Hamels, Greinke, Garza Sought by Yanks, Rays, Sox
By Earl Nash
Cole Hamels, Zack Greinke, and Matt Garza are the Big Three starters on the meat market slab and “buying” teams that are desperate to fill a rotation slot, say #3 or #4, include the Red Sox, and their AL East rivals the Rays,and Yankees; so what would a deal for the “Tres Hurleros” [Spanglish] look like?
PHILLIES NEED
Young arms for 2012 and 2013 and power bats right away. With Polanco, Wigginton and Fonteno manning the 3rd base barricade, the Phillies desperately need one, real, MLB player at the Hot Corner.
BREWERS NEED
A SS, 1b, OF, and young arms. [No doubt, GM Melvin would love to acquire someone like, say, Jake Odorizzi; he was the Brewers‘ first-round supplemental pick in the 2008 draft, is putting up scary good numbers with a 95-mph fastball at Class AAA Omaha, but Milwaukee traded him in the Greinke deal.]
CUBS NEED
Except for a SS and First basemen, everything. Bored with the Red Sox GM job of minor remodeling, Theo Epstein wants to play Billy Beane’s game of “Build a Franchise” and, like the Houston “We have a problem…” Astros, he is looking for top-level prospects.
Since the rumor mill says that the Red Sox Al East rivals, the Rays and the Yankees, are kicking the tires on Hamels, Greinke, and Garza, let’s play the “Let’s Make a Deal” game.
TO PHILLIES FOR HAMELS
RAYS SEND:
Chris Archer, Alex Colome, Wade Davis, Tim Beckham [pick 3]
YANKS SEND:
Jose Campos [RHP], Adam Warren [RHP], Mason Williams [OF], J.R. Murphy [3B]
SOX SEND:
Kolbrin Vitek [3b], Drake Britton [LHP], Stolmy Pimentel [RHP], Blake Swihart [C]
TO BREWERS FOR GREINKE
RAYS SEND:
Chris Archer, Hak-Ju Lee [SS], Mikie Mahtook [OF], Taylor Guerrieri [RHP]
YANKS SEND:
Jose Campos [RHP], Adam Warren [RHP], Claudio Custodio [SS/2B], Austin Romine [C]
SOX SEND:
Kolbrin Vitek [3b], Drake Britton [LHP], Stolmy Pimentel [RHP], Blake Swihart [C]
TO CUBS FOR GARZA
RAYS SEND:
Chris Archer, Alex Colome, Wade Davis, Tim Beckham [2B/SS] OR Hak-Ju Lee [2B]
YANKS SEND:
Jose Campos [RHP], Adam Warren [RHP], Mason Williams [OF], Austin Romine [C]
SOX SEND:
Kolbrin Vitek [3b], Drake Britton [LHP], Stolmy Pimentel [RHP], Blake Swihart [C]
Now, if GM Ben was “wick-kid sm-aah-t,” he would go counter-trend, ignore the frantic bidding on the Big Three and get a better deal:
2012
W L ERA K-W WHIP WAR
6 6 3.54 23-70 1.23 1.3
CAREER
79 81 4.03 1074-445 1.34 1.475
CONTRACT
2012 $10,000,000 [Astros and Sox each pay half of remaining contract: $2.5 million each.]
2013 $13,000,000
2014 *$13,000,000
$13M Team Option, $2.5M Buyout option may become guaranteed based on performance; option becomes player option with trade Earliest Free Agent: 2014.
Yup, “Magic” Wandy Rodriguez!
With Lowrie already in Houston as SS, Add three Sea Dogs, Lars Anderson at 1b, Gavin Cecchini at 2b, Kolbrin Vitek, 3b and the Astros would have a complete “Ex-Sox prospects” infield.
BONUS: Rodriguez is a lefty, which gives the Sox better a balanced 2 L/2 R rotation; Lester, Rodriguez, Beckett and Doubrant.
If you, fellow suffering citizen of Red Sox Nation, have a better idea, BRING IT!; Ben needs to grow a pair and take a risk, if the Sox have any chance for a Playoff slot this season.
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000