Helton Trade Rumors

[CSM]

The Helton-to-LA rumors have resurfaced.

Angels, Rockies discussing Helton trade again - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw...ck=1&cset=true

Angels still interested in Helton - Denver Post
http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_4881520

Casey Kotchman, Erick Aybar and a PTBNL for Helton plus loads of cash?
Would you pull the trigger?

I would try to somehow get Joe Saunders in any trade with the Angels.

[GerryInCS]

Nope, Kotchman and Aybar are definitely not worth a Helton, no matter what their upside is. At this time, both of them appear to be nothing more than replacement level. This would be a cost cutting move and nothing more.

[Roxpert]

I'm only for trading Helton for salary relief if we end up with another power hitter such as Manny Ramirez, who could take over at 1st base (or Holliday could move there).

[rockieprogress]

I'd pull the trigger on this one.

Freeing up Heltons salary allows the Rockies to keep players like Atkins, Holliday, Cook, etal.
It will be the only way the franchise can move forward before 2011, if you believe the whole "you can't win with X% of your salary taken up by one player" argument. I'm starting to wonder if that isn't a valid discussion that the franchise needs to have.

If the Rockies have to absorb half of his salary, it's worth it.
More than half, there are going to be diminished returns.

Now factor in the argument that Roxpert has been making about the Rockies needing to raise their player salary into the $70M-$80M range, and it would allow the GM to spend $20M-$30M to start filling holes.

[RockieRooter]

I don't think that the Rox should trade Helton right now unless it makes baseball sense. The Rox have many areas in which they can improve, but I don't think that they have a "glaring hole" anymore (although as the season evolves one could appear - and if so it should be addressed then IMHO - the way the A's approach things).

Money saved is only good to the extent that you can use it to wind up with an overall better team. I see two elements right now. One is the risk/reward tradeoff of having Helton around this coming season. If Helton rebounds as we all hope, then his trade value could easily go up (better projections, continuing salary inflation, one fewer year left on his contract meaning less money involved and less risk). The second is what's available on the FA market this offseason. I don't like the Rox chances of improving for next season without Helton, even if they had lots of bucks to spend. I think part of the inflation in the FA market this year is because of its weakness.

So I'd only pull the trigger for really significant salary relief that would balance the cost of a less productive team next season, or for one or more quality players in return - more than what's been reported so far. Maybe the Angels will up their offer - that's what negotiations are all about. If not, I'd rather stand pat on this one.

[Roxpert]

Originally Posted by RockieRooter

I don't think that the Rox should trade Helton right now unless it makes baseball sense.

I tend to agree, and after reviewing Kotchman and Aybar, I don't think the trade we've read about makes a lot of baseball sense.

Kotchman has good on-base skills and is young enough at 23, but his power bat isn't proven, and we have Baker capable of doing every bit as much (if not more) than Kotchman at 1st base (or 3rd base with Atkins moving to 1st).

Aybar is young and has some decent pop for a 5'11" and 165 lb. kid playing centerfield, but I'd rather O'Dowd fill CF with someone like Baldelli. Besides, Aybar would be converted to CF from SS, and it's not certain he'd be good defensively there right away.

The unknown is the 3rd prospect we'd get in place of the catcher. Supposedly, it's a lesser prospect. Probably no better than either propsect we got in the Larry Walker trade, I suspect.

So, when I think about that trade, it smacks of largely being a financial salary dump. If freeing up $45 million of the $90 million left on Helton's contract is reinvested in more new talent for the roster, fine. If it's simply justification for keeping the guys we have now down the road, that's not enough.

So I hope the rumored trade we've read about doesn't happen.

[hoser]

Kotchman, Aybar and Adenhart if the Rox didn't have to pay for 1/2 of Helton's salary and I'd do it. Not for Kotchman and Aybar and having to pay 1/2 of Helton's salary though.

[Roberbola]

I agree with the tenor of this discussion. IMO a few things have changed in the last few years regarding Helton's value/tradability.

1) The finances of baseball have changed. No longer is Todd's contract the albatross it was even last year. See Gil Meche, Henry Blanco, et al.

2) With every year that passes, there are fewer years left on his deal and less risk of a Jeff Bagwell type of situation to the receiving team.

3) Todd has proven that even in a down year he still has a high OBP, and can still be a very productive hitter, not to mention a strong defender. Of course, he still wreaks of "intangibles" that some GMs continue to be enamored with (See Tim Purpura's explanation of what JJ brings to the Astros at his press conference).

Given the framework of the Angels deal above, I think to trade Todd now would be to sell very low. Give him one more year of average to plus production and good health and another crazy financial market next year, and he becomes a pretty marketable commodity to a high revenue team.

I'm not against trading him now, but in my analysis of the current market we no longer have to beg people to take him off our hands.

[CSM]

O’Dowd denies Helton rumors.

"There is absolutely nothing there," O'Dowd said. "I haven't talked to (general manager) Bill Stoneman or anyone with the Angels since the winter meetings. I have no idea who came up with that story."

Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Rockies & MLB

[BigRapidsJackass]

Looks to me like the Helton to Angels deal is dead. As usual, Dan Szymborski at baseballthinkfactory.org nails it:

Los Angeles Angels - Signed 1B Shea Hillenbrand to a 1-year contract.
A wonderful $6.5 million with a vesting option for 2008. If you ignore that Hillenbrand can't field at 3B, can't hit well enough to be a 1B, is a worse hitter than the Yankees got for $50,000 in the Rule 5 draft, he's not particularly skilled at any aspect of the hitting, he isn't fast, he will make $6.5 million, the Angels have other 1B options, he doesn't like gay people, he doesn't seem to like many straight people, and seems to think he's a star player, and he spent half the season being unable to hit NL pitchers, this is a really good signing.

Hillenbrand is worth $6.5 million, yet somehow the Rockies couldn't make the Helton money work out?

As usual, the Rockies never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity ...

[GerryInCS]

Hillenbrand will end up DHing more than playing in the field, IMO

[Below C-Level]

Originally Posted by BigRapidsJackass

Hillenbrand is worth $6.5 million, yet somehow the Rockies couldn't make the Helton money work out?

As usual, the Rockies never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity ...

Wait a second, you lost me somewhere along the way there...

The Angels signed Hillenbrand to a 1 year deal for $6.5 million. Bad contract, in all likelihood, but it's 1 year (option for a 2nd year). It's not a killer.

The Rockies and the Angels were trying to negotiate a deal around the five years and more than $90 million that Helton has remaining on his deal.

Are you really equating the two? You think that's apples to apples? Really?

Or, and I'm just guessing here, is it you who is actually the one trying to make sure that you never miss an opportunity to criticize the Rox, whether they deserve it or not?