Trade bait - Who could we target for LF or RF?

[Aglets]

Put on your GM hat.

I think everyone knows we are really struggling to get production from our Corner OF spots. Interestingly enough, we are getting killed at SS as well, but obviously Hardy is here for the forseeable future, and we trust that he will help bring that back around in time.

For LF, we have a .600 OPS which is 26th in baseball, and 13th in the AL. Pretty bad.

For RF, the number goes up to .780, which surprised me (13th in MLB). Apparently guys like Snider and De Aza are hitting better when they play Right than Left. I don't think these splits are meaningful.

So looking at the bigger picture, I did some maths and ended up with a combined corner OF OPS number of .690. (no I did not just do a straight average lol, but with roughly equal PA I guess I could have saved some time)

How can we do better? Looking for ideas for guys on other teams that maybe we should target. Ideal picks would be on non-contenders and would be pretty cheap. I'll look at this some more after lunch.

[Aristotelian]

Upton is the only clear upgrade over our guys that is likely to be available.

The player I would be coveting is Cueto. Solid ace at the top of the rotation. No idea what they would ask for, but I think a rotation of Cueto-Ubaldo-Chen-Miguel-Tillman would be tough to beat.

[Phantom]

The "problem" with having the kind of depth that we do is that only a star will upgrade these positions in a significant way.

Additionally, you are only looking at offense. Going by fWAR, our production at these two spots is about average for the league (1.4 in Left, 1.2 in Right).

[Rene88]

Only if Parmalee could play a better OF, he has another rbi today.

[webbrick2010]

If things keep heading the way they are for the Padres and Reds I figure Upton and Cueto are both going to be dealt. Not sure what the O's have that could be offered. Just have my fingers crossed that these guys don't end up with one of our AL East competitors. Cueto to the Red Sox would be bad news. Upton to the O's would be great news.

[El Gordo]

I think the COF problem will fix itself once Pearce is free to move from 2B back to the OF.

[mdbdotcom]

I just think it's great that we have three outfielders (Snider, De Aza, Lough) who have a higher OPS than Matt Kemp. Remember all the geniuses this off-season who wanted the O's to trade Bundy for Kemp?

I think our COF will be fine. I wouldn't mind seeing them trade Davis and move Paredes to 1B (assuming he can play it well enough), and have a DH platoon of Snider/Young so the corner outfield could be Lough/Pearce in LF and De Aza in RF.

[sportsfan8703]

The same player I wanted this offseason, Josh Reddick. Isn't a FA until after next year. With his hot start and 1.5 years of control it would probably take a pretty decent prospect.

[El Gordo]

Put on your GM hat.

I think everyone knows we are really struggling to get production from our Corner OF spots. Interestingly enough, we are getting killed at SS as well, but obviously Hardy is here for the forseeable future, and we trust that he will help bring that back around in time.

For LF, we have a .600 OPS which is 26th in baseball, and 13th in the AL. Pretty bad.

For RF, the number goes up to .780, which surprised me (13th in MLB). Apparently guys like Snider and De Aza are hitting better when they play Right than Left. I don't think these splits are meaningful.

So looking at the bigger picture, I did some maths and ended up with a combined corner OF OPS number of .690. (no I did not just do a straight average lol, but with roughly equal PA I guess I could have saved some time)

How can we do better? Looking for ideas for guys on other teams that maybe we should target. Ideal picks would be on non-contenders and would be pretty cheap. I'll look at this some more after lunch.

Blackmon COL, Murphy CLE, Parra, Gomez MIL,

[Aglets]

The Padres are a .500 team so I'm not sure they'll be ready to sell a blockbuster name like Upton yet, unless we really overpay, which we obviously won't do.

But yea if they fall out of things by July then he would certainly be a likely trade target.

Would we consider moving a good arm for someone like Brantley?

.890 OPS last year, over .900 this year, under team control through 2018. He ain't coming cheap.

[TiredofLosing20]

Nelson Cruz? I mean if Seattle is out of it.

[Aglets]

Nelson Cruz? I mean if Seattle is out of it.

Well played. If seattle seriously does tank this could be an option actually imo. But we aren't taking on that full contract.....

[Rene88]

Well played. If seattle seriously does tank this could be an option actually imo. But we aren't taking on that full contract.....

No way does that happen. Man, party at my house if it does, but no way. Seattle will get a wild card this year, pitching will come around and Astros will fade.

[Bahama O's Fan]

How bout we trade for Cruz, then place him on waivers in the offseason? Someone will pick up that contract, right?

[TiredofLosing20]

I am pretty much kidding. I don't like the contract. I am not willing to take it on based on 2 otherworldly good months at the beginning of it. That said, his numbers would look pretty good in LF right now.