Nicklas Bergfors is on the trade block, found out which NHL teams may be after him?
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Niclas Bergfors Trade Rumors: Which Teams May Make A Push To Acquire The Young Winger?
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NHL Rumors: Habs, Islanders Still Looking to Trade
Montreal Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier told the Montreal Gazette that he was talking to several different teams about making a trade prior to acquiring James Wisniewski from the New York Islanders earlier this week. However, those trade talks have not stopped, according to TheFourthPeriod.com. The report says that, despite making a trade earlier this week, Gauthier is still looking to make a move. One of those moves could be for Minnesota Wild forward Martin Havlat, who the Canadiens have [...]
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Rumors of the Buccaneers’ Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
The Bucs will definitely miss Aqib Talib.
I feel like I need to make the obligatory ‘voice of reason’ post. This weekend was a devastating one for the Buccaneers. On Sunday the Buccaneers showed fans a glimpse of everything they were building towards, handling the rival Atlanta Falcons for 50 minutes, going up 24-14 on the legs of a strong rushing attack and a solid showing from a young defense. And then just as fast, they showed their youth, giving up a big play on a kick return and letting their lead slip away 28-24, putting them three back of the Falcons and two behind the Saints with four games left to play.
Then yesterday afternoon it came out that starting center Jeff Faine and stalwart corner Aqib Talib were lost for the year. Things do look pretty bleak, and people are beginning to toss around terms like “doomed” and “hit a wall.” At Bleacher Report they said that news of these injuries had ‘dashed’ the Bucs playoff hopes. It’s all kind of staggering in light of what was just two weeks ago a very promising 7-3 season.
But I think the rumors of the Buccaneers demise have been greatly exaggerated. As bleak as things may look right now, let’s get some perspective. I’ll get to the point about how impressive this season is to begin with in a moment. But first let’s talk, objectively, about the Buccaneers playoff hopes.
Yes, it’s going to hurt losing Aqib Talib and Jeff Faine. I mentioned yesterday that I thought losing Talib would hurt more, but a great point was made in the comments that EJ Biggers has played very well in spot duty and may be the next in line to start at corner anyways. It’s a blow, but Faine’s loss will be felt equally as well. Its impact will be felt everywhere from the calls at the line on protections to the Bucs ability to run specialized sets like their Wildcat package because of concerns with depth and familiarity. It’s definitely going to be an uphill battle.
The Bucs will not quit on Raheem Morris.
But this team fights. They didn’t quit at the end of their 3-13 season, as was evidenced by their resurgent 2-1 finish and their road win at New Orleans. They’re not going to quit this year either. Say what you want about Raheem Morris but his guys play for him. And they embrace the under-dog role with him too. They have all season, so I don’t expect it to be any different now. They were expected to win nothing and he got them to buy into his system and their potential and surprise everyone. So they lost two of their starters, write the Bucs off, they’re the youngest team, they just got dealt a major blow, I get it. But don’t expect this Bucs team to agree. Expect them to regroup and look to bounce back. Expect their coaches to continue to find ways to win games. Who knows how it will fare, but don’t expect anything less than Bucs best shot for the rest of the year.
And the deck is not as stacked as you might think. The Bucs remaining schedule takes them to Washington (5-7) to face a struggling Redskins team with some locker-room turmoil, then they have home dates against the (2-10) Detroit Lions and direct from Seattle (making an insanely long flight) the (6-6) Seahawks. The Bucs have to handle business, but they can win all three of these games.
Again, criticize the Bucs for not beating any teams with winning records, but they handle their business when they’re facing an inferior opponent. It’s not going to be easy, it’s never easy to win in the NFL (ask the Patriots, who lost a head-scratcher to Cleveland Browns earlier this year yet pounded the 9-2 Jets 45-3 last night). But so far the Bucs have demonstrated the ability to win the games they ought to win. If the Bucs can take care of business they will be 10-5 going into a huge game against the Saints in the Superdome in week 17.
That could be a winner-takes-playoffs game. To paint a better picture let’s look at the rest of the competition in the NFC Wildcard Hunt:
The Giants and Eagles play again in week 15
Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) They’re vying for the NFC East title with the Giants who have the same record. Their remaining games are against Dallas (twice, this week and in week 17) and then a road date to play the Giants and a home game against Minnesota. Currently the Eagles are one game up, but it’s possible the Bucs will have a shot passing them with a conference record tie-breaker (both teams are 5-3 in the NFC currently).
New York Giants (8-4) Another team in the hunt for the NFC East Crown. The hope is the NFC East cannibalizes itself and the Bucs can sneak in on a weak remaining schedule. If they win out they will have no problem, if they go 3-1 they’ll need help. The Giants’ remaining games are against at the Vikings, home against the Eagles, at Green Bay and at Washington. The Giants have a better conference record than the Bucs, so it may behoove Bucs fans to pull for the Giants to hand the Eagles and Packers at least one loss and win the East. That would be best case scenario for the Bucs.
The Bears may collapse down the stretch.
Chicago Bears (9-3) As bizarre as it is to say, I think the Bears end this season 10-6 at best. They have road dates with Minnesota and Green Bay (week 17) and home dates against the Jets and Patriots. I just don’t think the Bears are better than the Packers, Jets or Pats. However, with a (current) 7-3 conference record they could be a spoiler in the event they do collapse and the Bucs don’t win out. It would be best for the Bucs if the Bears stayed in first and beat the Packers.
Green Bay Packers (8-4) The Packers have a snoozer against the Lions next weekend, but then travel to New England, host the Giants and finish with the Bears. They are a half game better than the Bucs in conference, but could easily lose a couple games and let the Bucs in. Best case scenario the Packers lose to both the Bears and Giants, it’s likely they could lose to the Patriots.
New Orleans Saints (9-3) The Saints finish the season with a tough stretch, they face the Rams at home next week, but then finish with trips to Baltimore, Atlanta and then at home with the Bucs. There’s no guarantees they couldn’t have the same record as the Bucs in their week 17 showdown and after their debacle against Cleveland don’t be surprised if St. Louis gives them a game on Sunday.
So let’s break it down
If the Bucs win their next three they will be coming into week 17 facing a major match-up with New Orleans. It’s very possible, based on the remaining schedules that the Bucs will actually be in a position to control their own destiny, and still get in with a loss and some help.
At that point Tampa will be 10-5, with an 8-3 divisional record. That’s going to be one of the best in the NFC. This is, of course, provided the Bucs handle their business the next three weeks. Philadelphia, Green Bay, New York, Chicago and New Orleans, having played considerably tougher schedules, and in some cases each other, will not all be finishing 3-0 over that stretch. Either New York or Philly will be no better than 10-5, the Giants have a date with the Packers too. The Bears will be playing the Packers that same day (during week 17). Without drawing you an intricate table you get what I’m saying.
If the Bucs win and go to 11-5, with a 9-3 NFC record they will go to the playoffs. It’s a tall order, and New Orleans is not a fun team to have to try to knock out of the playoffs. But keep in mind the Bucs knocked off the Saints in New Orleans at the end of last season. Yeah, they got licked the first time, but this is a different Bucs team than it was in week 6.
The talk about the Bucs playoff hopes being dashed are ridiculous. Their destiny is right in front of them, it’s in their own hands. They literally just have to win. Win the next four and you’re in. Go 3-1, and it’s actually still very possible.
And again, perspective, most “experts” predicted 3-6 wins for the Bucs this year. They were the youngest team in the league, with the youngest coach in the league and yet here we are on December 7th, talking about their (still very legitimate) playoff chances. Isn’t that what the fans wanted? It’s probably more than we could have hoped for, meaningful games in December (and possibly into January). The sky’s not falling, the path ahead just got a lot more difficult, but the Bucs don’t just have a shot, they could have the inside track.
MLB Trade Rumors: 10 Possible Deals For Kansas City Royals’ Zack Greinke
It’s been a busy couple days on the MLB Hot Stove.
We’ve seen Adrian Gonzalez traded to the Boston Red Sox. We watched the Washington Nationals sign Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $ 126 million contract. And that’s before the annual Winter Meetings, which start today in Orlando.
One of the big names who’s most likely to find a new home this week is Kansas City Royals’ ace Zack Greinke. The 2009 AL Cy Young winner has two years left on his contract, and the Royals don’t expect to be playoff contenders before he hits free agency, so they’re trying to maximize their return by dealing him now.
The Royals will be shopping Zack Greinke at the Winter Meetings.
Below are 10 hypothetical deals that could be made for Greinke, one for each team. I did my best to make them realistic, but remember that it’s all only speculation.
Before we get into the deals, though, we have to ask: What can we expect from Greinke in 2011-2? He may never again match his 2.16 ERA from 2009, but he’s far better than the 4.17 mark he posted in 2010.
His 3.34 FIP is much closer to his true talent level, and at 27, he still might get better. Eleven Wins Above Replacement is probably a fair expectation for Greinke over the next two years, though barring injury, he could go way beyond that.
In return for Greinke, the Royals want ”two young pitchers with Greinke-like potential in any trade for their ace,” according to FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal, so I tried to include promising young pitchers in my proposed deals whenever possible.
Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers are regarded as the favorites to land Greinke, regardless of whether or not they re-sign Cliff Lee. What would it take to bring him to Arlington?
The centerpiece of this deal would be right-hander Tanner Scheppers. Baseball America called him the 42nd-best prospect in the game before the 2010 season, and now says he has the best fastball and curveball in the organization. Scheppers, 23, posted a 3.0 K:BB ratio in 80 innings between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Oklahoma City this year.
Joining him in Kansas City would be 24-year-old righty Tommy Hunter, a starter with 251 innings of big-league experience. He went 13-4 with a 3.73 ERA in 2010.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are going to upgrade their rotation this winter. That’s not a question, it’s a fact—the Yankees always get what they want. If they miss out in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, you can bet they’ll be in on Greinke.
Leading off this trade for the Yankees is Dellin Betances. The Yankees would undoubtedly like to sell high on the 22-year-old right-hander, who posted a 2.11 ERA in 17 starts between High-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton this year after posting a 5.48 ERA in Tampa in 2009.
Next to be added would be Hector Noesi, a 23-year-old righty who went 14-7 with a 3.20 ERA in 28 appearances at three levels. He supported those nice numbers with 153 strikeouts against just 28 walks in 160.1 innings.
Finally, the Yankees would throw in Joba Chamberlain, who hasn’t developed the way the Bombers had hoped. He posted an uninspiring 4.40 ERA while pitching exclusively in relief this year, but he was BA‘s third-best prospect in 2008, and at 25, it’s too soon to give up on his future.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Yankees and Rangers get all the attention, but the Blue Jays may actually be Greinke’s most aggressive suitor. What would it take for them to swing a deal?
The prize of this trade has to be Kyle Drabek, acquired from the Phillies in the Roy Halladay trade. BA‘s pre-season No. 25 prospect, Drabek, who turns 23 on Wednesday, went 14-9 with a 2.94 ERA with Double-A New Hampshire this year before a short stint with the big-league team.
In addition, the Blue Jays would send Brett Cecil to Kansas City. Cecil, a 25-year-old southpaw, went 15-7 with a 4.22 ERA in his sophomore 2010 season.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox don’t really need more pitching, and after acquiring Adrian Gonzalez, GM Theo Epstein would probably be reluctant to deal any more top prospects. Still, you can’t count Boston out of any blockbuster deal.
The key to this deal would be 23-year-old southpaw Felix Doubront. After posting a 2.81 ERA through 80 innings split between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, he looked respectable in a 25-inning stint with the big-league club. Yet for some reason, Boston seems eager to trade him.
Also headed to the Royals would be 19-year-old Stolmy Pimentel, who BA just called the team’s third-best pitching prospect (now that Casey Kelly is gone), and Yamaico Navarro, a 23-year-old infielder who hit .275/.356/.437 at Double-A and Triple-A in 2010.
St. Louis Cardinals
Adam Wainwright. Chris Carpenter. Zack Greinke. With apologies to the Phillies’ “H2O” group, adding Greinke to the Cardinals’ already intimidating rotation would make theirs the best pitching staff in the game.
The centerpiece of this deal would be Colby Rasmus. Ranked the third-best prospect in the game on BA‘s list before the 2009 season, Rasmus hit .276/.361/.498 with 23 homers and 12 steals this year.
Not the kind of player you’d expect to be on the trading block, but after Rasmus was benched for no good reason several times during the season and his public feud with manager Tony La Russa, the front office has to at least consider shopping him.
Rasmus for Greinke seems like a fair swap, but of course, these things never work out as simply as they could. So we’ll throw in shortstopBrendan Ryan, who lost his starting job in St. Louis when the team traded for Ryan Theriot.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles making a play for a big name? Stranger things have happened, and Baltimore appears ready to spend in an effort to avoid complete humiliation in the AL East.
This deal would begin with 22-year-old right-hander Chris Tillman. Tillman has yet to find much success in the majors (4-10, 5.61 ERA in 2009-10), but his minor league track record (40-31, 3.69 ERA) and the no-hitter he threw at Triple-A in April suggest he will soon grow into his talent.
Twenty-four-year-old righty David Hernandez has had a similar story, to a lesser extent: his 4.93 ERA in the bigs over the last two years is a significant drop-off from his 3.84 career MiLB mark. Hernandez has been an oft-discussed name so far this winter.
Rounding out the deal is 20-year-old right-hander David Bundy, who posted a 3.65 ERA in 116 innings at Single-A Delmarva this year.
San Diego Padres
As far as I know, no one has connected Greinke to the Padres, but San Diego’s farm system just got a huge jump-start from the Adrian Gonzalez trade. If the Royals were willing to eat some salary, the Friars could be fits.
I hope Casey Kelly hasn’t unpacked yet, because he’s the first one to get his ticket booked for Kansas City. The former Red Sox’ top prospect encountered some difficulties adjusting to full-time pitching in 2010, but he still posted a healthy 2.3 K/BB ratio with Double-A Portland.
Meanwhile, Matt Lollis, 20, had a great year with Low-A Eugene and Single-A Fort Wayne, going 7-4 with a 2.12 ERA in 89 innings.
Ordinarily, that would probably be enough. But to compensate for the salary the Royals would eat, the Friars would throw in 21-year-old lefty Pedro Hernandez. More impressive than his 3.57 career MiLB ERA in 226.2 innings is his fantastic 6.06 K/BB ratio over the last four years.
New York Mets
It’s way too early to tell what new Mets GM Sandy Alderson’s vision is for his team. It’s unlikely he would pursue Greinke, but hey—you never know.
At just 17 years old, it’s far too early to tell how Juan Urbina (son of Ugueth) will turn out. But the Venezuelan southpaw has great potential. He has remarkable control for his age, with a BB/9 rate of just 2.6 in 48.1 innings in Rookie Ball.
Robert Carson, 21, really struggled upon being promoted to Double-A in 2010, but his 3.27 career MiLB ERA outside of that shows a guy who could be extremely useful down the road.
Finally, the Royals would receive Aderlin Rodriguez, a 19-year-old third baseman with good power. He smacked 14 homers in just 69 games at two levels in 2010 and hitting .300 with a .532 SLG in the process.
Washington Nationals
The Nationals aren’t known for being big spenders, but after yesterday’s surprise signing of Jayson Werth, we fans should learn not to count them out. Even after committing $ 126 million to Werth, the Nats are reportedly still hoping to make a splash this winter, and they have been connected to Greinke.
The obvious player around whom the Nats would center their offer is Josh Willingham, whose fantastic plate discipline and plus power have made him one of the most consistent and consistently underappreciated players in the game. Washington is known to be shopping Willingham, and the team’s efforts to deal the left fielder will only increase with Werth now in the fold.
But of course, one year of Willingham won’t benearly enough for the Royals to give up two seasons of Greinke. Painful though it may be, the Nats would have to deal 23-year-old righty Drew Storen, better known as “that other rookie pitcher the Nationals used.” He went 4-4 with five saves and a 3.58 ERA in 54 relief outings for Washington in 2010.
But if I’m Dayton Moore, I’m still unconvinced. That’s why the Nats would throw in Tom Milone, a 23-year-old lefty who went 12-5 with a 2.86 ERA at Double-A Harrisburg in 2010. His impressive numbers are backed by an impressive 155 strikeouts in 158 innings, against only 23 walks.
Cleveland Indians
Let me make myself clear—Zack Greinke is not going to the Cleveland Indians, for any number of reasons. But the two sides match up pretty well, and it’s fun to think about the possibility.
The deal would start with Fausto Carmona, who posted a 3.77 ERA in 2010. It was his best season since he went 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA in 2007. The Royals want someone with Greinke-like potential? Carmona’s already performed on his level.
Next, the Indians would deal Josh Tomlin, a 26-year-old right-hander. After posting a 2.68 ERA in 20 games with Triple-A Columbus, he went 6-4 with a 4.56 ERA in 12 starts with the Tribe.
Finally, the Tribe would include T.J. House, a 21-year-old southpaw who spent 2010 with High-A Kingston. In his MiLB career, he has a 3.53 ERA.
For more by Lewie, visit WahooBlues.com.
Tweets Of The Week: Jerry Sloan Steps Down, And Dwight Howard Responds To Rumors
Former NBA star and current ESPN Analyst Jalen Rose offers his take on the five most influential Twitter users of the week. They could be players, media personalities, or something else entirely – as long as they’re impactful and controversial, they’re in his starting five.
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