The Surprise Zombies have already made 6 deals this offseason, sending away 11 members of their FL (and hopefully ARBA) championship team. Most recently, the purge even hit someone younger than 30. So clearly I've gone mad with the trading fever. More! More!
Our primary objective at this point is to acquire more quality young major leaguers. The biggest needs are at C, CF, and 2B...but all will be considered. Elite prospects and cash are also welcome. I'm not so much interested in adding more picks, but moving up would be helpful.
Here are some of the assets that could be available in the right deal:
1) Draft Picks: 1st (IOW, HAR, SUR), 2nd (AUS, HAR, SUR), 3rd (AUS, HAR, SUR), 4th (NIK), 5th+ (SUR)
2) Cash
3) Scot Shields: Another great relief season, still only 31 and has an affordable contract. He won't come cheap, but could sure help a contender.
4) Adam Kennedy: 2b2 who hit 291/351/408 vs. RHP. B5 contract this year after being acquired on a C last year. 30 years old. I'll keep him if I can't find a younger 2B solution.
5) Esteban Loaiza: 26 decent starts and his every other year pattern suggests a great 2007. Also has a very affordable contract.
6) Scott Baker and Jason Vargas: Very disappointing after great MLB debuts in 2005, but for now they are unlimited starters with upside. I'll almost certainly keep at least one of them as our rotation is a bit thin, but will consider offers.
7) Other players: I don't consider many players to be truly untouchable although it would be awfully difficult to pry some of them away from me. Feel free to take your best shot if you have an idea that makes sense.
8) Prospects: We have too many good ones now and need to clear some room for drafting better ones. Pretty much everyone is technically available if I'm getting comparable talent back in return. However, I'll single out some guys who I would consider dumping for cash just to make room. No time to do a full write-up, but all are young and highly regarded. This group includes Welinson Baez (Phi, 3B/SS), Aaron Bates (Bos, 1B), Kyle Bloom (Pit, LHP), Mike Costanzo (Phi, 3B), Tim Dillard (Mil, RHP), Danny Griffin (SF, RHP), Sam LeCure (Cin, RHP), Andrew Lopez (TB, OF), John Matulia (TB, OF), Adam Rosales (Cin, SS), and Pablo Sandoval (SF, 3B).
Okay, that's all for now. By the way, I'll be out of town and probably without email access from Thursday morning until Sunday evening. So don't be surprised if I'm less responsive than usual toward the end of the week.
Hey, I'd be trading everything in site too if I just hauled in a 1, 2, and a prospect for a closer! Hoooooweeeeee... What's it gonna take to get Shields? Two #1's and a prospect?
Funny Dave you didn't have anything to say a couple of years back when I traded you a higher #1 and #2 for Billy Wagner, or when I dropped 1.4 million on Mariano Rivera.
Whomever the neutral observer is, is correct, I don't take offense to anything dealing with ARBA. I think Eric and Don can both attest to my calmness as both of my teams were being knocked out of going to the World Series. ARBA is a lot of fun to me, if it ever isn't I won't play anymore.
Ok, anyone else have a closer they want to trade me!!
I can certainly vouch for Travis showing amazing restraint with his 4 tough losses in a crazy 7-game series against Surprise. I can't make the same claim about myself, but venting over AIM never really hurt anyone, right? I can't imagine going on from that to drop another 7-game series the next day. Yikes! Of course, I was very close to being the one with 2 teams eliminated in 7 as HAR had dispatched SOS that way in the previous round.
Don already beat me in the World Series back in 1993 and he's won other times, so clearly it's my turn! He should probably bench that A-Rod scrub just to be safe.
