Hot Stove at BP

"Though Cruz hit 33 homers and was selected to the All-Star Game this past season, the Rangers are looking to sell high because they feel he had a career year."

I still feel like this is an awful idea unless they get a great offer.

"Catching has become an increasingly difficult position for teams to fill, yet there are some interesting names floating as trade possibilities: the Pirates’ Ryan Doumit, the Rays’ Dioner Navarro, the Rangers’ Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and the Cubs’ Geovany Soto."

I wonder what kind of value Salty even has right now? What do you guys think?

3 months ago ramjam36 24 comments 0 recs |

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Even if Cruz declined a bit

he’s still pretty good on both offense and defense AND he’s cheap. I’d only trade him if the offer was very enticing. Cruz is in phenomenal shape, I think he’s got a few good years yet and I’d be in no hurry to deal him.

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by t ball on Nov 9, 2009 11:14 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I certainly think we should explore moving Cruz

in a package for a good, young pitcher. I surely wouldn’t move him for the sake of moving him, but OF is a position of strength.

by Sherman McCoy on Nov 9, 2009 12:40 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

And pitching isn't a position of stregnth?

This year the team struggled more to score runs than to keep the team in games with their pitching and defense.

To trade one of your best offensive players from a team that struggled offensively is a recipe for disaster. No trading Cruz.

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by slc ranger on Nov 9, 2009 1:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I doubt we've completely reversed the trend

I’m more inclined to think our pitching hasn’t COMPLETELY turned the corner AND our offense hasn’t completely regressed to the level it hit this year.

"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"

by Walter Sobchak on Nov 9, 2009 3:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

OF strength

Minus Cruz, we’d have Hamilton (and all the risk that he embodies) and a guy that may or may not be starter quality (Borbon) and a good platoon/4th OF in Murphy, with no real help in the minor league pipeline. That’s hardly a surplus.

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by tricer on Nov 9, 2009 1:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

in your package, you have to get a quality OF in return

along with a top starter. I’d imagine Cruz and one of our catchers plus maybe a minor league non-top 100 rated starter for a TORP + a guaranteed OF bat/glove that isn’t considered on Cruz’ level

"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"

by Walter Sobchak on Nov 9, 2009 3:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Why would anyone do that?

Cruz (who’s not young) plus a catcher (that’s not good) plus a non-stellar prospect for TORP + guaranteed OF bat? Hell, Cruz isn’t seen as a guaranteed OF bat.

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by WyoRanger on Nov 9, 2009 6:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

No way someone gives that up

Not for a Cruz/Salty/Beavan or Kiker or Boscan or whatever package.

by Adam J. Morris on Nov 9, 2009 7:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

I still think Cruz can and should be more valuable in the Rangers’ OF and batting order than what he can bring in trade.

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by Ed Coffin on Nov 9, 2009 9:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I think trading Cruz could make sense

Especially since this I would argue that this pitching staff is not nearly as strong as some people here assume. For instance, look at ZiPS projections for 2010. They peg Feldman as an average starter, Feliz as a slightly above average starter (with limited innings), and Millwood/Holland/Hunter as below average. Millwood and McCarthy have injury concerns, and McCarthy is arbitration eligible.

I also think there is almost no chance that the Rangers start the season with Feliz in the ML rotation. They will try to limit his innings, at a minimum. He will probably start in the minors or in the bullpen and his innings will be limited throughout the season. That leaves us with a starting rotation of Millwood, Feldman, Holland, Hunter, and McCarthy. We would also have a group of fringe starters waiting in the minors (Harrison, Hurley, etc). If trading Cruz, McCarthy, and a prospect can net you a Ricky Nolasco caliber starter, I think you have to do it. That would significantly improve the rotation. There would probably be some kind of injury or ineffectiveness that would allow the Rangers to move Feliz into the rotation at some point.

And I think that this team could supplement Cruz’s offense through signing some second-tier hitters like Nick Johnson, Mike Cameron, Jim Thome, or Troy Glaus.

by Stephen Rushin on Nov 9, 2009 1:59 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

If we could trade Cruz and BMac for Nolasco

I would jump for joy…but it ain’t happenin.

by ramjam36 on Nov 9, 2009 2:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah of course

You’d have to include a prospect (and a decent one at that), as I mentioned. But the point I was making was that I don’t think the Rangers are expecting to trade Cruz just for the sake of unloading him. I think they would be receptive to deal including Cruz to get a Nolasco-caliber starter.

In that situation, then it can make a lot of sense. I don’t think we can say definitively (as many people here have) that the Rangers cannot trade Cruz.

by Stephen Rushin on Nov 9, 2009 2:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

Like I wrote in the post, I just think we need to get impact in return if they do trade him…because I think he can be an impact bat.

by ramjam36 on Nov 9, 2009 2:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Nolasco

Does anyone know exactly what his service time is thus far?

Coming into the year, he had 2 years and 142 days according to Cot’s. I know that he was sent down to the minors for a while this year. Does he have 3 years of club control remaining?

Cruz has 4 seasons of club control left.

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by tricer on Nov 9, 2009 3:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Dunno but Nolasco is a stud...

by Agreen07 on Nov 9, 2009 5:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

He'll be a FA after the 2011 season.

This last year was his first year of arb eligibility (as a super 2).

by LiamP on Nov 9, 2009 5:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think till after 2012

Right now he is at 3+ years of service time. After 2010 he will be at 4+. After 2011 he will be at 5+. Which means not until after 2012 will he have 6 years of service time.

As a Super 2 he gets 4 years of arbitration instead of the normal 3

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by bigsteve on Nov 10, 2009 10:03 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm more intrigued by some of the pitchers

that might be available for trade. Guys like Billingsley or Guthrie. If the Dodgers are willing to part with Billingsley for anything reasonable, I’d snap him up in a heartbeat. And Guthrie could be a steal. He’s had problems but he has the stuff to be a very good pitcher.

by MikeEl on Nov 9, 2009 3:20 PM CST reply actions 0 recs