Some questions about outfield trades

by zambranofan on Nov 7, 2007 9:48 AM CST

These are just some things I was wondering reading rumors and headlines. This is just to stimulate discussion--I'm not advocating any particular moves.

Frank Wren has said the Braves want a one-year stopgap in centerfield. If the Cubs were to send them Jacque Jones, what prospect might we get in return? Is it possible to trade a player on the DL, such as asking for Mike Gonzalez, who won't be back from elbow surgery until late in 2008, but would be under club control in 2009?
How bad is Rocco Baldelli's injury history? Would the Rays consider a package like Sean Marshall and Eric Patterson for him? Where could the Cubs flip Baldelli if they got him?
How well did Chad Tracy play the outfield that one year in Arizona? b-ref says his range factor and fielding pct. were about average. Is he a possible acquisition for RF? What would it take to get him?
If Felix Pie wins the starting CF job in the Spring (or on the basis of his winter ball progress), would you let him start every day so you get full advantage of his defensive strength? Or would you platoon him with a righty to downplay his offensive weakness against lefthanded pitchers? Who would be available as a platoon partner?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation, Bleed Cubbie Blue, or Al Yellon, editor-in-chief. FanPost opinions are, however, valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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These are just guesses...

...I don't know what Jones's trade value is, but it's not extremely high; it's probably a salary dump, really. If I wasn't so bullish on Pie I'd actually be rather happy to keep Jones in center for one more season.

Don't deal with the Rays. Just... don't. The Rays will consider many things, but none of them are trades that will help the Cubs. From a cost/benefit standpoint it'd be something like the negotiations that produced the Munich Agreement.

As far as Chad Tracy -- no, I don't have a lot of confidence in a league-average 1B being a good defender in right field. That's just me; your milage may differ.

As far as platooning Pie -- your options are Angel Pagan and Matt Murton. Or we could tender Craig Monroe! You could get wildly unconventional and platoon him with Patterson or Fuld, who are both lefties but haven't shown a major platoon split in the minors.

FREE CARMEN PIGNATIELLO!

by cwyers on Nov 7, 2007 9:44 AM CST 0 recs

My impression

was that the extreme difficulty of dealing with the Rays front office was under the old GM. Not that they've become wheeler-dealers, but I thought things had changed somewhat.

Geo! (clap-clap-clap) Soto! (clap-clap-clap)

by zambranofan on Nov 7, 2007 9:59 AM CST up 0 recs

Agreed on...

... the Devil Rays. I don't know why any GM would have their front office on speed dial. They want the world for mediocre players and you'd think that after ten years of existence, nine of which they have spent in last place, they'd realize that their strategies aren't working. They don't make trades because they wants so much. Well guys like Crawford and Baldelli quite frankly aren't all that far away from free agency. I was listening to David Kaplan for a little while last night on Sportscentral (WGN) and the issue of Crawford came up. One of Kaplan's scout friends in the AFL had talked to some of the higher ups down there from the Devil Rays. Their comment about the Cubs and a trade for Crawford; "you don't have enough to get him". I am starting to believe that the Drays are simply a bunch of martyrs who cannot see the forest for the trees.

As for Jones, I'm not so sure I agree. He now only has one year remaining on his contract and the current outfield free agent class is going to demand a ton of money. Guys like Torii Hunter, Aaron Rowand and Andruw Jones are all looking for deals closing in on $75M. So when a team can add Jones for one year as a stopgap at $5M, he may have some value. Is it tremendous? No, but I'm not sure that he's a salary dump. But frankly, if the Cubs are looking to sign Fukodome, dumping that salary is a good idea. IMO the Cubs are going to be looking to free up their resources and so getting that $5M may be necessary.

DmL

by dmlichte on Nov 7, 2007 10:08 AM CST up 0 recs

Here's the thing...

...there are Azerbaijani yak herders who know that the Cubs are looking to deal Jones. That's going to drive down his trade value.

Oh, and the fact that the Cubs have the following:

Felix Pie
Eric Patterson
Sam Fuld
Tyler Colvin

Four, four left-handed center fielders! Ah-ah-ah-ah!

Yeah, if Hendry tries to ask for too much the other GM is going to say, "Ok, well, thanks for the call" and hang up. And Trader Jim has been trying to deal Jones for over a year and a half now, I'd say. He's probably tired of it, he probably knows the market for him like Prince Fielder knows the menu at Shoney's. He'll deal him for the first credible warm body he can find, I'll wager.

FREE CARMEN PIGNATIELLO!

by cwyers on Nov 7, 2007 10:20 AM CST up 0 recs

This is where I will probably be ambushed...

...by some lurking Brewers fan, who will scream, "We don't even HAVE Shoney's in Milwaukee!" or "Everybody knows that Prince prefers the Waffle House, because he can get his hash browns smothered AND covered!"

And I'm perfectly comfortable with that.

FREE CARMEN PIGNATIELLO!

by cwyers on Nov 7, 2007 10:22 AM CST up 0 recs

CWYERS

Great post....haha

Hey.....Cubs win!!! Steve Stone is the most overrated scumbag in the business.

by Hammer on Nov 7, 2007 10:27 AM CST up 0 recs

lol

I was just going to post the same respone.

Azerbaijani yak herders? Prince Fielder love of Shoneys? All in the same post? Great stuff.

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Nov 7, 2007 10:45 AM CST up 0 recs

Yah...

... but that only goes so far. It may be the worst kept secret in baseball, that Hendry wants to rid himself of Jones, but if a team wants him, they want him. And if a few teams want Jones then their GMs can't just sit back and wait for Hendry to cave in, eat some salary, etc. I'm certainly not of the belief that Hendry will get much for Jones, I just think that Jacque has gone from an albatross in terms of trade value, to, at worst, a non-factor (meaning that Jones is movable).

DmL

by dmlichte on Nov 7, 2007 11:23 AM CST up 0 recs

The Pie question

Thats tough because if you wanted to win now which you do you platoon him and then he still gets roughly 75-80% of the playing time. ALTHOUGH, you also want him to develop into a full time player and he has to start to learn to hit lefties some time.

No, to Baldelli and yes the injuries are there.

I really like Tracy but I believe he is better off in the infield. The Cubs need a righfielder with a decent arm and ranger for once since the early years of Sosa. (who I may add I felt played a good right field at Wrigley)

Hey.....Cubs win!!! Steve Stone is the most overrated scumbag in the business.

by Hammer on Nov 7, 2007 9:45 AM CST 0 recs

Well...

I think the Jones value would be minimal, unless he were part of an expanded package. Personally, I think you keep him.
Rocco can't stay healthy for nothing. And personally, I don't think he's all that great when he's on.
Chad Tracy is fine in RF. Good arm. Decent coverage. I saw a number of his games that year, and I think it's a good match.
I wouldn't give him a starting job. I'd use him as a 4th outfielder next year. He'll get a few hundred at-bats, and I think that plenty to find out what you've got.

by Damen Jackson on Nov 7, 2007 10:36 AM CST 0 recs

My thoughts

If we can trade Jones AND get the Braves to cover his salary, I don't care what we get back. A 23 year old single-A pitcher with a 4.00 ERA, a 27-year old catcher in Double-A with two broken legs, I don't care. If we can get his salary off the books and use it to make a killer offer to someone like Fukudome, I'm all for it!
No, no and no. Just no, Baldelli is a joke.
Chad Tracy is like a white Jacque Jones. He has a couple of season that make you think "Hmmm... if only he could hit 27HRs again...", but then you get him and he craps out. The dude is already 28 years old and we already have Murton, Ward, DeRosa, Patterson, Fuld, etc. who would give equal if not better numbers.
Well if you trade Jones, you basically have committed to a Pagan/Pie platoon. A lot of people forget that Pagan will be 27 next year and could see a big increase in production. However, Pie just needs more at-bats to become great. For example, take a look at Troy Tulowitizki. if you add up his 2006 at-bats with his 2007 April at-bats (or you might have to throw in May too), but you will see that Troy struggled just as bad as Pie did. Pie just needs regular every-day at-bats. I have no doubt that Lou would have stuck with Pie longer if we were 2-3 games back instead of 8 1/2 games back in late June. Hopefully we can stick close to the top this year and Pie will get all the playing time in the world and he will become the player we all expected. If not, we have Angel Pagan.

by IllinoisCubs on Nov 7, 2007 11:57 AM CST 0 recs

Good Questions

The Braves might want Jones and they might give a B-level prospect if we eat salary, but Hendry won't get anything back unless there are a number of teams that are left needing a centerfielder and think Jones is the guy. If money is no issue, then I'd keep him and have a great 4th OF.
I don't think Eric Patterson fits the Rays needs. Other posters have said what needs to be said about Baldelli.
Chad Tracy scored a slightly above average fielding score according to Rate, but it was only in 60 games. I was under the impression that the D'backs preferred to keep Tracy and trade Conor Jackson. So, it may take a better trade package than it is worth to get Tracy when you compare him to some of the available free agents.
Pie's splits in the minors last year were ghastly. He batted .190/.254/.293 in AAA v. lefties. I think you'd want to have a platoon option available, which is why I like finding a RF who can play CF on occasion, a guy like J.D. Drew, just to throw a name out there, could swap between CF and RF and let Murton platoon with Pie, but only playing RF.

Angel Pagan is not the answer platooning with Pie. His career splits v. LHP - .219/.280/.406. You might as well play Pie.

This is actually a potential roster problem for the Cubs. They have a lot of OFs who struggle against LHP and they are looking to add another lefty for RF. Are you going to need to go get a Brian N. Anderson or Brady Clark type to also carry on the roster with your Fuld/Pagan backup OF?

by DGU on Nov 7, 2007 12:48 PM CST 0 recs

JJ

I think JJ does have value. He might net a RP from the Padres, or someone like Martin Prado or Brayan Pena from the Braves. The A's have been known in the past to trade for $5M players in the last year of their contracts so that they can get a draft pick (assuming JJ is at least a B next year), though JJ isn't the OBP machine they prefer. The Rangers might be interested if they don't get Torii.

"I've never complained about it. I'm thankful to have a jersey." Mark DeRosa, 22 Aug 2007

by DeRoMyHero on Nov 7, 2007 2:43 PM CST 0 recs

Not advocating

That the Cubs not trade JJ, however Players on there last year of a contract normally do well, except for Andrew Jones last year. Just a thought, I mean if the Cubs are going with a Pie/Pagan platoon that is a weak spot in center, I would rather keep JJ.
Cubs must add a stick to the Outfield, not a Cliff Floyd signing either, a legit stick.

by Johnny Callison was a Cub on Nov 7, 2007 8:36 PM CST 0 recs