There are just 17 shopping days left in the MLB trade season, so all you last minute shoppers (I’m talking to you, Tony Reagins) better start making your shopping lists now. To help make your holiday shopping for your favorite baseball club easier, we’ve prepared a quick gift guide for you to peruse, complete with just how likely it is that the item will be in stock:
Starting Pitchers:
- Doug Davis – With Arizona flagging and looking to save money, Davis could probably be had for a discount price. He’s not the kind of ace the Angels have been fishing for, but if the Angels still find themselves empty-handed as the clock ticks down on the trade deadline, they could do a lot worse than Davis. 20% chance of acquisition
- Jon Garland – Garland hasn’t been very good and the Angels have already been down that road before. There is no way they go after him unless they are truly desperate. .00001% chance of acquisition
- Roy Halladay – The Angels are all hot and bothered to get Halladay, but the price will be steep. This franchise has been too reluctant to gut their farm system in recent years, but Halladay might be the one guy they are willing to break the bank for. Few teams can add payroll this year, but the Halos are one of them which makes them a top contender for Doc’s services. 33% chance of acquistion
- Aaron Harang – The Angels have been looking at Harang since this last winter. He’s been struggling a bit the last two years, but he is the power pitcher type that the club prefers. Better yet, he is signed through 2011, making him a reasonable insurance policy for John Lackey. The only question is if the Reds are willing to give up on their season as they are only five games out of the division lead right now. 15% chance of acquisition
- Gil Meche – Like Harang, Meche is signed through 2011 and is a big strikeout pitcher, the problem is that he has been pretty lousy this season although he was very good the previous two years toiling in anonymity in Kansas City. The Royals will probably ask a pretty penny to give him up, which may be more than the Angels are willing to spend a guy who isn’t a sure thing. 20% chance of acquisition
- Jarrod Washburn – The former Angel is having a career season for the Mariners and keeping them in the hunt for the AL West and therein lies the rub. While Seattle seems smart enough to realize that they aren’t ready to contend yet, they can’t afford the PR hit of dealing a top pitcher to a division rival in the middle of a pennant race. 1% chance of acquisition
Relief Pitchers:
- Miguel Batista – Though he isn’t the power arm the Angels want in the 8th inning role, Miguel Batista is a battle tested veteran who is comfortable in high pressure situations. There are two problems though: first, he is a Mariner and they have no interest in helping the Halos and second, he has a high salary for a guy who won’t be a closer, even if it is for half a season. 1% chance of acquisition
- Joe Beimel – Beimel has been a very solid reliever the last few years and proven he is more than a lefty-specialist. It just remains to be seen if he can survive in the tougher American League. The Angels probably don’t need another soft tossing lefty in the pen though even if Beimel would be relatively cheap. 5% chance of acquisition
- Heath Bell – Bell has been a revelation as Trevor Hoffman’s heir to the closer role in San Diego, earning himself an All-Star selection. He’s also about to earn himself a big paycheck in arbitration which is going to most likely scare the penny-pinching Padres into trading him in the next few weeks. He would be the perfect set-up man for the Angels but would cost quite a bit in terms of prospects and then even more in money when he hits arbitration this winter. This is a rare situation where the Angels might prefer a reliever with an expiring deal. 10% chance of acquisition
- Rafael Betancourt – The Indians are set to start selling off parts and Betancourt is going to be one of the first to go. He is just coming off the DL, so any team thinking about acquiring him will have to make sure he is healthy first. With a $5.4 million option for 2010, the Angels can pay him if he impresses or let him walk if he falls on his face. As long as other teams don’t drive the bidding up on him, he should be at the top of Tony Reagins’s shopping list. 40% chance of acquisition
- Matt Capps – The Pirates are trying to see what market there is for Capps, but since he is not a big strikeout guy and currently sports a 6.21 ERA, there may not be much of a market for him. If not for the fact that he is Pittsburgh’s de facto closer he might have no value at all right now. 1% chance of acquisition
- Scott Downs – Downs is having a career season and the Jays may want to sell high on him. He’s had success as a closer, misses bats and is signed through 2010. The only issue is he is a southpaw and the Angels are better suited picking up a right-handed reliever. 5% chance of acquisition
- Jason Frasor – Like his teammate Downs, Frasor is having a career season as a middle reliever and is perfect trade bait. Since he isn’t a big name, his price tag should be reasonable as should his 2010 arbitration number. It remains to be seen though if the Angels can differentiate with the Jays on their desire to acquire Halladay versus trading for Frasor. 25% chance of acquisition
- John Grabow – Serving as Matt Capps’s set-up man, Grabow has actually been a far more effective reliever. But once again the Angels will likely balk at him since he is left-handed. 1% chance of acquisition
- Chad Qualls – Ideally, this is the guy the Angels should target to fix their bullpen, but there are two major obstacles. Qualls is just like Heath Bell in that his newfound success as a closer is going to make him expensive to keep in arbitration next year. Furthermore, the D’Backs aren’t completely blowing things up and they have already traded one of their top relievers, so they may be loathe to part with their closer at this juncture. 10% chance of acquisition
- Jon Rauch – If Arizona is going to sell off another bullpen arm, Rauch is far more likely to go than Qualls. He’s not quite as good as Qualls, but he is a solid power arm who has enjoyed minor success as a closer in the past. He has the added bonus of being relatively cheap to keep in 2010, so he should be attractive to a number of teams. 15% chance of acquisition
- Arthur Rhodes – A great veteran set-up man, but again, a left-hander. You lose, Arthur. 1% chance of acquisition
- George Sherrill – Even though he has been working as a closer, Sherrill still figures to be a poor match for the Halos because he is left-handed even though he has demonstrated he can get righties out too. Some other team is bound to outbid the Angels if he hits the trading block. 1% chance of acquisition
- David Weathers – Weathers might be the most reasonably priced and reliable veteran reliever available. He doesn’t get a lot of whiffs, but he isn’t horrible in that department either. The only catch is that the Reds would probably want a major league bat rather than a prospect since they are still in the divisional chase. A Gary Matthews-for-Weathers deal makes a ton of sense (assuming the Angels eat most of the salary difference), but with Torii Hunter injured, the Angels may not be willing to let Matthews go right now. 10% chance of acquisition