MLB Winter Meetings 2014 Day 3: Analyzing Impact of All the Latest Deals, Rumors
The Los Angeles Dodgers had a busy day in San Diego.
On the final day of the 2014 MLB winter meetings, the National League West club completely reshuffled its middle infield. The Dodgers grabbed the most headlines, but there were a number of other teams that made some noise as well.
The Baltimore Orioles have looked into acquiring an impact bat, and the Kansas City Royals might just be thinking about trading away a member of the squad's historically dominant bullpen. Plus, a couple of mystery teams have reportedly checked in on Max Scherzer.
The Rumor: The Baltimore Orioles Are Interested in Trading for Yoenis Cespedes
1 of 5The Impact
This rumor makes a ton of sense.
According to Rob Bradford of WEEI, the Baltimore Orioles have an "interest" in trading for Yoenis Cespedes. The Boston Red Sox currently have a ridiculous number of outfielders, and the O's just lost a couple of prominent outfielders in Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis.
Baltimore has six starters for five rotation spots, and the Red Sox's underwhelming starting staff could definitely use an upgrade—especially after the team missed out on bringing back Jon Lester, who signed with the Chicago Cubs late Tuesday night, per ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers (h/t ESPN.com news services).
While Bradford tweets that the Orioles see Cespedes as a "good potential fit," he cautions that for now "nothing [is] remotely imminent."
The Deal: The Los Angeles Dodgers Acquire Jimmy Rollins
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The Impact
The Los Angeles Dodgers have finally found a replacement for Hanley Ramirez.
The NL West winners have acquired Jimmy Rollins in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly. The veteran shortstop will make $11 million in 2015 and is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.
As recently as September, Rollins had told Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer that he would be back with the NL East team in 2015: "I'll be here next year."
Now, after 15 season with the same club, Rollins is off to play for a new employer.
Despite the fact that Rollins is 36 years old, the Phillies' all-time hits leader should provide the Dodgers with value at the plate and in the field. Per FanGraphs, Rollins saved Philadelphia four runs on defense last season. While he checked in with just a .243 average, he did club 17 home runs in 2014.
The Deal: The Miami Marlins Acquire Dee Gordon in a 6-Player Swap
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The Impact
The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Miami Marlins have completed a six-player deal, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. The Fish get second baseman Dee Gordon and starter Dan Haren, while the Dodgers acquire starter Andrew Heaney, second baseman Enrique Hernandez, reliever Chris Hatcher and catcher Austin Barnes.
In the move, the Marlins pick up a legitimate leadoff man in Gordon, who racked up 64 steals in 2014. However, as Buster Olney of ESPN explains via Twitter, Haren is a major question mark: "Haren has friends in the game who say he is serious about retiring if he's traded away from Southern California. Now a decision to come."
After acquiring Heaney, the Dodgers immediately sent the lefty to the Los Angeles Angles in exchange for Howie Kendrick, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. With Kendrick in the fold, the Dodgers now have an impressive double-play combo in the 31-year-old and Jimmy Rollins.
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The Rumor: The Royals Are Willing to Listen on Infante, Possibly Others
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The Impact
The Kansas City Royals are fielding calls on Omar Infante, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Based on the dearth of quality second basemen on the free-agent market, the right-handed hitter could prove to be a valuable trade chip. However, there's also his contract situation to consider.
Infante will make $23 million over the next three seasons and also has a $10 million team option with a $2 million buyout for 2018. Those figures could scare off a lot of teams looking for help at second base.
Infante isn't the only veteran the Royals could be willing to part with. According to Andy McCullough of The Kansas City Star, bullpen stars Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis aren't available on the trade block.
Still, McCullough argues that the situation could change now that the top free-agent reliever David Robertson has inked a deal with the Chicago White Sox. The South Siders added the All-Star closer on a four-year, $46 million contract, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Dealing away any of those relievers would be a puzzling move considering how crucial the trio was to the Royals' October run in 2014.
The Rumor: Mystery Owners Fly to Winter Meetings to Meet with Scherzer's Agent
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The Impact
On Tuesday, a couple of "unnamed owners" flew to the winter meetings to talk with Scott Boras, the agent of Max Scherzer, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
The 2013 American League Cy Young Award winner is the lone ace on the free-agent market after the Chicago Cubs snapped up Jon Lester on a six-year, $155 million deal, per Heyman.
As Heyman speculates, the "losers" in the chase for Lester could now jump into the bidding war for Scherzer. That group includes the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Those aren't the only teams that will be angling to land the right-hander either. Heyman also mentions the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers as clubs that could be in the race. As Heyman writes, Scherzer is "aiming much higher" than the $155 million deal that Lester ranked in.
With one fewer front-line starter on the market, Scherzer's chances of reaching that goal only go up.
Note: All stats and videos courtesy of MLB.com. All salary information courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts on BaseballProspectus.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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