MLB Trade Market Shaping Up To Be A "Bear Market"

by Matt Buggenhagen on Jun 19, 2009 12:48 PM EDT

If you’re looking for fireworks in July, make sure to attend a July 4 barbeque, because it certainly doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting them on the July 31 trade deadline.

In a recent column on ESPN.com, Jayson Stark suggests that this could be the weakest trade market in quite some time.

Specifically, the fact that as of yesterday there were only 6 teams who are currently 6 games or more below .500, meaning the ratio of buyers greatly outweighs the sellers.

Stark quoted an AL executive who said, "Some of these teams that are in it don’t even want to be in it. I think they’d rather unload some guys and dump some money. But when you’re a few games out, it’s hard to explain that to your fans."

However, Stark does make a few suggestions on some trade possibilities. He selected the nine teams currently ranked at the bottom nine of the ESPN.com power rankings, then selected the most likely trade candidate from each team.

Here are of few of Stark’s suggestions.

Washington Nationals- Nick Johnson, 1B

Baltimore Orioles- Danys Baez, RHP

Arizona DiamondBacks- Doug Davis, LHP

San Diego Padres- Cla Meredith, RHP

Kansas City Royals- Ron Mahay, RHP

Houston Astros- LaTroy Hawkins, RHP

Pittsburgh Pirates- Jack Wilson, SS

Cleveland Indians- Mark DeRosa, 3B

Oakland A’s- Matt Holliday- LF

One noticeable thing missing from this list is the presence of any premier starting pitchers. With injuries to Jake Peavy and Eric Bedard, and the likelihood that the Astros will not part ways with Roy Oswalt, the market will be very limited. Some other notably possibilities will be Boston Red Sox SP Brad Penny and Pittsburgh Pirates SP Ian Snell

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Comments

Some team is going to give up too much for DeRosa

Let’s hope it isn’t the Mets.

by Eric Simon on Jun 19, 2009 1:05 PM EDT reply actions

actually, the dero one

makes for an intriguing project.

find ceveland fan, one from the cardinals, one from the cubs, etc….

play amateur gm and see how close we can come to nailing the trade before it happens. and that way, you won’t get the ‘dero for my four guys that aren’t very good’ option as the one the gms decide on.

just an idea.

by tim815 on Jun 20, 2009 12:41 AM EDT up reply actions

makes for an interesting project

get a volunteer gm from interested teams to try to hatch out a deal for him.

an indians fan, a cubs fan, a mets fan, etc…. and see how close we come to nailing it.

by tim815 on Jun 20, 2009 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions

survivor

only taken to a new level

by Humble Swagger on Jun 21, 2009 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions

its probably going to be

the brewers

by Humble Swagger on Jun 21, 2009 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Holliday

Boy, remember when Holliday’s name alone would send beat writers into a tizzy? Talk about buying high and selling low…

by Yakker on Jun 19, 2009 4:58 PM EDT reply actions

I think the mistake

Is that he’s only looking at traditional buyers and sellers. Considering the current state of the financial markets, some of the bigger market teams that aren’t in the playoff race may be looking to buy (for next year), while some smaller market teams in the playoff rate may be looking to sell (i.e., for the right price, I imagine that several marquee players on the Rays would be made available, since it doesn’t hurt to clear the payroll and they have other guys waiting to take their spots anyway).

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by Brickhaus on Jun 19, 2009 5:28 PM EDT reply actions