The Oakland A's are hoping Rich Harden has a solid first half to boost his trade value at the deadline.

Locked Up

·        The Toronto Blue Jays and right fielder Alex Rios have agreed to a 6 year contract extension worth $64 million, with a $13.5 million option for a seventh year.  Last season Rios hit .297 with 24 home runs and 85 RBI.   The new contract includes a no-trade clause for the first two seasons, and then a limited trade clause for the remaining years.  Just because this is no longer a contract year for the 27-year-old doesn’t mean that he will stop working hard.  Many people believe that last season was his breakout year, but I have a feeling that he will improve once again.  So far this season, he has hit .444 with no home runs and 3 RBI.  Look for Rios to earn another All-Star appearance and maybe a home run derby trophy.  Look for Rios to hit .305 with 30 home runs and 100 RBI.

·        The Blue Jays have also locked Aaron Hill into a long term contract that will pay him $12 million over four years.  Hill experienced a breakout season last year when he hit .291 with 17 home runs and 78 RBI.  The new deal includes club options for the three years following the end of the contract.  Hill’s deal is similar to the one given Orlando Hudson at the same point in his career.  The only question is, was last year a fluke?  I don’t think so, but you never know if you can count on a second baseman to hit that many home runs, year in and year out.  Look for Hill to drop a little bit in the average department due his free-swinging style at the plate.  Hill projects to hit .280 with 20 home runs and 85 RBI.

·        Staying with the contract extension theme; the Pittsburgh Pirates have signed Matt Capps to an extension that will keep him in the Steel City until at least the end of the 2009 season.  For the 2008 season, the Bucs gave the 24-year-old closer a $65,000 raise and a $500,000 signing bonus.  Last season, Capps was 4-7 with 18 saves and a 2.28 ERA.  So far this season, he has had a tough time in his two appearances.  Capps has a 16.20 ERA and one save.  Look for Capps to snap out of his sluggish start and start shutting the door on some teams.  Some consider Capps a sleeper for saves, but he may not get many opportunities.  The Pirates are not going to a good enough team to make Capps any more than a speculative pick, so don’t spend big bucks to acquire him.

Too Early To Tell

·        So far this year Rich Harden has made two great starts and there are already trade rumors coming out of the woodwork.  After two and a half years of injuries, Harden has come out the gates healthy and on fire with his 1-0 record and a .82 ERA in two starts.  The A’s would love to unload Harden, but it is very unlikely that they will find a trade partner willing to give up top prospects for the fragile pitcher until he proves that he can make at least a dozen starts this season.  This season Harden is owed $4.5 million, and has a club option for the 2009 season worth $7 million with no buyout.  Look for Harden to have a healthy and consistent first half and then get traded in July to a team with good prospects.  The Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and Braves all come to mind when discussing possible trade partners.

The Rumor Mill

·        Kevin Cash is the personal catcher for Tim Wakefield, but the Red Sox are not sold on his ability to catch his infamous knuckler.  There are a few catchers out there that the Red Sox could be interested in, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they just went out and brought Doug Mirabelli back again.  Some of the catchers they are looking at are Ramon Hernandez, Gerald Laird, Michael Barrett, and Bengie Molina.  The Rangers would likely deem Laird untouchable, and Michael Barrett is not known for his defensive ability.  The search is still in its early stages, but don’t be surprised if Kevin Cash doesn’t last more than six starts before he replaced.

·        Staying with the Red Sox, the Coco Crisp situation still has not been resolved.  The White Sox, Cubs and Padres have shown some interest, but the Cubs just picked up Reed Johnson and the White Sox are still going over their in house options.  Crisp claims that the A’s are another team that may want to bring him in, but the rebuilding A’s will likely stay away from Crisp and his salary.  If a move isn’t made in the next couple of weeks then nothing will happen until the trade deadline.