For many years, June 15 was a much-anticipated day on the baseball calendar—the deadline by which teams had to make trades. So in celebration of the old dealing deadline, let’s present the latest rumors from around the major leagues…
Adam Dunn is the name that has taken center stage on the rumor front. Ready to call it quits on a failed season, the Reds are openly shopping Dunn to all interested parties. Those parties include the Angels, who need a first baseman-DH type with some power. But as with most contemporary trade talks, the problem is this: the team looking to unload veteran talent wants way too much in return. The Reds have reportedly asked for three players in return for the "Big Donkey," including right-hander Ervin Santana and at least one other major league player. That has no chance of happening. If the Reds become more realistic about the strikeout prone Dunn, who offers a mixed bag of talent, they can expect two prospects for their miscast left fielder…
The Reds recently scouted a game between the Yankees and Diamondbacks, leading to speculation that Dunn could be headed to the Bronx. In many ways, Dunn is a younger version of the injured Jason Giambi: a hitter heavy on power and walks who is a major defensive liability, even at first base. Given their lofty demands, the Reds will probably ask for Phil Hughes in return, but the Yankees certainly won’t touch that possibility. A more realistic trade might involve a package of Ross Ohlendorf and Chris Britton, with the latter bringing some much-needed relief help to Cincinnati. Britton, a talented right-hander with a good fastball and curve, is currently wasting his abilities at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre. With the Reds, he might just be capable of filling their hole at closer…
While Dunn is almost certain to be traded later this summer, the status of Ken Griffey, Jr. remains questionable. Some within the organization would like to trade Griffey while his value is high, but he has a complete no-trade clause and figures to be very selective wherever he goes. The decision to move Griffey to right field hasn’t hurt his trade value; he’s a much better fit in the corner than in center field, where his declining speed had made him a liability…
Rumors out of Minnesota indicate the Twins would like to make a play for Boston’s Mike Lowell. The Twins badly need a power-hitting third baseman, but the Red Sox can’t be expected to deal Lowell, a free agent at season’s end, until they bring in another cornerman. If the Red Sox can pull off a larger deal for someone like Dunn or Mark Teixeira, they would then move Kevin Youkilis to third, freeing up Lowell for a trade. Either way, Lowell is likely to test the free agent market this winter, and given the usual scarcity of third basemen, should find a multiyear contract to his liking…
As we had speculated earlier this spring, the Pirates are moving closer to trading Jack Wilson. They’ve already benched Wilson in favor of Jose Castillo, who is a much stronger hitter. Wilson’s value isn’t particularly high right now, but his defensive reputation among scouts remains top-notch, and that could make him attractive to a pennant-contending team that needs help up the middle. The Tigers could become a player for Wilson, if they ever decide to move Carlos Guillen to first base on a fulltime basis…
The Dodgers’ rather surprising firing of Hall of Famer Eddie Murray as batting coach has resulted in some interesting coaching speculation. Former Dodger Bill Mueller will fill the position on an interim basis, but the Dodgers are said to be looking at more permanent solutions. They supposedly like both Mike Easler and Bill Robinson, both former major league batting coaches with strong resumes and reputations. By the way, this is now the second time that Murray has been fired as a team’s hitting coach. A few years back, he was let go by the Indians. The Dodgers didn’t give any specific reasons, but some followers of the club believe Murray expected slumping players to come to him, rather than the other way around. Murray is also very serious when it comes to the subject of hitting, and may have clashed with players who unfortunately don’t take hitting seriously enough.
Not to an NL team - can he even play the field at all anymore?
Not to an NL team - can he even play the field at all anymore?
Sorry..... wishful, wishful thinking. Noone will take Giambi.
Tigers need him but Texas wants way too much.
to that!
Tigers need him but Texas wants way too much.
