Dan Uggla on the trading block?

by craig on Oct 14, 2008 9:58 AM EDT in News Comment 15 comments

In case you haven't heard, it is possible that the Marlins will trade Dan Uggla sometime in the offseason. Now, that isn't guaranteed since Loria hasn't set the budget for next season and the baseball people haven't a clue what they are dealing with in terms of a payroll.

However, that hasn't kept a lot teams, or maybe more accurately, fans of teams from speculating what is needed to land Danny.

The Twins are considering it, as are the Giants. But the absolute worst trade idea put forth comes from the Rockies.

The Marlins are not necessarily interested in bringing back arbitration-eligible second baseman Dan Uggla, and I know Clint Hurdle is a fan of Uggla. Do you think a trade is likely, and who might the Rockies part with in such a deal?
-- Barrett B., Denver

I think a trade is possible. The Marlins are likely to have a payroll of between $30 million and $35 million, and could look to avoid paying Uggla the $5 million to $6 million he'll get in the arbitration process. They also could package him with left-handed pitcher Scott Olsen, who could make $2.7 million.

A match could be made with the Marlins, who are looking for catching help and have flirted with obtaining the Rockies' Yorvit Torrealba in the past. They couldn't work a trade with the Rockies at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, but could be in a better position if they gave up some players with rising salaries and obtained Torrealba and a pitching prospect.

So let me get this right: the Marlins are suppose to give up Dan Uggla -- the Dan Uggla who hit 32 HR and produced an OBP of .341 with an OPS of .871 and Scott Olsen a 24 year-old lefty who pitched over 200 innings last season and recorded a .253 BAA for Torrealba and some pitching prospect?

You have got to be kidding me.

The same Torrealba who batted .246 with an OBP of .293 and an OPS of .539 while playing his home games in Coors Field.

And if you look at every defense metric known to man, Treanor is a better defensive catcher than Torrealba is.

I don't run the baseball operations for the Marlins, but trading Uggla and Olsen for Torrealba and some pitching prospect would have to rank up there with Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas. (Granted that isn't a fair comparison since Pappas didn't bring next to nothing to the Reds.)

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Rangers fan here

It seems that the Rangers and Marlins were at least discussing a catching for pitching trade at the deadline. This fall I have seen a few Laird for Olsen rumors. I think Laird’s overall game would play much better in the NL, and I know Olsen is probably the most likely of the glut of Marlins starters to be traded. Some in TX are weary of his flyball tendencies, diminished velocity and past attitude problems, but I still like his arm and I think I would trade Laird for him.

The other trade banter I have heard involves Salty for Andrew Miller, but I admit that is far less likely.

I would love to hear the thoughts of Marlins fans on this stuff.

by clark on Oct 14, 2008 11:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Catcher

I don’t think the Marlins are too worried about catcher anymore. John Baker/Treanor would probably be fine for next year. Baker looked great toward the end of the year (offensively, at least)

Build a stadium downtown and I'll buy season tickets

by hurricane on Oct 14, 2008 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

From a Rockies fan's perspective...

I couldn’t agree with you more. While I’d absolutely LOVE to have Uggla and Olsen (really, who wouldn’t?), that trade is completely one-sided and would never happen. Torrealba is a joke and is almost completely worthless. I could see if maybe we offered a good catching prospect (although our best ones are still a few years away) and two REALLY good pitching prospects, which we do have a few of…still, that will only get the Marlins to talk. It still wouldn’t make the deal.

Unfortunately for the Rockies, unless they want to discuss Iannetta as part of the deal, this trade will never happen.

Rock rock 'til you drop!

by Bryan Kilpatrick on Oct 14, 2008 12:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

You made MLB Trade Rumors!

Way to go Craig!

by Bumppo on Oct 14, 2008 12:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think that a trade with the Twins could be a win-win situation

Since the Marlins want to add speed in the lineup and pitching; preferably with players under club control for a while who are making close to the minimum salary, i think that:

Alexi Casilla (5 years club control – 2 to arbitration) and Boof Bonser (4 years club control – 1 to arbitration) and Philip Humber (6 years club control – 3 to arbitration)
for
Uggla

with some prospects moving one way or another

makes sense for both parties…

Opinions?

by thrylos98 on Oct 14, 2008 12:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sure. Yorvit. Right.

The Marlins baseball people are real smart. They may be forced to trade Ugly, that’s true, but they’ll get good, young, cheap talent in return.

by elricsi on Oct 14, 2008 1:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Defense

What the Marlins need is Defense. Whatever the Marlins give up this off-season (Uggla, Jacobs, Olsen, etc.) we need defense and of course stud pitching prospects in return.

Build a stadium downtown and I'll buy season tickets

by hurricane on Oct 14, 2008 1:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The way I see it

With my guesses of who stays and goes this year, our defense shapes up as:

LF: Hammer, CF: Maybin, RF: Ross
3rd: McPherson SS: Hanley 2nd: ? 1st: Cantu
C: Baker/Treanor

SP: Nolasco, Volstad, JJ, Miller, ???

My guess is we trade away, or don’t sign, Uggla, Hermida, Olsen Gregg, and possibly Anibal (heard rumors earlier in september)… so we are looking for, again in my opinion, a 4th OF or starting RF with Cody platooning, a 2B, maybe a catcher, bullpen and maybe a cheap veteran 5th starter…

by jrsyeagle on Oct 14, 2008 3:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Chris Coghlan?

Is Coghlan ready to play 2B everyday for the Marlins? What about Gaby Sanchez at 1B?

by goose102977 on Oct 14, 2008 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

both good points...

Gaby looked good in limited September action… I don’t know if Coghlan is ready yet though… perhaps McPherson or Cantu get moved, but I have a hard time seeing it. Then again, I can’t see McPherson playing another year in the minors…

by jrsyeagle on Oct 15, 2008 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cantu

Isn’t Cantu a free agent this year? I assumed he was a typical 1 year grab and go for the Marlins, just like Boone and Wes Helms before him.

by brickell on Oct 14, 2008 5:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

cantu was signed to a minor league deal for 500K + incentives

and is now up for arbitration… projected to get around $2MM… he wants to come back to the marlins though, saying he hopes he hasn’t priced himself out of their range

by jrsyeagle on Oct 14, 2008 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Giants fan here

There’s a pure speculation thread on our site about a deal consisting of Jonathan Sanchez/Eugenio Velez/Nate Schierholtz for Dan Uggla and Kevin Gregg. What do you guys think of this kind of deal? I understand that most fans tend to overvalue the living shit out of their own players, and especially their prospects, but would you consider this close to even?

by boonitez on Oct 14, 2008 9:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Not bad, but I don't think it would get it done

I think with our 2B prospects, Velez loses his charm. He has great speed, but seems more like a poor man’s version of Alfredo Amezaga (sorry, we love our Alfredo). Schierholtz sounds interesting with a lot of power and upside, but between Maybin/Ross/Hermida/Willingham (one of who will go this winter for sure), it’s hard to see him getting the playing time needed to develop further. Sanchez has is injury concerns and was hit or miss for the Giants, in what you must admit was a weaker division this year.

The Fish are more after OBP, speed and power so your mix is definitely intriguing, and they always try to get young pitching in a trade. I also think they’d rather keep/pay Uggla rather than ship him away for the proverbial nothing. I sooner see them going trying to get a combination of Alderson or Bumgarner with someone like Schierholtz, Velez, or Sadler….

by jrsyeagle on Oct 15, 2008 9:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

andino and amezaga (thats an alliteration)

Does anyone have any ideas as to what is going to happen to these two guys? We have such a glut of young talent right now, it seems that we may have to get even younger in the minors. I think these two guys could be everyday players somewhere. I’m not really sure how well offensively they could be consistently, but they haven’t really had the chance.
Amezaga is incredibly valuable and I would love to keep him attached to the bench for as long as we can.

by GMFB on Oct 15, 2008 4:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs