Charlie’s News At Five – Extra Edition: The Starting Pitcher Market

Charlie takes a look at some of the starting pitchers who are rumoured to be serious targets to either be signed as a free agent or traded to another team.

Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez

Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez is a 26 year old Cuban defector and soon to be free agent.  His repertoire includes a mid-90’s mph fastball, as well as a changeup forkball and curve ball.

He has pitched to a high standard outside of Cuba, Miguel pitched in the Baseball World Cup in both 2009 and 2011.

There are numerous teams interested in Gonzalez.  The price tag is rumoured to be somewhere in the zone of $12million per year over five years.

In the past week a Dodgers official was quoted as stating, the Dodgers would go “all out” to land Miguel.  The Dodgers with their seemingly bottomless pockets are definitely the front runners right now, but the Red Sox and Blue Jays have also shown serious interest in him.

Yovani Gallardo

Gallardo is probably the best pitcher who is known to be available on the trade market, although Brewers GM Doug Melvin was stated as saying it would take a “big offer” for him to listen.

Although Gallardo is having a down year this year, he has been a proven ace over the past few years.  On a strong pitching team he would slot in as a number two, but he has the talent to also be a number one ace.

At age 27 he is still quite young in starting pitcher terms.  He has however posted a 4.20 ERA  this year but he has also posted a 3.3B/9, a career best.

The Diamondbacks have been linked to him to the most, they are not on his 10 team no trade list, and the package of pitching prospects they could offer may just be the “big offer” that Doug Melvin is looking for.  The Rockies have also been linked with Yovani, but the Diamondbacks look to be further forward than the Rockies, in trade talks right now.

Matt Garza

The Chicago Cubs were actually hoping to trade Garza last year, before the trade deadline, but an injury a few weeks before the deadline nixed that possibility.

Garza has ace type potential, he has not posted an ERA over 4.00 since 2007, he is however as evidenced by last year, a big injury risk.

He has also been impressive in his last three starts, going at least seven innings in each start and not allowing more than one earned run in each start.

Matt looks like the most sought after starting pitcher on the trade market.  The list of teams with at least some interest in him is, Dodgers, Orioles, Giants, Padres, Rangers, Red Sox and Rockies.  The one definite winner in this potential deal looks to be the Cubs, with Theo Epstein, looking to have got the auction that he was hoping for.

Bud Norris

The career stats for Norris don’t look great, i.e. a 4.26 career ERA.  This year however he seems to have improved pitching a 3.35 ERA so far, although his home and road splits are pretty huge.

Analysts and experts such as Ric Sutcliffe have cited Bud, as having ace potential.  He is also still relatively young at 27 years old.  Also of interest to teams, is the fact that Norris is controllable for at least two more years because of arbitration.

The Giants, Orioles and Pirates have so far been cited as potential suitors.

Bud grew up as a Giants fan in California, so that may give his hometown Giants a slight advantage, although the Pirates and Orioles both have prospect systems far superior to that of the Giants.  Baltimore and Pittsburgh however must weigh up the cost of giving up prospects, when their respective rebuilds so far have been based on prospects.  The Giants system is pretty thin, so Brian Sabean maybe weary about furthermore thinning out the cupboard.

Ricky Nolasco

The Miami Marlins are keen to get the remaining $6million that they owe Nolasco for this year off their books.

In terms of what Nolasco brings to the table, he is essentially a prototypical innings eating number 5 starter.  His career ERA is 4.45, and he has only posted an ERA for a season below 4.48 once.  He did pitch 191 innings in 2012 and 206 innings in 2011.

The list of teams interested in his services are, the Dodgers, Padres, Orioles, Rangers and Red Sox.  The Rockies were interested, but did not want to pay off his salary.

Apparently, the Dodgers have come close to acquiring Nolasco over the last few days, so they are the front runners.  With Ricky growing up as a San Francisco Giants fan, there have also been lots of rumours stating the Giants have strong interest as well.