Cabrera, Sherrill, Roberts = our big trading chips

[DennisTheOsFan]

McPhail can go a long ways in retooling and reshaping our team if he trades away Cabrera, Sherrill, and Roberts, and gets another handful of high caliber prospects. We still need infield prospects (especially middle infield prospects) and power bats. Maybe a team on the cusp of contention will make a desperate attempt to strengthen their pitching staff by trading for both Cabrera and Sherrill. Wonder what we could get for that package?

Then we have Ramon Hernandez, Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora, and Kevin Millar to use as trade bait as well, and hopefully we'll get one or two B level prospects for them.

Will we be big time sellers in the trading market this season?

[grady41]

He also could get some great prospects for Markakis. Come on quit trying to trade every player, is this team going to be a developmental team for the rest of the league like the A's?

If someone knocks your socks off with a deal, you should always look at it, or if the guy says he wants out, has that been said here? Where has any of them ever said they wanted out?

Bedard wanted out, I understand the trade there, the team got something. Miggy wanted out the team didnt get enough there, but it had to be made.

If they can get rid of the older players, they should. Bradford. Walker and Huff for example. Keep Millar, he is good for the clubhouse.

[UMDTerrapins]

Depends how high AM is on his current rotation. If he thinks the rotation is strong enough to compete in 2009, you stand pat and wait for the offseason to make a run at Teixeira and a hitting SS...figuring that there is organizational depth at C, 3B, and LF and serviceable stopgaps at those positions under contract. If you don't see the rotation as capable of making a playoff run if they had more offensive support, you make one more round of selling off quality players for prospects and look to compete in 2010 with the arrival of Tillman, Arrieta, Weiters. Personally I look to trade Cabrera and Sherrill if the price is right. But I hang on to Roberts unless I'm blown away. I don't see the return for Walker, Bradford, Payton or Hernandez to be good enough to bother trading them.

[utvolzac]

Roberts and Sherrill should be be shopped heavily, IMO. I think those two guys alone could bring back enough young talent to "complete" the rebuild and start focusing on contention in 2010.

Cabrera is a tough one. On one hand, he is the type of player we should be looking to build around, not trade. If AM think this new Cabrera is going to stick, then he should keep him and extend him. If he's afraid Cabrera will revert to his old self, then we should move him while his value is at an alltime high.

The rest of those guys won't bring back anything significant, IMO.

[SilentJames]

I kind of agree with Davis and Johnson. Sherrill has become so dependable out there, we have locked up cheaply for the next couple of years and he becomes a great insurance policy if Ray can't hack it - assuming ray gets the job when he is healthy.

Roberts is still our best trade candidtate, but the need to trade any of these guys is nowhere near the level that the Bedard and Tejada deals were.

[sector7g]

Roberts and Sherrill should be be shopped heavily, IMO. I think those two guys alone could bring back enough young talent to "complete" the rebuild and start focusing on contention in 2010.

Cabrera is a tough one. On one hand, he is the type of player we should be looking to build around, not trade. If AM think this new Cabrera is going to stick, then he should keep him and extend him. If he's afraid Cabrera will revert to his old self, then we should move him while his value is at an alltime high.

The rest of those guys won't bring back anything significant, IMO.

I agree with all of this post 100%.

I can see why some people may want to keep Sherrill because he is cheap and so far, effective but you have to believe Roberts is at his peak right now. If we're not going to contend for 3 years is he going to be an effective contributor for us then? Maybe he will but since so much of his game is based on speed you have to think there is a fair chance he won't.

[i_miss_cal]

I don't think Roberts is going anywhere. If they couldn't get the return for this past winter then I don't think they will get it now. My problem with trading Roberts would be the fact the we would have two huge holes in the infield because we would not have a capable SS or 2B in our organization.

[Mackus]

I don't think Roberts is going anywhere. If they couldn't get the return for this past winter then I don't think they will get it now.

I agree with this, his value has certainly gone down in the eyes of all other teams. I just don't see them getting a package that they'd move Roberts for.

[Knife_Dixon]

I kind of agree with Davis and Johnson. Sherrill has become so dependable out there, we have locked up cheaply for the next couple of years and he becomes a great insurance policy if Ray can't hack it - assuming ray gets the job when he is healthy.

Roberts is still our best trade candidtate, but the need to trade any of these guys is nowhere near the level that the Bedard and Tejada deals were.

Not that this is the point of the thread, but I think Ray should be the insurance policy. I don't think too many people were satisfied with his performance.

[Scrat1]

I wish people would stop talking about trading Mora. It ain't gonna happen.

[Nemyar]

I wonder if a team with a winning record has ever dismantled itself in a big way.

[Golgo]

I dont see any reason to keep Sherrill. Time and time again the closer position has shown itself to built for flash-in-the-pan type of players (with a few exceptions). Just look at Gagne. I think the position is important, but its also the type of position where a guy can go from dominant to door mat in one season. I would trade him in a heart beat for non-pitching prospects.

[Golgo]

I wonder if a team with a winning record has ever dismantled itself in a big way.

Does the marlins post-world series dismantlement count?

[davearm]

I wonder if a team with a winning record has ever dismantled itself in a big way.

One year at the trade deadline the White Sox sold off a bunch of key veteran players for prospects when they were like a game out of first. This is about a decade ago.

EDIT: White Flag Trade

[Mackus]

'97 White Sox traded away a bunch of players despite only being 3 games out of 1st.