Tuesday Morning Bacon, Eggs, and Trades
The first course comes from our buddy Mark Bowman at Braves.com:
According to a National League source, Diamondback fans might not want to get too excited about the possibility of landing Mark Teixeira. This source believes the Yankees, Rays and Angels are more likely to land the switch-hitting first baseman before Thursday's Trade Deadline.
The Diamondbacks still have the potential of providing a good fit for the Braves. But as long as they're offering Chad Tracy, instead of Connor Jackson, Wren seems more apt to look elsewhere.
Second course is from Jon Heyman at SI.com:
The Braves originally are believed to have sought James Loney from the Dodgers, Casey Kotchman from the Angels, Kevin Youkilis from the Red Sox or Conor Jackson from the Diamondbacks. None of those requests is believed to have been met, but Arizona had a good substitute for Jackson in Tracy. Even so, there's no evidence yet the teams are close to consummating a trade.
Here's a hearty helping of Ken Rosenthal from Fox.com:
Almost immediately after the Braves decided to trade Mark Teixeira on Monday, the Diamondbacks emerged as the apparent front-runner to land the switch-hitting first baseman.At least two other clubs are in the mix for Teixeira, major-league sources say. But those teams might only be backups for the Braves if their talks with the Diamondbacks about a package built around first baseman Chad Tracy fail to progress.
The Dodgers and Rays are among the clubs that have shown interest in Teixeira, and both have young players who interest the Braves. But the Dodgers, set at first with James Loney for four more years, have little interest in Teixeira, who is a free agent at the end of the season. And the Rays, seeking long-term success, are less motivated than other clubs to acquire a rental player.
The Yankees and Red Sox are on the periphery of the Teixeira discussions, sources say. Boston is aggressively shopping left fielder Manny Ramirez, but a Ramirez-for-Teixeira exchange would make little sense for the Braves, who are essentially conceding their season.
The Angels, meanwhile, are reluctant to trade first baseman Casey Kotchman for Teixeira, and their chances of acquiring a hitter are "remote at best," according to a source with knowledge of the club's plans.
And to finish it all off, here's a taste of confusion from Jack Magruder (his name sounds like he should be a private detective or a district attorney) of the East Valley Tribune (Phoenix paper):
It appears Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez will not be Diamondbacks.
The D-Backs have been linked to both sluggers in recent published reports, but a major league source with knowledge of the situation said there is "no way" either will end up with the D-Backs before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline.
After the D-Backs inquired about Teixeira earlier this month, Atlanta came back with an offer that the D-Backs dismissed out of hand — Chad Tracy and minor league right-handers Max Scherzer and Jarrod Parker, according to two sources. Atlanta also brought up Conor Jackson.
The sides just don’t match up, the source said.
The only thing that could change the balance is if Atlanta comes way down in its demands, a source said, and would take a starter — Tracy — and a mid-level prospect. Atlanta risks getting nothing for Teixeira, since he will be a free agent after this season.
Tisk, tisk, little Phoenix reporter. The D'Backs will essentially be getting two draft picks along with Teixeira, so trading a young prospect like Parker and/or even a guy like Scherzer is acceptable because of the ability to restock your system next year. Frank Wren knows this and he's using it as part of the deal -- he'll play hardball with this trade, even though some people think it's a lean market. Heck, it was essentially two teams last year for Tex and the Rangers extracted five prospects.
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Yes, but all of this talk
about Micah Owings and Chad Tracy being better than the two picks is concerning me. That shouldn’t be the thought process.
In my mind, we gave up one prospect that will come back to haunt us in the future: Neftali Feliz.
I want a similar player back for this season: Jarrod Parker.
But like I said, hearing things like DOB saying that Micah Owings and Chad Tracy is a good package worries me. That isn’t a good package, that is spare parts.
by NEBravesFan33 on
Jul 29, 2008 9:11 AM EDT
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Angels are willing to part with Kotchman
But I still don’t like it. The report says Kotchman and Juan Rivera. Isn’t Rivera a free agent at the end of the year? Kotchman has a 327 OBP this season and a career OBP of like 335. Why is he coveted? He doesn’t hit for power either.
Enough with the obsession over getting a first baseman back. Minor leaguers like Nick Adenhart, Brandon Wood or Jordan Walden should be the targets.
by NEBravesFan33 on
Jul 29, 2008 9:52 AM EDT
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DOB says:
“I think you’re on the right track with Kotchman/Rivera. I spoke with an Angels writer late last night and he mentioned Rivera, asked whether Braves would be interested in him. I said 1B and OF, those are big needs (with starting pitcher moving into that major needs category, too, if Hudson is out).”
“I really think they could work something big out with Angels or D-backs in next couple days.”
by NEBravesFan33 on
Jul 29, 2008 10:09 AM EDT
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I would do that in a heartbeat
Juan Rivera is better than any OF option we currently have, including FYF, and Kotchman is a monster defensively (I would say better than Tex, but that could be argued) and is no slouch with the bat.
by scstrato on
Jul 29, 2008 1:07 PM EDT
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I guess I just don’t see the infatuation with Kotchman.
I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.
by Smoltz's Beard on
Jul 29, 2008 1:19 PM EDT
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Angels fans are probably laughing at us right now.
by NEBravesFan33 on
Jul 29, 2008 10:10 AM EDT
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If you haven't noticed
A lot of other teams’ fans laugh at us. Especially now.
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
by royhobbs on
Jul 29, 2008 10:12 AM EDT
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Kotchman/Rivera? WTF is DOB thinking?
I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.
by Smoltz's Beard on
Jul 29, 2008 10:16 AM EDT
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he isn't
I really hope Frank Wren is asking for players like Adenhart and Walden back. Juan freaking Rivera folks. O’Brien is out of his gord.
by NEBravesFan33 on
Jul 29, 2008 10:18 AM EDT
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Ha, I know this should be no surprise…but how do some of these people get paid to do this?
I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.
by Smoltz's Beard on
Jul 29, 2008 10:25 AM EDT
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not sure how
people are going on DOB’s blog and saying Rivera and Kotchman is enough.
This is ridiculous.
by NEBravesFan33 on
Jul 29, 2008 10:32 AM EDT
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Two words
One word rhymes with “Moral”
The other rhymes with “Teix”
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
by royhobbs on
Jul 29, 2008 10:34 AM EDT
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Who’s the headliner of Teixiera Palooza? I’m guessing Hole.
I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.
by Smoltz's Beard on
Jul 29, 2008 10:15 AM EDT
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Juan Rivera is a free agent
at the end of this season. Makes no sense to include him in a deal
by NEBravesFan33 on
Jul 29, 2008 10:16 AM EDT
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If I'm reading this right
Juan Rivera is NOT a free agent at the end of the year. It will be his 6th yr of mlb service making him eligible for salary arbitration, but not an FA.
Someone please double check?
by scstrato on
Jul 29, 2008 1:05 PM EDT
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“Tisk, tisk, little Phoenix reporter. The D’Backs will essentially be getting two draft picks along with Teixeira, so trading a young prospect like Parker and/or even a guy like Scherzer is acceptable because of the ability to restock your system next year. “
Two picks aren’t going to restock the DBack system next year. We gutted our system last year for Haren and it will take years to rebuild. Those picks won’t help until 2011 at the earliest and we have a roster built to win over the next two years.
Even with Tex we will be the worst playoff team with a minimal chance to make the world series. Parker and Scherzer are far too important to our next 4 years to trade them for a 57 game rental.
”
Frank Wren knows this and he’s using it as part of the deal—he’ll play hardball with this trade, even though some people think it’s a lean market. Heck, it was essentially two teams last year for Tex and the Rangers extracted five prospects.”
Frank Wren knows that last year he bought 200+ games of Tex for five prospects, with the chance of re-signing Tex. No one is going to give a similar package for 57 games of Tex with no chance of re-signing Tex.
As I’ve said before, Anaheim fans shouldn’t be laughing. Their team needs Tex badly. They would be the favorite with him and could afford to re-sign him. It’s criminal if they don’t make a good offer.
As a DBacks fan I’m not even sure I want to give up Tracy for Tex. Tex is the far superior player but we have Tracy for another 2.5 seasons, we don’t have any other first basemen next year since Conor Jackson is our left fielder of the future (keeping Eric Byrnes on the bench thank god). Tracy is too important to our plans the next few years to trade for a short term rental. If we were only a couple games behind the NL leaders I could see it, but we are 8.5 games back of the Cubs. Even with Tex we will play every series on the road.
by DBacksArb on
Jul 29, 2008 11:26 AM EDT
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GM's should know
that when you have a shot at going deep into the postseason, you do all that you can to ensure that. They didn’t unload the system for Haren and others just to wither away and not score any runs. Teixeira on the Diamondbacks is a huge deal…. three to four prospects huge.
by gondeee on
Jul 29, 2008 11:31 AM EDT
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We already have that shot
We have a shot of going deep without Tex and our shot with him isn’t much better. We also have much better shots of going deep in 2009 and 2010 and 2011 and 2012, so it doesn’t make sense to give up much to improve this years team when those three to four prospects will be filling holes in better teams either next year or in 2010.
by DBacksArb on
Jul 29, 2008 11:35 AM EDT
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"We have a shot of going deep without Tex and our shot with him isn’t much better."
You couldn’t be more off base there.
by NEBravesFan33 on
Jul 29, 2008 11:44 AM EDT
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Our effective chances of winning a World Series without Tex are about 4%. With him it might be 5%. The odds of our “shot” aren’t much different in either case, so why should the DBacks sell out their future for this year. If we can build a stronger team over the next two years we could have two or more shots at the world series with 15%+ chances. Why should we undercut that effort to add one percent to this years team’s chances?
Remember, Tracy platooned at first gives us 90% of Tex’s offense. Not just this year, but for 2.5 more years. Tex is not a huge upgrade for this team.
by DBacksArb on
Jul 29, 2008 11:58 AM EDT
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are you seriously favorably comparing CHAD TRACY TO MARK TEIXEIRA?!
by bigjoe on
Jul 29, 2008 12:26 PM EDT
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you still have to give up something to get him
by NEBravesFan33 on
Jul 29, 2008 11:29 AM EDT
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The DBacks only have to give up a little more value than those two draft picks. Anything more and we are probably hurting our future teams (the ones with real chances to win it all) more than we are helping this years mediocre team.
Anaheim on the other hand should give real value for Tex. They are fools if they think they’ll end up with the best record in the AL without him.
by DBacksArb on
Jul 29, 2008 11:33 AM EDT
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Say what you want
but Parker needs to be in the deal. Scherzer doesn’t have to be because he is more major league ready, but Parker HAS to be. Tracy, Gerardo Parra and Jarrod Parker would get this deal done. Most definetly.
by NEBravesFan33 on
Jul 29, 2008 11:35 AM EDT
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I’m sure they would. But giving up Tracy would be marginal. Giving up Tracy + either Parra or Parker would be very foolish on the DBacks part.
Face it. The teams needs don’t match up well. You can’t hope that teams make bad trades just to restock your farm system. The one team that can and should make a good trade for both teams is Anaheim.
by DBacksArb on
Jul 29, 2008 11:54 AM EDT
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Have to agree with DBacksArb here. I don’t think adding Tex improves the DBacks enough to get them to the WS and if not why give up important pieces for a rental player. Also trying to compare what Texas got from us last year vs. what we should get this year isn’t a fair comparison. We were getting Tex for last yaer and this year, not just for 2 months. Plus we had a gaping hole at 1st base and the teams we’re talking to don’t.
by dwbrave on
Jul 29, 2008 12:30 PM EDT
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I would trade...
Francoeur for Upton and Smoltz for Webb.
"Have you ever had your heart broken?"
"Yeah, when we lost the pennant in '87."
by jug on
Jul 29, 2008 12:57 PM EDT
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Haha, I got into another arguement over on the DBacks site about the Smoltz/Webb discussion we had back in April.
I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.
by Smoltz's Beard on
Jul 29, 2008 1:17 PM EDT
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Argument is an understatement
I was watching, wondering when you were going to get banned.
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
by royhobbs on
Jul 29, 2008 1:23 PM EDT
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I wasn’t being malicious…that guy was a dick and he still thinks his shit doesn’t stink.
I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.
by Smoltz's Beard on
Jul 29, 2008 1:25 PM EDT
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Don't worry
I’m not judging. I just thought it was amusing to go over to see what they thought, and see that you had already gotten your presence made.
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
by royhobbs on
Jul 29, 2008 1:35 PM EDT
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I aim to please.
I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.
by Smoltz's Beard on
Jul 29, 2008 2:20 PM EDT
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Come On, People!
Listen to the D’backs fan, because he’s one of the few making sense here. Arizona doesn’t HAVE to trade for Tex because their World Series window isn’t closing this year. I maintain that Parker, Scherzer and Jackson will be off limits. Tracy and Owings is a reasonable offer that is slightly better than two draft picks. Think of Owings as Joe Blanton (it’s remarkable how similar their performance has been) and you should feel better.
Please check out my blog at http://thefulldeck.blogspot.com/ , now redesigned and recommited!
by ejruiz on
Jul 29, 2008 1:15 PM EDT
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I liked Owings last year, but his preformance this year has me scratching my head. Obviously he could just be having a bad year, but when a pitcher increases his H/9 and BB/9 during his sophomore year it’s normally not a good thing (his HR/9 has stayed almost exactly the same as last year, which is still not good…20 HR in 152.2 IP last year, 14 HR in 104.2 IP this season). His K/9 has increased though.
I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.
by Smoltz's Beard on
Jul 29, 2008 1:24 PM EDT
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his BABIP is about average, his FB/GB is under 1, his WHIP is up by over a tenth, his LOB% is down by about 10%...his Ks have increased, but so have his BBs
by bigjoe on
Jul 29, 2008 4:23 PM EDT
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I’d rather have Kotchman and a pitching prospect than Owings and Tracy.
by NEBravesFan33 on
Jul 29, 2008 1:18 PM EDT
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What about this:
Owings, Tracy and Billy Buckner to Tex.
Buckner is decent, but definitely not top 2 pitching prospect level, and there has been no indication he is off limits. Is that still too much? I know that the DBacks aren’t going to just shrivel up and die next year, so the incentive is less for them, but this gets them 2 months of Tex for what is essentially a couple of filler spare parts (Tracy and Owings) and a marginal prospect in Buckner.
Just curious, because Owings peripherals aren’t good enough this year to really seal the deal I don’t think, and his upside is less because of his service time.
by mburris1 on
Jul 29, 2008 1:54 PM EDT
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