MLB Trade Rumors: Felix Hernandez, Michael Young and Other Latest Updates
With fewer than two weeks until players begin to report for spring training, MLB trade rumors are again beginning to heat up. The main story making rounds as spring training approaches is whether or not Albert Pujols will sign a contract extension. If he does not sign a deal by the time players report to Spring Training, he will wait until free agency to make a deal.
Beyond Pujols, there are many other players that could be on the move. Longtime Rangers leader Michael Young could be on the move now that he's unhappy with his role, and other players have been popping up on the trade block. Who could be moving over the next few days, and are any of them potential surprises? What other news is hitting the airwaves today?
Albert Pujols
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We all know what's going on with the contract situation. What might be news though is that he may be arriving for Spring Training on February 16. If this is true, that moves the deadline up three days, and gives the Cardinals a week to come to a deal.
Most of what we know is speculation since the talks are in private, but if both sides are as far from a contract as it sounds, then it is now very unlikely that Pujols signs a contract before free agency with the Cardinals or anyone else.
Ross Ohlendorf
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The season has not yet begun, and Ross Ohlendorf has already equaled his win total from last year. Ohlendorf, who went 1-11 with a 4.07 ERA (the definition of a hard luck pitcher), won his arbitration hearing against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He earned $2.025 million rather than the $1.4 million contract the Pirates wanted.
Since arbitrators are not experts at baseball, I would have expected them to take one look at the record and side with the Pirates. Instead, either they took the ERA and whatever Ohlendorf was arguing into account, or they are planning to give the players whatever they want.
Jered Weaver
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Weaver is the next person in line for arbitration, as he has a hearing today. This should come to the surprise of no one, as you have agent Scott Boras on one side and Angels owner Arte Moreno on the other.
Weaver wants $8.8 million while the Angels want to pay him $7.375 million. He has been the most consistent pitcher for the Angels the past several years and was the AL strikeout champion in 2010, so I see Weaver winning this battle.
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Juan Rivera
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For all the talk about how good the Vernon Wells trade was for the Blue Jays, they could very well start the season without anyone from the trade. They traded Mike Napoli to the Rangers, and are now interested in trading Juan Rivera.
Rivera, if he’s not traded, projects as a fourth outfielder for the Blue jays, but he could play right field every day if they decide to move Jose Bautista to third base. It will be difficult to trade Rivera and his $5+ million contract now since most teams have their lineups set, but he could be a midseason acquisition for an injury-riddled team.
Michael Young: Colorado Rockies
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In part one of the Michael Young sweepstakes, the Rockies were a big name that was thrown around when talking about where Young might land. This makes sense, as they could use a versatile infielder who’s also a .300 hitter; imagine how well he could hit at Coors Field.
However, the Rockies have pulled out of any trade talks. The Rangers wanted more than the Rockies were willing to give up, so it did not work out.
Eric Chavez
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The contract between Chavez and the Yankees is now official, as he was signed to a minor league contract. He was once considered a rising star for the Athletics, but injuries have slowed him, and he hasn’t seen significant playing time since 2007.
Should he make the major league roster, he’ll earn $1.5 million, and I hope he does. He deserves a second shot at the big leagues, and there’s no better place that his power could be put to use than with the Yankees.
Milton Bradley
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Technically, Milton Bradley is still a member of the Mariners, and should be competing for a starting job. How about that? Jack Cust and Michael Saunders will likely be the DH and left fielder, respectively, but maybe Bradley will be able to beat one of them.
Aside from that, Bradley will miss some spring training while battling legal issues. It remains to be seen if Bradley will play for the Mariners, or if the Mariners can void his contract due to all these problems.
Russell Martin
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Russell Martin was acquired by the Yankees to be a stopgap in between Jorge Posada and Jesus Montero has noted that he has not fully recovered from knee surgery in December yet.
Martin still has a month to rehab and get ready, so it’s probably not that big of a deal. If anything, eyes will be on Jesus Montero to see if he’s MLB-ready. The possibility remains that Montero could be moved to another position, so hopefully Martin’s knee is ready for the season.
Justin Morneau
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Here’s some good news for those hoping for a star to return: For the fast five weeks, Justin Morneau has been working out without any issues, and has been hitting and fielding without issue as well.
We’ll see if he’s 100 percent when spring training begins, but everything sounds good. This is big news for the Twins, who managed to win 95 games without him. With him back in an already powerful lineup, it could make for an exciting AL Central race.
Michael Young: Other Teams
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In non-Rockies news, many other teams have their name floating around in the race to acquire him. The Yankees have come out and said they were not interested, though they were a possibility earlier. The Angels were another team thrown about, but Texas doesn’t see any pieces it wants. There’s also a contract-for-contract scenario being tossed around: Houston Astros’ Carlos Lee for Michael Young.
Young and Lee make the same amount in their contracts, it would give Young a fresh start, and Lee could revive his bat as a DH in Texas. I don’t see this coming close to happening, though the deal actually seems to make a good deal of sense, and it fits for both teams.
Kevin Millwood
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The man who had a 4-16 ERA for the Baltimore Orioles may have a job soon. The Cleveland Indians, New York Mets and New York Yankees have all expressed interest in the pitcher. Millwood had his best season with the Indians in 2005, when he led the league in ERA, but you can’t count out the New York teams in anything.
He’s asking for about $4-5 million, and I see that figure going down quite a bit before he signs; he’s not worth near that amount right now.
Carlos Santana
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In some much-needed good news for Cleveland fans, Carlos Santana has been cleared to play and will likely start opening day. The catching prospect got lost in the shuffle in the year of the rookie, but shows flashes of greatness in 46 games in 2010.
There isn’t any news on Grady Sizemore, but at least the Indians can see the future at work when he reports to camp in about a week.
Jose Bautista
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When it comes to Jose Bautista and the arbitration process, no news is not good news. The two sides will have their meeting on Monday, and the odds of getting a deal done are now quite low, especially since the two are so far apart on the dollar amount.
After Bautista’s amazing year in 2010, it makes sense that he’s asking for a big deal, but we have no way of knowing if this is a one-year wonder of if he’ll be good another five to seven years. Expect him to hit around 25 HR next year, and I think the arbitrator will side with him, though I think that’s too much to give him.
Felix Hernandez
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For a guy who just won the Cy Young Award, Hernandez's offseason has been relatively quiet. During the offseason, Felix has shown that he is entirely committed to the Mariners, getting involved in the community and trying to become the team leader.
Occasionally trade rumors have been popping up about him, including him possibly joining the Yankees. He has four more years in Seattle and is making great money there. Any trade rumors you may hear are nonsense. Hernandez is clearly showing he wants to be a part of Seattle right now, and the fans are gladly welcoming him, as they have been all these years.
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