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Trading Fielder could help Brewers acquire pitching
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Trade Prince Fielder for premium young pitching. Sign free agent Adam Dunn to replace Fielder. Secure cost certainty at first base instead of fretting over Fielder's rising salaries through his arbitration years.
Melvin said Thursday that he is not trying to make such a play, but he showed interest in Dunn when the Brewers considered trading center fielder Mike Cameron, envisioning Dunn in right and Corey Hart in center.
Imagine if Melvin could trade Fielder to the Giants for Matt Cain, or to the Angels for Joe Saunders or Ervin Santana. Neither move is likely — Cain appears close to untouchable, and the Angels keep gushing over Kendry Morales at first base. But the concept is not without merit.
Fielder, 24, is represented by Scott Boras and unlikely to remain with the Brewers after he becomes a free agent in 2011. He might not be Ryan Howard in arbitration but figures to earn about $22 million in his first two years in the process. Dunn, 29, might not cost much more than that on an average basis over two, three, or four years.
As hitters, the two aren't all that different. Fielder rates a slight edge in career OPS, .903-.899. He also has hit for a higher batting average with runners in scoring position, .268-.225, but Dunn boasts the higher OPS, .913-.863. Neither is Mark Teixeira at first base.
The Brewers need pitching. They can't buy the quality they need, and they likely would be reluctant to trade another top position prospect after parting with outfielder Matt LaPorta in the CC Sabathia trade.
Moving Fielder is the best way for the Brew Crew to get pitching, but a deal would only make sense if the Brewers could replace him with a comparable hitter such as Dunn.
It would not be out of the question.
The Nationals are out on Dunn, according to MLB.com, preferring to focus on trades for younger players (never mind that they have seemingly little to trade and that Dunn probably did not want to go to D.C. in the first place).
The Dodgers would prefer to re-sign Manny Ramirez, but the Braves could salvage their offseason by signing Dunn and right-hander Derek Lowe, and lesser clubs such as the Mariners are believed to be involved.
Melvin needs to get creative. The Fielder-Dunn scenario would qualify.
Next for Nomar: Philadelphia?
The World Series champion Phillies, looking for a right-handed bat off the bench, have shown interest in free-agent infielder Nomar Garciaparra, according to a major-league source.
Garciaparra, 35, would need to accept a diminished role and significant paycut from the $8.5 million he earned last season to join the Phillies. But the interest in him appears limited.
Free-agent outfielder Gabe Kapler also is on the Phillies' list of right-handed possibilities. Kapler could spell Raul Ibanez in left and occasionally fill in for Shane Victorino in center.
Eric Bruntlett currently is the Phillies' right-handed bat off the bench. The team has three left-handed hitting outfield reserves — Geoff Jenkins, Matt Stairs and Greg Dobbs.
As for free-agent right-hander Derek Lowe, the Phillies' interest was more serious before they signed Ibanez to a three-year, $31.5 million free-agent contract.
The Phils continue to monitor the Lowe sweepstakes, which now appear to be a duel between their two NL East rivals, the Mets and Braves. But a serious pursuit of Lowe remains a longshot, given that the team's pending arbitration cases could raise the payroll to the $135 million range.
The Red Sox's next move
The Red Sox's willingness to trade right-hander Clay Buchholz for Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia does not figure to be any greater now that the team has signed free-agent right-hander John Smoltz.
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| After signing John Smoltz, the Red Sox aren't likely to trade right-handed reliever Clay Buchholz. (Jim Rogash / Getty Images) |
Buchholz remains an important part of the Sox's future, and the value that club officials sign to him should not change due to the addition of a 41-year-old veteran coming off major shoulder surgery.
Smoltz, Brad Penny and Tim Wakefield are signed only for next season. Penny also had health issues last season. And Josh Beckett is a free agent after 2010.
The Red Sox, rival executives say, are more open to trading Michael Bowden and Class AA reliever Daniel Bard in a package for Saltalamacchia. Bard, the team's No. 1 pick in 2006, is coming off a big season and might be at peak value.
"They're doing everything they can to trade him," one rival executive says.
The Sox and Rangers have not spoken since the winter meetings in early December.
Brave new world — without Smoltz
For all the finger-pointing in the wake of Smoltz's signing with the Red Sox, the Braves will look much smarter if Smoltz proves incapable of pitching regularly.
Few Braves fans want to hear it; they think of Smoltz as the Smoltz of old, not a 41-year-old physical risk. And betting against Smoltz, as always, is a dangerous proposition.
But this divorce, like so many others of this kind, was unnecessary.
The difference in the Red Sox's and Braves' offers was $3 million. The difference in the Padres' and Brewers' offers for Hoffman was $2 million. The Braves, Padres and other teams blow similar amounts regularly.
Smoltz's career earnings, meanwhile, exceed $130 million, according to baseball-reference.com. Hoffman has earned nearly $67 million. But you guessed it — respect was a greater issue than money for both future Hall of Famers.
To many, even if Braves general manager Frank Wren is right about Smoltz, he's wrong for alienating a franchise player. Ditto for the Padres, who refused to even meet with Hoffman.
These things are never easy, and in the end, neither side looks good.
Trevor Hoffman should be a Padre. John Smoltz should be a Brave.
No Cam do
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| With Mike Cameron due $10 million next season, the Yankees probably won't go after the Brewers' veteran outfielder. (Jim McIsaac / Getty Images) |
The Brewers' Melvin joked that he no longer can trade center fielder Mike Cameron, who turned out to be his best recruiter for Hoffman, his former Padres teammate.
Melvin will never say never, but the Yankees' interest in Cameron seems to be waning. Cameron is due $10 million next season, and the Yankees probably would not devote to him the $10 million they offered Andy Pettitte.
Instead, they could use some combination of Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner and Johnny Damon in center field.
Around the horn
The Mets are leaning "slightly" toward right-hander Derek Lowe over lefty Oliver Perez, according to a major-league source; they are almost certain to get one of them. The Phillies, Angels and Brewers are not seriously involved with Lowe, and the market for Perez looks even thinner. The Dodgers, Brewers and Braves do not appear interested. One GM believes that Scott Boras would prefer Lowe to join the Braves so that Perez would be assured of a place with the Mets ...
The Yankees would prefer to trade Xavier Nady rather than Nick Swisher for three reasons, according to a rival executive. Swisher is A) under control for four years and Nady only one, B) a switch-hitter while Nady is right-handed and C) a more versatile defender, playing all three outfield positions and first base. Nady does not play center ...
The Giants, one rival executive says, might be better off passing on Manny Ramirez and bidding next offseason on Matt Holliday. At that point, the team's young players would be further along in their development. Of course, the Red Sox might also pursue Holliday to replace Jason Bay ...
Hoffman's 2008 season, Melvin says, was better than it appeared. Hoffman allowed more than one earned run in only three outings, and that his strikeout-to-walk ratio was 46-to-9. Hoffman's strikeout rate was his best since 2002, his groundball rate his best since '05 ...
Kenny Lofton did not play last season rather than accept a salary that he believed unfair for a player of his stature. Given the state of the market, a number of prominent veterans could make similar decisions. Among them: Garciaparra, Frank Thomas and Jim Edmonds ...
The Orioles have shown interest in signing Edmonds to play first base. Edmonds also would make sense in a center-field platoon with Ryan Spilborghs in Colorado, but the Rockies are probably out of money after acquiring right-hander Jason Marquis. Edmonds, 38, is 18 homers short of 400 ...
Free agent Dennys Reyes is attracting interest from the A's and Mets as well as the Dodgers and other clubs. The Tigers and Rangers also are looking for left-handed relievers; Will Ohman and Joe Beimel remain available.
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