The Friday Night Rumor Mill

Oakland’s shocking trade of Nick Swisher to the White Sox has sent a clear message to the rest of baseball: just about any salaried veteran on the A’s is available for the right package of young talent. Swisher and Dan Haren, two of the biggest names on Billy Beane’s roster, represent merely the beginning of Oakland’s exodus. We can now expect Joe “Bulldog” Blanton, Rich Harden, Huston Street, and possibly Eric Chavez (who says he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause) to join them in leaving the Bay Area before the start of the season. Beane continues to talk to the Mets about Blanton, who has been dangled since the end of the season. He will now start shopping Street, who could be attractive to any number of clubs, either as a closer or set-up man. Look for the Red Sox, Yankees, and Blue Jays to lead the way in discussions for Street. The Tigers might also get involved, given the off-season shoulder injury suffered by Joel Zumaya. Among National League teams, the Cubs and Mets will likely make a play for Street, who was limited to 48 games in 2007 because of nerve irritation in his pitching arm…
In regards to the Swisher deal, I think that Beane may have gone overboard with his massive rebuilding plan. After all, Swisher is only 27 and still in his prime; he’s not a thirtysomething veteran who will face an inevitable decline over the next three seasons. Oakland’s best everyday player, Swisher is a borderline All-Star who could get even better over the next two to three years. Even if he levels off, how many switch hitters have Swisher’s kind of power, combined with a keen batting eye that helped him draw 100 walks last season? Simply put, he’ll be a great addition to a White Sox team that sorely needed a hitter with his on-base skills and also a personality that is strong on leadership and effort. Both on and off the field, Swisher fits the White Sox perfectly. Good work, Kenny Williams… One bit of trivia on Swisher. In joining the White Sox, he’ll be playing for the team that originally drafted his father, Steve. In 1973, the White Sox selected Steve Swisher, a catcher, with their first pick of the amateur draft. The elder Swisher never actually played for the White Sox, who traded him to the cross-town Cubs as part of the Ron Santo deal…

The Tigers are finding the market for Brandon Inge to be surprisingly soft. Inge’s poor showing at the plate in 2007, which was riddled with too many strikeouts and too few walks, has seriously damaged his trade value. Some of the potential suitors for Inge may be missing the boat on Inge, who is a superior defender. The Brewers are apparently deluding themselves in believing that Ryan Braun can make the necessary improvements to play an acceptable third base. The Phillies are apparently doing the same in insisting that they are willing to use a platoon of Wes Helms (another brutal defender) and Greg Dobbs (who’s better suited to a bench role). Inge would also make a lot of sense for the Dodgers, who have their doubts about Andy LaRoche but are apparently willing to overlook his defensive shortcomings. If the Tigers do hold on to Inge, they would be smart to give him the tools of ignorance. Originally a catcher, Inge would make an excellent backup to Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, giving the Tigers depth behind the plate and at the hot corner…

The National League champion Rockies are on the verge of signing free agent right-hander Josh Towers. I’m really not sure why. Towers pitches to contact as much as any hurler in either league; that’s not a style that figures to blend well with Coors Field, humidor or not. The Rockies will apparently use Towers in a swingman role, switching between the rotation and relief. Hopefully, that won’t become a hangman role for Towers…

The Marlins are continuing to stockpile third base candidates in the aftermath of the Miguel Cabrera blockbuster. They’ve already signed Jose Castillo and Jorge Cantu, and are still talking to ex-Angel Dallas McPherson. If the Fish sign “Big Mac,” they might platoon him with the winner of the Castillo/Cantu battle. The loser of that would then become a utility player; Cantu and Castillo were originally second basemen, though they have severe defensive limitations up the middle…

Finally, a sad note to pass along. Noted baseball writer **** Thompson, a longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), died earlier this week at the age of 52. An author of several baseball books, he was also an expert on major league brothers Rick and Wes Ferrell. Thompson was a two-time winner of the annual McFarland-SABR Research Award. In 2004, Thompson received SABR’s highest honor when he was named the winner of the Bob Davids Award for his contributions to baseball research. Thompson’s abilities will clearly be missed, both by SABR and the research community as a whole.