Potential Jarrod Washburn Suitors Failing To See Appeal Of Jarrod Washburn

by Jeff Sullivan on Feb 9, 2009 11:17 AM PST in Miscellaneous

The Brewers are about to sign Braden Looper, which will fill out their rotation. They've come up a couple times over the past several months as a possible destination for one of our starters, but now you can go ahead and forget about that happening any time soon.

The Washburn market is just about dried up. Let's look at all 29 other teams in baseball, and see if they have an immediate need:

Blue Jays: open slots, but seemingly committed to youngsters; no need for a 2009 rental
Orioles: rotation TBD, but lots of candidates; committed to youngsters; no need for a 2009 rental
Rays: full rotation
Red Sox: full rotation
Yankees: full rotation
Indians: full rotation
Royals: full rotation
Tigers: full rotation
Twins: full rotation and no interest
White Sox: want another arm, but don't have much money
Angels: full rotation
A's: full rotation
Rangers: full rotation
Braves: full rotation
Marlins: full rotation, broke
Mets: full rotation
Phillies: full rotation
Nationals: full rotation
Astros: full rotation
Brewers: full rotation
Cardinals: full rotation unless Chris Carpenter gets hurt while I write this sentence fragment
Cubs: full rotation
Pirates: full rotation
Reds: full rotation
Diamondbacks: full rotation
Dodgers: full rotation
Giants: full rotation
Padres: I can't tell if they're full or not but they don't have any money anyway
Rockies: full rotation

Barring some kind of miracle, Jarrod Washburn just isn't going to get dealt before the season. The only real legitimate possible suitor remaining is Chicago, and they have their own budget problems to work out. I suppose there's Washburn/Dye potential in there somewhere, but we'd have to sweeten the pot, and I don't know how willing Zduriencik would be to sacrifice youth under these conditions.

And so, most likely, we'll have to wait a few months until people get injured, spots open up, and teams get a better idea of whether or not they're contenders. At that point I can see us fielding more calls about a veteran lefty with playoff experience. That could be good news, since the shiny new outfield ought to treat Washburn's ERA like a down pillow treats a rock that you throw at it, but the downside is that it makes an acquisition like Bobby Abreu highly unlikely. Granted, I think Abreu could earn his money by helping the team contend, and that in the worst-case scenario you could mitigate the impact of his salary by dumping him midseason if you have to, but ownership seems to see things differently, and according to them, we don't have space to take on another big contract. So.

Felix/Bedard/Silva/Morrow/Washburn. For all the competition the team is going to have this spring, the rotation looks to be set in stone. Here's hoping RRS and Garrett Olson don't mind playing the waiting game.

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Carpenter had a setback.

by Matthew on Feb 9, 2009 11:27 AM PST reply actions

huh?

by JI on Feb 9, 2009 11:28 AM PST up reply actions

...and the Cardinals just relased Adam Kennedy to play Skip Schumaker at second base

That is the definition of insanity.

by JI on Feb 9, 2009 11:31 AM PST up reply actions

The Cardinals have a full rotation?

News to me

by JI on Feb 9, 2009 11:28 AM PST reply actions

Carpenter/Wainwright/Wellemeyer/Lohse/Pineiro seems full to me

but I could easily be wrong.

by Jeff Sullivan on Feb 9, 2009 11:32 AM PST up reply actions

Piniero counts as a pitcher?

by JI on Feb 9, 2009 11:33 AM PST up reply actions

They seem to be committed to him for the time being

but I could easily be wrong, so feel free to correct me.

by Jeff Sullivan on Feb 9, 2009 11:35 AM PST up reply actions

Let me put it this way

Someone is going to get hurt or flame out, but I’m pretty sure the Cardinals only have a couple million to play with. So potentially you could deal Washburn for Chris Duncan or someone during ST but you’d have to eat almost all the money. I think it’s crazy to speculate that their willingness to make a trade like that hinges on how the whole 2B/OF brewhaha plays out, and how many outfielders they/we have left over.

by JI on Feb 9, 2009 11:39 AM PST up reply actions

My other serious suggestion would be to trade him

for Piniero but I’m not sure the Cardinals would be willing to pay $4.5m for such a marginal upgrade.

by JI on Feb 9, 2009 11:41 AM PST up reply actions

The Cardinals seem like an obvious potential destination or June or July

Right now, though, I’m just not seeing it, at least not in a way that gives us much additional flexibility.

by Jeff Sullivan on Feb 9, 2009 11:43 AM PST up reply actions

He will test positive for frosted tips

I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE!!! I DRINK IT UP!!

by abender20 on Feb 9, 2009 12:50 PM PST up reply actions

Agreed on the time period.

I don’t think there will be much arm twisting once someone calls asking for Washburn.

by mark sobba on Feb 9, 2009 3:28 PM PST up reply actions

Thanks Chuck, you are the best.

by Sec 108 on Feb 9, 2009 11:30 AM PST reply actions

"Potential Jarrod Washburn Suitors Failing To See Appeal Of Jarrod Washburn"

“but looks aren’t everything, and he’s got a wonderful personality”

by msb on Feb 9, 2009 11:42 AM PST reply actions

Personally

I’d prefer to hang onto Washburn. As stated, we can probably pump his value up quite a bit by running out a quality OF, and as much as we’re all hoping the team is competitive this year, I’ll take my chances grabbing a useful future piece at the deadline, when Washburn’s contract won’t be nearly as big an albatross for other teams.

I'd rather know a little about a lot than a lot about a little

by Sportszilla on Feb 9, 2009 11:44 AM PST reply actions

The chances of getting something interesting back for Washburn mid season has to be small.

If someone picks him up near the trade deadline, that’s still a good $4 Million salary dump for the M’s. That should be a-ok.

I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.

by EnglishMariner on Feb 9, 2009 12:17 PM PST up reply actions

Probably not useful though

unless they apply that money into signing draft picks, but they would have already had to select those draft picks without knowing there would be freed up money later on.

by Matthew on Feb 9, 2009 12:19 PM PST up reply actions

International free agents, scouting budget, etc.

There are lots of good ways for money to be used.

by Jeff Sullivan on Feb 9, 2009 12:20 PM PST up reply actions

Will it though?

Don’t the Ms constantly say that their budgets aren’t transferable? Now, whether they actually adhere to that…

by Matthew on Feb 9, 2009 12:21 PM PST up reply actions

Even if we don't get any money I'd rather see some of our young pitchers like RRS get starts ahead of Washburn if we are out of the race.

I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.

by EnglishMariner on Feb 9, 2009 12:30 PM PST up reply actions

I'm not saying they'd do it

just that they could.

by Jeff Sullivan on Feb 9, 2009 12:35 PM PST up reply actions

They could turn him into a C or C+ if things go well

I mean, heck, we turned Arthur Rhodes into Gaby Hernandez.

by Jeff Sullivan on Feb 9, 2009 12:20 PM PST up reply actions

And you never know how desperate a team will be

I mean, if the Red Sox/Yankees/Mets suffer injuries in the pitching staff, I could see them biting on Washburn for a mediocre prospect

I'd rather know a little about a lot than a lot about a little

by Sportszilla on Feb 9, 2009 12:34 PM PST up reply actions

(again)

>:(

by Matthew on Feb 9, 2009 12:36 PM PST up reply actions

Sigh

I'd rather know a little about a lot than a lot about a little

by Sportszilla on Feb 9, 2009 1:22 PM PST up reply actions

I don't think a trade for Washburn would've worked with Milwaukee regardless of Looper's signing.

Melvin had consistently said that we were short on cash, and picking up Washburn without dumping some sort of similar bad contract (I guess Bill Hall’s 6M or Jeff Suppan’s 12M) just would not have happened. Maybe the M’s would’ve had some sort of interest in Hall (he can still play a good SS or 2B), but I just don’t see anything working without the M’s eating a lot of salary.

---
Juuuust a bit outside!!
http://www.rightfieldbleachers.com

by Jack Moore on Feb 9, 2009 12:20 PM PST reply actions

I've long since convinced myself that the June/July

route is the way to go. With the likes of RJ signing 1/8 million deals this winter Wash was just not getting moved for anything at all, and the new look Mariners should make him seem better than he is. It’s what Graham’s been saying for a while – outfield defense is worth more than offense if you’re trying to trade away flyball lefties. And it may not take as long as the deadline – the team knows he’s expendable and injury can strike at any time. There are teams that have money to spend on pitching if they should need it mid season, and Joba Chamberlain can get re-injured any time.

C’mon Joba, we all want to see Washburn pitch in the Bronx, don’t we? In front of Nady-Damon-Matsui? And those nice fans?

by Bearskin Rugburn on Feb 9, 2009 1:12 PM PST reply actions

Adam Kennedy?

Would it make sense to trade him for Kennedy now that he has been released? (I think they have a week or so to find a trade don’t they?)

Anyway, the Ms would save ~$6mm and pickup a potentially useful player who would allow them to trade Lopez or Beltre at/up to the deadline and give them most of the money they would need for Abreu.

by bilbo on Feb 9, 2009 1:31 PM PST reply actions