There has been a lot of trade talk this year…more than we have ever seen from the Rays right before the deadline. Michael Emdeyar of RaysAllDay.com wrote this interesting piece about known stud Carl Crawford and super prospect Desmond Jennings.
Carl Crawford is going to generate a lot of discussion over the coming weeks and months. He’s heading toward his final season under contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, who hold a club option for the 2010 season at a reasonable $10 million. As I see it, the Rays have several options:
- Trade him before the July 31 deadline. I’d have to say this is very unlikely considering the Rays are definitely close enough to the AL East leaders to consider themselves in the race. His value to the Rays and in trade value are probably highest here.
- Trade him in the off-season. His trade value comes down a little, but the Rays decrease negative PR by not shaking up things during the playoff hunt.
- Trade him at the 2010 trade deadline. Assuming positive progression of this ballclub, the Rays would again be in the playoff hunt. And, his trade value would probably decrease a little more, since he would be approaching free agency.
- Negotiate a contract extension and, more likely, lose him to baseball’s big spenders who will undoubtedly see him as a prize catch in the 2011 off-season.
If I’m Andrew Friedman for a day, I take option 2. During the upcoming offseason, I trade Carl Crawford for the best package of young players I can find. And, without consideration for that package of players, the main reason I make that deal is what’s waiting in the wings, Desmond Jennings.
Desmond Jennings displays many of the same tools that Carl Crawford brings to the table. He’s fast and has a little pop in his bat. And, while this isn’t a sure-fire comparison, a quick look at DJ’s performance at Double-A Montgomery compared to CC’s performance in Double-A is very encouraging. Forecasting Desmond’s numbers out for the rest of this season, his statistics exceed Carl’s in every category.
*Jennings’ numbers forecasted through the end of the season based on current performance.
Granted, Desmond Jennings will not be ready to take over immediately for a 2010 departure of Carl Crawford. He’ll probably get at least a little work at Triple-A Durham to begin the season. But, if a trade of Carl Crawford means you get a top pitcher, catcher and/or outfield depth plus you open up a spot for Desmond Jennings, you’d have to argue that you did pretty good.
Thomas Gemkow is the editor-in-chief of TampaBayRaysFan.com. Founded in January of 2009, TampaBayRaysFan.com is a compilation of all the best of the Rays, from across the web. The website can be followed on Twitter
