Vazquez Trade May Be Completed Soon/Lo Duca Rumors

ASUCHRIS

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Man, this has been an exciting offseason!!!
 

KingLouieLouie

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coyoteshockeyfan said:
If Vazquez is not traded, he will most likely return to the Diamondbacks. Also, Arizona may have interest in signing Pokey Reese.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/1124dbacksnb1124.html

There may be one major benefit of Vazquez returning to the Dbacks... That is he might have an impressive 1st-half of the season and actually improve his trade value in the process... Conversely, I understand that he could do the total process (also get injured), so it's obviously best to trade him now..... The sooner the trade him, the better chance they will have to sign a FA starter of equal or better worth.....

Pokey Reese?????? Lord.. I even would prefer the Dbacks re-signing Clayton at any price over acquiring Reese... Reese is extremely horrid offensively and he's not as fast on the base-paths (which was one of his biggest assets) as he once was....Plus.. he missed all of last season due to his shoulder surgery.. which would signify that he might not be fully recovered and he wouldnt necessarily possess the range and throwing-arm he once did at SS... Heck.. I would even be willing to settle for another year of Cintron committing several errors at SS because at least he can hit.....

I still like the idea of Aurilia or perhaps Damion Easley, but please just so no to Reese.... heck... Even "Gumby Dammit" would be better....
 

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Zona90 said:
The Red Sox would never do that trade. We have to be realistic. If they can get a catcher for Javy, I would be happy. This team has absolutely no catchers. Snyder and Hill are not an everyday catcher.

Lo Duca is the only upgrade out there tradewise. However, at 6.5 mill a year I'll take a pass. I'd rather put money into Ramon Hernandez
 

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KLL said:
There may be one major benefit of Vazquez returning to the Dbacks... That is he might have an impressive 1st-half of the season and actually improve his trade value in the process... Conversely, I understand that he could do the total process (also get injured), so it's obviously best to trade him now..... The sooner the trade him, the better chance they will have to sign a FA starter of equal or better worth.....

Pokey Reese?????? Lord.. I even would prefer the Dbacks re-signing Clayton at any price over acquiring Reese... Reese is extremely horrid offensively and he's not as fast on the base-paths (which was one of his biggest assets) as he once was....Plus.. he missed all of last season due to his shoulder surgery.. which would signify that he might not be fully recovered and he wouldnt necessarily possess the range and throwing-arm he once did at SS... Heck.. I would even be willing to settle for another year of Cintron committing several errors at SS because at least he can hit.....

I still like the idea of Aurilia or perhaps Damion Easley, but please just so no to Reese.... heck... Even "Gumby Dammit" would be better....

Pokey Reese sucks but Aurilia and Easley over him????? All three are horrible and I would def rather save the cash and have cintron and Clayton back. Clayton can't be that much to resign for a year. You never know, Drew could make the roster in spring training but thats most likely a long shot. He'll be there in 2 seasons so I don't really care about SS. Pitching Pitching Pitching now now now
 

KingLouieLouie

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devilfan02 said:
Pokey Reese sucks but Aurilia and Easley over him????? All three are horrible and I would def rather save the cash and have cintron and Clayton back. Clayton can't be that much to resign for a year. You never know, Drew could make the roster in spring training but thats most likely a long shot. He'll be there in 2 seasons so I don't really care about SS. Pitching Pitching Pitching now now now

The reason why the Dbacks havent re-signed Clayton (and probably wouldnt) is that he's looking for more than a 1-year deal and also is somewhat out of the Dbacks price-range.... I still envision Cintron being part of a package trade before (or during) Spring Training.....

I didnt necessarily deem Aurilia or Easley being great either, however, Aurilia at least can provide some power and is familiar with NL pitching... Also.. Easley could be signed for cheap (even as a non-roster invitee).... I know many would discount this, however, he became best friends w/Tony Clark during their playing-days together in Detroit and both make their offseason home here in AZ.... Easley also brings the dimension of versatility and still has some decent speed on the basepaths.... Both of them wouldnt be costly and just serve as a 1-year (or just half of the season) stopgap until Drew proves to be fully ML ready.... Another option is Alex Gonzalez (who played w/the Marlins last season), but he more than likely would demand a long-term contract or Ramon Martinez (who ended the year w/the Phillies) and he might be had for cheap as well.....

Of course..they still might add a SS via trade (especially in the Vazquez package) and I hope we everything begins to materialize during next week's Winter Meetings.....
 

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KLL said:
The reason why the Dbacks havent re-signed Clayton (and probably wouldnt) is that he's looking for more than a 1-year deal and also is somewhat out of the Dbacks price-range.... I still envision Cintron being part of a package trade before (or during) Spring Training.....

I didnt necessarily deem Aurilia or Easley being great either, however, Aurilia at least can provide some power and is familiar with NL pitching... Also.. Easley could be signed for cheap (even as a non-roster invitee).... I know many would discount this, however, he became best friends w/Tony Clark during their playing-days together in Detroit and both make their offseason home here in AZ.... Easley also brings the dimension of versatility and still has some decent speed on the basepaths.... Both of them wouldnt be costly and just serve as a 1-year (or just half of the season) stopgap until Drew proves to be fully ML ready.... Another option is Alex Gonzalez (who played w/the Marlins last season), but he more than likely would demand a long-term contract or Ramon Martinez (who ended the year w/the Phillies) and he might be had for cheap as well.....

Of course..they still might add a SS via trade (especially in the Vazquez package) and I hope we everything begins to materialize during next week's Winter Meetings.....

We signed Clayton to a 1 year, 1.3 mill deal last offseason. Do you think he wants more than that (I'm not being a smartass)? If he wants around the same, I say do it. He's good defensively and we dont have many other SS options that are better offensivley in the short term via FA. No way we offer him more than a 1 year deal. If he wants a multi year deal, bring on Easley
 

coyoteshockeyfan

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devilfan02 said:
We signed Clayton to a 1 year, 1.3 mill deal last offseason. Do you think he wants more than that (I'm not being a smartass)? If he wants around the same, I say do it. He's good defensively and we dont have many other SS options that are better offensivley in the short term via FA. No way we offer him more than a 1 year deal. If he wants a multi year deal, bring on Easley
Yes, Clayton is looking for a multi-year deal as well as a raise in pay.
 

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"..And in this corner.."

I would'nt be averse to keeping Cintron at short, bringing in Drew to platoon with him, keeping Cintron's bat inthe lineup and getting Drew introduced to big-time pitching. This has always raised Cintron's #s, playing consistently. He could spell Glaus at 3rd again keeping his bat in the lineup. Counsell at 2nd could really be counted on, but would Cintron so hurt our defense if he was told to play at short all winter in the Dominican league? Noone can say Cintron doesn't work hard. Would Clayton-Counsell be that much better than Cintron-Counsell for up-the middle defense? By all accounts, Drew is making some BIGTIME defensive plays at SS and at the plate, as well as some rookie ones; The sooner he's in the majors, the better, in my eyes!!!
 

MaoTosiFanClub

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Gathright may be fast, but he doesn't get on base and strikes out too much. Counsell would be a better option leading off than Gathright.
 

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IMO, Counsell is a pretty good leadoff hitter. The problem is that with Counsell leading off, our 2 spot sucks. While Clayton is a good bunter, he strikes out WAY too much (something like 120+ times LY). Counsell belongs in the 2 spot where he's perfect- good bunter, decent speed, good contact hitter. Ideal would be either Pierre leading off or eventually Upton. I'd rather have Cintron/Drew at SS than give Clayton what he wants. What a joke. However, Byrnes hass made it clear that he's not rushing Drew to the bigs. He will get an invite to spring training but said that he will most likely start the season in AAA
 

Phill11

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MaoTosiFanClub said:
Gathright may be fast, but he doesn't get on base and strikes out too much. Counsell would be a better option leading off than Gathright.

I'd rather see Counsell in the two spot with Gath 1st.

Counsell just doesn't have speed and would be an awesome #2 hitter.
 

hafey2

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But whats the point of speed if you don't get on base?

Don't understand the love for these fast guys that can't consistantly get on base.
 

Phill11

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hafey2 said:
But whats the point of speed if you don't get on base?

Don't understand the love for these fast guys that can't consistantly get on base.


In 2 years I can see Gathright being the next Juan Pierre. He'll be able to get on base, trust me. He'll even have more power than Pierre.
 

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Gaithright's not exactly a slouch with the bat. He struggled while periodically playing for the D-Rays (who didn't?). What I've seen of him in the minors, he has the potential to be an OBP machine. I could see a .290, 60 steals season in view if he's given a shot to start regularly.

Phil, good comparison. He reminds me a lot of a young Juan Pierre. A lot of people seem to overevaluate, but the main reason he's on the block is because Tampa Bay has an abundance of young OF. I'd sure not lose too much sleep if Arizona got him. Obviously, not at the sake of the Big 3, but if he could be had at a reasonable rate, I'd be all in favor of it.
 

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hafey2 said:
But whats the point of speed if you don't get on base?

Don't understand the love for these fast guys that can't consistantly get on base.

Exhibit A:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_y...=citadel-2_471871_247&prov=citadel&type=story

Top 50 Prospect Profile: #41 Marland Williams
James Renwick - Scout.com
November 28, 2005 at 3:11am ET

We're getting deep inside the numbers, talking to scouts, front office personnel, even opponents about the top D'Backs prospects. Today we give you another peek AT A FREE PREVIEW OF PREMIUM CONTENT by breaking down Marland 'Smoke' Williams, a true burner who's stock has been falling, but is due for a market correction.

Name: Marland Williams

Position: CF/OF

DOB: 06/22/81

Height: 5'9

Weight: 185

Bats/Throws: R/R

Before the 2005 season it appeared that the Diamondbacks acquired Jose Cruz Jr. to hold a spot. Marland Williams was ranked #9 on the FutureBacks Fifty last year, and the center field job was his for the taking. There was speculation that he might supplant Cruz as soon as May, and the Diamondbacks were just fine with that.

After all, Williams is one of the three fastest players in the Diamondbacks organization. A true burner, with plus defense in center field and 50 stolen base potential in the Majors. But this season was a large step back for the outfielder. Playing in a four man outfield rotation in Double-A Tennessee, Williams started slowly, but turned it on in the middle of April, and finished the month hitting .324. He was taking pitches, stealing bases, and playing a spectacular center field.

"He looked like he had gone into the offseason, improved exactly what the Diamondbacks asked him to improve, and come into '05 with a plan," one scout said of Williams' April, "I really thought he was going to get called up in May, especially when Cruz couldn't stay healthy."

Unfortunately for Williams, the rest of the season turned into a nightmare. In 2004 the biggest knock on the speedster was his lack of plate discipline, which resulted in 116 Ks in 487 at bats. In April of '05 he struck out 13 times in just under 70 at bats, but things spiraled in May, where he whiffed 30 times in just under 100 ABs. He would lose considerable playing time after hitting below .200 in both June and July, and finish with 108 strikeouts in 381 trips to the plate for the season.

"We haven't given up on Marland," Diamondbacks Director of Scouting Mike Rizzo says, "he's still very much in our plans. He's the fastest guy in the organization, if not in baseball, and he was a football player coming out of high school. He had two super years early, then a great Arizona Fall League in 2004, and if he's had a hiccup in Double-A, we think it's just that, a hiccup."

Batting and Power: As far as the Diamondbacks are concerned, they would just as soon see Williams leave it at 'batting.' After hitting a career high 10 home runs in Double-A El Paso in 2004, Williams showed up in Tennessee with an extra 10 pounds of muscle, and a tendency to pull off breaking pitches. Like many young players, he was trying to hit home runs, and ended up hitting a lot of lazy fly balls.

The Diamondbacks sent him to the AFL in '04 to keep the ball on the ground. He did, and was one of the most surprising stories of that year's Fall League, but in '05 many of the bad habits returned, and as Southern League pitchers learned they didn't have to throw him a breaking ball for a strike, his lack of plate discipline became magnified.

"You'd see him at the plate, and he just didn't trust his hands," our scout says, "by the middle of the season, he was starting his swing so early, there was no way to tell if the ball would be anywhere near the plate. He's got tools, and he's got potential, but he's got to work on some of the fundamentals at the plate. For a guy with his speed, he really should be able to bunt for a base hit twice a game, and he just can't."

Baserunning and Speed: While Williams had trouble getting on base, once he was there he was money. He stole 38 bases in 45 attempts, and has shown himself to be not just fast, but smart, on the bases.

"He reads pitchers really well, even lefties," a pitcher who faced him in the Southern League this past season says, "and there really isn't any point in pitching out when he's on base, because if he gets any kind of jump, you're still not going to throw him out."

The pressure he puts on outfielders was awesome as well. Unofficially one teammate says he saw "at least" nine errors this season on outfielders who rushed throws trying to get Williams at third or home, and he doesn't let his speed get the best of him, challenging outfielders when the time is right, but rarely trying for the extra base when it isn't there.

Defense: Many outfielders with the speed of Williams aren't really that great defensively, because their speed allows them to make up for bad jumps and poor routes. But Williams is an exception. Though he played some left field this year, he profiles as a center fielder, and is most comfortable there. His routes are rarely poor, and often perfect, and he makes all his fellow outfielders better, because they can play significantly closer to the lines, because Williams will make all the plays in the gaps.

His arm is above average for a center fielder, though he occasionally will still air mail throws. The arm allows him to play all three positions, though it would be slightly below average for a right fielder, and when asked to search for a weakness in Williams' defense, our scout finally came up with this.

"It's not really a weakness, but with his speed, he could probably play a little more shallow, and take away a bloop single or two. But he gets to so many balls, coming in, going out, that it hardly seems like a weakness, just more a coaching decision."

Projection: Though he took a major step backwards this season, he still profiles as a guy who will reach the Majors as a fifth outfielder, simply because he would be successful as a late game base stealer/defensive replacement. If he can come into 2006 with the approach he showcased in the '04 AFL he could still move up, but he's been passed by at least one center fielder in the system already, and could be passed by both Justin Upton and Steve Garrabrants next year if he doesn't improve. He might be a prime candidate for other teams looking to add speed to their system, and rumors have speculated about his name coming up in trade negotiations this offseason.

"You can't really teach plus defense and you definitely can't teach plus plus speed," Rizzo says, "He's going to have to learn to conform his game to his tools, cut down on his strikeouts, but he's really very young in 'baseball age' because he really didn't start playing until we got him."

ETA: He will almost certainly repeat Double-A in 2006, for the third time. That's not a good sign, but if he figures out where the strike zone is, and that he's not going to be a slugger, his fortunes could change in the time it takes him to go from first to second. If he doesn't make the adjustment, he might be looking at an outright release by the middle of the 2007 campaign.

I still contend that Kenny Lofton wouldnt be an all to bad stop-gap until Williams can finally improve in his OPS and OBP....
 

Phill11

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KLL said:
Exhibit A:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_y...=citadel-2_471871_247&prov=citadel&type=story



I still contend that Kenny Lofton wouldnt be an all to bad stop-gap until Williams can finally improve in his OPS and OBP....

The thought of Marland Williams in the OF doesn't put a smile on my face. Reminds me of Tony Womack. Had the speed, but couldn't get on base.

Lofton would be a fair part time stop gap. I can't even see him play 130 games in a season.

I'd like to see if Quentin is MLB Ready this season for our CF solution. Then in 3-4 years when Upton is ready we can move Quentin to LF/RF.
 

overseascardfan

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I know no one has mentioned these two players and maybe for good reason but what about either Luis Castillo or Rafael Furcal.

Furcal may be expensive but he would step in right away at the lead off position and in a year move him to 2B or put Drew at 2B and have a great DP combo.

Castillo is always hurt and may be expensive but he fills a need as a lead off hitter and plays a great 2B defensively.
 

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overseascardfan said:
I know no one has mentioned these two players and maybe for good reason but what about either Luis Castillo or Rafael Furcal.

Furcal may be expensive but he would step in right away at the lead off position and in a year move him to 2B or put Drew at 2B and have a great DP combo.

Castillo is always hurt and may be expensive but he fills a need as a lead off hitter and plays a great 2B defensively.

I'd be willing to take the risk on Castillo, but Furcal is too expensive. My guess is he gets a 4 year, $7 million+ offer from a team like the Cubs.

Castillo though could come cheap with the Marlins fire-sale.
 

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overseascardfan said:
I know no one has mentioned these two players and maybe for good reason but what about either Luis Castillo or Rafael Furcal.

Furcal may be expensive but he would step in right away at the lead off position and in a year move him to 2B or put Drew at 2B and have a great DP combo.

Castillo is always hurt and may be expensive but he fills a need as a lead off hitter and plays a great 2B defensively.

No way. Furcal wants a 5 year deal worth $50+ mill and we have Drew and/or Upton taking up SS in 2 years. He's way too expensive for our needs. We're looking at guys like Damian Easley, Pokey Reese, resigning Clayton, or Rich Aurillia. Pretty much a veteran who can fill our need at SS for a very cheap price. I wouldn't be against looking at Castillo but then what do you do with Counsell??? I think I'd rather have Counsell simply because he never gets hurt, is cheap, does all the small things on the field and in the clubhouse, and because he's Craig Counsell. Castillo is great defensively and also has great speed but he's 30 and made just under 5 mill last year. I'm not sure what he's due on the rest of his contract but 5 mill is pretty expensive especially if your replacing a guy as valuable and cheap (1.3 mill) as Counsell.
 
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ESPN.com rumor mill:
Capital position?
Nov 29 - Washington's trade talks with Arizona about right-hander Javier Vazquez are "very much alive," a Nationals team source told The Washington Post. Vazquez has requested a trade from the Diamondbacks in hopes of getting closer to his home in Puerto Rico. He has two years and $24 million remaining on a four-year, $45 million deal.

Any idea who we'd get in return??????
 
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