat off the bench, pitching is far and away the priority. Getting bullpen help is easier than good starting pitching, but if Gil Meche or Bannister are available, I doubt we'll be the only suitors for them. The Mets, Rockies, Rangers, and Brewers all strike me as teams that will want to make a play for another starter, though the Brew Crew probably has a limit on how much they'll spend. That's a lot of competition. The Mets don't really have the farm system for a good trade anymore after landing Santana, but the Rangers and Rockies do.

Given the choice of Meche or Bannister, I'd say go for Meche, for these reasons: 1) He's got a big contract, which the Royals will look to dump and the Phillies can take on, giving us an edge over a small market team; 2) He's still in his prime, he'll be 31 in September; 3) Career WHIP, K/BB ratio, ERA in the American league are 1.395, 1.84, 4.36, with KC they've been 1.346, 2.33, 3.97 (2007-2009 seasons), these numbers should be better in the NL, he's gives up about 20 HR a year, though granted I don't know if KC's stadium is a hitter's or pitcher's park.

Bannister is a younger pitcher, he's 28, but he doesn't have many years in the majors. His career WHIP is slightly better (1.364), K/BB ratio is worse (1.72), ERA is 4.70. He's never pitched 200 innings, Meche has done that in 2007-2008 and looks set to do the same in 2009. Bannister's cheaper and younger, those appear to be his main attributes. On the other hand, we can use Meche's contract as a reason to keep the asking price down (it was a 5 year, 55 million deal, he's still owed about 36 million) and therefore not give up as many prospects.

[J.R. King]

Meche has "dead arm" otherwise he'd be a nice fit.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Meche is being looked at-complaining of a "dead arm".

[Andy]

I'm not keen on the Bannister thingie. If we could get him for Kendrick it would improve our talent pool, but probably not enough to save the season.

I wonder what Arbuckle thinks he's getting for Meche, though. I'm not sure how I'd feel about Carrasco and Dudes for Meche.

I agree, basically, with Godfather above.

In re: the RHB off the bench
At this point (and my feelings might change), I'm more inclined to be looking for a utility infielder than an OF. I'd rather have Mayberry as the 25th man, and dump the Gnome for someone who can hit better than a pitcher (is Bobby Wine still available?). Of course, if we got a real RH hitter, we could still keep him AND Mayberry, and send Bako backo.

[king myno]

Wells will be making OVER TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR real soon. His will be exposed real quick as probably the worst contract ever given out in baseball history.

[MPN]

JR King: Yeah, but he has $24 million in combined salary obligations for `10, `11, plus a pro-rated portion of the $11 million he is making for this campaign. So, dead arm aside, he might be available, but he's owed a lot of money moving forward. Of course, the more willing we are to take on salary, the lighter the payout to the Royals would be.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

That salary isn't too bad for Meche.

[ozark]

KK needs a change of scenery like Gavin Floyd did.

[MG]

What I don't understand is how people don't think a Bannister or Davis would be a clear upgrade at the 5-spot. Bastardo struggled and even if the Phils call up Carrasco he is no sure thing to give them a steady enough chance to win in most of his starts over the next 2+ months.

Reality is that the Phils don't have a ton of options right now to fill out there rotation. They already rolled the dice on Bastardo and really only have two viable internal options to play - Carrasco and Carpenter.

Yeah I guess you could include Kendrick or Lopez but the Phils seem like they have pretty much discounted them in the plans going ahead forward as a starting option this season.

[J.R. King]

MPN: If he were 100% healthy, I'd pick up Meche in a second. His contract was the butt of many jokes when it was signed, but now it seems pretty reasonable for a consistent no. 2 starter. The Phils are one of only a handful of teams that are willing to take on salary. They could use this advantage, plus Arbuckle's famailiarity with the Phils farm system, to pry Meche away without having to give up Drabek, Taylor or Brown.

KC might give up Meche and high-priced lefty RP Ron Mahay for a deal centered around Carrasco. Along with CC, I'd like to send a second-tier pitcher like Savery or Bastardo or Flande rather than Marson or Donald or Taylor, but KC will want bats. Their lineup is bad. The player in their lineup with the highest OPS is 2B Alberto Callaspo, who's stats roughly mirror those of Shane Victorino.

[EastFallowfield]

Nice column on the negativity surrounding the NY Mets.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Ozark-might be right, but Floyd has/had more talent than Kendrick. I don't like that comparison.

MG-the problem is, you have to give something up for Bannister and Davis. I'd rather give Carrasco a shot at it, then trade for a # 5 pitcher.

[MG]

Meant wouldn't be. Phils need another starter who could give them a decent shot to win most times out over the final course of the last 2 months. That is largely what Lohse and Blanton did. Neither guy pitched all that well (still find it interesting that Blanton got all that credit last year when in reality it was the offense that scored a ton of runs in most of his starts) but they were a clear upgrade over what they replaced.

Getting a Davis or a Bannister would be the same thing. One thing that I wouldn't want to see though is yet another lefty in the rotation. They need to find a veteran starter first and foremost.

If Lidge doesn't rebound, then you have to stop-gap there and pretty much the same with the right-handed bat off the bench. My bet is they make a move for a veteran guy to fill this role but that it comes after the trading deadline in August.

As for Bruntlett, he is sadly going to be likely be on the roster all season and give the Phils one of their more pathetic offensive seasons in history by a positional player who gets at least 150 ABs or more. What astounds me though is just how frequently he is being used. On pace to play in 130+ G and have 200 ABs.

[king myno]

JR King - Wow, I did not realize that. I thought guys like Butler, DeJesus and Teahen would really end up better than they've looked so far.

[NEPP]

Mazone Mania

Rube made the huge move we've been waiting for to get a starting pitcher

Welcome back Brian Mazone!!!

http://diamondleung.tumblr.com/post/132789634/dodgers-trade-brian-mazone-to-phillies

[MG]

I really hope that Minaya makes a foolish move and empties what little is in the Mets' farm system for a Holliday. It would likely satisfy the Mets' fans for all for a few days but the bitterness would likely come back in short order especially if the Mets fall short.

Mets have a ton of money come off their payroll this year including Wagner, Putz, and Schneider. They only have about $90M guaranteed next year (compared to the Phils ($95M) and will have a bit more payroll flexibility this offseason than the Phils although Beltran's health status is looming over them large right now because even thet Mets' bloated payroll would be hard-pressed to absorb a $20M hit for a player who doesn't contribute on the field.

[Hitman]

So tonight we get Jimmy Rollins again. Cholly's handling of Rollins may be the clearest example of his inflexibility and poor decision making. Benching a struggling player makes sense if he is tired or slightly injured, neither of which is the reason for Rollins' poor performance. Of course, the problem is made worse when the replacement player can't field and has a batting average near the temperature of a hot tub. Joe Morgan got it right when he observed that J-Roll is too inclined to swing for the fences and in doing so, gets under the ball. Working on a better swing is the answer, not playing the horrific Eric Bruntlett.

But the worst part is bringing him back to bat leadoff again. Unless and until he starts to hit, batting him 6th is the proper move. Rollins at leadoff has proven to be costly. Logic dictates that the poorest hitter in the lineup does not warrant the greatest number of ABs. Let's hope he starts hitting, as both he and Howard need to be engaged in the offense for the Phils to keep it rolling.

[MG]

Brian Mazone? A Beerleaguer blast from the past. Amaro acquiring more bullpen "depth." Maybe he will acquire some more "versatility" too in short order.

[NEPP]

MG, Mazone is more like our new #2 starter than bullpen depth..

Rube Delivers!!!

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Davthom must be thrilled.

[Deutsche Phan]

Is it OK if I use the Mazone reclamation as a reason to hold out hope that Swindle might come home too?

[MPN]

How many times did Pat the Bat get benched while in town? Everyone needs to take a knee and drink water on the J-Roll issue. He'll turn it around.

[TheGodfatherSJP]

Ah, the Bruntlett question. I've never given my opinion on the guy, so here goes:

1st, I think we should all ask ourselves what's needed for a good bench? You have 5 players to choose from, that's it. You need a lefty power bat, a righty power bat, a backup catcher, a utility outfielder, a utility infielder, and a pinch runner. That's 6 roles for 5 guys, obviously someone has to double up. Bruntlett fills 3 of those roles. He's got good speed, and can play LF, RF, or any infield position. That makes him a useful player to have on the bench if anyone gets hurt or needs time off.

Yes, his offense is awful. I won't argue that. But his usefulness to the team is the ability to play most of the fielding positions in the event of injury, a defensive replacement, and a fast runner for Feliz, Coste, etc. That's the reason to keep him around, there's not many players out there who are that versatile and that good defensively. No, I don't want him batting with the game on the line, but that's not why I'd have him on the team in the first place.

As for the remaining roles, Matt Stairs and Greg Dobbs provide plenty of LH power, and they have a pair of backup catcher to choose from in Coste or Bako. But yes, the one player missing is the right handed bat. Bruntlett, unfortunately, is the one fast baserunner they have on the bench. Matters will change when Ibanez returns. My question is: should Mayberry be kept on the bench as a right handed bat and Bako/Coste sent to the minors, or should Mayberry be sent down?

My own opinion is for the latter, as the kid still needs to develop and he can't do it riding the bench, but I'm thinking down the line. Also, if he lights up the minors after being sent down, he does become an attractive trade target if the Phillies want to get pitching.

[CJ]

Yo, new thread (with respect to EFF!)

[Tom]

You guy's better pray Amaro doesn't trade for Ayala. Mets fans had to learn the rough way last year.