Possible Trade Targets

by jayssensraps on Dec 4, 2010 3:05 PM EST

So the way I see it the Jays need to add two bats before opening day. I figure one will be through trade and the other free agency (Manny?). So here is a list of guys who I think could be possibilities on the trade front keeping in mind AA's philosophies of being under the radar and picking up guys who's value may not be at it's highest point. (Sorry if there have been posts on the subject before but since the Winter Meetings are coming I thought this would be an interesting discussion)

IAN STEWART- 3B (COL)- His name came up in a rumor involving the White Sox the other day and I think he would be a great fit for the Jays. He is a left handed bat that has shown some pop, can draw a walk and will only be 26 in April with 1120 at bats already under his belt. Plus, the Rockies just acquired Jose Lopez so they do have insurance if they wanna trade Stewart.

ALEX GORDON- 3B/OF (KC)- This former top prospect has been linked to the Jays and is the typical "buy low" acquisition AA loves. He has a lot to prove at the Major League level but as long as the price is right he could he a nice change of scenery guy.

CHRIS COGHLAN- 3B/OF (FLA)- This is an interesting case. I haven't seen anywhere that he is available and he would probably cost quite a bit to get but he is on the Marlins meaning they will at least listen. He plays a decent outfield and the Marlins site even has him on the depth chart at 3rd. He bats left, has lots of speed and drew a walk approximately 1 every 12 at bats so he could maybe be the leadoff hitter of the future. He will be 26 in June so the Jays can build with him and Snider in the outfield if they choose to put Bautista at 3rd.

JUAN FRANCISCO- 3B/LF (CIN)- Just a young guy at 23, Francisco is Major League ready and is blocked in Cincy by Scott Rolen. There have been rumors in the past the Reds are willing to part with him so this could be a realistic possibility. He hit 18 HR in 308 AB in AAA so the pop is there. He has a smooth swing from the left side with good defense at the hot corner (I saw him play this summer and came away very impressed).

MARK TEAHEN- 1B/3B/RF (CWS)- Teahen had a sub par year last season battling injuries and will most likely be edged out of a starting job on the South Side. He wont cost much in a trade and is just beginning the prime of his career. In a normal season for the Canadian he will hit about 260 draw the occasional walk with about 15 homers. Not a long term solution but his versatility and left handed bat may be attractive for the Jays in the short term.

Others to keep an eye on: Alberto Callaspo (LAA), Yonder Alonso (CIN), Kila Ka'aihue (KC), Dayan Viciedo (CWS)

NOTE: There was a particular emphasis on left-handed bats in this post as I feel the line-up is very right-handed heavy at the moment

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Comments

how about Chase Headley?

by ayjackson on Dec 4, 2010 4:55 PM EST reply actions

Maybe

He is not a guy a see San Diego trading just yet but he is young and has some versatility which fits the mold of what we are looking for. His stats from the last couple years dont suggest he will be better than any of the guys listed however PETCO could have something to do with that

by jayssensraps on Dec 4, 2010 5:13 PM EST up reply actions

Headley

only put up a .314 wOBA last season, but that was actually above average production because of the extreme park factor of PETCO (104 wRC+). He’s young and can probably improve. His defense was also apparently excellent this season to the tune of 16.5RAR, so that brought his total value above 4WAR. A guy like that could play anywhere.

by SuckaMD on Dec 4, 2010 8:39 PM EST up reply actions

Headley is a cornerstone.

Not moving.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

by Jevant on Dec 6, 2010 12:32 PM EST up reply actions

San Diego likes Chase Headley

But if they’re trading Adrian for prospects, they might be going into rebuilding mode so maybe now its the time to inquire. Gordon will probably cost us less though.

HEADING STRAIGHT FOR THEM, I PRESS DOWN MAH GUNS!

by BenjiDoc on Dec 4, 2010 10:03 PM EST up reply actions

Gordon will cost less

because he is bad. Headley is good and actually worth having on a team

by SuckaMD on Dec 5, 2010 3:49 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Chris Davis

If you want a young lefty bat, with power, Chris Davis is the man.
He is a plus defender, at third and at first. He is 25. He has a low average but look at the power stats. He could fit the future, and is blocked, in Texas. His presence could give the Jays a chance to see Adam Lind at first. If Lind cannot cut it, move Davis to first and move Bautista to third. The price should be reasonable. The Jays have a lot of young catchers and surplus pitching, especially left handers.

by Day1Fan on Dec 13, 2010 8:29 PM EST up reply actions

The lineup might be right hand heavy...

but our right handers don’t seem to be able to hit lefties well.

by Tom Dakers on Dec 4, 2010 5:27 PM EST reply actions

I'd target Cinci for sure.

Pitching would put them over the top and they have a dearth of quality young position players, Alonso or Francisco would be great additions and they are both semi blocked in their organizeatioin..or we could get really crazy and offer Drabek, Zep, and Stewert for Jay Bruce and see what happens

by ABsteve on Dec 5, 2010 9:38 AM EST reply actions

Exactly

Cincy seems like an ideal trading partner right now and you know I could see them at least entertaining offers for Bruce because there is a good chance they cant afford both him and Votto going forward

by jayssensraps on Dec 5, 2010 12:49 PM EST up reply actions

I think you mean the opposite of dearth

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on Dec 5, 2010 12:58 PM EST up reply actions

a glut

by benk on Dec 5, 2010 1:02 PM EST up reply actions

They need a LF and/or a SS

They’ve got a glut of pitching right now.

by Salty on Dec 5, 2010 2:49 PM EST up reply actions

dearth

into the mashed potateos

by aquibtalib on Dec 12, 2010 8:01 PM EST up reply actions

So

what exactly is escabar

by jaysfan100 on Dec 12, 2010 11:02 PM EST up reply actions

Tom has a point...

…we didn’t hit lefties well last year.

We had alot of line-up turnover and players having really good or really bad years that aren’t in line with their career norms last season though, so those stats could be outliers and not the norm.

Bautista, for example, normally hits LHP better, but this year suffered some really bad BABIP luck against them.

I can see AA going for the best player available for the price, and not worrying about balancing the line-up.

I, personally, like Gordon for that. I think he’s got good upside and might not cost too much. Then again, I have no idea what KC is asking for him.

by Sivvi on Dec 7, 2010 9:27 PM EST reply actions

I agree, but....

There are only 2 lefty bats (Snider and Lind) guaranteed a spot on the 25 man roster. You cant compete with such an unbalanced line-up. How is Farrell supposed to manage late in a game when all he has is righties on the bench?It just makes life easier for the other team when they know what your going to do next because all you have is righties. I get your point, you have to be able to hit all pitchers but it doesnt mean you should disregard the importance of having a balanced line-up .In a perfect world the Jays would even have a couple switch hitters. One of the strengths of the Yankees the last couple years has been their switch hitters (Cano, Swisher, Posada) and the ability for Girardi to manipulate his line-up in numerous fashions depending on the opposing pitching creating a different kind of balance.
Another point about lefties is the other fields in our division. We play a number of games at Fenway, Camden yards and Yankee stadium, all havens for lefties.

by jayssensraps on Dec 7, 2010 10:47 PM EST up reply actions