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June 16, 2006

Bad Day Dreams

I was just reading Jayson Stark's potential players to be traded feature when I saw this:

Carl Crawford

The Angels, Tigers, Dodgers, White Sox and Cardinals salivate at the thought of reeling in this guy. And why not? He's 24. He gets better every year. He can play left field or center. And he has a club-friendly contract that could keep him under control through 2010.

.......

An executive of one team says the Devil Rays are more interested in getting three, or even four, players back for Crawford -- two high-ceiling prospects and two young big leaguers. And most, if not all, of that package would need to be pitching. If that's the price, it's a price you rarely see paid in July. If anyone could command it, though, Carl Crawford might be the man.

For a split second, I saw Melky Cabrera, Philip Hughes, J. Brent Cox, and Tyler Clippard being sent to Tampa Bay for Crawford. Talk about a chill down your spine.

That would never happen these days, right?

I think I better go lay down for a few minutes.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at June 16, 2006 03:59 PM

Comments

The Rays always want an impossible bounty for their players, which is why they almost never pull the trigger on deals. The deal you describe -- which would be a disaster for the Yanks -- probably wouldn't even get it done. You'd probably have to include Tabata and Beam.

(The only time the Rays got their insane asking price was in the Zambrano/Kazmir deal, but that was pure insanity by the Mets.)

It's too bad, though, because if I could steal one player off the Rays it would be Crawford. I wish the Yankees acquired/developed more players like him -- fast and athletic. That's why I was hoping the Cubs didn't re-sign D-Lee. He's a guy that would have been worth dropping fifteen mil a year on.

By the way, another name mentioned in the article is Pirates' lefty Oliver Perez. He's having an AWFUL year, but he was great two years ago, and he's still just 25. I wouldn't give up a lot to get him, but I would certainly see what the Pirates were asking. His problem is his command, but maybe Gator can work with him. He still has good stuff.

Posted by: baileywalk [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 16, 2006 04:46 PM

Steinbrenner doesn't read blogs, does he. Don't put the idea in his head. (I think Cashman wouldn't do this deal.)

Posted by: rbj [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 16, 2006 05:18 PM

Crawford seems overrated to me. Sure, he's got speed, but he doesn't get on base or even steal bases at a prodigious rate and he's certainly not a slugger. He is young and could get better, but you don't want to lose 3-4-5 guys to find out he's just a slightly above average OF.

And BW, you're dead on about the control issue for Perez. He is fairly consistent with the Ks, but his BB/9 is all over the place and was his best by FAR in 2004, his only really superlative year. If he could get a handle on that, he might really be something.

Posted by: hopbitters [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 16, 2006 05:29 PM

That Kazmir deal has fried everyone's brain in the D-Rays front office apparently. First they wanted more than Ande Marte for Julio frickin' Lugo (he of the 92 career OPS+), and now they're askin' for 4 players in return for Crawford?

Junior Griffey gets traded for 4 players, not Carl Crawford.

Don't the D-Rays brass realize they're building a reputation of being impossible to deal with?

Posted by: Mike A. [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 17, 2006 11:13 AM