Baseball

Trade Winds

What better time than the coldest, wettest April in memory to reignite the hot stove? Here are five logical candidates to move

IT'S ONLY April, but there is no shortage of trade candidates for whom a move would benefit both the player and his current team. Conversations with eight front-office executives yielded the following list of players who could use a change of scenery, in addition to their potential landing spots.

1. Brad Lidge, Astros reliever
Houston hasn't yet indicated that it wants to deal Lidge, but the club doesn't appear to know what to do with him either. After suggesting that he would tolerate five blown saves before removing Lidge as the closer, manager Phil Garner demoted Lidge all the way to sixth-inning duties in the wake of one blown save. A day later Garner had Lidge warming up for a save situation before letting his replacement, Dan Wheeler, wiggle out of trouble. Front offices agree that Lidge, 30, still has closer stuff, and one scout calls Lidge the "classic change of scenery guy," believing that his precipitous falloff (from a 2.29 ERA in '05 to 5.28 in '06) has to be a "mental thing."

Billy Wagner is stumping for the Mets to make a play for his former setup man, though he told SI, "He needs to be in a place where he can [exhale]." That would seem to eliminate not only New York but also another potential destination, Philadelphia. "All it takes," says Wagner, "is one bad game, and [the Phillies fans] would kill him."

The Devil Rays—with ex-Houston G.M. Gerry Hunsicker in their front office—make sense, but one AL exec says, "I don't think anyone's going to pay the value that Houston's going to want. They'd be selling at the lowest point. What if he goes somewhere and saves 25 games?"

2. Chad Cordero, Nationals closer
Only third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and perhaps outfielder Austin Kearns are untouchable, according to two people familiar with the thinking of Washington general manager Jim Bowden, though one G.M. who's interested in Cordero complains, "[The Nats] have to lower their asking price." Because Cordero is not eligible to be a free agent until after the 2009 season, Bowden is looking for a huge haul in return. During the off-season he requested three top young pitchers from the Red Sox—Jon Lester, Craig Hansen and Clay Buchholz—to which one AL assistant G.M. says, " Boston wouldn't give up one of those guys [for Cordero]." The Washington closer is only 25, and he averaged 38 saves over the past two seasons, but he also yielded 13 home runs in 73 1/3 innings last year. One AL exec says, "He'd be good for a National League team. He has big stones, but his stuff is pretty short." Nonetheless, the Phillies, Reds, Astros and Marlins would love to have him.

3. Todd Helton, Rockies first baseman
Colorado is rebuilding around a nucleus of good twentysomething players (page 52) and the payroll-chopping Rockies have cheaper, younger first base options than the 33-year old Helton, such as minor league bopper Joe Koshansky and Jeff Baker, who started the year with seven hits in 11 at bats with Colorado. There are hurdles, though, starting with the $89 million owed Helton through 2011 and a no-trade clause he isn't eager to waive. While Helton's slugging percentage has declined in recent years, it was still a respectable .476 last season, and one G.M. says, "Would it surprise me if he repeated what he did last year or maybe even did a little bit better? No." The Red Sox, Angels and Rangers are possibilities.

4. Rocco Baldelli, Devil Rays centerfielder
The D-Rays insist they don't have an abundance of outfielders, but opponents find that thinking D-lusional. Talented rookie fourth outfielder Elijah Dukes combines power, speed and an arm, and B.J. Upton, currently playing out of position at second base, has the tools to replace Baldelli as well. During the winter Tampa sought a young, major-league-ready starter with front-of-the-rotation potential (most notably Josh Johnson or Scott Olsen from Florida), but the D-Rays should instead aim for a package of high-level pitching prospects, of which the Marlins—who desperately need a centerfielder—have plenty. The Rockies are interested too.

5. Lastings Milledge, Mets outfielder
Milledge, 22, is blocked for the moment in rightfield by Shawn Green and in center, until 2011, by Carlos Beltran. The multitalented Milledge had a rough start in New York during an '06 cameo, and some Mets talent evaluators prefer even younger outfield prospects Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez to Milledge anyway. While the Mets are reluctant to trade any top prospect, they need starting pitching help and Milledge remains the most enticing bait. The A's and the Marlins, a frequent trade partner of Mets G.M. Omar Minaya, should be first in line.