Indians Ready to Deal DeRosa

by Matt Buggenhagen on Jun 22, 2009 1:01 PM EDT

According to ESPN.com Buster Olney, it appears the Indians are ready to deal infielder Mark Derosa.

In return the Indians are looking for some young starting pitching, which is at a premium these days, and may be difficult to acquire.

Some teams that could be interested in acquiring DeRosa are the Cardinals, Mets and Yankees. However, as Olney points out, none of these teams appear to be willing to part ways with any young pitching in return.

The Cardinals don't want to part ways with any of their young relief prospects (Jason Motte, Chris Perez or Kyle McClellan).

The Mets refuse to part ways with Bobby Parnell or Fernando Nieve, which likely will remove them from the equation.

That leaves the Yankees who on paper would seem to have no need for another infielder, but with the continued struggles of Alex Rodriguez, DeRosa certainly would be a nice insurance policy.

DeRosa, 34, is batting .277 with 13 homers and 50 RBIs.

I wouldn't expect the Indians to make a move just yet, however, expect the Indians to try and get healthy over the next week or two and see if they have one final push in them. If they continue to struggle over the next two or three weeks, DeRosa among others will certainly be on the move.

Poll

Which team is a better fit for Mark DeRosa?

Yankees

50 votes

Mets

55 votes

Cardinals

79 votes

Other

178 votes

362 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Cincinnati Reds are probably the best fit

by Dude Rock on Jun 22, 2009 1:58 PM EDT reply actions

Cincinnati Reds

It seems they may be looking to shrink the payroll, don’t look for the Reds to be players in the DeRosa sweepstakes.

by Matt Buggenhagen on Jun 22, 2009 2:02 PM EDT reply actions

The Cubs

If they can make room to add his salary despite the owner ship sale, they are the best fit.

They have Samardzija, Jake Fox, Randy Wells or Sean Marshll and a handful of above average arms in the minors.

Plus derosa would not be a big hit money wise for us

by Jcam on Jun 22, 2009 2:41 PM EDT reply actions

I have been suprised to see Dero take off the last few years it must have been the rangers hitting coach

by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jun 22, 2009 3:49 PM EDT reply actions

See that nearly 70% who voted for "other"?

That would be the Cubs. How did his previous team who needs infield help not get on your poll?

by MattHaggard on Jun 22, 2009 4:51 PM EDT reply actions

It’s difficult to involve the Cubs in any potential moves. The ownership transition certainly creates confusion when trying to project what they might do.

by Matt Buggenhagen on Jun 22, 2009 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions

i'm shaking my head

over dero being equated to jason motte. as a cubs fan, i would think motte plus pj mathews would be reasonable, but straight-up, no chance. and the cardinals are rumored to be balking at it. wha?

dero is a good, not great, player. motte is an ok pen arm. probably similar to our guzman. dero for guzman would be a heist for the cubs.

by tim815 on Jun 22, 2009 5:09 PM EDT reply actions

Don’t forget DeRosa is 34, it’s difficult for a GM to part ways with a young pitcher or pitcher’s for a 34 year-old infielder. Teams only have so few tradable pieces, so it’s not always wise to move your parts at the first possible deal that comes your way. On June 21, DeRosa may appear to be the best hitter available, but by July 31 a lot can change.

by Matt Buggenhagen on Jun 22, 2009 5:16 PM EDT reply actions

Frankly, I don't care

if he is 34, the point is, he’s getting the job done, which, despite a nice four game winning streak, the Cubs have not this season.

Yankees don’t need him. Mets and Cards seem to be unwilling. All I know is if I were Hendry I’d be intimidated by St. Louis anyway, because who knows what they may end up doing. The Cubs need depth and another solid hitter, and DeRosa is one of the uncommon types who can fill both voids. With Ramirez down and probably won’t be 100% upon his return, DeRo would provide a legitimate third base sub-in along with improving the second baseman position and also having the ability to play wherever, whenever.

Say he’d hit only .250 with the Cubs upon a return (which I wouldn’t expect to happen since his career numbers at Wrigley are outrageous). It’s still better than what we’re seeing from our current second base platoon.

If Hendry were smart, he’d reverse this trade. We have the guys Cleveland would want, and Hendry can possibly redeem himself and his awful offseason by bringing this guy back. We’re still a contender, and we need a push. At this point, DeRosa is that guy who will provide that push.

by ZachenFoot on Jun 22, 2009 5:38 PM EDT reply actions