LA Angels

[erb8472]

Well, Escobar is having a very solid year and i would think they need to see Javy doing alot more than he is now to do that trade.

BTW, i think the idea to get MCab is done now. With the unfortunate extension to Mora, MCab is likely not a possibility anymore because he would complain to much about going ot the OF. He already has a rep for having a poor attitude(although he is young) and since he wants to be at third, it may cause an issue.

That could be true. Didn't Melvin have some beef with playing outfield for the Venezuela team, because Cabrera was going to be playing third instead of him?

[clapdiddy]

Well, Escobar is having a very solid year and i would think they need to see Javy doing alot more than he is now to do that trade.

BTW, i think the idea to get MCab is done now. With the unfortunate extension to Mora, MCab is likely not a possibility anymore because he would complain to much about going ot the OF. He already has a rep for having a poor attitude(although he is young) and since he wants to be at third, it may cause an issue.

What about making him a first baseman?

[Three Run Homer]

Right but Javy and Jay for Escobar and Kotchman seems to be a logical and fair deal, if in fact the Angels do really want Jay and we know they could use a catcher right now.

I'm sorry, but I think this would be a horrible trade, especially if Escobar is gone after this season. Kotchman has never hit for the kind of power you would want from a corner player, even in the minors, and there's no guarantee he will ever be as good a player as Jay Gibbons is now. Jay for Kotchman straight up is a lousy trade for the O's, and if Escobar is just a one year rental then that's what the trade boils down to.

Even if we sign Escobar to an extension I'm not thrilled by the trade. Escobar has never shown that he can stay healthy for a full season in the starting rotation. I wouldn't do Gibbons for Escobar + extension straight up either.

Gibbons and Javy Lopez for Lackey or Santana I would do, although it's not as easy to just go out and find corner players who can hit as people think it is. In a world where Jacque Jones gets 3/15 and Jeromy Burnitz gets 2/12, Jay's contract is a bargain. The offense will definitely take a hit if we trade Jay, and we won't be able to replace his bat most likely until Reimold is ready.

[JakeeO]

Well, Escobar is having a very solid year and i would think they need to see Javy doing alot more than he is now to do that trade.

BTW, i think the idea to get MCab is done now. With the unfortunate extension to Mora, MCab is likely not a possibility anymore because he would complain to much about going ot the OF. He already has a rep for having a poor attitude(although he is young) and since he wants to be at third, it may cause an issue.

Not saying M-cab to the o's has a shot in hell of happening, but Mora has been pretty good about playing anywhere on the field. And he's getting paid now...

[hoosiers]

I loved Gibbons when we acquired, but have really soured on him since - he's been injured frequently and relatively unproductive. He really seems to have turned it up a notch this year, and appears to be under a decent contract, but I would trade him.

If we could get to Kotchman or Morales plus a decent pitcher or top prospects through Gibbons, I would be very interested.

I would not through in Javy as a filler. I would gamble on Javy and hope a playoff team with an injured catcher has to give up a few good prospects for him.

[Sports Guy]

I'm sorry, but I think this would be a horrible trade, especially if Escobar is gone after this season. Kotchman has never hit for the kind of power you would want from a corner player, even in the minors, and there's no guarantee he will ever be as good a player as Jay Gibbons is now. Jay for Kotchman straight up is a lousy trade for the O's, and if Escobar is just a one year rental then that's what the trade boils down to.

Kotchman just turned 23 before the season started. He has always been looked at as a GG caliber first baseman.

His career OBP in the minors is over 400.

He has not shown the home run power yet(and that usually gets better as you get older anyway) but he has hit alot of doubles. And, keep in mind that he had a broken wrist that limited him for a year or so in the minors. Just like Gibbons when he had the borken wrist and stictch surgery, Kotchman complained about being weak because of the lack of working out.

I think he can develop into a 25 homer/40-50 double guy while carrying a 900ish OPS and playing GG caliber defense.

He is cheap and young, which is also very nice.

[hoosiers]

Kotchman for Gibby is a lousy trade - straight up.

The question is whether we can add other pieces to make it worthwhile.

[NCRaven]

I still think Kotchman is Jack Cust Jr. - in the sense that he has been vastly over-rated by the "experts" and become a flavor of the month player on the net. I just don't see him performing to expectation.

I'm not against trading Gibbons, I thought his long-term contract would impede Markakis' development unless Gibbons moved to 1B. But, he is a defensive liability anywhere he plays, adequate in RF and below average at 1B. I just don't see Kotchman as an impact replacement at 1B and believe that trading Javy and Gibbons for a pitcher and non-run producing 1B would weaken our lineup considerably.

Look at what happened to our offensive production when Javy was out. His loss was much more significant that B-Rob's, IMO. Then take out our current number 4 hitter (though Gibbons really should be hitting a spot lower) and our offensive production could plummet.

So unless our next move is to trade Loewen and others for an impact bat, I just don't see a trade involving Gibbons.

If Kotchan was the answer, why do the Angels want to replace him with Gibbons?

[Sports Guy]

I still think Kotchman is Jack Cust Jr. - in the sense that he has been vastly over-rated by the "experts" and become a flavor of the month player on the net. I just don't see him performing to expectation.

I'm not against trading Gibbons, I thought his long-term contract would impede Markakis' development unless Gibbons moved to 1B. But, he is a defensive liability anywhere he plays, adequate in RF and below average at 1B. I just don't see Kotchman as an impact replacement at 1B and believe that trading Javy and Gibbons for a pitcher and non-run producing 1B would weaken our lineup considerably.

Look at what happened to our offensive production when Javy was out. His loss was much more significant that B-Rob's, IMO. Then take out our current number 4 hitter (though Gibbons really should be hitting a spot lower) and our offensive production could plummet.

So unless our next move is to trade Loewen and others for an impact bat, I just don't see a trade involving Gibbons.

If Kotchan was the answer, why do the Angels want to replace him with Gibbons?

Instant gratification.

Why don't you think Kotchman will be good? What in his minor league numbers brings you to that? Or what have you read?

[Mad Mark]

If we trade Gibbons does this mean we are going to go with an outfield of Conine Patterson Markakis.

Only if the rumored Conine to the Cubs deal is dead. I think you're more likely to see Matos/Patterson/Markakis than Conine/Patterson/Markakis.

[Skywalker76]

Don't trade Jay if you don't get Santana or Lackey. Kotchman is so much overrated that it really hurts how many people think he's going to turn into anything. Sometime props from the scouts isn't enough.

About Gibbons- someone like him would easily get +$10mil a year if he'd be FA. I just think Wild Bills contact misspoke and meant Javy not Jay .

[Sports Guy]

Still waiting for someone to tell me how Kotchman is overrated?

[NewMarketSean]

It sorts of depends on what you are looking to do. For 2006, we have a pretty good offense and bad pitching right now. Trading Jay for pitching meets an immediate need. Longer term, however, we have plenty of young pitching talent and virtually no young hitters. So to me a straight-up trade of Jay for a good pitcher isn't a good long-term move.

So why would this team do anything for the short term when it is obviously not going anywhere? Gibbons is one of the long term solutions we have. If anything we should be filling our holes (the guys we would trade Gibbons for) with the guys who we are counting on in the long run. Guys like Penn and Loewen.

[GeorgiaBird]

A lot of things get discussed. Some happen, some don't. I appreciate a guy giving us a little insight on what talk is going on inside baseball, even if it doesn't always lead to deals and even if it isn't always 100% correct. It is a window into the inside workings, and I am glad for it.

[Sports Guy]

Take this rumor with a grain of salt. WB forgot to add in the FWIW. Remember, his last posts said something about Brian Roberts being out until June/July. He also said that Miggy demanded the trade because of his feud with Hernandez. Not to mention a lot of other rumors. 3, 2, 1, KILL ME!

He has also posted alot of things that happened or were talked about.

Again, it is part of the business. Things change on a dime.