Vargas to the Dodgers for Meloan

[endaround]

Meloan is a closer prospect for the Dodgers who could uses another back end starting candidate to battle Hendrickson. If anyone has any more knowledge of whether the Dodgers would do this feel free to chime in. I just think Vargas would prosper in Dodger stadium and the Dodgers are in a win now mode before they have to start planning retirement parties for their infield.

[Gopher74]

Meloan is a closer prospect for the Dodgers who could uses another back end starting candidate to battle Hendrickson. If anyone has any more knowledge of whether the Dodgers would do this feel free to chime in. I just think Vargas would prosper in Dodger stadium and the Dodgers are in a win now mode before they have to start planning retirement parties for their infield.

I can't see why the Dodgers would do this. They're talking about going after Santana, and if they don't get him, my guess is they go after another upper tier starting pitcher.

 

With Penny, Lowe, Billingsely, and Schmidt and Loaiza, I just don't see it. Those are five solid starters right there, and that's without adding anyone. If anything, I think they'd look to deal a starter rather than pick another one up.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

Given that Schmidt is on the 60-day for right shoulder surgery, I'd hardly call the Dodgers SP situation a point of depth. They're likely, as you mention, to go after Santana, but nothing is a given.

[Gopher74]

Given that Schmidt is on the 60-day for right shoulder surgery, I'd hardly call the Dodgers SP situation a point of depth. They're likely, as you mention, to go after Santana, but nothing is a given.

He's on the DL this year, but is suppose to be back healthy by Spring Training. And even if you take him out, they've still got five others with Loaiza, Penny, Lowe, Billingsley,

 

And they still have several other pitchers that they don't need to add a back end type guy for a very good young prospect.

 

[kgbaseball]

No way. Meloan is a big time relief prospect, and would net WAY more than Vargas in any deal.

[TooLiveBrew]

He's on the DL this year, but is suppose to be back healthy by Spring Training. And even if you take him out, they've still got five others with Loaiza, Penny, Lowe, Billingsley,

 

And they still have several other pitchers that they don't need to add a back end type guy for a very good young prospect.

 

Right, with regards to Schmidt my point wasn't that he won't be ready for next year, but that given a throwing-side shoulder injury, how much can one reasonably expect from a 35-y-o in 2008 and beyond?

 

And I don't mean this next part argumentatively - but your list stops at four guys, the same four from your previous post, and then you mention they have "several other pitchers." Mark Hendrickson is there, Randy Wolf, too, is on the 60-day (left shoulder issue), and would likely be ready by spring training - but with similar baggage to Schmidt.

 

As for young(er) guys, Eric Cyr is one guy I found, but he seems to be another year away from MLB (posted pedestrian numbers at age 28 in the PCL, though iirc it's regarded as a hitter's league). Another guy that stood out was James McDonald, who too looks to be a year away at least. I know of Eric Stults, but his numbers weren't anything near standout (either in AAA or MLB - in fact at AAA, they were awful). Perhaps the stats just aren't matching up with the scouting, though. D.J. Houlton is another viable candidate, who put some solid work in the PCL in 2007, but with only 28 MLB innings in 2007, and his only other experience at the Show being not good (2005), it's hard to guage where he stands.

 

If a team's starting rotation is going to come from Penny, Lowe, Billingsly, Schmidt (serious throwing side injury in 2007), Wolf (serious throwing side injury in '07), Loaiza, Hendrickson, Houlton and Stults, I think you need some insurance. Perhaps not. What I won't disagree on is hoping for a top prospect for Vargas may be out of line. Who knows though. SP tends to carry much greater value than we generally project.

[Gopher74]

He's on the DL this year, but is suppose to be back healthy by Spring Training. And even if you take him out, they've still got five others with Loaiza, Penny, Lowe, Billingsley,

 

And they still have several other pitchers that they don't need to add a back end type guy for a very good young prospect.

 

Right, with regards to Schmidt my point wasn't that he won't be ready for next year, but that given a throwing-side shoulder injury, how much can one reasonably expect from a 35-y-o in 2008 and beyond?

 

And I don't mean this next part argumentatively - but your list stops at four guys, the same four from your previous post, and then you mention they have "several other pitchers." Mark Hendrickson is there, Randy Wolf, too, is on the 60-day (left shoulder issue), and would likely be ready by spring training - but with similar baggage to Schmidt.

 

As for young(er) guys, Eric Cyr is one guy I found, but he seems to be another year away from MLB (posted pedestrian numbers at age 28 in the PCL, though iirc it's regarded as a hitter's league). Another guy that stood out was James McDonald, who too looks to be a year away at least. I know of Eric Stults, but his numbers weren't anything near standout (either in AAA or MLB - in fact at AAA, they were awful). Perhaps the stats just aren't matching up with the scouting, though. D.J. Houlton is another viable candidate, who put some solid work in the PCL in 2007, but with only 28 MLB innings in 2007, and his only other experience at the Show being not good (2005), it's hard to guage where he stands.

 

If a team's starting rotation is going to come from Penny, Lowe, Billingsly, Schmidt (serious throwing side injury in 2007), Wolf (serious throwing side injury in '07), Loaiza, Hendrickson, Houlton and Stults, I think you need some insurance. Perhaps not. What I won't disagree on is hoping for a top prospect for Vargas may be out of line. Who knows though. SP tends to carry much greater value than we generally project.

Well, I was thinking about Elbert and Kershaw, however the later is a while away yet, and Elbert's got injury issues.

 

I don't know, I guess what I'm saying is with the number of pitchers they've got(Penny, Lowe, Billingsley good top 3) and then Schmidt, Hendrickson, Wolf(who I think is a FA actually) along with Wells(who's a FA) and then Loazia...that they'd have little need for another number 5. It'd seem to me he wouldn't be much of an upgrade, that's all.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

they'd have little need for another number 5. It'd seem to me he wouldn't be much of an upgrade, that's all.

 

That sounds fair. Kershaw will only be 20 on opening day 2008 - my guess is he'd be a mid-season callup in 2008 at the earliest, given the much-publicized woes of Prior/Wood/Liriano/etc., but you never know. As you mentioned with Elbert, his production has been solid, but who knows what'll happen given the injury/ies. Thanks for clarifying.

[endaround]

The Brewers gave up Eveland to get Vargas and Eveland has similar numbers to Meloan while starting in AAA.

[Zycho32]

But was Eveland, at the time of the trade, considered to be a potential closer and a possibly hot prospect? Seriously, I'm risking being labeled as an idiot because I really wanna know just how high Eveland's ceiling was supposed to be when compared to Meloan.

[ILuvDaBush]

What about the Dan Kolb for Jose Capellan trade? I would imagine that would have some similar parallels. Nevertheless, Meloan would be a good target for trade.

[Gopher74]

they'd have little need for another number 5. It'd seem to me he wouldn't be much of an upgrade, that's all.

 

That sounds fair. Kershaw will only be 20 on opening day 2008 - my guess is he'd be a mid-season callup in 2008 at the earliest, given the much-publicized woes of Prior/Wood/Liriano/etc., but you never know. As you mentioned with Elbert, his production has been solid, but who knows what'll happen given the injury/ies. Thanks for clarifying.

I DO think that you could work something if you were to offer a bat.

 

I'm not really sure what It'd take, and it'd likely be too much, but if we couldn't entice Cordero to return, or find a suitable replacement, it might not be the worst idea to just toss out a feeler for Broxton. I know, I know, he's probably views in a similar manner to many of our young studs, HOWEVER, if a Bill Hall+Alcides Eescobar/Matt Gamel/ or some other combination of prospects could get the deal done, while it'd be a steep price, I think that may be worth something exploring.

 

Chances are for a guy like Broxton, the conversation would start with Corey Hart(they're clearly not going to think Prince, Braun or even Hardy are available) or Rickie Weeks, but with the young arms they have, and the desperate need for some offense, maybe they'd place that much value on Hall.

[SmartBall]

I agree with you that the price for Broxton will be steep, but he is a proven commodity, I think the Meloan trade would be like trading for Broxton two years ago when he was highly regarded with almost no track-record. The Brewers would be taking a risk by dealing for a guy like that, a risk that is substantially reduced with Broxton. I liked the comparison of the Capellan deal, and while Capellan didn't turn out like many here had hoped its a good example of the risk involved in dealing for prospects. Does Vargas do it, probably not, but Vargas and a B/C level prospect might.