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Who will be wheeling and dealing come Major League Baseball's trade deadline was the theme of ESPN.com baseball writer Jason Stark's first chat with users.
Stark addressed several trade-related questions and talked about the Red Sox, Yankees and Phillies. He also touched on the Sammy Sosa saga and the Atlanta Braves and their pitching problems.
If you missed Stark's June 20, an edited transcript follows:
| |  | | The Philles' Andy Ashby is prominent in trade talk. |
Richard: Is this the year the Braves finally win another championship? What do they need in order to win
it again?
Jayson Stark: The Braves are still the best team in the National League, but they're showing signs of being
human. I think they need to add two pitchers -- probably one starter and one reliever. Then they
could move Terry Mulholland back to the bullpen and get back to having the pitching depth
they're known for and the kind of depth they started the season with. John Rocker, obviously,
is also a huge key for them. How do they answer the question: "Do we need a closer?" right
now? They can't, until Rocker establishes whether he can throw strikes.
Frank: What can the Phils realistically expect to get for Andy Ashby?
Jayson Stark:
The jury's out on that, now that he's on the DL. Their hope was to get Ashby on the market
fast, before any other starters were available, and get maximum value for him in a hurry. Now
they have to hope he'll be back next Monday, as scheduled, and they don't have to deviate
from that plan.
Their objectives when they trade him are to get two players, with their priorities
being: 1. closer or potential closer, 2. young starter they can plug in now or in the near future,
3. left-handed hitting outfielder and 4. shortstop. I think you'll see them purse people like Roy
Halladay (not impossible), Bobby Howry (no chance), Ricky Ledee (depends on the Sosa
deal) and Scott Williamson (very unlikely).
Shawn: If the Cubs trade Sammy Sosa, what do they need to get in return and who do you think will get him?
What does that then do to players like H-Rod and G. Hill (who is interested in them)?
Jayson Stark:
We've got about 200 questions just like this. So I'll try to answer all of them by answering you.
If the Cubs trade Sammy, it has to be a building-block deal, or they'll get killed for it in
Chicago. So there has to be someone in it who can safely be projected to be a star in the near
future. In the Mets' system, the only player who meets that criterion is Alex Escobar. They're
saying now he's not available, but we'll see. In the Yankees' system, that can be one of several
players -- Nick Johnson (again, said to be untouchable), Soriano (definitely available in the right
deal), Jackson Melian (whom they prefer not to trade) or Drew Henson (more likely to go to
the Tigers in a Gonzalez deal). With the Red Sox, I'm not sure who meets that description.
Dernell Stenson is intriguing. And their young pitchers, especially Kim, are interesting. But
I'm not sure how they match up.
Jays 'R' Back: Do you honestly believe that Sosa alone could solve the Yankees-Red Sox problems? Both
teams are only two starters deep and there is no pitching help in sight.
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Tues., June 20
Stark pens several columns a week for ESPN.com, including Friday's
Week in Review and Saturday's Rumblings and Grumblings, He also
appears as an analyst for ESPN's Baseball Tonight and ESPN Radio.
Prior to joining ESPN.com, Stark worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer for 21 years, serving
initially as the Philadelphia Phillies beat writer and then as national baseball writer and columnist.
He also was the creator and author of the nationally syndicated Baseball Week in Review
column, known for unearthing obscure, historic and humorous aspects of baseball, from
1983-1999.
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Jayson Stark:
Personally, I don't. I do think the Yankees need another bat. But the biggest reason they've
won three World Series is their starting pitching, and that scares me right now. I think they'll
trade for both a hitter and a starter. And I think the Red Sox are thinking the same way. Both
teams' pitching staffs aren't as good as their numbers -- as the last two days have proven.
Metfan: Will Brad Radke get traded and if he does, who to and how much will team have to give up?
Jayson Stark:
If I had to guess right now, I'd guess that Radke won't get traded. But that can still change.
They're about to make a serious attempt to get him signed, and he has indicated it's his
preference to stay. But from talking to the Twins' people, I know their feeling is that if they can't
get him signed by next month, they'll have to think seriously about moving him. And if they put
him on the market, all the teams interested in pitching will be lining up. The Reds, in particular,
love him. And the Mets are right behind.
Science Man: Do the Cardinals have everything in place to win the Central? They have pitching coming back from
the DL and Tatis on his way back, or will they need something else to solidify their chances?
Jayson Stark:
At this point, I see more chance of Mark McGwire getting outhomered by Luis Castillo than I do of
someone overtaking the Cardinals in the Central. But I think they need to shore up their bullpen,
and they've told clubs Ray Lankford is available for the right reliever. (John Wetteland? Seems
like a good match to me if the Rangers continue to fade.)
DiscoJP: I am a Detroit fan, and my question to you involves Juan Gonzalez. First,
everyone thought he would not sign and would be traded. Now, however, he's on a hot streak,
hitting three home runs last week including a walk-off slam. Based on your knowledge, will he
sign on with the Tigers?
Jayson Stark:
The Juan Gonzalez situation has been much harder to read than it's been portrayed. Does he
really want to walk away from the kind of money the Tigers are willing to pay him? Is that
money out there anywhere else? I think he has to seriously ask himself those questions in the
next few weeks. If he continues to waffle, the Tigers will definitely trade him. But I still think
they prefer to sign him. And remember, too, that Gonzalez has a no-trade to 10 teams -- almost
all of them the clubs he'd be most likely to get dealt to -- and he's indicated lately he prefers not
to waive his no-trade. But he seems to change his mind about everything almost daily, and that's
been contributing to the chaos. Do I sound confused? The Tigers are, too.
Jonathan: Are the Indians dead in the water? Everyone tells us Cleveland fans that the competition is
good, but having never faced it, will the Indians play sub-par baseball or can they put together a
run still?
Jayson Stark:
I really believe the Indians are not dead. Far from it. They're only four games over .500, but
the Red Sox are just five over, and the Yankees six over. So they're still right there in the
wild-card race. And of all the contenders, they're by far the most decimated by injuries. That's
still the best lineup in baseball if everyone is healthy. And if they can get Nagy and Shuey back
in the near-future, it should help stabilize the pitching. They also need to get players back so
they have the depth to make some deals. If not, they're going to have to consider seriously
whether to deal someone like a Sexson or a Branyan or a C.C. Sabathia to get what they need
(which, as always, is pitching -- all shapes and sizes).
Sephiroth: Is Curt Schilling going to be traded?
Jayson Stark:
This has been a strange situation. Schilling has been very quiet about whether he wants to stay
or go. But my bet right now would be that he won't go anywhere. For one thing, he hasn't
established yet what he is -- an ace on the rebound, a guy who is destined to only show flashes
of what he was or someone who still has physical problems. So what's he worth to the Phillies?
What's he worth to other teams? No one really knows, so what's the value to the Phillies of
trading him when he can't be a free agent until after 2001?
The big question is whether Schilling
will force the issue. He has told people that if the Phillies are dumping players like Ashby at the
deadline, it would diminish his desire to stay. But I think the Phillies' philosophy when they trade
Ashby will be more than just to dump a potential free agent. I think they'll use it to shore up
their needs and try to stay competitive in the near future. So how that plays out and whom they
get will have an impact on Schilling's thinking.
Frustratedstros: What's going on with Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell? Both are having sub-par years, especially the former,
despite playing in Coors south. Do you expect they will turn it around and post their usual
numbers by season's end?
Jayson Stark:
I think the Astros are worried that Biggio might be on the decline. He barely hit .250 the last
two months of last season, and he hasn't been himself this year. He's played a ton of games
full-bore for a lot of years. He's 34. And I think there's reason to be concerned, much as I love
watching him.
I think they feel Bagwell is pressing, trying to carry a fading team singlehandedly
and possibly feeling the pressure of his impending contract talks. Those guys have been two of
my favorite players, and it pains me to see them suffering through a year like this. When you've
been on teams as good as they've been on the last few years and never won a playoff series,
then see your window of opportunity slamming shut, that's very difficult psychologically. And I
think everyone underestimates the toll that has taken on both of them.
Jeff: Wanted your thoughts on two young players: Rafael Furcal and Tony Armas
Jr. (who obviously got roughed up for the first time last weekend)?
Jayson Stark:
Rafael Furcal is as impressive a young player as I've seen come into the big leagues in a long,
long time -- if only because he's never played above Class A ball and he's essentially had no
transition period. I know the Braves are astounded by how well he's played, because he has
such confidence in what he can do and virtually no doubt. I don't care if he's 19 or 22. He'd
never played above A ball. So that's amazing. I think the Braves would like to move him into
the leadoff hole, drop Quilvio Veras to No. 2 and let Andruw Jones hit in more of an RBI slot.
That could very well happen when Furcal comes off the DL next week.
Tony Armas, meanwhile, is the real deal with the usual proviso on any young pitcher -- if he can
stay healthy. In his first six starts this year, he allowed four hits or fewer in five of them. He
had a rough one last time out, but who doesn't these days, except Randy and Pedro. Very, very
bright future for Tony Armas.
Metallicat: How do you like the White Sox' chances of making the playoffs? Also, how do you think they will
fare if they get there?
Jayson Stark:
I've been saying since the second week of the season that the White Sox were for real. And
after the last few weeks, I don't think anyone should have any doubt. Very few teams have ever
blown an 8½ game lead this late, so they're in great shape. They do what all the good teams
do these days: score a million runs and win every battle of the bullpens. When they get the lead,
they're going to win. And that makes them a handful to play.
My doubts on them entering the
season were purely based on starting pitching. But James Baldwin is now 18-2 since August 1
(18-2!). If he's really that good, it gives them a legit No. 1 starter to run out there in October.
And then the rest of their rotation -- which is all No. 3-4 starter types -- can fall into place. They
also have a tremendous pitching prospect, in Jon Garland, waiting in the wings in Triple-A, if
anyone goes down. I don't think they need a lot of help, but I think they'll look to add depth
before the deadline.
Graeme: Do you think the Jays will be able to keep pace with the Sox and Yankees for the rest of the
season?
Jayson Stark:
Believe it or not, I picked the Jays to finish first in the AL East in spring training, and everyone
thought I was nuts. But they've got one of the top three lineups in the league. They can run.
They can bomb. They've got a tremendous closer. And they're younger than the Yankees or
Red Sox. They've been exasperated by Kelvim Escobar and frustrated that Halladay wasn't
what they hoped. But Wells-Carpenter makes for a great 1-2 at the top of the rotation. Frank
Castillo has kept them in every game. And they'll almost certainly trade for a starting pitcher
between now and the deadline. If they make the right deal and stay healthy, why couldn't
they finish first in that division?
PhillyFan641225: Who else (Gant and Morandini) might the Phillies move before the deadline besides Ashby and
Schilling? What could they expect to get back in return? Will the keep Brogna around for a
couple more years and move Burrell back to LF until Eric Valent (Reading OF) or another OF
is obtained or trade him now?
Jayson Stark: The Phillies will definitely attempt to deal Gant and Ashby, would listen to offers for
Morandini, and probably won't trade Schilling. They have a tough decision to make on Brogna.
They're clearly not as good defensively without him, he's a real leader on that team, and since
he's been out for half a season, he'd be less expensive to re-sign. But a lot depends on what
players they get back when they trade Ashby and/or Gant. If they get an outfielder or first
baseman who they think is younger and better than Brogna (i.e., Ricky Lede), they would go
that route and adjust Burrell's position accordingly. They like Eric Valent, but he's still a year
and a half away, and he might be just a fourth outfielder when he arrives, anyway.
Thanks to everyone who participated. See you all next time. | |
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