A man who looks suspiciously like Rick Moranis claims that Dodgers 2B / team chemistry expert / moto-cross enthusiast Jeff Kent (above) might return to the Mets.
The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro on the D-Backs’ efforts to trade P Javier Vazquez.
It seems that Vazquez’s remaining two years and $24 million won’t be a major hindrance. Perhaps after last week’s free-agent transactions – most notably the $21.375 million, three-year deal given pitcher Esteban Loaiza – Vazquez’s contract may appear more reasonable.
Vazquez is expected to fetch at least a position player who could be plugged into the lineup (perhaps a center fielder or a catcher) or a pitcher, and maybe more. It’s likely that not only would the acquired players be young and under the Diamondbacks’ control financially, but also that the team wouldn’t need to kick in money to the deal.
Byrnes said he has been in contact with about eight to 10 teams regarding Vazquez, noting that talks with some clubs were so advanced that a deal could be only a phone call or two away.
Washington and the New York Mets have surfaced most often in trade rumors.
“We’re getting close to arriving at a deal that we like,” Byrnes said. “We want to use that trade to set up improvements that we’d like to make with the roster