Trade Rumor

I was listening to the Mighty 1090 as I was driving home from a sales seminar in Newport Beach on Friday. Billy Werndl reported that the Texas Rangers were looking for starting pitching and dangling Laynce Nix as the bait.

Additionally, I was talking to one of my best friends, Paul Reams, and he indicated that the Dayton Daily News was reporting that Cinci was also looking for starting pitching and that Wily Mo Pena was their bait.

“There are rumblings in the scouting fraternity that the Reds might part with Pena for a starting pitcher, especially with the pitching staff stumbling along so far this spring, [with] a 7.05 earned run average.”

In case you’re worried about defense, according to “Baseball Prospectus 2005” Dave Roberts, Laynce Nix, and Wiley Mo Pena all rate about the same as defensive centerfielders.

Things to keep in mind:

1. Due to injuries, Roberts hasn’t played much this spring and injuries have dogged him most of his career.

2. Roberts hasn’t swung the bat well when he’s been in the line-up. – I don’t generally believe players should make or lose playing time based on their Spring Training results but if we were hoping for improvement and we don’t see it. It is reasonable to look elsewhere.

3. Maybe most importantly, Grady Fuson, Kevin Towers’ Special Assistant, has a history of raiding his former team for players he likes. Fuson is the former Director of Scouting and Player Development for the Texas Rangers.

Now, if the Padres were to make a trade for one of these players, what would it cost?

Good question. Since both teams are looking for starting pitching help. It would definitely require starting pitching heading back the other way. I’m guessing both teams would ask (maybe already have asked) for Tim Stauffer. Fat chance. More likely, the Padres would part with either Adam Eaton or Brian Lawrence. I’m not sure which one I’d rather part with, but both teams play in small ballparks and Eaton is a flyball pitcher. B-Law would be a more reasonable acquisition for each team. Plus Eaton isn’t locked up long-term where B-Law would is under contract through 2006 plus the contract has a team provision for an additional year. He has to look pretty tasty to both teams.

On a side-note, I mentioned that the ‘Wily Mo Pena’ lead came from my friend Paul. When I first started writing, Paul and I did a few “Peter & Paul on the Padres” columns. Paul recently contacted me and said he’d like to do some more of those. So in addition to the stuff I write on my own, we’ll be putting together some ‘Peter & Paul’ posts.