Ken Rosenthal has the boring, boring goods. Here's the gist:
- The Cubs were offered Coco Crisp from the Red Sox, but would rather acquire someone that's a a top of the order threat, doesn't threaten our young crop of center fielders, and serves more of a platoon role.
- A Brian Roberts deal seems less likely; the Orioles seem to be now insisting on Felix Pie, and the Cubs are telling them how much fun it can be to go fly a kite in a rain storm. Talks have been "infrequent."
This contradicts reports yesterday from Buster Olney that the deal was likely, and would center around Gallagher. Rosenthal has the much better track record and offers up more solid details.
UPDATE: Seattle newspapers are now saying that Bedard won't be official until Friday at the earliest. At this point I'd be willing to bet that the Cubs couldn't trade Pie and Gallagher to the O's for Roberts by the time pitchers and catchers reported if they tried. Simply glacial.Labels: Baltimore Orioles, Baseball, Brian Roberts, Chicago Cubs, Trade Rumors
The more I think about it, the more I want this deal to die. Why?
1. If Lou sits DeRo's .791 OPS on the bench while playing Riot's .672 every day, I will come to the conclusion that Lou's IQ is too low to manage a WS team. But assuming that Roberts replaces Riot (moving DeRo to SS), then I think that Roberts would be a welcome addition -- except...
2. If Pie is traded (and replaced with Coco or Byrd or Fuld), then you've just replaced Riot with a similarly abysmal OPS and lost the potentially high ceiling of Pie.
3. If Gallagher is traded, you've just lost a guy who might be better than Marquis or Dempster right now (I'd rather see him as the fifth starter than Marquis, not so sure if Marshall is in the picture), and has a higher ceiling. I don't think that Dempster can pitch starter's innings without breaking down, and I don't think that Hart has three pitches.
4. If you trade both Gallagher and Marshall for Roberts, you are almost stuck keeping Marquis. If you forget about Roberts, you can foist Marquis off on the Mets and still have Gallagher, Marshall, and Dempster in the fifth starter picture while saving $16 million for next year's better FA class.
Would I be considered irrational if I yelled at the top of my lungs, "PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!!!!"?
My $0.02.
1. What about Roberts playing SS? has he ever done it before? Is it an option worth looking at, keeping Dero at 2B?
2. If they do get rid of Pie, I'd rather have Byrd. Much better numbers than cereal boy and I'm not so sure Fuld is ready.
3 & 4. Trade Marquis to the first bidder. I'd like to keep Gallagher to give him a year or two to see what he can really to at the top level. Put Dempster back in the pen. Like you said, he will probably not last long as a starter.
so sure Fuld is ready.
ready? we'll be waiting a while for him to be ready.
Jet,
I just said to move DeRo to SS because I know he can play there. Also, he is used to changing positions, and Theriot can step right in whenever DeRo is needed elsewhere. I don't know if Roberts can play ML SS, and it would make his transition (which is already new team, new league) more difficult. Having said that, I don't care which way they line up so long as Riot is on the bench and DeRo and Roberts are on the field Opening Day -- if the trade ever actually gets made.
Ready for what, I guess is my question.
Guy has spent four years in college ball, three years in the minor leagues, 25 years old... I'm not so sure there's a whole lot of development left for Sam Fuld. What you see is about what you're going to get, I'd say.