Hudson to the Braves/Dodgers?

[Mustangs989]

While on the Andruw-Sosa topic, I thought I'd throw this in.

Dec 14 - Ken Rosenthal of The Sporting News, Peter Gammons of ESPN and the Chicago Sun-Times are all reporting that the Braves have stepped in an effort to aquire start RF Sammy Sosa. In order for any deal to occur the Braves want the Cubs to pay a sizable portion of the '05 salary, and additionally pay $4.5 M of his '06 salary. Most likely Andruw Jones (due to his $39 M contract left to pay over the next three years) would be sent to the Cubs, along with Dan Meyer and two other prospects. However, this trade is now at least on the backburner and unlikely to occur IF the Braves follow through with the Hudson trade.

Link
I don't know accurate this source is though...

[slomo007]

While on the Andruw-Sosa topic, I thought I'd throw this in.

Dec 14 - Ken Rosenthal of The Sporting News, Peter Gammons of ESPN and the Chicago Sun-Times are all reporting that the Braves have stepped in an effort to aquire start RF Sammy Sosa. In order for any deal to occur the Braves want the Cubs to pay a sizable portion of the '05 salary, and additionally pay $4.5 M of his '06 salary. Most likely Andruw Jones (due to his $39 M contract left to pay over the next three years) would be sent to the Cubs, along with Dan Meyer and two other prospects. However, this trade is now at least on the backburner and unlikely to occur IF the Braves follow through with the Hudson trade.

Link
I don't know accurate this source is though...

Why would the Braves give up prospects and Andruw, for a worse outfielder and an off-field headache?

[TheYanks04]

Beats me...and AJ is only 28 I believe. Why would anyone want Sosa and is baggage at this point?

[Amazinz]

That trade doesn't make a lot of sense unless it was somehow a precursor to the Hudson trade.

[Lofunzo]

While on the Andruw-Sosa topic, I thought I'd throw this in.

Dec 14 - Ken Rosenthal of The Sporting News, Peter Gammons of ESPN and the Chicago Sun-Times are all reporting that the Braves have stepped in an effort to aquire start RF Sammy Sosa. In order for any deal to occur the Braves want the Cubs to pay a sizable portion of the '05 salary, and additionally pay $4.5 M of his '06 salary. Most likely Andruw Jones (due to his $39 M contract left to pay over the next three years) would be sent to the Cubs, along with Dan Meyer and two other prospects. However, this trade is now at least on the backburner and unlikely to occur IF the Braves follow through with the Hudson trade.

Link
I don't know accurate this source is though...

Why would the Braves give up prospects and Andruw, for a worse outfielder and an off-field headache?

My thoughts exactly.

[wrveres]

Dawgpound, You may very well be right, they may have to trade Andruw, and move Larry back to the OF giving Marte 3B, but signing Hudson will put the Braves only slightly over budget. Nothing that is not workable.

The reason Schuerholz had to get rid of Millwood is because Maddux's arbitration threw the Braves way over budget, not just a million or two. Since Millwood, whom the same agent represented, was to be a free agent, it forced Schuerholz to move Millwood while he could still get something of value, since he knew he was not going to be able to resign him. Thank you Scott Boras. BTW, Schuerholz took a lot of heat for that deal too, and I think it turned out pretty good, don't you?

And a note to you Braves fans. I realize winning all the time has become boring and all, but if you actually went to the games, especially the playoff games, then the Braves would not be in this predicament. And I know all of you hatchet heads use AOL only, right?

As a Padre fan, I can only drool at what we could do with an 82 million dollar budget.

[swingaway]

if i were the braves i would package andrew and mikes to the yanks for k.brown and maybe some cash or a prospect or heck just for k. brown maybe.

[trevisc]

I would much rather see the Sosa deal go down then to trade Andruw for Kevin Brown. At least Sosa could draw some fans in.

[LBJackal]

he has a $100k/start clause in his existing contract, which will pay him an additional $3M+ if he stays in the rotation all year, and as the players union has shown with ARod last year, a player can not renegotiate and give up guaranteed money.

I think the MLBPA said that if Sosa wants to void his guaranteed $18M contract that is triggered by a trade, they would allow that. I read that a while back, not sure if it's true

I imagine they do it on a case by case basis, but I don't see them doing anything about Smoltz's clause. And if the Braves have a chance to get Hudson and it means they'll be $1M over budget I think the big boss will OK that trade seeing as though it improvs the team so much.

That puts them $3M over, which AOL may still approve. But I've seen no signs they would do so based on the last few years.

And the MLBPA would permit Sosa to void the clause as he is not guaranteed the money. In other words, if the Cubs keep him, they pay him the 2005 salary and pay the 2006 buyout - no trade kicker and he's gone after 2005. Letting him void the clause allows him to get the same money he'd get, but for another team. As he's not giving up guaranteed money, the MLBPA would let him do it. Sosa is not losing money by having the trade kicker removed as he won't get that money anyway.

As for Smoltz, the Braves have talked about removing the clause. But this is a money clause and will cost Smoltz money if it is removed as he will start in 2005. As with ARod last year, the MLBPA won't permit him to remove the clause unless he gets something in return (i.e. won't allow the value of his contract to be reduced). Smoltz will get the money, so either they renegotiate the contract, or they go way over budget for 2005. I can't see the latter happening. This was the reason for the Millwood trade a few years ago - AOL will not permit the Braves to go much, if at all, over budget.

Sosa could definately lose money if they void the contract. If it's voided and he's traded, he won't make anything close to $18 in 2006, not even half of that.

It's hard to say Sosa's money isn't guaranteed and Smoltz's is. If they leave Smoltz as a RP he doesn't get it; that to me isn't guaranteed, just like Sosa's isn't guaranteed if he isn't traded. Exact same situation, isn't it?

But anyway like I said I think it's case by case and since they know Sammy probably won't be traded if that $18M kicker is in effect, they wouldn't have a problem voiding it. They know Smoltz will likely be in the rotation so voiding that part of his contract woulsn't make sense. I think if the MLBPA had any indication that Sosa would be traded with that clause in effect, they wouldn't allow it to be voided. Just my opinion though.

[Dawgpound 1613]

Well, you tell me, is Smoltz starting or not? If not, why trade for Kolb? Facts are, he's in the rotation. If you don't think the MLBPA looks at it this way, well, you and I will just have to disagree. Facts are that with that clause, Sosa ain't getting traded. He could drop the clause today and not lose a dollar, then get traded next month, and still not lose a dollar. Smoltz dropping his clause today will cost him money. If you can't see the difference, well, I don't know.

And if the Braves trade AJ, Meyer and two other prospects for Sosa, then Schuerholz should be fired. The Cubs HAVE to trade Sosa. The Braves don't have to trade Jones. Sosa is a shell of what he was, and likely won't improve as he's 35 (and off the juice). AJ is a gold glove CF with power. He may be overpaid at $13M/year, but not that much overpaid compared to other players. He actually has a little value. Sosa has none. He's a proven headache that destroys clubhouse chemistry. You think anyone in the Cubs clubhouse wants him back? If prospects are involved, they should be coming from the Cubs to the Braves, not the other way around. BTW, if the Braves land Hudson, Meyer will be a part of that deal. If Ken Rosenthal of The Sporting News, Peter Gammons of ESPN and the Chicago Sun-Times are reporting this as the proposed deal, I'd think they were delusional.