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Finley may waive no-trade clause
Ken Rosenthal
Posted: 22 minutes ago
For all the talk surrounding Diamondbacks ace Randy Johnson, his teammate, center fielder Steve Finley, is becoming an increasingly hot trade commodity.
Finley, 39, has postponed talks about a contract extension with the Diamondbacks, according to a major-league source, and appears almost certain to approve a trade to a contender.
The Marlins are showing perhaps the strongest interest in Finley, presumably with the idea of playing him in left field, where they rank last in the National League in on-base/slugging percentage.
Finley, however, can use his no-trade protection to veto any deal, and he might not want to change positions and/or move to an East Coast team. A low-revenue team like the Marlins also would need assistance from the Diamondbacks paying the balance of Finley's $7 million salary.
The Padres almost certainly remain Finley's first choice; he played in San Diego from 1995 to '98, and his wife, Amy, has a strong relationship with the family of Padres owner John Moores.
The Diamondbacks scouted the Padres' top two farm clubs before the All-Star break, and talks between the clubs are expected to intensify shortly. The Diamondbacks, however, are likely to demand a higher price in prospects from a team within their division. They probably would take less from an NL East club like the Phillies, but again Finley would need to approve the deal.
The Rangers, another team in need of outfield help, have expressed interest in Finley, but appear more focused on adding a young starting pitcher such as Mariners righthander Joel Pineiro.
The Diamondbacks approached Finley about a contract extension before the All-Star break, but the uncertainty surrounding Johnson apparently convinced Finley to table the negotiations.
If the Diamondbacks trade both Johnson and Finley, it could hinder their efforts to re-sign injured first baseman Richie Sexson, a potential free agent. Thus, within a span of one year, the Diamondbacks could lose Johnson, Finley, Sexson and Curt Schilling, plus all of the players they traded for Sexson — Lyle Overbay, Craig Counsell, Chad Moeller, Junior Spivey and Class AAA pitcher Jorge de la Rosa. They would be left with only their meager return for Schilling and whatever they would get for Johnson and Finley.
Senior writer Ken Rosenthal covers baseball for Sporting News. Email him at [email protected].
Finley may waive no-trade clause
Ken Rosenthal
Posted: 22 minutes ago
For all the talk surrounding Diamondbacks ace Randy Johnson, his teammate, center fielder Steve Finley, is becoming an increasingly hot trade commodity.
Finley, 39, has postponed talks about a contract extension with the Diamondbacks, according to a major-league source, and appears almost certain to approve a trade to a contender.
The Marlins are showing perhaps the strongest interest in Finley, presumably with the idea of playing him in left field, where they rank last in the National League in on-base/slugging percentage.
Finley, however, can use his no-trade protection to veto any deal, and he might not want to change positions and/or move to an East Coast team. A low-revenue team like the Marlins also would need assistance from the Diamondbacks paying the balance of Finley's $7 million salary.
The Padres almost certainly remain Finley's first choice; he played in San Diego from 1995 to '98, and his wife, Amy, has a strong relationship with the family of Padres owner John Moores.
The Diamondbacks scouted the Padres' top two farm clubs before the All-Star break, and talks between the clubs are expected to intensify shortly. The Diamondbacks, however, are likely to demand a higher price in prospects from a team within their division. They probably would take less from an NL East club like the Phillies, but again Finley would need to approve the deal.
The Rangers, another team in need of outfield help, have expressed interest in Finley, but appear more focused on adding a young starting pitcher such as Mariners righthander Joel Pineiro.
The Diamondbacks approached Finley about a contract extension before the All-Star break, but the uncertainty surrounding Johnson apparently convinced Finley to table the negotiations.
If the Diamondbacks trade both Johnson and Finley, it could hinder their efforts to re-sign injured first baseman Richie Sexson, a potential free agent. Thus, within a span of one year, the Diamondbacks could lose Johnson, Finley, Sexson and Curt Schilling, plus all of the players they traded for Sexson — Lyle Overbay, Craig Counsell, Chad Moeller, Junior Spivey and Class AAA pitcher Jorge de la Rosa. They would be left with only their meager return for Schilling and whatever they would get for Johnson and Finley.
Senior writer Ken Rosenthal covers baseball for Sporting News. Email him at [email protected].
