With the GM Winter Meetings just 10 or so days from begining (12/3), trade rumors are sure to pick-up in intensity. Given the contracts being handed out so far, albeit mostly by the Yankees but the Phillies did give reliever JC Romer a 3YR/$12MM deal, one can reasonably conclude that good old-fashioned trades makes more sense. Maybe this is why the Astros dealt AAA speedster to the Atlanta Braves for reliever Oscar Villareal instead of chasing Luis Vizcaino.
ESPN.com's Keith Law has an article up on ten players who could be traded in the coming weeks. Some have already been mentioned like Andy LaRoche (Marlins), Coco Crisp (losers of the Hunter/Rowand/Jones sweepstakes) and Gerald Laird (Mets), but some are quite surprising like Adam Lind and David DeJesus. One thing I can say is all these players look like a Billy Beane Wish list - out of favor for resons not readily apparent in their offensive or defensive production.
- KC OF David DeJesuS
- LAD 3B Andy LaRoche
- TBY OF Jonny Gomes
- CLE SP Cliff Lee
- TOR OF Adam Lind
- SEA 1B Ben Broussard
- HOU OF Luke Scott
- CHC OF Matt Murton
- BOS OF Coco Crisp
- TEX C Gerald Laird