This Hot Stove League seems more like a pile of extinguished coals and embers, but I guess we'll work with what we have. Which is a bunch of "M's have interest" tweets:
[tweet]https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/400752747915403264[/tweet]
As with many players the M's will be linked to in free agency, I don't have a problem with adding Dexter Fowler. He won't hit a ton but his OBP numbers are strong, he has a little power, he has a little speed, and seems competent on defense. But what do you trade for him? Nick Franklin?
[tweet]https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/400664865859440640[/tweet]
Now this is interesting. A healthy Matt Kemp is a superstar. Unfortunately no one's seen a healthy Matt Kemp in two years. I've seen many people argue that Ellsbury's less injury prone than Kemp, but I really don't know. The nature of Kemp's injuries [shoulder, ankle] certainly seem like they could be in the 'nagging' category versus something like a broken bone which, once healed, shouldn't be an issue. Kemp's had two injury riddled season back to back but he put up around 660 plate appearances in the four seasons previous. A move to the AL where he can DH from time to time might not be a bad career move.
Again, what's the price? How much talent does it cost if you are absorbing the balance of a $160 million contract? L.A. does not need Kemp. They have a good outfield with or without him, and as much as they can absorb a hefty contract, why bother if someone else will take it off your hands? Trade Kemp, get some talent back, and go spend a fortune on Tanaka.
But what could we possible offer? We have some depth at 2B which L.A. doesn't need. Pitching? L.A. could always use/afford another impact starter. We have precisely two of those players: Felix and Iwakuma. Neither would be worth moving for Kemp. Paxton and Walker might intrigue them but we've got three holes in our rotation, too.
[tweet]https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/400366373261811712[/tweet]
I don't understand and think it's a terrible fit for both sides. If there is such a thing as a clutch player in the playoffs, it's Beltran. So why invest money and years into a 36 year old player who has more value to a contender? Unless you pay him so much money that he chooses the M's over a contender?
[tweet]https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/400365691150561280[/tweet]
Garbage. Cruz is an aging slugger with no defensive capability. And he's coming off a lengthy suspension for P.E.D. stuff. It's fine to kick the tires, but don't commit to buying this jalopy. This seems like Cruz's last shot at a long term deal...and I don't want to see the M's pay him what he thinks he is worth.
[tweet]https://twitter.com/jcrasnick/status/400320843835666432[/tweet]
This is the one that terrifies me. We've made zero moves so far, but what if we came out of free agency with an aging Beltran, a one-dimensional Kendrys Morales [who just turned a 1 year/$14 million deal...and not because he wants less money], and Peralta I don't think we've improved any if at all.
Shannon Drayer makes an interesting point about adding Peralta as a stop-gap infielder, waiting until D.J. Peterson is ready for 3B with Seager moving to 2B. If that's the case, and this frees up trading Franklin and Ackley...by all means if the money/years are right. Maybe Ackley--for all his faults--gets you Dexter Fowler. Maybe Franklin can be part of a package for the supposedly available Matt Wieters [who, with two years of team control remaining, might bridge the gap until Zunino's fully ready].
Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports that the Mariners have “no interest” in Jacoby Ellsbury. Feinsand is also hearing, however, that the Cubs are “stealthily waiting in the wings” as the market develops for the free-agent outfielder. Feinsand notes that the market for Ellsbury looks thin. Ellsbury’s agent, Scott Boras, is reportedly looking for a deal similar to Carl Crawford‘s seven-year, $142 million contract, and that could be enough to scare some teams away. While Ellsbury is a dynamic player, he is a 30-year-old with an injury history who relies heavily on his speed. A Crawford-like contract would absolutely require a team to roll the dice.
http://nesn.com/2013/11/report-mariners-have-no-interest-in-jacoby-ellsbury-but-cubs-stealthily-waiting-in-the-wings/Interesting. And I don't buy it for a second. For the past two seasons, the M's have been the fashionable team to leak as the favorite to sign a high-priced free agent, only to find themselves spurned in the end. Fielder, Hamilton...I'm not saying they should have signed those players, but they found themselves used as a bargaining chip.
If they are interested in Ellsbury, I'd assume one way to prevent yourself from being used as a pawn is to proactively leak your lack of interest. I can't see what any other party would have to gain by leaking that. Boras wants to create an image of a bidding frenzy, so he's not tossing suitors. Competing teams wouldn't seem to gain much as the M's would know it's garbage.
Another reason I'd assume interest is the other big names they've been tied to [Kemp, Fowler] are also arguably center fielders. I wouldn't put Kemp in CF but I could see a team trying it out.
If you look at some of the rumors, as thin as they are, could you picture the following offense? God knows what the cost would be in terms of trade capitol used [I left Franklin/Ackley off the list...along with all pitchers], but does this seem feasible? Tolerable? Godawful? Three trades and two signings?
OF: Fowler/Kemp/Saunders
3B: Peralta [holding serve for Peterson]
SS: Miller
2B: Seager
1B: Smoak
C: Wieters
DH: Corey Hart
Bench: Almonte/Zunino/Montero/Triunfel
