 Most teams wait 40 games to determine their needs, but as April draws to a close, the trade market already is beginning to take shape. The players listed below are virtually certain to be available before the July 31 non-waiver deadline — and as teams fall out of contention, the list only figures to grow.Adam Dunn/Ken Griffey Jr.: The Reds are sick of losing, or so they proclaimed when they fired Wayne Krivsky as general manager. Still, there is little point to them keeping Dunn and Griffey, both of whom will be free agents at the end of the season. Even if the Reds mount a charge in the NL Central, they would be better off promoting center fielder Jay Bruce — one of the game's top prospects — and collecting more young talent in trades. That means asking Griffey to waive his no-trade clause, possibly for a return to the Mariners, after he hits the three homers he needs for 600. It also means moving Dunn, who has full no-trade protection until June 15. After that, he can be sent to all but 10 clubs. Dunn selected the teams on his limited no-trade list carefully, choosing mostly high-revenue clubs that could afford him. That way, he could gain a say — and leverage — in most discussions. Joe Blanton/Rich Harden: A's GM Billy Beane will not shift direction because of a fast start. If anything, he might be even more motivated to continue retooling, emboldened by the early returns from his off-season trades. Two current members of the A's rotation, left-handers Dana Eveland and Greg Smith, arrived in the Dan Haren trade. His primary center fielder, Ryan Sweeney, came in the Nick Swisher trade. Additional pieces from both deals — most notably outfielder Carlos Gonzalez — could contribute before the season is over. MLB roundupSherrill, according to STATS LLC, is the ninth pitcher to earn five saves against a single opponent in a single month since the save statistic became official in 1969 — and the first to do it against a former team. Another player in the Bedard deal, center fielder Adam Jones, had three RBIs in the Orioles' 8-7 victory over the M's last Thursday. Tigers' Galarraga: Another Texas blunder?If the Rangers were wrong about right-hander Armando Galarraga, whom they bumped off their 40-man roster and traded to the Tigers for minor-league outfielder Michael Hernandez in February, then other clubs were wrong about him, too. One team's scouting report said that Galarraga had an above-average slider, but a straight fastball and poor command. He too often would fall behind, preventing him from getting into slider counts. The report went on to say that with improved control of his slider, Galarraga could be a major-league reliever. Well, in three starts with the Tigers, Galarraga is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA, with victories over the Indians and Blue Jays and as many strikeouts (13) as hits and walks combined. Around the HornThe Diamondbacks eventually could look to strengthen the middle of their bullpen, though the newly promoted Max Scherzer could fill such a role and maybe even evolve into a late-inning force. Scherzer and fellow right-hander Jarrod Parker, the D-Backs' first-rounder last year, are all but untouchable. Tracy is a more realistic trade chip.The Nationals believe that right-hander Shawn Hill and lefty John Lannan are keepers in their rotation, and they could add two more potential building blocks if Class AAA righty Collin Balester arrives at the All-Star break and Class A righty Jordan Zimmermann by September. After that, the Nats could bid for younger free agents who would fit their building program. Dunn, 28, Indians left-hander C.C. Sabathia, 27, Brewers righty Ben Sheets, 29, and Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal, 30, would qualify. ... The expected return of left-hander Scott Kazmir from an elbow strain this weekend will give the Rays six starters for five spots. Right-handers Edwin Jackson and Jason Hammel are out of minor-league options, so the most logical move might be to stick righty Andy Sonnanstine in the bullpen. Jackson, who has produced dominant performances against the Yankees, Red Sox and Mariners, is drawing the most trade interest. ... The Rockies designated second baseman Jayson Nix for assignment after he opened the season 5-for-45. The Red Sox showed more patience last season with Dustin Pedroia, who was batting .172 on May 1, and the Braves put similar faith in Kelly Johnson, who was batting .150 on April 16. Nix, 25, is a gifted defender, but the Rockies do not believe that he will hit. Second base is his only position, so it is possible that he will clear waivers. ...The Rockies replaced closer Manny Corpas with Brian Fuentes, but the bullpen is not their biggest issue; the team ranks 13th in the NL in runs and 15th in rotation ERA. Troy Tulowitzki's .464 OPS is the second lowest in the NL. He "leads" only the Pirates' Adam LaRoche (.460). Five Padres are in the bottom 17 — not surprising, considering the team recently lost three straight home games even though its starting pitchers allowed only one run in 22 innings.
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Added: April 29, 2008 |
