http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/28...-of-trade.html
Posted on Mon, Jun. 28, 2010
Several Royals subject of trade whispers
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star
July is nearly here, and right on schedule, trade rumors are escalating throughout baseball. And again, no surprise, the Royals are positioned near the spotlight because they have players to deal.
Several teams are linked to outfielder David DeJesus, who is putting together the best all-round season of his career. José Guillen’s recent hot streak is also drawing interest from clubs seeking to add a bat.
An acknowledged willingness by general manager Dayton Moore to entertain offers further fuels speculation. But he also insists he isn’t shopping anyone.
“I don’t call up (other teams) and say, ‘We want to move this guy, this guy and this guy,’” Moore said. “But clubs call and ask, ‘Is this player available?’ And you listen. Everybody is potentially available. That’s just the way the game is. You have to listen.”
The latest rumors link DeJesus to Boston, Cincinnati and Atlanta. No surprise there. All three teams need an outfielder.
San Francisco is showing interest in Guillen as a possible means to fill its need for a run-production bat, but only, it appears, if the Royals agree to eat much of the roughly $6.2 million left on his contract.
The Red Sox see infielder Mike Aviles and veteran utilityman Willie Bloomquist as candidates to replace injured second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Teams seeking outfield help are scouting Scott Podsednik in addition to DeJesus. One scout cited Kyle Farnsworth as an attractive bullpen addition.
What it means and where it leads are harder to assess.
“I can tell you this much,” one Royals official said, “nobody is willing to take on payroll. But teams don’t want to deal prospects, either. So it makes it tough to do anything.”
Two opposing scouts say the Royals are circulating word they’re willing to swallow much of Guillen’s contract for the right deal.
Moore recently seemed to set the minimum price for DeJesus as two top prospects by saying club projections show DeJesus is likely to finish the season as a Type-A free agent.
Type-A free agents, if offered arbitration, generally net two draft picks before the end of the second round as compensation if they sign elsewhere.
“Certainly, you can identify half a dozen clubs or so where certain players fit,” Moore said. “Everybody who follows the game understands that if a team needs an outfielder, they’re going to look at David.”
The nonwaiver trading deadline is July 31. Thereafter, players can be traded only if they clear waivers.
“There’s still (almost) five weeks to go,” Moore said. “That’s a long time. Teams right now are still evaluating their needs for the most part. Some of the (rumors) you hear, you don’t know where they come from.
“The deals that get made, most of the time, are the deals that nobody hears about or is aware of.”
