Mike Wilner, on the weekend, put out his 'plan' to 'save the Jays'. Actually it was his second suggested plan, on the theory that the Jays were going to raise the payroll to $120 million. This one is very trade heavy, trading off a bunch of pitchers (and Travis Snider) for Felix Hernandez, Prince Fielder and a bunch of other guys. I always find suggesting trades is a tough thing because as a Jay's fan I have a pretty good handle on what the Jays could use in a trade but I don't have that same feel for what other teams would want back.
For example Wilner has Seattle trading us Felix Hernandez for a package of:
Travis Snider, Scott Richmond and Lyle Overbay (paying some of his freight) and Brett Cecil and an additional prospect-type (Justin Jackson? Brad Mills? Daniel Farquhar? Reider Gonzalez?)
and it seems ok from this end, but how do we know if Seattle would have any interest in Overbay or Richmond or Cecil for that matter. Yes we'd like a strong number 2 starter, but we don't know what the Mariners really would like to get in return for him.
His trade ideas are interesting and very aggressive and would take a new team president and a new GM to make because you'd need someone that isn't invested in the players he is going to move.
Anyway, if we are going to make trades we'd like to make them from spots we have excess. For us that's 3 spots starting pitcher, relief pitch and LF/DH/1B.
For guys that could be starting pitchers over the next year or two are: Roy Halladay, Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan, Ricky Romero, Brian Tallet, Brent Cecil, Marc Rzepczynski, Robert Ray, Scott Richmond, David Purcey, Brad Mills, Zach Stewart, Jesse Litsch and Fabio Castro. I'm sure I'm missing someone obvious. Which ones have trade value?
Most Value: Halladay
Good Value: Romero, Rzep, Cecil, Stewart
Value will never be higher: Tallet
No Trade Value: Marcum, McGowan, Richmond, Litsch
Could be throw ins: Ray, Purcey, Mills, Castro.
The relief pitchers: Jason Frasor, Scott Downs, Jeremy Accardo, Brandon League, Shawn Camp, Jesse Carlson, Casey Janssen, Josh Roenicke, Brian Wolfe, Dirk Hayhurst and others I'm sure but likely none with trade value.
Value will never be higher: Frasor.
Good value: League.
Value will never be lower: Downs.
Could be throw ins: Accardo, Camp, Carlson, Roenicke, Hayhurst.
No trade value: Janssen, Wolfe.
We have 4 guys in the LF/DH/1B that are at least kind of major league ready. But if the Jays were to go after Jason Bay like people keep saying we'll have excess. At the moment there are Adam Lind, Travis Snider, Randy Ruiz and Brian Dopirak.
Great trade: Adam Lind
Good Value: Travis Snider
Little value only if the Jays send money too: Overbay
Could be a throw in: Brian Dopirak
No Value: Randy Ruiz (not meaning to insult but no one will trade for a 32 year old career minor league DH).
Anyway this was a long way around to asking the question: who would you trade and what would you like to get in return?