When it comes to the Nationals, they have to ask themselves how close they are competing? Yes, they have Stephen Strasburg but that’s not enough pitching. Cowley says that the Nats are looking to build the team with young arms around the phenom, meaning they want to build up their pitching first. Dunn could definitely help add young pitching if dealt to the right team.

Another thing to consider is the cost of resigning Dunn. If the Nats can trade him for a couple young pitchers they’d have more available money when the team comes close to competing. With it being the Nationals, you know that aspect (the money) is definitely a consideration.

—

If the White Sox were to trade for Dunn it would be huge for the organization. They’re only two games back of the Detroit Tigers and could desperately use a power bat. They’re designated hitter this year has been Mark Kotsay. Yep, you read that right, Mark Kotsay. So you know just by the name they desperately need a DH.

Let’s compare the two lines.

Kotsay – .212 average 6 hr and 16 rbis over 156 at bats in 54 games.
Dunn – .276 average (highest of career) 17 hr and 47 rbis in 272 at bats.

A bat like Dunn’s would be huge in the middle of that lineup and change the entire look of that offense. The real question is this, do the White Sox have the young talent to give up in a deal? Cowley points out that recent trades have left the system pretty void of top prospects.

And most of the Sox’ highly regarded pitching prospects were dealt in previous trades to acquire Jake Peavy and Juan Pierre.

After right-hander Daniel Hudson, there’s a big drop in the Sox’ system to Carlos Torres and Santos Rodriguez. One movable piece would be third baseman Brent Morel, who seems to be in a logjam behind Dayan Viciedo and the three-year, $14 million extension Williams gave Mark Teahen this winter.

—

It’s obvious the White Sox could really use Dunn but the Angels could use him even more. The Angels are 4.5 games back of the Texas Rangers and have a bigger power void themselves. Their leading homerun hitter this year is Mike Napoli with 13, yes Napoli. They’re so desperate for hitting they have Napoli, they’re backup catcher as the starting first baseman. So yea, adding a player like Dunn is something they’ve had to seriously consider.

—

There’s one major hurdle that both Chicago and Anaheim would have to jump thou and I’m not sure if they can, especially the Sox. Adam Dunn is having a huge season and should easily become a Type A free agent. Once again for those that don’t know what that means, if the Nationals offer arbitration they’ll get two draft picks if he signs elsewhere.

So if the Nationals do trade him they’re going to want comparable talent to the type of draft picks they’d get. Would either team be willing to meet that for a half season rental? Yes, they’d have the chance to get those draft picks if he left but its more of a crap shoot giving their own prospects they already know away.

With Dunn’s love for Washington its conceivably possible that the Nats could trade him get those two prospect and then…. Sign Dunn in the offseason and because of their record would not have to give up their first round pick.

@Buster_ESPN: Heard: Sorry — The Phillies’ interest is in Fernando Rodney, at two years and $12 million. Set-up guy, plus safety net for Brad Lidge.

In the earlier post, I said I doubt Rodney would get his $10 million per asking price and I guess I was wrong. If the Phillies are willing to offer $11 per then I’m sure the Angels would meet the ten or go higher if need be.

The money is of no issue to the Phillies as they did receive money in the deal for Roy Halladay, $6 million to be exact. That money could at least help in the first year paying his salary. Money shouldn’t be an issue thou when you consider the state of the Phillies bullpen and mindset of Brad Lidge.

Olney hit the nail on the head when he says Rodney could be a safety net should Lidge continue to struggle. The arguments for the Phillies adding Rodney are pretty much the same as when I said the Phils should consider Brandon Lyon earlier this offseason.

Rodney and his 2.70 ERA in save situations would be a very nice addition to the Phillies bullpen. And much like Halladay it would be nice to see what he could do against inferior hitting in the National League.

Let the battle between two front runners, the Angels and Phillies commence. Which ESPN expect calls this one right? Stark or Olney?

Not sure about that but he’s at least got a team seriously considering him now. And not only that but the Angels could be a good fit for him. Rodney would be the primary setup guy but thanks to Brian Fuentes option for 2011 (based on games finished) he would get plenty of opportunities to close.

2009 was Rodney’s first stint as a closer, saving 37 games but a very high ERA of 4.40 and a career low SO/9 ratio of 7.3. Those numbers are probably what scared many teams off as having him as a closer. Unfortunately many teams probably didn’t notice his 2.70 ERA in actual save situations, when the games on the line he produces. Which could make him very valuable to a contending team like the Angels.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rodney take over the closing duties by midseason if the Angels do sign him. Even if I’m wrong and he doesn’t he should help the team shorten the game for its starters. A rotation that is drastically weaker and can use that help after the departure of John Lackey.

I doubt he gets the $10 million per that he would like but then again the Angels could be desperate to make any move at this point.

Let’s first look at the two teams that have already bowed out, then the other teams that are still in the running.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - GM Tony Reagins told the Los Angeles Times that his team is not focused on Holliday, they’re more interested in resigning their own players, John Lackey and Chone Figgins. He also says they’ve had discussions with Vladimir Guerrero. If he can’t resign those three guys then things could obviously change, but it shows that Holliday is not at the top of their wish list.

I’m actually not surprised. If the Angels were to hit the free agent market their biggest need is a power bat. Outside of Kendry Morales the Angels lacked the type of player who can change a game in one swing of the bat. They’re a team that has to rely on their speed and timely hitting to make things happen, which is something they do quite well. But like they showed in the playoffs, that’s just not enough. You need that one bat who can change a game. Can Holliday be that kind of player?

The jury is still out. While in Colorado he put up the power numbers, but that’s no surprise. Between Oakland and St. Louis this past season he hit only 24 homers. He did hit .313, had a high on base percentage and could steal a few bases but he doesn’t really answer what the Angels need. If in a bind they may reenter the race but in all honesty I think they’ll keep Scott Boras on speed dial just to keep their east coast rivals honest.

New York Yankees – Much like Reagins, Yankees GM Brian Cashman has already said his team is focused on it’s own players. (Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Andy Pettitte). After the huge spending spree last season who can blame them? There are two reasons I don’t think they’ll truly get involved. One they don’t have many holes and two there is a huge free agent class next winter. After winning the championship they can afford to go with what they got for one season. Look for them to stay in the race thou as well, just to keep the Red Sox honest.

I really believe the Holliday Sweepstakes to be a three team race, just a completely different group then Morosi suggested. In my opinion the teams with the best chances at landing him are the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals and of course the Red Sox.

For the New York Mets, their main need is a power bat in reality they need any warm bodies they can get. For them I believe it will come down to what they favor most, all around production or pure power. If it’s power only then I think he’ll be giving Jason Bay a call, but if it’s all around they’ll be going all-in on Holliday. They’ve always got some money to spend and spending it on Matt could be their best decision since trading for Johan Santana.

Landing Holliday will also give the Mets something they really need, good publicity. A signing like that would allow them to steal the back pages from the World Champs for a couple days.

Boston Red Sox – For the Red Sox, I think it will also come down to who they favor more, Bay or Holliday. Jason was amazing in Boston the last couple years, showing a real feel for hitting in Fenway. His average at home is slightly above his season averages but his power numbers are slightly lower at home then on the road. Regardless, he showed he can perform in Beantown and that the pressure of such a place won’t get to him.

And that is the thing I think really separates him from Holliday. I have no doubts Holliday could perform well iin Fenway, actually at a much higher level then Bay BUT can he handle the pressure? While in Oakland he struggled mightily, part of it could of been learning the pitchers in a new league but there was also pressure on him there to produce. Once he was traded to St. Louis and he could be an accessory to Albert Pujols he took off.

I think Theo Epstein will push really hard for Holliday, while keeping Bay on the backburner if things fall through. Is that the right decision? Not sure, but the Sox really need to make some type of splash this off season and Matt would definitely help them do so.

The St. Louis Cardinals are in a unique position. Holliday loved playing there and performed admirably during his time, but is that enough to overcome the money factor. With Boras as his agent, I’d say probably not BUT it could be enough if top teams in baseball keep bowing out of the race.

The Cardinals have already admitted they won’t cut the biggest check so they’ll need to get creative. To have a real chance at keeping the slugger I think they’ll have to bypass Boras and go straight to the player. They need John Mozeliak, Tony La Russa and probably a few players to keep giving Matt a call and persuade him St. Louis is where he wants to be. Get in his head, get in there enough to where he tells Boras I’ll take slightly less to play with these guys.

Will that happen? Probably not.

So what do I think will happen? I’m not sure at all. The Yankees and Angels say they aren’t interested but you can never count them out. In the end it will come down to money as it always does with star players but I have a feeling Matt will be staying in the National League. He looked more comfortable at the plate, in the field and in the dugout after his short stint in Oakland and the AL.

If there really is that much of a difference between the leagues for him, he’s got to weigh that in to his decision. If not he could be setting himself up for failure by going back to the American League.

Lyon had a solid season posting a 2.86 ERA (1.56 after June 1st) in 65 appearances going 6-5 with 3 saves and 3 blown saves, holding 15. His walk numbers were fairly high 31 in 78 innings but held batters to a .205 batting average.

There’s plenty of contenders looking for pitchers to help their bullpens, actually that would be every contender. There was only one playoff team to have its closer go without a blown save and that was the New York Yankees. While Lyon wouldn’t be a closer for one of those teams, he’d be a valuable setup guy who can close in a pinch.

There’s four teams that I think could really use his services.

Philadelphia Phillies – The Phillies bullpen struggled mightily down the stretch and during the postseason. With better performances in the late innings they could of actually repeated as World Series Champions. Brad Lidge is under contract for two more seasons and a major liability in the closing role, the natural replacement would be Ryan Madson. But problem is Madson became a liability himself. Adding Lyon to the mix could help reduce the pressure off both of these guys.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – The Angels are another team with serious issues in their bullpen. They had Brian Fuentes in the closer role and he did fairly well, 3.93 ERA with 48 saves. He got the job done but did make things interesting. After Fuentes their was no one reliable. Anyone can tell that when Darren Oliver is one of the Angels key bullpen guys. Adding Lyon would definitely add some stability to the middle relief and give the Angels someone who could close should Brian falter.

New York Mets – The Mets aren’t a World Series contender but they definitely have a need for a setup man. They put their trust in J.J. Putz last season and that blew up in their faces due to injury. Francisco Rodriguez did his job as the closer well, like he always does, but he can only do so much. If the game doesn’t get to him then he can’t do what he gets paid for, and that was the Mets problem in 2009. They couldn’t get the game to K-Rod enough. Plugging Lyon into the 8th inning role could definitely change that.

New York Yankees – Like I said earlier the Yankees were the only team who didn’t have a blown save by their closer in the playoffs. During the season Phil Hughes became the lock down setup man in the 8th inning but imploded during the teams playoff run. That’s one reason the Yankees will be looking for a new setup man, another is that the team has planned to move him back into the starting role all along.

There’s a third reason that may push the Yankees hand with a relief pitcher like Lyon, and that’s Curtis Granderson. The Yankees are very interested in the Tigers outfielder but any trade would involve one of their young guns, Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain. If one of them was traded then the other would definitely be back into the starting rotation.

Lyon would be a solid addition to this unit as long as he can lower his walk ratio. Joe Girardi tends to over manage the pen, especially when his pitchers start walking batters.

Those are four teams that could really use a pitcher like Brandon Lyon. Luckily for all of them Lyon is only a Type B free agent so no one would lose a draft pick should they sign him. With Olney suggesting that Lyon’s agent expects a multi-year deal then the Tigers should definitely offer arbitration. There’s almost no chance that he’ll accept it, which means the Tigers can get a draft pick in return.

Will the Tigers be smart enough to offer arbitration thou?

Every time that question has come up, I’ve answered with an emphatic NO. Andy has been an absolute gamer for the Yankees in past postseasons. He’s thrown up his fair share of duds but he has a career 3.90 era in 37 postseason starts. (Side note that’s only 0.01 lower then his regular season career mark but still impressive)

In series clinchers, Andy has done what he’s done throughout his entire career Yankees career. He threw some gems, he threw some duds but more often then not he did what he had to do to keep his team in the game. In his career he is 4-2 with a 4.14 era in series clinchers, his teams are 6-4 overall in those games. Not exactly great numbers but enough to say let him pitch Game 6 and save the horse CC if a Game 7 takes place. If it doesn’t then you’ve got him well rested for Game 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Joe Girardi seems to agree. He made his decision and said Andy Pettitte will be pitching Game 6 no matter when it takes place, “Andy’s going to start the next game for us.”

While Girardi never officially mentioned he wants to keep his ace in the pocket for Game 1, you know that’s what he’s thinking. Yea, I know I’m assuming that’s what he’s thinking, but it’s really not an assumption its just obvious.

When it comes to the World Series you want your best well rested. The Phillies will have Cliff Lee ready to go on long rest, possibly even for a Game 1, 4, and 7 if need be. Girardi and the Yankees will want their ace well rested to do the same.

Which makes it that much more important that the Yankees get the Andy Pettitte who is lights out in clinchers.

The one from the 1996 ALCS Game 5 – 8 innings, 3 hits and 2 runs.

The one from the 1998 World Series Game 4 – 7.1 innings of shut out ball.

The one from the 2000 World Series Game 5 – 7 innings pitched with 2 unearned runs and 5 strikeouts.

The one from this years Game 3 against the Minnesota Twins – 6.1 innings pitched, 3 hits and 1 run with 7 strikeouts.

(Thanks to River Ave Blues for the stats)

That’s the Andy us Yankees fans want to see tonight, or tomorrow night, or whenever this game is played. And that’s the Andy I think the Yankees will get.

The weather is nasty. Andy’s staff is still nasty (at times). The hitters aren’t going to have fun up there at all and more importantly the Rally Monkey will be running for cover when he hears the thunder from the Yankee ghosts tonight.

In Andy, We Trust.

The Orioles do have a few players that have drawn interest, they’re the usual suspects Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora and Danys Baez. None of whom could be considered be big ticket items, they’d be role players on a contending team. Very good role players, but still spare parts. They’re guys that could get you at best a mid-level prospect and guys that could easily be had at the waivers deadline in August.

So looking at the Sun’s article I have to say the only way there would be a big deal was if it involved Sherrill, it’s the only noteworthy one they could make.

Sherrill is 32 now and an average big league closer. He was the Orioles 2008 All-Star representative ending the season with 31 saves and a 4.72 era. He’s been much improved in 2009, sporting a 2.40 era with 20 saves in 23 opportunities. Even with the improvement I’d still call him an average closer as he loves to let runners on base, 47 in only 41 and a third innings.

Looking at that you have to wonder what makes him attractive to a contender. Well, he’s proven he can get out of the jams he creates, but more importantly he’s a left handed pitcher. If he were to go to a contender with a solid closer, he could be an outstanding talent in the 8th inning. To no surprise the teams with the elite closers are the ones looking at him.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – The Angels of Brian Fuentes whose had an outstanding year. He’s already had 30 saves matching last years total. He’s also got the problem of making things interesting. Bringing Sherrill in would give manager Mike Scioscia more options depending on the situation.

Los Angeles Dodgers – They’ve got Jonathan Broxton and you have to ask is there many better in the National League. He’s got 23 saves with a 2.76 era and 73 strikeouts in 45 innings. The Dodgers problem lately has been getting the ball to Broxton. They’ve got solid relievers but they’re starting to show signs of fatigue, the norm with Joe Torre relievers at this time of year.

Philadelphia Phillies – The Phils have Brad “Lights Out” Lidge and an outstanding set-up man in Ryan Madson but they do have question marks everywhere else in that bullpen. They’ve got two key middle relievers, JC Romero and Chad Durbin both on the disabled lists and way too many Chan Ho Park sightings. If the deals for Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee fall through the Phillies can turn to Sherrill and the Orioles. What this would do is help shorten the game to six innings on most night for their starting pitchers. With guys like Pedro Martinez and Jamie Moyer, you’ll need those extra quality relievers.

The Orioles won’t be selling Sherrill for cheap. Both the Angels and Dodgers have been told they’ll have to give up their top third base prospects in any move. For the Dodgers that would mean Josh Bell, and for the Angels Brandon Wood.

Can’t blame the Orioles one bit, Sherrill may be 32 but he’s under team control for two more seasons. Fr a financially strapped club you got to keep those kind of guys.

“There are very few teams in baseball that couldn’t use a quality left-handed reliever,” president Andy MacPhail said. “We don’t feel an obligation to be the farm system for a contending team. We’ll act on whatever we perceive is in the best interest of the club.”

I don’t blame the Orioles one bit for putting a high price on their trade chips. The future is bright for this young team and to compete in the American League East they’ll need all the help they can get.

“He’s got a ways to go,” Scioscia told the Orange County Register. “You want to safely get a guy to where he can turn the bat loose. There’s a lot that goes into that. He’s going to be taking batting practice for awhile. Then we’ll take it to the next step. How long is that going to be? Hopefully, it’s going to be shorter term than what you’d be looking at in spring training when you first start swinging.”

So how to look at this?

The good thing, he’s taking batting practice earlier then expected. He was originally scheduled to start sometime next week. So it seems that he’s healing faster and could be ready a lot sooner.

The negative, we still don’t know when he’ll return. Scioscia isn’t even telling us if he’ll rehab will include a minor league assignment or extended spring training. That alone keeps me wondering if he really is able to take batting practice yet. Maybe they’re waiting to see how he holds up after the BP?

Initially, I said Vlad would be out six to eight weeks with this injury. If batting practice went well today and this weekend then that time frame looks like a reality. His went on the disabled list on April 17th and a six to eight week time frame would put him on a late May, early June return. So he’s right on pace.

So what does this mean for the Angels and Vlad? An extended stint on the disabled list.

At the moment, Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia thinks Guerrero can recover from the injury without surgery. With that being the case there is no definitive timetable for his return to the lineup. All we know is that Guerrero will be reevaluated by Yocum in a month. That’s the closest thing to a return date that Scioscia would give.

So Angels fans when can you reasonably expect Vlad back? I’d say six to eight weeks. If his doctor visit next month comes back clean it would probably take him a couple weeks to get back into shape and get some minor league at-bats in.

The bigger question thou is how do the Angels replace his bat and defense. I’ll say right now there is no way his defense can be replaced. Yes, I know he hasn’t played defense yet this year but that was coming eventually. Newly acquired Bobby Abreu will pretty much stay in his customary right field, while Gary Matthews Jr and Juan Rivera split time in left. At least that’s what I think will happen.

The main problem is replacing Vlad’s offense. It’s something that they can’t possibly replace. In my opinion there are two main options for the Angels.

1.) Whomever doesn’t start out of the Matthews / Rivera tandem plays DH. You get both bats in the lineup but the problem would be they lose a capable outfield backup. They could call up a minor leaguer thou to solve that issue.

2.) Call up a third catcher. This would enable the Angels to move Mike Napoli to the DH position and let Jeffrey Mathis start. While Mathis bat is nothing to write home about he is a much better defensive catcher then Napoli. With a team that prides itself on small ball this could be an intriguing scenario.

3.) I could be completely off base with both of the previous points and they do something else. In Friday’s game against the Minnesota Twins they started Maicer Izturis in the DH spot.

Personally, I’d go with Option 1 and get as many solid bats in the lineup as possible. But really what do I know, I’m just a blogger.

What I do know is that this is a huge blow to the Angels. For their fans sake lets hope they can keep afloat while he’s gone. If they do then Vlad’s return winds up a pretty good midseason “pick up”. Me, personally, I hope they don’t as I can’t stand that damn rally monkey.

The most popular name thrown around this winter is Jason Giambi. The Oakland lineup hasn’t been the same since the slugger left for the New York Yankees before the 2002 season. So the A’s are looking to turn back the clock and revisit the years when they had a power bat crushing the ball. That is something that Giambi can still provide, granted his average and on base percentage is down from the past he’ll be hugely beneficial to the Athletics.

So whom else is Beane looking at? The San Francisco Chronicle suggests Bobby Abreu and Garret Anderson.

Oakland has been looking at another former Yankees player in Abreu whom actually looks like the best option for them out of the three players. Abreu doesn’t have the power, never really did but he’s an on base and run producing machine. He’s driven in over 100 runs the past seven seasons and could be a huge bat behind newly acquired Matt Holliday. With the patience of Abreu, a career .405 obp, teams would be required to throw to Holliday. If Oakland is serious about adding Abreu they better act quickly thou, as the Chicago White Sox and AL Champions Tampa Bay Rays are showing interest.

Garret Anderson is a player the A’s have a considerable history with as a lifelong member of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The 36-year old can still produce but might not be someone the A’s should spend considerable money on. At least that’s what I think. If Beane actually did sign him you’d have to wonder if the A’s are changing their organizational philosophy. Over his career Anderson has walked minimally, his career obp is only a .327 not a number that Beane would be a big fan about. In addition, Anderson averages around a 3.4 in pitches per at-bat, definitely not the plate patience Billy typically likes for his hitters.

Regardless of what happens is refreshing to see Billy Beane trying to add players. Watching him constantly trade players as they become expensive has gotten pretty tiring. I’m not an Oakland fan at all, but as a baseball fan I hate seeing teams move players a year or two before their pay day. I hate the small markets excuse about money, keep the guys around try to win some games it will bring the fans in. Regardless seeing Matt Holliday come to town and possibly others is a nice change of pace. Bringing in at least one bat to go with Matt would definitely help Oakland compete with the Angels in the weak American League West.