Cleveland shopping DeRosa

Lord Haw-Haw reports that Mark DeRosa is on the block:

Indians third baseman Mark DeRosa is one of the first veterans to hit the trade block. Cleveland is now fielding offers for the versatile DeRosa, league sources say.

The Indians are looking mainly for pitchers who can help them now. Although they are off to their second straight horrible start, the Indians are apparently not close to giving up hope in a tight AL Central. Pitching has been their main problem in their 14-26 start (8 1/2 games back from the division-leading Tigers).

Given that Cabrera has taken over at short allowing Peralta to slide over to third, DeRosa is far less important to the Tribe than a reliever who didn’t stink like three month-old eggs would be.


9 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
chuck
14 years ago

de rosa is not the everyday player who the indians thought he is.  he does better in the utility role, playing different positions and getting days off in between, just as the cubs used him last year.  shapiro and wedge didnt see that when they traded for him.  he may be a valuable guy in the clubhouse, but as an everyday player, no.

Brandon
14 years ago

So, the Cubs traded DeRosa to “save money”, getting back pitchers who will never help them.  They signed Aaron Miles, who is 10 kinds of terrible, to replace DeRosa and “get more lefthanded”, even though DeRosa hits righties and lefties better than Miles, and now the Cubs could use a better utility man than Miles and the Indians can use pitching.  Blockheaded GMs everywhere.
The really irritating part for me is going to be when the Indians get more for DeRosa than the Cubs did.

Ben
14 years ago

Sorry, Brandon, but the jury is still out on the Cubs’ trade of DeRosa.

Have you even been following the progress of the three pitching prospects the Cubs received?  Two of them are putting together very solid campaigns thus far (one in AAA, and one in AA).

And if you’ve been following the team this year, you’d probably notice that Mike Fontenot replaced DeRosa as the team’s starting 2B (and the guy who slides to 3B when Ramirez can’t play). Miles replaced Ronny Cedeno.

Blockheaded armchair GMs everywhere.

Richard
14 years ago

Of the pitchers the Indians traded to Chicago for Derosa only one (jeff stevens; who if your keeping track the Tribe got for Brandon Phillips ) could possibly have an impact this year the other two were low minors pitchers with some upside. If the indians can’t get a better arm than Stevens it works out pretty well for them. The consensus at the time of the trade was cubs wanted to shed some payroll, which is why the package in return was less than stellar.

Chuck- i’m not sure when you think the cubs rested him in chicago he played 149 games in each year with them. thats pretty close to an everyday player and much more time than a utility guy would play. He’s had a similar role with the Indians playing 3rd,1st and RF. Only sitting out every so often.

kranky kritter
14 years ago

Just tossing it out…one possibility is he goes to Boston for Brad Penny. Penny has been up and down so far this year, bad era based on getting hammered twice but 4 quality starts in 7 tries and working on a short-money make good contract. No better than a lunchbucket guy at this point, but probably among the better options among reasonably priced guys that you could fairly hope would help your team.

Boston has extra SP, with John Smoltz expected back in about a month, Clay Buckholtz shredding minor league batters. Justin Masterson doing a decent job while subbing for Matsuzka, and Michael Bowden also looking major-league ready.

Maybe Boston would be more interested in Peralta. Penny is certain to be the odd man out unless someone else gets hurt.

Richard
14 years ago

I don’t think there is any chance he goes to Boston for Penny. Shapiro will try to get bullpen arms because that is where the problem lies for the tribe. Picking up another 4/5 starter for Derosa isn’t exactly an addition.

Furthermore another solid bullpen arm would allow the tribe to move Aaron Laffey back to the rotation where he has been quite good.

Boston can’t just give up also rans and get back legit starting players

kranky kritter
14 years ago

Like I said, just tossing it out. I was sort of just going off the previous comment about the Indians needing pitching, as I knew Boston would have surplus.

Maybe the Indians will be fine with Pavano, Reyes and Laffey in the 3-4-5 holes. Stranger things have happened. Not much stranger than that, but who knows. Laffey, OK. The other 2? Not so much, IMO.

So far the Red Sox SP has been nowhere near as good as advertised., but I still think they’ll be sellers in good shape over the next 6 to 8 weeks unless Smoltz craps the bed.

I like DeRosa a lot. But it sounds like the Indians view him now as a bit of an overpriced spare part during a season that’s already sinking fast. I won’t disagree with Penny being slotted as a 4-5 hole guy. But he won 16 games year before last, and is a big horse with the potential to give you 180+ IP. Can that be realistically said for Pavano or Reyes?

Not trying to start a fight or anything. Penny is teetering on stiffdom, no doubt. I only say I’d be more hopeful with him than many other options likely to available.

I do think if the Indians deal DeRosa they more likely ask for prospects, not someone with a high chance of helping right the 2009 ship.

Lou D.
14 years ago

What a perfect fit for the Mets although I don’t think they have a pitcher Cleveland would be interested in.

Jack Marshall
14 years ago

You have to believe the Boston master plan is to package Penny at some point. Buchholtz has to come up, and they aren’t trading Beckett, Lester, Dice-K or Wakefield. Penny’s far from a stiff—especially for a 5 starter. But he’s not a good match for the Indians, and the Sox problems are at short, DH and catcher.