I know that he's come out and said that he wants to play in Kansas City next year and claims he is healthy, but the fact of the matter is this: He is owed $12 million next year, he's 34, he's been bothered by injuries, and he's been a semi-cancer in the clubhouse. Every knows we are trying to trade him, mainly to get his contract off the books, and if I'm Dayton Moore I would be doing the same thing.
The fact is that if were going to trade Jose Guillen, were going to have to give a little up as well. As the old saying goes, "to get a little you have to get a little." So in a week were GM's are up way past their bedtimes making deals with free agents and other teams, I have a couple of ideas for how the Royals could unload Jose. They probably won't ever get discussed, but there just ideas.
1. Derek Lowe (ATL) for Jose Guillen and a minor league prospect (Tim Melville )
Now this deal wouldn't have KC really making cap room available, and I know Derek Lowe is 38, but this trade would give the Royals a solid top three of the rotation. Dayton is bud's with the trades, plus the Braves are looking for a OF power bat.
This trade would force the Royals to go and sign or trade for an OF, preferably one with power. I've always liked Derek Lowe because he is a workhorse, and this trade would give depth to a pitching staff that desperately needs depth as well as experience.
I put Tim Melville in this deal because I'm sure that the Braves would want some prospect in return with taking on Jose, and since the Royals have a lot of young pitching prospects, I could see them trading one of them (not necessarily Melville) in a deal like this, especially since the Braves would need to eat some money to make this deal work.
The Braves have also come out and stated that they aren't asking for a veteran bat for him and will eat money as well, which I'm sure the Royals would ask for, since he is owed $15 million over each of the next three years, and that would be one big reason that this deal more than likely could never happen.
2. Brendan Ryan and Kyle McClellan(STL) for Jose Guillen and Mike Aviles
I know others may still like Mike Aviles, but let's face the facts: The only role that he may have as far as playing time goes may be in Triple-A unless someone gets hurt or stumbles. He's 29-years old and is already, due to injury, in a backup role. I'm not writing off Mike completely, but his best position is 2B and 3B, and that void is filled by two people right now in each position right now.
Seeing as St. Louis needs a 3B, Aviles may have a chance to make an run there. This trade could only happen also if the Red Birds don't sign Holliday or Bay, because they don't need a power bat as badly to protect Pujols if they get either one of those OF to come here. It would be a cheap return, a young IF with promise in Ryan, and good young reliever in McClellan, but this trade would give the Royals one much needed thing, that being money to spend.
3. Jeff Francoeur and Angel Pagan or John Maine,(NYM) for Jose Guillen and Alberto Callaspo
There have been rumors over the past couple of weeks of a Guillen for Pagan swap, as well as a Guillen for Pagan swap, and this trade would be a good trade for both teams. For one, it would help out the Mets in giving them a solid hitting 2B in Callaspo, though you would be sacrificing defense by playing him.
You also get a corner power bat that is a veteran bat to help balance that lineup out, especially with the losses of Gary Sheffield and Carlos Delgado. Jose could have chance to thrive in the 5 or 6 hole there in NY, as well as Callaspo who has proven he can hit in the 5, 6, and 7 hole by his stats last year.
Francoeur has been someone that Dayton Moore has wanted to get since the beginning of his tenure, as we even heard rumors of a Francoeur for Greinke swap (thank goodness that didn't happen), so I wouldn't see this as a surprise if we started hearing rumors involving those two in the coming months.
The reason I put either Pagan or Maine in their is that the Royals need both pitching and OF help. Though I want him back, the Royals are ways apart in possibly re-signing Coco Crisp, and need a center fielder.
Pagan could fill that role.
Maine on the other hand would give the Royals a young starter looking to bounce back from injury. Remember, it was only about three years ago when the Royals got a quality young starter from the Mets for Ambiorix Burgos, that pitcher being Brain Bannister (a forgotten good move by Dayton).
One thing the Royals would have to do is eat some of Guillen's contract, but not all of it. This would most likely result in the Royals books being the same, as Francoeur and Pagan or Maine would add up to around Guillen's salary when you take in that the Royals may need to eat $6-8 million to make this work. The only other way that a trade like this works is if the Mets would want Castillo in this deal, to help contracts work.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments