http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/14...attention.html
Posted on Tue, Jun. 15, 2010
DeJesus to be center of attention for Royals as trade deadline approaches
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star
It’s all still wonderfully new for Royals outfielder David DeJesus and better than he ever imagined. Monday marked three weeks since he became a father for the first time.
“It’s been awesome to have this little guy come into the world,” DeJesus said. “I’ve only seen him for (a handful of) days, and that’s tough. And I also want to be with Kim to help her out. But we all understand this is my job and the way I provide for my family.”
It is those work-related responsibilities that point DeJesus toward another looming and, quite possibly, life-changing experience. This summer, for the first time in his career, he is likely to find his name bandied about in trade speculation.
And like most players, it’s not something he wishes to dwell upon.
“I hope the Royals want to keep me,” he said. “I really do, because I’ve been here since (being drafted in) 2000. But I understand it’s a business, too.”
The business says DeJesus, at age 30, is a productive player in the prime of his career who is making $4.7 million this season while poised to make $6 million next year unless the Royals exercise a $500,000 buyout.
The trade market will find few players with more universally attractive aspects as it works its way toward the July 31 nonwaiver deadline.
DeJesus can be viewed as a short-term rental for any club in playoff contention or as a comfortable fit over the next few years for those franchises with financial clout. Some clubs, already, have scouts taking a hard look at him.
And while DeJesus’ salary is sufficiently high for the Royals to consider offers, it is not so high as to force a deal if those offers are not to their liking.
General manager Dayton Moore anticipates “a busy trade market” and vows “we’ll evaluate what comes our way if anything does come our way.” And while he veers away from talking specifics, he does acknowledge the Royals have “some nice pieces” if opportunities present themselves.
Those pieces include outfielder Scott Podsednik, designated hitter José Guillen, reliever Kyle Farnsworth, utilityman Willie Bloomquist and starting pitchers Brian Bannister and Kyle Davies. Other possibilities are third baseman Alberto Callaspo and outfielder Rick Ankiel in addition to DeJesus.
Talks with opposing scouts suggest the following:
•Podsednik should draw interest from clubs seeking a lower-cost outfielder than DeJesus. He projects mostly as a short-term rental for a contender, about $600,000 over the final two months, because his contract is structured to make him a likely free agent after the season.
•Guillen has shown sufficient bounce-back punch after an injury-filled 2009 to generate interest if a contender finds itself with a hole to fill. That might not happen until August, but he is likely to clear waivers (which allows him to be traded after the July 31 deadline). He is in the final season of a three-year, $36 million contract, which means a two-month rental would cost about $4 million. After that, even less.
•Farnsworth is gaining value as a front-end setup reliever and he, too, projects as a short-term rental. His contract contains a club option next season for $5.25 million with a $500,000 buyout, but he would cost a club only about $2 million for two months.
•Bloomquist drew interest last year at the trading deadline and is the type of do-everything type that contenders love down the stretch. He would only cost about $600,000 over the final two months before becoming a free agent.
•Bannister and Davies also generated offers last year and can be viewed as longer-term fits. Bannister is making $2.3 million but won’t be eligible for arbitration until after 2012. Davies is making $1.8 million and has another year of arbitration before gaining free-agent eligibility.
•Callaspo is making believers at third, but he’s about to get pricier. He is making $460,000 but could jump toward $2 million or more after the season in his first year of arbitration eligibility.
•Ankiel was signed in the offseason with an eye toward flipping him before the deadline. He’s been hurt since late April but could build some trade value if he returns soon and gets hot. He would cost about $1.1 million as a two-month rental, including the $500,000 buyout for next year to avoid a $6 million option.
While all are available, the Royals aren’t in a salary-dump mode or, from all indications, actively looking to move players.
“If you want to make a deal,” Moore said, “you have to be realistic about what you, potentially, are going to get back. And what you get back has to be better than what you have. If not, then why do it?”
For example, the Royals want an outfield prospect with pop, but they show little interest in swapping one of their veterans unless that prospect offers a higher overall upside than Derrick Robinson, Jarrod Dyson or David Lough.
“It’s like anything else,” Moore said, “you’ve got to have a willing trade partner. Both clubs have to feel like a deal makes sense.”
All of which points back to DeJesus as the trade piece most likely to generate a meaningful return, but the Royals figure to set a high price because they see him as a likely Type A player if he reaches free-agency.
That means the Royals want to match or exceed the anticipated free-agent compensation for DeJesus: a first- or second-round draft pick plus a supplemental pick between the first two rounds.
The Royals also see reason to retain DeJesus since they anticipate Ankiel and Podsednik are likely to depart after the season. If so, that would leave DeJesus, Gordon and Mitch Maier as the club’s projected starting outfield for 2011.
Club officials have several options if they choose to keep DeJesus:
•They can simply exercise a $6 million option for next season which is, in effect, a $5.5 million option since the deal contains a $500,000 buyout.
•They can decline the option, exercise the buyout and offer arbitration in the hope that would cost the same or less. Doing that would enable DeJesus to decline arbitration and become a free agent but, if he does so, the Royals get those two draft picks in return.
•They can seek to negotiate a new longer-term deal.
This much seems certain:
Speculation on all scenarios will intensify in the coming weeks.
“I want to win here,” DeJesus said. “ I’ve been through the lows, and there have been a lot of lows. But we can feel the tide is turning. I honestly see something happening here and want to be part of it.”