Author: JEC (Page 6 of 46)

There’s been a lot of talk the past couple days about the much-rumored Coco Crisp/Andy Marte trade between the Indians and Red Sox falling apart, being reworked and falling apart again, so much so that I’ve chosen not to blog about it again until something appeared immenent, one way or another.

Well, that time has come. Many media outlets are reporting that the Tribe and Phillies have completed the Jason Michaels/Arthur Rhodes swap, which would seem to indicate that the Coco trade is back on as well. Otherwise, the Indians have absolutely no need to pick up Michaels.

Ken Rosenthal from FoxSports.com seems to back this sentiment up by reporting that the Sox and Indians are moving closer to completing the Crisp/Marte deal, though he’s not sure yet who else may or may not be included. One rumor I’ve heard is the Indians may still be getting Marte and Mota back, but Boston may have agreed to send more compensation to the Tribe if Mota spends a specified amount of time on the DL this season with arm problems. Interesting.

So it’s not official just yet, but it looks like we’re close.

The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that the Arthur Rhodes/Jason Michaels trade is in limbo because Red Sox reliever Guillermo Mota failed his physical Tuesday, putting the Coco/Marte deal on hold.

The paper suggests that the Sox could figure out some other way to compensate for the loss of Mota, in which case the deal would still get done. I agree. The only reason the Indians are doing this deal is to get their third baseman of the future, Andy Marte. They’re not going to let a reliever get in the way of finalizing this thing. If anything, take Riske and Mota out of the equation. That would solve the problem.

I love Coco, but I’m still hoping this deal gets done. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Now the ABJ is reporting the same story, but they’re taking it a step further, saying the Crisp/Marte deal may in fact be off:

According to a baseball operative in Philadelphia, the Indians called with the news that Mota had flunked his physical and said, “The deal is dead.” Apparently, he was referring to both parts of the swap.

Maybe Marte was more important to the Tribe than I thought.

JAN. 25 UPDATE: The Boston Herald reported today that the Reds are trying to get involved, with the likely scenario being the Reds getting Sox starter Matt Clement, the Sox getting Coco, and the Indians receiving Marte from Boston and OF Austin Kearns from the Reds. Of course, the Tribe would have to give up something else in return to get this done, with the paper suggesting it could grow into a nine-player deal. There were reports a few days ago that the Indians offered Jake Westbrook to the Reds for Kearns earlier this winter but were rejected, so this latest three-team rumor may have some legs.

No, it’s not official yet, but the PD says if reliever Guillermo Mota passes his physical Tuesday, the long-rumored Coco Crisp deal could be completed by Wednesday:

The Indians would send Crisp, right-hander David Riske and catcher Josh Bard to Boston for third base prospect Andy Marte, Mota and, perhaps, catcher Kelly Shoppach. The Boston Globe reported Monday that the two teams had agreed in principle to a trade involving those six players.

The article also says the deal could fall apart if Mota, who spent some time on the DL last year with elbow problems, fails his physical.

Honestly, I like this deal a little less than I did a few days ago, if this is in fact how the trade would be structured. What I liked about shipping Crisp to Boston was not only getting a stud prospect at third in Marte but also landing Mota, a guy with a power arm who’s allowed 395 hits in his 464 career innings of work while striking out 244 batters in 269.2 innings the last three years. He didn’t work out as a full-time closer for Florida last year, but he’s got the kind of arm that would allow him to fill Bob Howry’s role as set-up man and potential back-up closer.

Giving Riske to the Sox certainly doesn’t negate the Mota acquisition, but it takes away some of the depth that made the Indians’ next rumored move — shipping a reliever to Philly for outfielder Jason Michaels — appealing. Now, instead of dealing from a surplus of talent in the bullpen, getting Michaels is going to hurt that bullpen depth.

Incidentally, the PD is also reporting that lefty Arthur Rhodes will almost assuredly be the reliever sent to Philly:

The Phillies originally wanted Rafael Betancourt, but the Indians refused. The Indians offered Riske, but the Phillies weren’t interested. The Indians then offered Riske to Boston. The Indians also considered sending Mota, 32, to the Phillies. There’s a chance that still could happen, but the Indians are inclined to keep Mota, if healthy, because he’s younger than Rhodes, 37.

I don’t get this part. Why is Betancourt so special? I know Rhodes is 37, but I love how the Indians are set up with Scott Sauerbeck early and Rhodes late. There aren’t many teams that have two proven, capable lefty relievers at their disposal. But as I have for the past few years, I’ll trust Shapiro’s judgment on this one.

The Boston Herald is reporting it’s a done deal:

According to baseball sources, the Red Sox and Cleveland Indians have agreed in principle on a deal that will bring outfielder Crisp to the Sox in a multi-player trade. The Red Sox will send a package including reliever Guillermo Mota and prospect Andy Marte to the Indians.

If in fact this is true, I hate to see Coco go, but I can’t help but be excited about this deal. Marte looks like a future stud at third, a patient hitter with loads of power, and, at just 22, he’ll team up with Grady Sizemore (23) and Jhonny Peralta (23) to give the Tribe perhaps the most exciting young team in baseball. MinorLeagueBaseball.com ranked Marte as the sixth-best prospect in baseball last August, and while it’s no guarantee that Marte will become an elite player, that’s apparently a risk Mark Shapiro is willing to take. After watching him bring in guys like Sizemore and Travis Hafner via trade, I tend to trust his judgment (even if we are still waiting on Brandon Phillips).

Gary, a regular reader here, pointed out in my last Coco blog that he’s not sure the inclusion of Mota would be a good thing, saying that he’s got a great arm but questions about his character have followed Mota, who failed as the closer for the Marlins last season, throughout his career. I understand the concerns but Mota will slot in nicely at the back end of the bullpen, and his power arm will help fill the void left by Bobby Howry’s departure.

The Herald article also says the Indians are working on a trade to land Coco’s replacement in left:

The deal was agreed upon several days ago under the condition that Cleveland be able to acquire another outfielder to replace Crisp, presumably Jason Michaels from the Philadelphia Phillies. Cleveland was believed to be sending one of two relievers – left-hander Arthur Rhodes or right-hander Rafael Betancourt – to the Phillies in exchange for Michaels.

First off, let’s hope it’s Betancourt and not Rhodes. With Rhodes and Scott Sauerbeck, the Indians have the luxury of having two very good lefty relievers in their bullpen, one for the middle innings and one for the late innings. Meanwhile, with the addition of Mota, Betancourt is expendable. As for the 29-year-old Michaels, he’s been a part-time player for the Phillies the past few years and while he doesn’t seem to have much power, he’s a career .291 hitter and he takes walks, sporting a .399 on-base percentage last season. He’s not as dynamic as Crisp, at least judging by the numbers, but he’s a solid defensive outfielder, he gets on base and he’s cheap. All things considered, he would seem to be an adequate replacement for Crisp in left and in the two-hole, at least until some of the young guys (Franklin Gutierrez) are ready to take over.

Of course, none of this is official yet, but if/when the deals are announced, it’ll be interesting to see how accurate these rumors are and how the Cleveland fans will react to losing Coco.