Dontrelle Willis Trade Rumor

[overseascardfan]

I say make the trade, they are the same age and we have Carlos Gonzalez coming up in a year. Webb and Willis would make a good 1-2 especially with Nippert and Mock coming up within the next two years.

 

[boondockdrunk]

I say make the trade, they are the same age and we have Carlos Gonzalez coming up in a year. Webb and Willis would make a good 1-2 especially with Nippert and Mock coming up within the next two years.

Mock has been interesting to say the least. Apparently he has the best stuff in the organization but that is not represented in him stats. So there are a few concerns about his difference in results compared to overall stuff.

However, two guys I really like are Owings and Torra. A rotation with them in the fold behind Webb and Willis could give us one of the better staff in the entire MLB. That is, if they reach their potential.

I think it would be a complete shame to not see what Q can do, but if it was for a pitcher like Willis I would have to make the deal (only if we could lock him up that is).

 

[WildBB]

I would bring up Quentin now. I'd play him at least every other day and make this determination at the all-star break.

He's big league ready. Been big league ready. Bring the dude UP!

 

[nathan]

Mock has been interesting to say the least. Apparently he has the best stuff in the organization but that is not represented in him stats. So there are a few concerns about his difference in results compared to overall stuff.

He's overrated. He has never been dominant at any point in his career and has sucked this year with 47 hits in 37.2 innings and a 5.73 ERA.

Carlos Gonzalez is also overrated on this board. He may yet turn out to be a star but given his track record of poor plate discipline (even though last year was a vast improvement) and his 10/31 BB/K ratio this year, he is not going to be ready any time soon. He's got to prove he can hit good pitching.

 

[AZZenny]

Thank you, NM132. I've about given up trying to put that in perspective here. We do not know nearly as much about whether Carlos Gonzalez OR Chris Young will pan out as we do about CQ's chances, yet people say CQ is unproven and could easily be replaced by two guys who are far less proven.

We've been through the 'five tool' bit a number of times around here -- you don't know until you've seen a guy work it out at AAA whether he's got discipline and brains to go with raw tools -- 'toolsy' is not a compliment.

 

[Big D]

Quentin for freakin D-TRAIN?? DO IT!! NOW!!

 

[Lefty]

Gambo on possible Willis trade

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cheapseats/gambo/052206rant.html


Pitching will determine division title
D-Backs discuss possible Willis trade

John Gambadoro
azcentral.com
May 22, 2006


With just over a quarter of the season gone, it’s safe to say that the Arizona Diamondbacks are going to be in the pennant chase through the final month of the season. Problem is that it is likely San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Colorado are also going to be in that race as well. In what may be the most competitive division from top to bottom in baseball, the National League West has no clear-cut favorite at this point. The West is the only division in which every team is playing above .500 ball and all five teams are within two games of each other.

What the division title up for grabs, how the west will be won will in all likelihood come down to which team is willing to pull the trigger for a front-line starting pitcher. And make no mistake about the fact that the Diamondbacks are way out in front in the search for one more dominant starter.

Arizona has had discussions with the Florida Marlins about acquiring left-hander Dontrell Willis to form a solid 1-2 punch with Brandon Webb. While Florida is unlikely to trade Willis at this time there is a chance they will be more willing to deal him come July and the trade deadline.

Willis has struggled this year, going 1-5 with a 5.12 ERA. Last season Willis finished second in the CY Young voting after posting a 22-10 record and 2.63 ERA. But this past off-season Florida dismantled a competitive team, trading away Paul LoDuca, Carlos Delgado, Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett and Juan Pierre. They also let A.J. Burnett leave via free agency. In the process the Marlins lowered their payroll from $60 million to $15 million. They have six rookies in the starting lineup this season and Willis is stuck on a bad team in the rebuilding mode. His $4.35 million salary is tops on the team and the Marlins may want to trade him before he reaches his boiling point and demands a trade, possibly bringing down his trade value. Playing on a team 20 games below .500 and already 14 ½ games out of first place is clearly wearing on him.

Willis’ problems this season have nothing to do with mechanics. His velocity is the same as it was last year, a good fastball in the low 90’s and there is nothing wrong with his breaking ball. On Sunday he pitched eight innings giving up just two earned runs in a 3-0 loss to Tampa Bay. So the ability to dominate is still there, but a change of scenery at this point would appear in order if Willis is going to get back to being one of the top left-handers in the game.

To acquire Willis any team would have to give up a package of three prospects. Florida will not be willing to add salary but to add to their already stacked minor-league system with players that are not only major-league close now but are also under control for four or five years.

The Diamondbacks would most likely have to part with one of their big four – Carlos Quentin, Stephen Drew, Justin Upton or Chris Young plus two other prospects ranked among the organizations top-10. The question is will Willis be worth three top prospects?

At 24 years old and with star quality Willis could be at the top of the Diamondbacks rotation for the next 10 years and could be a big draw at the box office. A combination of Webb and Willis, while not as good as Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling in their Dback years, is still good enough to make Arizona a threat every year. And that duo would easily be considered amongst the top in baseball. Plus, while Arizona is loaded with field position talent in the minor leagues they do not have what would be considered great pitching talent in the high minors. Dustin Nippert, who is in Triple-A Tucson, may be the pitching prospect who is closest to breaking through.

Arizona has plans on being big-time spenders in free agency this year and has a goal of landing two prime-time pitchers with the $25 to $30 million they are going shopping with. But waiting for the free agency market to open up is a crapshoot. The chances that Mark Mulder, Barry Zito, Ted Lilly, Jose Contreras, Jason Marquis, Andy Pettitte and Jason Schmidt all become available are slim. While each of those players are scheduled to reach free agency later this year, some of them will resign with their original teams and others could be dealt at the trade deadline. And if the market on quality starting pitching in free agency shrinks it will be more difficult for Arizona to compete with the big spenders such as the New York Yankees and New York Mets.

So when a top talent like Willis becomes available you jump at the opportunity to land him even if it means trading away young talent. The fact that Willis is young and not a veteran near the end like Greg Maddux – who would be wise to want out of Chicago at the deadline -- makes trading away prospects easier because Willis should be around for a while.

Willis is arbitration eligible for the next three years and will cost quite a penny for any team that trades for him, which is another reason Florida may decide to move him. If it is Arizona that lands him the team could lock him up to a long-term deal in an effort to avoid arbitration plus take away a free agency year or two. That was the philosophy in the recent signings of Brandon Webb and Chad Tracy. Willis will likely see his salary sore to upwards of $6 million if he does hit arbitration.

While getting Willis doesn’t necessarily mean World Series this season it would make the Diamondbacks the favorites in the West. It would allow the team to move Orlando Hernandez or Juan Cruz out of the rotation and to the bullpen and give the Diamondbacks a much needed left-handed starter in a division that has Barry Bonds, J.D. Drew, Brian Giles and Todd Helton swinging from the left side.

And if the Diamondbacks trade for Willis and than land one of the above mentioned free agents during the off-season, it will have put the team in position to win a World Series next year and opened up a window for competing for a championship for many years to come.

So while losing top young talent is always hard, the name of the game will always be pitching. And any time you can give up position talent for pitching you do it. It is much easier for an organization to find position players than it is to land quality pitching. So if the D-train does become available in July, expect the Diamondbacks to be all aboard in an effort to acquire him.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

willis has looked a lot better his last 3 games ... finally starting to show some efficiency out there

 

[boondockdrunk]

The Diamondbacks would most likely have to part with one of their big four – Carlos Quentin, Stephen Drew, Justin Upton or Chris Young plus two other prospects ranked among the organizations top-10. The question is will Willis be worth three top prospects?

That really depends upon who those prospects are. If the trade was something along the lines of Q, Callaspo, and Mock then I would be for it, but that is also with us signing Willis to a long term contract.

However, that seems more like the best case scenario and if that is not the trade, then I would say no to Willis in a heart beat.

In addition, Willis is being rumored to be traded to more teams than Mike Morgan pitched for during his career. Apparently, the Rangers, Yanks, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Tigers. While we have a better farm then all of them combined, this means that the D'Backs would be pitted in a bidding war with a number of other teams.

On a side note, I didn't realize that the Marlins' total salary was so low. That is terribly depressing.

 

[devilfan02]

So while losing top young talent is always hard, the name of the game will always be pitching. And any time you can give up position talent for pitching you do it. It is much easier for an organization to find position players than it is to land quality pitching. So if the D-train does become available in July, expect the Diamondbacks to be all aboard in an effort to acquire him.

That is exactly how I feel. Pitching wins championships and a player like D-Train would help that cause. If we we're to acquire him, we have to extend him. That has to be part of the deal

 

[MigratingOsprey]

On a side note, I didn't realize that the Marlins' total salary was so low. That is terribly depressing.

yes - yes it is

 

[RedStorm]

Getting pitching for hitting is always a win win deal

Bingo. I would do this deal.

 

[peterman]

The Diamondbacks would most likely have to part with one of their big four – Carlos Quentin, Stephen Drew, Justin Upton or Chris Young plus two other prospects ranked among the organizations top-10. The question is will Willis be worth three top prospects?


for those two guys no way other two i would be fine with

 

[D-Dogg]

I'd go watch a few games if Willis came here. I'm an incredibly casual baseball fan...not a fan really as I only watch it in the postseason and a few D-Backs games a year. Dontrelle would be a hot ticket to get people to come out.

And that would be a great 1-2 combination. Pitching is king...must have great pitching.

 

[NEZCardsfan]

I'd go watch a few games if Willis came here. I'm an incredibly casual baseball fan...not a fan really as I only watch it in the postseason and a few D-Backs games a year. Dontrelle would be a hot ticket to get people to come out.

And that would be a great 1-2 combination. Pitching is king...must have great pitching.

Wow dude, then you are missing out on a lot. I'm beginning to view Webb the same way I did RJ. I think Webb can legitmately through a shutout everytime he takes the mound.

When Webb's sinker is working, there is no way that a hitter can lift that ball into the outfield.

Wishful thinking for a no-hitter, since he throws a lot of groundballs, one is bound to slip through. But, nevertheless.....Webb games are fun to attend. If you would go to see the D-Train...you should go see Webby.

 

[D-Dogg]

Wow dude, then you are missing out on a lot. I'm beginning to view Webb the same way I did RJ. I think Webb can legitmately through a shutout everytime he takes the mound.

When Webb's sinker is working, there is no way that a hitter can lift that ball into the outfield.

Wishful thinking for a no-hitter, since he throws a lot of groundballs, one is bound to slip through. But, nevertheless.....Webb games are fun to attend. If you would go to see the D-Train...you should go see Webby.

I will say that I do like Brandon Webb, and have since he came in. I've been seeing him get a lot of pub this year so far, but am a little suprised to see that kind of feeling for him. I'll have to catch a game where he pitches.

 

[SunsTzu]

Webb is a stud. Seems like he may be the best kept secret in baseball since whenever I skim through general baseball message boards no one ever talks about him.

 

[FinleyLover]

The Diamondbacks would most likely have to part with one of their big four – Carlos Quentin, Stephen Drew, Justin Upton or Chris Young plus two other prospects ranked among the organizations top-10. The question is will Willis be worth three top prospects?


for those two guys no way other two i would be fine with

I agree. There's NO way we gonna part with either Drew or Upton, The team has waaaaay too much money already invested in these two. IMO, Chris Young is the most expendible. It would hurt to part with Q, but the trade off would be huge.
Willis's talent hasn'y gone anywhere, he's in the same situation as Randy a few years ago. Stuck with a bunch of nobodies that can't hit the broad side of a barn. I think he would flourish here.

 

[Bada0Bing]

The Diamondbacks would most likely have to part with one of their big four – Carlos Quentin, Stephen Drew, Justin Upton or Chris Young plus two other prospects ranked among the organizations top-10. The question is will Willis be worth three top prospects?


for those two guys no way other two i would be fine with

Same here. Those two are off limits. Anything else, I would listen to offers.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

More Willis talk.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=66179

 

[devilfan02]

ESPN.com Rumor Mill (Oh Boy....)-

Raising Arizona?
May 22 - The Diamondbacks have had discussions with the Marlins about acquiring left-hander Dontrelle Willis to form a solid 1-2 punch with Brandon Webb, the Arizona Republic reports. While Florida is unlikely to trade Willis at this time, there is a chance they will be more willing to deal him come July and the trade deadline.
Yankees scout Jim Benedict watched Willis pitch May 21 against Tampa Bay, The New York Post reports. The club didn't have a scout at the first two Marlins-Devil Rays games. It's significant that Benedict went because Yankees GM Brian Cashman trusts his evaluation of pitchers.
According to published reports, contenders with deep farm systems have the best shot at acquiring Willis. The Red Sox, Braves, Rangers, Dodgers, Angels, Blue Jays and Mets are expected to be interested. Willis, who will command top dollar as a free agent after the 2008 season, is ignoring all the speculation. "I hear those rumors just like you do, but I just try to focus on what I need to do on the field," the left-hander recently told the Chicago Tribune.

 

[devilfan02]

Marlins down ... but not out


posted: Tuesday, May 23, 2006
By Peter Gammons

At least two general managers did their due diligence Monday and called Larry Beinfest to ask if he would discuss trading Dontrelle Willis. They got the same answer: "He is not available." As of this point, Beinfest insists that not one name has been discussed with another GM for Willis.

Not that Willis won't be available near the trading deadline if -- and it is a major if -- some of the horde of young Florida pitchers progress the way right-handers Ricky Nolasco and Josh Johnson have developed thus far. Beinfest's modus operandi is to plan out where he can get what he would need and focus on a handful of teams; that's what he did when he went to trade Josh Beckett, attaching Mike Lowell's $18 million commitment and zeroing in on the player he wanted from the outset, Hanley Ramirez.
Ramirez has turned out to be, in Beinfest's words, "even better than I ever could have expected." After Monday night's game, the astoundingly athletic 22-year old had a .411 on-base percentage, .344 batting average and a .901 OPS. "Ramirez can do anything," says Beinfest. "There are very few players with his kind of talent." Aside a 23-year old, Miguel Cabrera, who has had a Hall of Fame start to his career, the Phish have the makings of an All-Star left side of the infield -- and rivals the Mets' David Wright and Jose Reyes -- for a long time to come.
When Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria decided after three very good years to strip down and start over again and Bienfest convinced him that it's best to go to the bare necessities and that there is little difference between losing 95 and losing 105 games, they took their payroll down to $15 million. But GM's across the industry insisted that the talent Beinfest got back in his trades was far better than many realized. "I think," says Beinfest, "that while we have had some tough losses and our (12-31) record is bad that we're aead of where we thought we'd be."
Florida has half of a contending positional lineup with Ramirez, Cabrera, second baseman Dan Uggla and left fielder Josh Willingham. The latter has an .878 OPS, slightly better than Chipper Jones, while Uggla has hit .310 with six homers and an .842 OPS. "Uggla was supposed to be a nobody, [was] on no top 10 prospect lists, [was] nothing," says Beinfest of his Rule V draft pick out of the Arizona organization. "He's fought as if he knows that he could always be sent back to Double-A with the Diamondbacks."
If Willis is put on the market, the consensus is that there are three organizations with the skilled young players -- two position players and one pitcher -- that the Marlins would need back. The D-Backs, Dodgers and Angels are the organizations with the best prospects. Each has a young catcher. Each have power bats.
But they are a long way from even discussing a deal, and will continue to run young arms in and out of the rotation with Willis to see who sticks. It is apparent that Nolasco and Johnson are in. Right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Anibal Sanchez will get their shots at some point. In the meantime, they have to suffer. "We look at it two ways," says Beinfest. "First, we are competitive, we're in most games. Second, we're watching young players improve." Third, they are not the Royals, who last week had a starting lineup that averaged 32 years old.

 

[boondockdrunk]

Well that pretty much breaks it down to Q, Montero or Snyder, and Nippert. Although I did hear that the Marlins need a CF, so it might be Young and not Q.

That is still a bunch to give up for Willis, but if it is Young, Nippert, and Snyder I think that would be alright. That is, if we sign him to an extension and we were pretty certain that he would return to his usual form.

Something that concerns me about Willis is his comparison to Nomo. Both had funky deliveries with mediocre stuff yet excelled in their first few seasons in the big leagues. However, hitters began to adjust and pound them after a few years. Perhaps hitters have begun to figure out Willis.

 

[Stallion]

I love reading anything that says we're in the top 3 for prospects. I think this Willis stuff is just baseless speculation, but I'm satisfied keeping all the young talent we have.

 

[Yuma]

I love reading anything that says we're in the top 3 for prospects. I think this Willis stuff is just baseless speculation, but I'm satisfied keeping all the young talent we have.

Funny how up until this year we supposedly had the worst farm talent in baseball, then all of a sudden we are one of the best!