***NL West 2011***

[ducks]

Third baseman David Wright is showing greatly diminished range, a rival scout tells Andrew Keh of the New York Times.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/jose_reyes/

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Braun: Team More Likely To Sign Reyes Than Fielder
By Zach Links [October 9, 2011 at 8:35am CST]
Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun believes that the club is more likely to land Jose Reyes in free agency than re-sign Prince Fielder, writes Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Braun assumes that Fielder will likely command upwards of $150MM this winter whereas Reyes can be had for around $120MM. The four-time All-Star was quick to admit that he's a huge fan of Reyes.

"[Reyes] is dynamic, man -- he is one of the most exciting players in the game," the 27-year-old said. "He plays with a lot of energy and a lot of emotion and I enjoy watching him play. He's one of my favorite players to watch. Whenever their games are on, I love watching him, man. He always plays the game the right way. He always plays hard. He runs everything out."

The Brewers can easily make room at shortstop this winter as they hold a $6MM club option on Yuniesky Betancourt's deal with a $2MM buyout.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/jose_reyes/

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Wright's club option for 2013 becomes void if he's dealt, making him a free agent after next season.

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Borchering, the Diamondbacks' first-round pick in the 2009 draft, is being transitioned to left field, tweets Piecoro. Borchering has played first and third base in his first three pro seasons.

[JMarkJohns]

Yeah, not sure about Wright. I'm throwing around names I've heard and nothing more. Nationals realize they aren't challenging for the next two years. Zimmerman will be a high-priced FA by that point and likely a goner from their organization, so it makes sense to trade him. The Nats main man, Rizzo, drafted Parker for the Diamondbacks, so it would make sense that he'd be interested. Include Holmberg and Borchering or Davidson and they have two A prospects and a B prospect (Parker would be a great #2 behind Strasburg, Holmberg projects as high as a #3, and Borchering and Davidson are stud 3B prospects). If Necessary, throw in Miley or another offensive prospect.

If they can't land Reyes or Zimmerman, I'd rather they not spend just to spend (not that I figure they will). Re-sign Hill to a reasonable 3/4 year, 13/17 million deal, keep Bloomquist, and maybe sign Kouzmanoff or someone at 3B, if Burroughs isn't retained. Wait and see what's available around the trade deadline, or see if Davidson is ready as a prospect and see if he can't pull a Goldschmidt and come in and contribute as a rookie.

The reason I could see them making a run at Reyes is the need at SS long-term. Drew is a FA after the year, and coming off a serious injury that has doubts about his range for the next five/six years. Reyes answers that. If his market is closer to 17/18 per than 20+, I could see them taking the risk and moving Drew to 2B or, even better, 3B, and Roberts to 2B with Bloomquist as the utility INF. Reyes also ensures steady top of the order production amidst concerns over Drew and regression of Roberts.

[JMarkJohns]

Borchering, the Diamondbacks' first-round pick in the 2009 draft, is being transitioned to left field, tweets Piecoro. Borchering has played first and third base in his first three pro seasons.

He transitioned because Davidson is a top 3B prospect already, while LF (Parra/Cowgill) was a question mark before Parra played so well this season, and 1B seemed a concern before Goldy entrenched himself this past season. A lot of people thought Schmidty's 2010 season could have been a fluke. It clearly wasn't.

Borchering can still be developed as a 3B, the position he was drafted as and developed as for at least one season.

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thanks

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I do not like the idea of trading parker
I would trade hudson first
parker has already had tommy surgery. all pitchers have to have it
hudson is to hard on himself
I think mentally he can not get out of the first inning without giving up atleast one run.

[ducks]

The Diamondbacks were awarded an August waiver claim on White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, two sources tell Bob Nightengale of USA Today, but trade discussions didn't progress, as the South Siders were targeting Goldschmidt, whom the Snakes weren't interested in trading. Konerko, who would have had to approve the trade because of his 10-and-5 rights, said a deal was never brought to him -- and he's not sure whether he would have accepted.

[JMarkJohns]

Hudson still has a lot of potential, just look at last season's second half with Arizona, and he's still cheap. He's also proven. Parker is a top prospect - emphasis on prospect - and is the lesser of the the big three the Diamondbacks have ready to hit the bigs, as both Skaggs and Bauer project as legit #1 starter options while Parker is likely a #2 option max.

I'm on board with trading Hudson if it makes sense, but I'm not sure trading proven pitchers for offense makes sense of your offense will go to battle for a very young and untested rotation, no matter how talented. Sometimes the devil ya know is better than that you don't, and Hudson, for his flaws, is a really solid pitcher who eats innings, strikes out batters and is very cheap for several years. He's cheaper than Parker. He's a legit #3 going forward once Bauer dominates and a great #4 or trade bait in a year or two after Skaggs supplants him, joining Bauer and Kennedy atop the rotation.

I would prefer to not trade any of the pitching yet, but Diamondbacks are spending money on 1B, and Reyes may be too costly, and they could really use a legit 3B stud while keeping their compe ive edge (which means keeping proven pitching). Of Skaggs (untouchable), Bauer, and Parker, Parker is the one I'd part with if it meant getting Zimmerman.

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Sands: Dodgers’ 2012 Left Fielder?
RotoWire.com Staff - RotoWire.com
11 hours, 45 minutes ago


tweet0EmailPrintUpdate: The Dodgers are leaning towards Sands as their everyday left fielder next year, the LA Times reports.

Recommendation: Of course Ned Colletti could still do something insane like sign Aaron Rowand(notes), but barring an unexpected signing of Albert Pujols(notes) or Prince Fielder(notes) (with James Loney(notes) moving to the outfield), Sands looks to be in line for regular playing time next season.

[JMarkJohns]

The Dodgers have like 80 million wrapped up in their top 7 guys. They aren't signing Pujols or Fielder. No chance. Not without clearing Ethier and Billingsly.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

parker has already had tommy surgery. all pitchers have to have it

holy one of the dumbest things ducks has ever said went completely unnoticed.

[JayTheClown]

[Monostradamus]

parker has already had tommy surgery. all pitchers have to have it

seriously, how did we miss this? HOW??????

[Axe Murderer]

i never look in this thread either

[JMarkJohns]

Well, I know why they did it, and can even understand it, but I am pretty upset the Diamondbacks traded a consensus A/A- prospect in Jarrod Parker to Oakland for Cahill and a mediocre lefty reliever in Breslow. I know Cahill is a veteran locked in at a reasonable rate for several years, and that Breslow has had a number of very good years as a lefty specialist, but Parker was widely considered a potential #2 starter and possible All-Star.

They better hope Cahill sticks and makes a real significant impact as a long-time #3 starter on a NL Pennant contending team, because if the Diamondbacks regress and fail to make the playoffs, and Parker hits the potential many expect for him, this trade will look very bad for a very long time.

LMAO trading a top-3 team pitching prospect from the best minor league system for pitching for a pitcher-park hurler with a 4.16 ERA last season.

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I hate the trade
I liked the way parker pitched
I would have been ok with another prospect not parker
I am not sold on hudson either
I had parker behind ian
I think hudson is a number 4

I wished the dbacks would have just let parker,bauer,skaggs battle it out for the 2 spots and trade saunders

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the way towers sounds they are sold on josh as a starter but with this trade it sounds like maybe they think the pen

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parker at the worse this year would have been a number 3

[JMarkJohns]

I once joked the NL was about four years from Armageddon with Arizona's Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They still have Bauer, Skaggs, and Bradley, but I'm not sure Kennedy will be at his peak or in his prime when those three are dominating the way Parker would have been. Plus Kennedy will be pretty expensive by then.

Sucks. I know he had TJS, but he was young, showed significant growth, and was widely regarded as very intelligent and had really strong command. He was a nibbler, sort of like Kennedy, or a better historic example, Maddux, so his K/BB ratio was never great, but he used empty pitches to set up future pitches, had mid-90s fastball and three other plus pitches. Plus, as Skaggs' tweats allude to, he was a leader of men, which is invaluable in the clubhouse with a young staff. Just a short-sighted move by a GM thinking this team is good enough to contend as presently assembled. Maybe win 90 games and compete for the playoffs, but true contention wasn't likely until Bauer, Skaggs and Parker came up in the next three years.

[DJ Mbenga]

the nl west is looking pathetic next season. its anyones division by default since its so ty

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the ty division 2 years ago won the ws

[JMarkJohns]

Yeah, I've heard the " ty" division crap for a while. In the meantime reality says it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be as, in the last decade, the division had two WS Champions (AZ 2001, SF 2010), two additional NL Pennant winners (SF 2002, CO 2007) and multiple other NLCS participants (AZ 2007, LA 2008). It's had a ton of CY Youngs and MVPs in that time as well.

Next season Arizona will get a full year of Goldschmidt and likely see Bauer, if not Skaggs make their MLB debuts. San Francisco will get Posey back at some point and shouldn't fall off too much pitching-wise. Also, Los Angeles will have the same CY Young/MVP combo in Kershaw and Kemp, and be out from under the scandal of last season.

I think there's plenty of talent to make noise, it's just not the assemblages that other franchises have, but that doesn't mean it's not capable of winning.