rumors making the rounds

[ksudodger]

Well since Joc Pederson is hitting lights out in winter ball, the prospect of Andre Ethier being sent packing is even more a possibility.

There are 2 rumors making the rounds right now regarding Ethier:

1. Ethier for Kinsler straight up. To me, this just makes SO much sense. The money is about equal. The Rangers need OF pop and the Dodgers need a 2B that can lead off.

2. Ethier,Matt McGill and another prospect for Hisashi Iwakuma. Again, Seattle is a team that needs offensive pop. Adding Iwakuma would automatically give the Dodgers the best 1-4 in baseball. Then you can dangle a healthy Beckett and/or Billingsley for a 3B or C.

Both seem appealing and neither is very one sided, but I would rather have Kinsler. Then sign someone like Haren (who the Dodgers are talking to) and let Beckett,Bills and Haren battle for the 4 and 5 spots in the rotation.

 

[bluepigpen]

Actually ksu with Guerrero being signed for 2nd base, the Kinsler trade even makes more sense. Guerrero also can play 3rd and that might be that 3rd baseman we been looking for since Beltre left. The kid can play all 3 positions and hits for average and power. I like Ethier but one has to go and with the Crawford money tied up, Kemp to valuable for the future and the ceiling for Puig is huge, Andre is the odd man out there.

Beckett is done, Billingsley is on his last chance even though he is still young, Price is also a shot. i think Haren is finished and don't waste your time on any Reds pitcher. Should be interesting how the Dodgers do it.

 

[ksudodger]

Did not even think about that Blue.... I now like the Kinsler deal even more!!

 

[bluepigpen]

Kinsler was traded today to the Tigers for Prince Fielder, there went that idea.

 

[Silas]

I don't think the Dodgers were too interested in Kinsler. They have Guerrero pegged for 2B and Kinsler still has four years left on his contract. So , while Kinsler is a good player, length of contract made him impractical.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

I don't think the Dodgers were too interested in Kinsler. They have Guerrero pegged for 2B and Kinsler still has four years left on his contract. So , while Kinsler is a good player, length of contract made him impractical.

 

[duke1861]

I don't think the Dodgers were too interested in Kinsler. They have Guerrero pegged for 2B and Kinsler still has four years left on his contract. So , while Kinsler is a good player, length of contract made him impractical.

We do need to address 3rd base at some point.

This offseason has started off slower than I thought. Not only for LA but for other teams as well. I just want to sign Tanaka in all honesty. That would make the offseason an A with extending Kershaw an A+.

 

[Villain]

It's Magill, not McGill.

There is no way that trade happens. Seattle isn't retarded.

 

[ksudodger]

There is no way that trade happens. Seattle isn't retarded.

Well that info came from Jim Bowden on MLB network radio. He is someone I trust with info like that.

However, ESPN is reporting a rumor of Kemp going to Seattle for a package that will include top 3B prospect DJ Peterson. Seattle does not have much that I would be interested in besides King Felix or Iwakuma so I would rather not do that.

I have also read here in St Louis that in addition to the Cards talking to the Yankees about David Freese, they are talking to the Dodgers about a possible Ethier for Freese deal. I would be ok with that. Both players need a change of scenery IMO

 

[Silas]

There is no way that trade happens. Seattle isn't retarded.

Well that info came from Jim Bowden on MLB network radio. He is someone I trust with info like that.

However, ESPN is reporting a rumor of Kemp going to Seattle for a package that will include top 3B prospect DJ Peterson. Seattle does not have much that I would be interested in besides King Felix or Iwakuma so I would rather not do that.

I have also read here in St Louis that in addition to the Cards talking to the Yankees about David Freese, they are talking to the Dodgers about a possible Ethier for Freese deal. I would be ok with that. Both players need a change of scenery IMO

I think a change of scenery would help David Freese and would bridge a gap for a couple of years. Freeze is Arb eligible for the next two years, I believe, and becomes a FA in 2016. While he is not Mike Schmidt or Brooks Robinson, and who is these days, I believe the Dodgers would get a relatively young and competent 3B, until Seager, or someone else can step in. Hard to expect Juan Uribe to put up numbers like last Season and he's certainly long in the tooth. So, I could live with Freese at 3B....at least for now.

 

[Villain]

Relatively young? Freese will be in his age 31 season next year and he was outplayed by Juan Uribe in 2013. That doesn't really bode well.

Jim Bowden is wrong. No way that Magill and Ethier would be enough for Iwakuma. Seattle does need bats and Ethier does make sense for them as a target since their OF is an utter joke, but thinking about Iwakuma is dreaming. Pure and Simple. I mean, come on! He was 3rd in Cy Young voting! You mentioned "another prospect" - so that means someone worth less than Magill (since you named Magill). If the Mariners are stupid enough to take that deal then do it. I just can't believe that they would consider something like that unless they really thought highly of Magill.

Don't forget, Ethier sucks and so does his contract. That means you send him, a ton of money, and two minor league players (one of note, probably better than Magill so Stripling or even Lee). Then you pray that Pederson doesn't blow it as the 4th outfielder.

Also, you can't dangle a healthy Beckett or Billingsly for anything since a healthy Beckett or Billingsly doesn't exist.

 

[Silas]

Compared to Juan Uribe, Freese is relatively young. How old is Uribe? 37, 38? Now, I would say that is definitely NOT relatively young. While it's nice to have guys that don't need a cane to walk up to the batter's box, all the players don't have to be, or should they be, 21 or 22.

Freese isn't a bad option. I'd take him for a couple of years over Uribe given age and a hunch that Freese is going to bounce back and Uribe isn't going to duplicate last season and suddenly get better at the "relatively young age" of the high end of 30.

If the Dodgers sign Uribe, they shouldn't give him anything more than a year. Uribe wants 2-3 years. The sides have a ways to go if a deal is going to be made as the Dodgers are looking to get younger and more athletic. Uribe doesn't fit either bill. While Freese isn't necessarily what I'd call athletic, he's certainly more athletic than Uribe and has at least 5 years on him.

I like Juan Uribe and I appreciate what he did last year, but the Dodgers can win without him.

 

[Villain]

Juan Uribe is 5 years older than Freese (okay, so I guess that makes him "relatively young" for whatever that's worth) and he's outplaying him. Re-signing Uribe for one more year is the perfect scenario in my book. To get Freese would mean that you have to give up talent in a trade. Freese isn't good enough for that.

Freese was worth 0.3 WAR in 2013. Juan Uribe was worth 5.1 WAR. Would I expect him to repeat that? No way! Would I expect Freese to vastly increase his? NOPE!

I'll take the cheaper guy who doesn't cost anything in terms of prospects until a better option comes around. Besides, everything is pointing to Freese getting traded to the Angels anyways.

 

[Silas]

Freeze probably will go to the Angels. The problem with Uribe is you don't know if he will be the Uribe of his first two years in L.A. or last year. If the Dodgers get him they will probably overspend, again, to sign him. If the Dodgers get Freese it will probably cost them Ethier. It's time for Ethier to go as long as the Dodgers have a replacement for him in mind. I think it's easier to find an outfielder these days than a 3B.

Time will tell which way the Dodgers go. If they re-sign Uribe I hope he has a great Season, but I won't be holding my breath.

 

[ksudodger]

Freese is officially an Angel..... but now there is another big rumor going around regarding Matt Kemp and the Red Sox. Kemp to the Sox for Xander Bogearts,Clay Bucholz and SS prospect Devin Marerro. I would be ok with that deal... but again, it is just rumor. God I love this time of year

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

Freese is officially an Angel..... but now there is another big rumor going around regarding Matt Kemp and the Red Sox. Kemp to the Sox for Xander Bogearts,Clay Bucholz and SS prospect Devin Marerro. I would be ok with that deal... but again, it is just rumor. God I love this time of year

damn alot of trade rumors going on with Kemp, even Texas is intrested, I believe alot of teams will try to inquire on Kemps health 1st during this off season, but I wouldn't trade him. I think the safest bet is to keep all 4 outfielders this season,Kemp,Puig,CC,Ethier. For now I think we should concentrate on our Starting rotation & BP. I Hope Bills can comeback healthy wich I believe he will, but i heard he could be ready until June. It will be intresting to see what our starting rotation will be to begin the season, will we get Tanaka & if so who will be our 5th starter ?? Could it be Zach Lee ?? I pray it's not Josh Beckett

[ame="www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzgCWDxYfvc"]Dodgers Rumors: Texas Rangers Interested In Matt Kemp - YouTube[/ame]

 

[ksudodger]

If Beckett is 100%, he is better than 75% of all 4th or 5th starters in baseball. Like with Billingsley, health is the key.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

I still would prefer hanging onto Kemp but if someone is willing to put a good offer on the table then I won't argue. It's got to be something we just can't refuse.

As for Bills and Beckett, I've all but given up on them. Bills had one good half-season a couple of years ago and if Beckett couldn't look like the old Beckett before the injury, I doubt he'll be what he was even prior to this last season.

 

[Silas]

I would like to see the Dodgers keep Kemp. I have a hunch he will come back and put up great numbers. The Boston rumor is interesting, but I hope the Dodgers won't give up on Kemp just yet.

 

[Villain]

I would like to see the Dodgers keep Kemp. I have a hunch he will come back and put up great numbers. The Boston rumor is interesting, but I hope the Dodgers won't give up on Kemp just yet.

Me too. Now is not the time to trade Kemp. Listen to offers, sure, but they better be outrageous (like that Ethier/Iwakuma one) if you're going to seriously consider them.

Kemp's value is low right now. Two injury-riddled seasons in a row, moving him now will probably not give good enough of a return.

The Dodgers don't need to be trading for pitching. They have a great rotation already, the prospect of bounce-back seasons from Beckett and/or Billingsly, the leverage to sign a cheap, one-year reclamation deal on a guy like Dan Haren, and the money to go after Tanaka if making a big improvement is the course they want to take.

The Dodgers' biggest weakness has been their ability to put runs on the board. Trading Kemp doesn't fix that problem - it makes it worse. It also leaves a hole in CF that Ethier can't be counted on to fill for an entire season.

This team was 2 wins away from a trip to the World Series with Kemp on the bench and Ethier playing hurt. Give those two a winter to heal up and see what they can do when they have an axe to grind and something to prove.

I am a big fan of the 4-man outfield. Puig will obviously always start (until he runs into a wall or something), but then to have the flexibility to rotate Ethier, Kemp, and Crawford around as matchups and rest see fit....? Beautiful.

Who knows? Maybe that kind of veteran OF rotation will inflate Crawford or Ethier's numbers? That makes trading them a little easier since it gives the chance at a more favorable return. I'm just afraid of the scenario where you trade those guys now and you only get bums.