Winter Meetings Prelude

An interesting note in today's Richard Griffin column,

"Anthopoulos admitted this week that there have been inquiries about some of his starters other than Halladay and that the possibility of young guys on the move would be there if the return was what the Jays were looking for. He might give teams a choice from among that group. Remember, when the Halladay deal is finally completed there will likely be a mid-rotation starter included to make the picture even more crowded."

Well, isn't that a daisy. How many scenarios can people cook up from that one, and which starters would he be willing to deal? My pick is Ricky Romero, who the Mets and others would definitely have interest in. Why not deal him if the Jays don't expect to compete? He's the most mature of the bunch, has the most market value as a result, and can help a team win in 2010. Scenarios are endless, but the Mets, Royals, Brewers, and Mariners stand out due to their needs for starting pitching.

Everyone still expects the Yankees to land Doc, and their latest attempt to make people believe they have a limited budget is simply posturing so they can get more for less at the meetings. Whether through an agent or through trade, the Yankees can claim they are trying to control costs - right. They said the same thing last year after signing CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, just before signing Mark Texeira.

Here's what I know for sure before the meetings:

1. Alex will be the focus and will put his first stamp on the Jays at these meetings. If he deals Doc and others, he'll be examined to the nines by all baseball analysts and bloggers. The outcome of these deals will determine if he's the GM long term, or short term.
2. Jesus Montero has no place to play in NY, other than at DH, or C once Posada retires - but nobody expects him to remain a Catcher at his size and "agility". So, he is a huge piece the Yankees may be willing to move.
3. The Red Sox need a big hitter. Whether it's landing Bay, Holliday, or Adrian Gonzalez, that's their #1 focus. Until they get one of these players, they can't make a deal for Doc without jeopordizing their offense. 
4. The Red Sox can't afford to trade for both Adrian Gonzalez and Roy Halladay. So, if Bay and Holliday sign elsewhere, you can scratch them off the list of Halladay suitors.
5. The LAA want to prove to their fans that they can win in 2010. They have Mike Napoli to deal since Jeff Mathis and Hank Conger are capable catchers, but can no longer deal Wood to the Jays since Figgins has signed in Seattle. The next best piece offensively in a deal, for the Jays, is OF Mike Trout who is very unlikely to be dealt. This makes a deal with the LAA a little less likely to occur.
   
6. The NYY, knowing the plights of BOS and LAA, will not part with 3 of Chamberlain, Hughes, Montero, and Jackson unless situations change. I could see 2, but not 3. Why would they pay more if no other teams are bidding? If you're the Jays, which 2 do you ask for? Unless one of the other 2 teams settles their situations (Holliday signs in BOS, for example), you can expect Doc to stay put.
7. Doc may be more inclined to agree to a deal in the AL since he's not much of a hitter or runner.
8. Doc may also be more inclined to sign a deal with a team that holds spring training in Florida (so some people say), making both LA teams, the White Sox, and the Mariners a little less likely to land Doc.
   
9. Lyle Overbay will be dealt ASAP to the highest bidder.
   
10. Others, such as two major pieces with expiring contracts in 2010 in Jason Frasor and Scott Downs, as well as Brian Tallet, Scott Richmond, Jeremy Accardo, and Jose Bautista may also be on the move.
    

Oddities:

Could Vernon Wells be dealt to the Yankees if a Doc deal can be made to include Austin Jackson in a deal? The Yankees could pass on Damon, and would be more inclined to deal 3 major prospects. In tis case, Phil Hughes, Jesus Montero, and Austin Jackson would go to the Jays, with Doc and Wells going to the Yankees.

Would a 3B Mat Gamel and OF Caleb Gindl for Ricky Romero and Edwin Encarnacion swap work with Milwaukee? They can actually afford Romero, and the Jays could use a big bat at 3B/1B and a young 5 tool OFer. Just a wild throw, but the Brewers are pretty desperate for pitching and don't have an excessive amount of money to throw around. Dealing Romero now makes perfect sense, because who knows how long he can go before an injury, there are a ton of guys who can take his spot in the rotation in the near future (Zach Stewart, Jesse Litsch, Reidier Gonzalez, Bobby Bell, David Purcey), and he is more affordable to more teams which drives up the price teams would be willing to pay for him.

As for Doc, my wild card team in his chase is the Chicago White Sox, but I doubt he would accept a deal there - unless he surprises us as Peavy did. A Peavy-Halladay-Danks-Floyd-Buehrle rotation would nix the chances of any other Central team winning for sure, and the White Sox do have Dayan Viciedo, Dan Hudson, and Tyler Flowers to offer - all positions that the Jays are looking for in return. Add the fact that their GM is Ken Williams and you never know what could happen.

Jays/Alex Targets?

All minor leaguers and young MLB Players.

Should be fun to watch and listen to in the days ahead. Let's hope it's an active meeting, and not one that reflects the slower lifestyle Indiana brings to the table in comparison to the 2008 location of Las Vegas!