An interesting list.
The ones that stick out for me, at first blush:
Victor Martinez C*
Matt Holliday LF
Jason Bay LF
Orlando Hudson 2B
Rich Harden P
Cliff Lee P*
Landing any one of these guys would massively upgrade the team.
*There is a 2010 option, but the site doesn't say if it's a player option or team option.
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Wagner's contract comes off after this season (don't know if we're being insured for it this year), and so does Delgado's.
Might free you up to get a Lee or a Harden on a cash neutral basis.
Moving Perez's $12M per (impossible without eating salary), Castillo's $6M per, and/or Schneider's $5M per might be enough to land you Martinez on a cash neutral basis. I'll take Cora for Castillo at second as being a performance wash at a better price.
Then you shell out at $17M per for Holliday. Now you've got a completely different looking lineup:
Reyes (S) SS
Murphy (L) 1B
Wright (R) 3B
Beltran (S) CF
Holliday (R) LF
Church (L) RF
Martinez (R) C
Cora (S) 2B
I think it's fair to hold onto reasonably priced players like Church, who is in his prime and after another season of healing might see a jump in productivity. Likewise, Murph, who has looked lost for the last month, is still a young player with a sweet stroke who seems to have found a home at 1b. He's got the right work ethic and is still only 24. I'd hate to give up on a guy making $400K because he's hit a sophomore slump. That said, if he ends the year hitting .250 and doesn't show signs of breaking out by the middle of next season, you'd have to reevaluate just how sweet the swing is.
Lee and Martinez are both team options from what I've seen.
No way does Bay not re-sign with Boston. O-dog will stay with the Dodgers. Supposedly the D-backs are not trading Harden because they feel he's going to be a part of their core so he should get bug $ from them.
Is Holliday worth the money? He still hasn't proven he's a Coors phenom as far as I'm concerned. Is he an upgrade in LF? Absolutely. Is he worth $17m +? Not so certain...
It's amazing how much is going to be the result of where teams finish this year...
Well, I was banking on the fact that Holliday's career in Denver came in the post-humidor era.
That said, here are his career home/away splits (390 home games/370 away games):
Home .349/88/328, 1.046 OPS
Away .282/48/192, .807 OPS
The away numbers aren't bad numbers (they equate to season stats of .282/20/83), but no, they're not $17M per numbers.
He's in his prime though, his price could come down considerably: other GMs are going to be wondering the same thing as you D.C., and also, he might be coming off a bad season in Oakland.
At 10M/per, it might be a worthwhile investment, especially since the drop off this year might have as much to do with learning the pitchers in a new league as it does with being out of Coors.
BTW, agreed on Bay. What makes you think Hudson is so certain to reup in LA?
As far as Harden goes, there's no reason that we shouldn't be able to overpower whatever offer Phoenix makes. Whether we prioritize correctly by clearing the decks of crappy salaries (Schneider/Castillo/Delgado/Perez) and targeting the funds where they're needed is another question altogether...
Apparently, Hudson has been considered by many in the organization to be the Dodgers' MVP--both for his on-field play and his clubhouse demeanor.
As long as they give him fair money, why would he leave a contender where he is beloved by management, teammates, and fans?
I'm just playing devil's advocate here--I totally agree with you and would love to have any of these guys on our roster next year (or this year if we can pull off a miracle trade).
Bobby V would have some great toys to play with...
why would he leave a contender where he is beloved by management, teammates, and fans
I can think of a few reason$.
That's why I said "as long as they give him fair money."
Dodgers don't exactly have shallow pockets...
Boy, I sure wish he hadn't Madoff with Wilpon's ca$h.
This is fun. Now I know what it's like to get ca$h money writing headlines for the Post.
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