MLB Trade Rumors: Do The Dodgers Need An Ace Or A SS More?

by faketeams on Jul 5, 2008 7:45 AM EDT in Baseball Comment 5 comments

Ken Rosenthal follows-up yesterday C.C. Sabathia-to-Milwaukee news with news that the Los Angeles Dodgers are in the hunt for C.C. However, the team is conflicted as their pursuit of Pirates' SS Jack Wilson involves some of the same prospects they'd need to incude in a Sabathia deal.

So, do the Dodgers need a half-season of an ace more than two years of a no power/good glove SS? Adding Wilson will certainly improve the Dodgers' current cast of SS options, but he isn't going to bring the noise the offense needs at the plate. Even with Wilson, I don't see the Dodgers breaking out of the low-scoring doldrums that offense provides.

With an ace, though, the Dodgers will be able to keep the opposing team from scoring runs. With the 2nd best bullpen ERA in the NL at 2.97 and 3rd best starter ERA, the addition of Sabathia makes the Dodgers' strengths stronger. Because the Dodgers' rank 13th in starters' innings, adding C.C. will improve the team in that stat and preserve the overworked bullpen as the season heads into the dog days of summer.

When can we expect any of this to be resolved? This is the most interesting part of Mr. Rosenthal's report. He writes, "His next start is Tuesday, but several baseball people expect he will be traded before then."

Tom Hardicourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel leads one to believe Brewers' GM Doug Melvin told him what the Brewer's offer is.

"If the Brewers' latest offer is accepted, it's my understanding that it would include top prospect Matt LaPorta, minor-league third baseman Taylor Green and probably another prospect, perhaps outfielder Lorenzo Cain."

Poll

Are the Dodgers better off trading their chips for a half-season of an ace or two plus years of a SS?

Take the ace. C.C. Sabathia brings it every 5th day.

41 votes

Go for the glove. Filling SS via free agency will be even more expensive than Jack Wilson.

10 votes

51 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 5 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Colletti

from Diamond Leung:

Dodgers open to trading the “kids”
12:27 PM Fri, Jul 04, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Posted by: Diamond Leung
Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti will be looking for a shortstop among other things before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline, and the team is willing to adjust its philosophy of keeping their young players off-limits.

“We’re more open-minded to who we may have to move,” Colletti said.

Asked if he were referring to the young players, Colletti said, “They’re not really young kids anymore.”

Colletti’s comments echoed what owner Frank McCourt told me earlier in the week when asked about the possibility of trading some of the kids. He said the ones they will hold onto are “the ones who are prepared to put in the work, listen to coaches and get better every day.” The kids who they would be willing to part with are “the ones that can’t do those things.”

I wonder who they will part with….Laroche is probably on that list.

raygu

by Ray Guilfoyle on Jul 5, 2008 11:24 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

from Olney

One more problem for the Dodgers as they consider trades is that officials in some other organizations believe that the depth of L.A.’s prospects - which was envied by other clubs for years - is in regression. Rival scouts rave about the likes of Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley, but the stock of Dodgers’ second level of prospects (third baseman Andy LaRoche, infielder Chin-Lung Hu, etc.) has dropped in the eyes of some talent evaluators. “They’ve had a lot of players go from prospect to question mark this year,” said a general manager.

I read that somewhere else recently…..

raygu

by Ray Guilfoyle on Jul 5, 2008 11:32 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

CC rumors update from TJ

C.C. Sabathia headed this way?
By Tony Jackson on July 5, 2008 3:11 PM
Probably not. Not at this point, anyway. But according to multiple industry sources, the Dodgers have more than a passing interest in acquiring the reigning A.L. Cy Young Award winner - IF the price is right. From what I understand, right now, it isn’t. Sabathia is a free agent at season’s end, so acquiring him carries with it the chance that he will be nothing more than a two-month rental. Dodgers aren’t going to give up a ton of prospects for that. ... The other rumor out there centers on Jack Wilson, the Pittsburgh shortstop, who would seem to me to be exactly what the Dodgers need and exactly what they’re looking for. He is an everyday-caliber SS, a former All-Star who can hit, and he has a year left on his contract - plus a clup option for 2010. ... Dodgers GM Ned Colletti declined to comment on either possibility. ``It’s just rumor,’’ he said. ... Sabathia’s $9 million salary for this year automatically bumped to $11 million when he won last year’s Cy. Wilson is getting $6.5 million this year and $7.25 million next year. The option is for $8.4 million with a $600k buyout.

raygu

by Ray Guilfoyle on Jul 5, 2008 9:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Andy Laroche on CC

from XMRadio blog:

" Obviously any time you can bring a Cy Young award winner to your baseball team, that’s a great thing. Any time a guy like thatcomes over, that would be awesome. Now I don’t know what the exact trades are or whose names are being brought up, but anything that could help us win more ballgames, that’s always good for us." – Andy La Roche on the idea of CC Sabathia neign traded to the Dodgers

maybe he knows something we don’t…..

raygu

by Ray Guilfoyle on Jul 5, 2008 10:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs