Off The Radar Trade Thoughts

good thing you aren’t our GM. Those are two very prime, albeit still very young, prospects with live arms.

keep the arms in house…trade our surplus MIs we have throughout every level of the minors..

Huff, Damon, Swisher, Helton, and Ankiel. Huff had a career year in 2008 but he hadn’t had a year anywhere even close to that since 2003 or 2004. I don’t like buying high on marginal players. As for the other guys I passed on, they just aren’t really that good. There is no need to trade for a mediocre player just so you can say you did something in the off-season. Swisher is okay but I’d rather give Kendry Morales a shot. I like Helton but he has lost a lot of power and is old. Again, it would be better to give Kendry a go. As for Damon and Ankiel, we don’t need any more outfielders.

I would LOVE to have Berkman but remember, the Astros think they can contend. Whether they actually can or not is up for some debate, but they think they can and that’s all that matters. Remember how they went out and got Randy Wolf at the deadline last year when they were 12 games out of 1st place? So yeah, there is no way they are trading Berkman.

As for LaRoche, he is an above average hitter and can hit 20-25 home runs and though he would be an improvement over most of the hitters on our team, I don’t think he is the difference maker the Angels need. HOWEVER, I’d still consider trading for him based on the fact that he most likely can be had for peanuts since the Pirates have a history of giving away their only good players. Last season they traded away Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, and Damaso Marte. Who did they get in return? Brandon Moss? Andy LaRoche? Craig Hansen?

Good to see a post with research and depth.

Huff: I like it a lot, but I don’t think Mosely would get it done.

Harden: Same, again, giving up too little. I’m not a Figgins fan. I’ll take a year of Harden healthy over Chone Figgins. I’m also not sure the Cubs would do it now considering they have Ramirez at 3rd and they’re pursuing Roberts from Baltimore to play 2nd. I’m not sold he’s the left handed bat they’re talking about in the OF. I guess he could play SS for them, afterall, that was his natural position. I think he’s gained too much weight and don’t think he has the range for it anymore. So I guess, where does he fit with them?

Berkman: 3 words, “Sign me up!”.

Damon: Not really interested anymore. A few years ago would have been good, but I think our OF is pretty much set. I think a lot of people are getting right in saying we need a true DH bat. I guess he could play LF and move Rivera to RF and Vlad DH. But I doubt Vlad will be happy with that. But for what you offered, Spier, I’d do that deal.

Swisher: I don’t have a good response for Swish. Everybody has those guys you just don’t like…. I just don’t like him. I’d have a hard time rooting for him.

Helton: Pass on him. He’s still a good guy to have but not for the money he’s getting. Morales will likely produce numbers close to what was projected above in his 1st full year starting at less than 1/10th of the cost.

LaRoche: I like him. I’d pull the trigger on that deal. The low level prospects never scare me. Their prospects, they haven’t proven anything at the ML level. Figgins is now traded for someone, perhaps bullpen help or packaged for another starter.

Ankiel: He’s not bad. I’d rather have Dunn. I’d take Ankiel if that’s all it cost the Angels was Moseley.

I like it when people think outside the box, but some of these are pretty ludicrous. You might as well be asking for Peavy in exchange for Gary Matthews Jr. Seriously, though, there is some nice thought put into this, and many of your suggestions are things that would help the team.

The Good: I would love to get someone like Huff or Harden, but I think that Huff would be the only likely deal. Harden is thought by many to have some of the best stuff in the majors (albeit for 5 innings at a time). The Cubs aren’t going to give him up, especially one for one. It will also take more than a spot starter/relief pitcher to get Huff.

The Bad: Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher. Swisher is horrible – he plays several positions at a below average level, and hits in the .240s when he is having a good year. We don’t need someone like that. Johnny Damon can still hit and run the bases, but has the WORST ARM EVER in the outfield. He can get to a lot of balls because of his speed, but seriously, I have seen seven year olds put more on a ball.

The Ugly: Are you seriously suggesting that the Astros would trade Lance Berkman (their most consistent player and face of their franchise) for 2 prospects and a back-up catcher?? Really? I like Jeff Mathis as much, if not more, than anybody, but come on. I would love to see someone like Berkman in Halo’s gear, but you have to have a little bit of perspective.

The rest of the deals are fine what ifs, but I don’t think any of them would make us appreciably better.