Bruins: Rumored Trade With Toronto Involves Kessel, Kaberle

According to a report by Bob McKenzie of TSN.ca, the Boston Bruins have offered potential restricted free agent winger Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenseman Tomas Kaberle and the seventh overall pick in Friday’s NHL Entry Draft.

Kessel does carry a couple of red flags, most notably the surgery on his shoulder that could sideline him for the start of the 2009-10 season. Another is his aforementioned impending free agency, which means any team can present Kessel with an offer sheet, which the Bruins or Maple Leafs could match or let him go for conditional draft picks.

This trade does not make much sense for the Maple Leafs and GM Brian Burke, unless the Bruins are also sending additional draft picks and/or prospects. Kaberle is a premier puck-moving defenseman who could be a No. 1 on many teams.

It’s unlikely Burke would let Kaberle, along with a top-10 draft pick, go for a player who might not play a full season for his team, or might not play for them at all. Even with this offer, the most likely scenario is that Kessel re-signs with the Bruins with a deal similar to the one David Krejci signed not too long ago.

Kessel, 21, enjoyed a breakout season for the Bruins in 2008-09, scoring 36 goals in just 70 games and compiling a +23 rating. He survived testicular cancer in 2007, which earned him the Masterton Trophy for perseverance, and battled mononucleosis this past season.

Clearly, the kid is no stranger to adversity. Playing under the bright lights and intense scrutiny of Toronto likely wouldn’t faze him much. But considering the package the Bruins are asking for- and that Kessel isn’t exactly Burke’s type of player- it seems unlikely that this exact trade would take place.

But if it does, the Bruins will be in a position to own two top-tier defensemen and add another high draft pick to their deep, young squad.

Celtics: What Will They Really Do With Rajon Rondo?

Photo courtesy of ESPN.com

Tuesday was an unexpectedly busy day for the NBA, which garnered several headlines leading into this Saturday’s draft. The Spurs traded for Richard Jefferson and the Timberwolves moved Mike Miller and Randy Foye to Washington for the fifth overall pick, giving them four in the first round this year. But the most intriguing story of Tuesday was about a trade that didn’t happen.

The original report came from Yahoo! that the Celtics had offered the Detroit Pistons Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen for Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey. The rumor sent buzz for the Celtics skyrocketing, and called for an almost immediate press conference. Of course, the Boston media always feels entitled to an explanation for rumors of this magnitude.

Celtics President and GM Danny Ainge was quick to debunk the notions that the Celtics were trying to deal Rondo, but made it clear that the Celtics love Rondo as much as one would expect:

What’s clear from Ainge’s comments is the speculation that arose from the trade rumor, like the dissatisfaction with Rondo’s character and work ethic (he apparently showed up late to a playoff game against the Magic) or his contract situation, is merely just speculation.

Like any great GM, Ainge would only make such a drastic move as trading two core players if he feels the Celtics will improve as a result of it.

But what’s also clear is that the Celtics are not ruling out the possibility of a major trade in the future. Ainge doesn’t see anything big happening this off-season, but what they will do between now and the 2010-11 season is still up in the air.

Rondo is set to become a free agent after the 2009-10 season, joining perhaps the greatest free agent class in the history of sports. If the Celtics do not extend Rondo’s contract in the next year, his name will be added to the likes of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Amare Stoudamire, Chris Bosh, Steve Nash, and yes, Allen as well.

Allen’s contract expires after 2010, making him the most likely player to be moved. The Celtics will remain in control of Kevin Garnett’s contract through 2012 and Paul Pierce through 2011, owing them over $40 million combined during the 2010-11 season. This will make signing Rondo to an extension very difficult for the Celtics, especially if he commands a top-tier salary.

But with the way Rondo has improved over the last two seasons, it’s looking like he’s on his way to a hefty payday. After helping the Celtics win their first championship in 22 years in 2007-08, Rondo took his game to another level in 2008-09. His points, rebounds, assists, and percentages all improved, and he averaged a triple double (16.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.8 assists) in 41.2 minutes per game during the playoffs. And he’s still only 23.

Needless to say, Rondo will be seeking a raise over the $2.6 million he’ll make in 2009-10. To reward his movement into the upper echelon of NBA point guards, the Celtics will need to dish out some serious dough. Can they afford it?

If you ask me, keeping Rondo in Boston for his prime years would be worth moving Garnett within the next year. That may mean sacrificing another championship run, but I think it’s still worth it to keep Rondo in a Celtics uniform for the long-term.

It’s pretty clear that Garnett is beginning to decline in terms of both health and performance, which is pretty normal for a man of his age and build.

The window of opportunity for the Celtics’ “Big Three” is closing quickly, and soon enough they will have to look toward the future. That said, it wouldn’t be easy for the Celtics to find a taker for Garnett’s enormous $21 million-plus contract that doesn’t expire until 2012.

But if he can prove to still be able to remain healthy for a full season, it would be tough for a contending team in need of a veteran presence to turn down a man of Garnett’s ability and experience.

But I digress…If- and it’s a pretty big if– the Celtics were open to moving Garnett and could find a deal that works, I would be all for it- provided the main motive is to retain Rondo on the roster.

Rondo doesn’t shoot the ball very well at all; it’s always been his achilles heel. He’ll never be an elite scorer at the point guard position like Chris Paul or Deron Williams.

But he more than makes up for his shooting woes with deft quickness to the hoop, magician-like hands, and tremendous determination and confidence. He has a rare combination of skills that could make him an elite point guard even without great shooting ability.

He may already be there; I personally wouldn’t quite call him elite yet but he’s already at the All-Star level and still has plenty of time to improve. I think all he needs is to develop a reliable three-point shot and he can easily be mentioned among the likes of Paul and Williams.

He can already do everything else with his hands at a very high level. He quickly became my favorite Celtics player and arguably the most exciting player to watch since he came into the league in 2006.

It would pain me as a Celtics fan to see Rondo running all over the place, never tiring or letting up, always looking for the best possible pass or pestering an opponent for a steal, constantly wreaking havoc on the opposing team’s game plan, in a different uniform. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if a team like Cleveland, Houston, Phoenix, or- gasp!– the Lakers were interested in his services come 2010.

Whatever the Celtics do with Rondo, I’m just hoping it doesn’t come devoid of benefits. Trading him would be disappointing, but would also only happen if Ainge feels the Celtics would be better off doing it, and the Celtics would likely end up with some nice players and/or draft picks in return.

Letting Rondo walk to free agency and join another team would be extremely painful to watch, especially if he dons a yellow and purple jersey.

At this point, I would be open to seeing Garnett move elsewhere in order to make room for Rondo to stay here for the future. He’s the most exciting, talented young point guard the Celtics have had in years, and without him for the future the Celtics could be headed straight back to the league basement by 2012.

Red Sox Rumored To Be Interested In Pirates Shortstop Jack Wilson

The trade rumblings for the Boston Red Sox have steadily increased in recent weeks, mainly due to their surplus of starting pitching. But now that all of their potential starters are healthy and working, rumors of potential deals have begun to surface.

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Jack Wilson is the latest in the rumored possible acquisitions for Boston, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting.

It was a somewhat well-kept secret through April and May that the Red Sox had at least seven Major League-ready starters. But now that John Smoltz is healthy and rehabilitating at Pawtucket, it’s become quite apparent.

What has also become apparent is the Red Sox’s deficiencies in the field, particularly at the shortstop position. While presumptive starter Jed Lowrie has missed significant time with a wrist injury, the Red Sox have platooned Julio Lugo and Nick Green. The result has been less than spectacular.

Lugo and Green’s 14 combined errors this season have dragged the Red Sox all the way to the bottom of the American League in fielding percentage. For comparison’s sake, J.D. Drew, Jason Bay, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Varitek and Dustin Pedroia have six errors between them.

Having that kind of a liability at arguably the most important defensive position on the field can cost a team games, and it already has for the Red Sox; remember Green’s throw that sailed into the stands at Seattle?

It can also cost you a World Championship; Sox fans need not forget that it was the defensive overhaul that sparked the 2004 Red Sox to become one of the league’s elite teams and end their World Series curse.

Now we come to the player in question: Pittsburgh’s Jack Wilson. In terms of defensive ability, the Red Sox would be receiving a major upgrade here. It is comparable to the defensive upgrade that Orlando Cabrera brought over Nomar Garciaparra in 2004.

The Red Sox have been asking around the clubhouse, most notably former Pirate Jason Bay, about Wilson’s abilities and character, and apparently they have heard enough to pursue the shortstop in a trade. It’s important for fans who aren’t familiar with National League players to understand that the Red Sox would be bringing in a solid defensive shortstop should they acquire Wilson.

The 31-year-old Wilson may not bring the flash-and-dash that Alex Gonzalez brought to the team in 2006, but he is certainly well above-average with the leather at short and could have a Gold Glove or two if he was a better hitter.

About his offense…He wouldn’t be an upgrade in that department. He certainly couldn’t be much worse than Lugo or Green has been, but Wilson is a career .269 hitter with much left to the imagination in terms of pop or speed. At best, he’s the same as Lugo or Green at the plate.

Another concern is Wilson’s recent injury problems. He’s already made one trip to the 15-day disabled list with a finger sprain. He’s also injured his knee, calf and shoulder, causing him to miss 95 games since 2008.

Those things aside, the Red Sox would be acquiring Wilson for his defensive prowess above all else. They can absorb his lack of offense as long as he plays the great defense he’s known for; they could not absorb the offensive woes of Lugo or Green with their defensive misgivings.

What’s most important at this point is that Wilson has proved to be a serviceable everyday player at the major league level, and would likely be the starter if he heads here. Lugo would still get occasional playing time but be replaced by Wilson in the late innings for defensive purposes.

Green would likely head back to the minors and be replaced with Smoltz, or possibly Buchholz. If Brad Penny is not involved in the trade talks that are apparently taking place, the Red Sox could employ a temporary six-man rotation. But a more likely result is to see Penny be traded.

Is Wilson worth Penny straight up? Or more importantly, do the Pirates need a player like Penny when it’s becoming more and more apparent that they once again won’t contend for anything this season? The answer to both of those questions is probably no, which means the Red Sox could dip into their farm system to acquire Wilson.

Penny is more likely to go to a contending NL team in need of a starting pitcher; the Cubs, Mets and Phillies immediately come to mind. And Buchholz is one of the top prospects in the game, and would be good enough as part of a package to lure a Matt Holliday or Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. So for Wilson to come to the Red Sox, it will take something else.

With the depth in their farm system, and the obvious need for a shortstop who can play consistent defense, the acquisition of Wilson looks more and more every day like a move the Sox ought to make.

From Bronco to Bear: Cutler Headed to Chicago

The bizarrely compelling saga of Jay Cutler and the Broncos has finally met its end. Denver has sent the disgruntled quarterback to the Chicago Bears for QB Kyle Orton, a first- and third-round pick in 2009, and a first-round pick in 2010. Denver gets a fresh start with Kyle Orton and a great opportunity to rebuild their pitiful defense. Cutler, meanwhile, goes to a much better defensive team with a downgrade in the receivers department. He was 13-1 in his career when Denver allowed 21 points or less, a silver lining in his cloudy 17-20 record in Denver. His passing yards stand to take a hit with Devin Hester replacing Brandon Marshall as his top wide receiver target, but with Matt Forte in the fold as a receiving threat his touchdowns could remain the same. Orton will probably do well in Josh McDaniels’ system, but it would be hard not to think of him as a bridge to the next QB the Broncos draft.

The Bears also acquired OT Orlando Pace, agreeing to a three-year deal with the veteran Pro Bowl lineman. It was an overall productive day for the Bears’ present and the Broncos’ future.

Denver will likely take a defensive player with this year’s 18th overall pick they received from the Bears. Possible choices include one of the three USC linebackers available: Rey Maualuga, Clay Matthews and Brian Cushing. Denver also still holds the 12th overall pick, with which they could also take a defensive player like CB Malcolm Jenkins of Ohio State or DE Robert Ayers of Tennessee.

Cutler has some serious questions to answer in 2009 about his maturity and consistency. Knowing him, he may enter the locker room expecting the utmost respect from his teammates, but as Orton’s replacement he will need to earn it. One question he will not have to answer, however, is whether he has the talent to succeed. Fans of Cutler in Denver can have this video courtesy of BroncosTV to remember him by:

_____________________________________________________________

What Others Are Saying About The Jay Cutler Trade:

• Denver Post: Broncos Fans Vent Their Feelings
• Steve Rosenbloom: Angelo Got His Quarterback
• Peter King: Cutler May Regret Leaving Denver
• Pete Prisco: Bears Getting Franchise QB is ‘Priceless’
• Jamie Dukes: Cutler Trade a ‘Huge Gamble’
• Jim Donaldson: Cutler Deal ‘Bear-ly Comprehensible’
• Kevin Seifert: The Trade That Decided a Division

Gammons’ Convincing Case for Holliday

Matt Holliday

ESPN stalwart and baseball god Peter Gammons always has his fair share of opinions, and usually he backs them up with his encyclopedic knowledge of the game and impeccable research skills. And he is usually not hesitant to defend players he believes are underrated or lack sufficient respect from fans and pundits. Oakland’s Matt Holliday is one such case in Gammons’ blog entry from Saturday, in which he boldly claims in the headline that Holliday’s move to Oakland was best for him.

Some might argue he would have been better off with one more year hitting in Coors Field for 81 games in his contract year. His home/road splits, as they are for just about anyone who plays for the Rockies, are tremendously disparate. But Holliday is still close to a .300 hitter away from Coors, and he has had to face a lot of good pitching in recent years from the NL West (Webb, Haren, Lincecum to name a few). Holliday has a nice fluid swing that generates insane opposite-field power when necessary, and he shouldn’t have much of a problem hitting his fair share in Oakland. And don’t forget that he gets to play some games in hitter’s parks like Fenway, Camden Yards, U.S. Cellular and Yankee Stadium, the latter for which his swing is tailor-made. It’s pretty unreasonable to group him with guys like Dante Bichette and Ellis Burks who were pure power hitter that had obvious career spikes when they were in Colorado. Holliday’s ceiling is still as a .300 – 30 – 100 hitter.

Because of the huge jump in foul territory Holliday now has to deal with, his average should definitely drop a bit from where he was in Colorado. But the pitchers he needs to face within his division are significantly worse than the ones he needed to face in Colorado, with John Lackey and Felix Hernandez probably the two best. But overall, the pitching is horrid in the AL West with Texas lacking anyone with an ERA under 4.50 as always and Seattle having little depth beyond Hernandez, Erik Bedard and Brandon Morrow. It’s not quite the same as facing at least three staff aces multiple times.

Gammons and Buster Onley believe the Red Sox, Yankees and Angels to be the top (and possibly only) suitors for Holliday, a Scott Boras client, next fall. The Angels make the most sense with their glaring need of an impact bat after losing Mark Teixeira to New York and possibly losing Vladimir Guerrero after 2009 as well. Whatever the case, Holliday is motivated to prove tons of people wrong. So in conclusion, I agree with Mr. Gammons. If Holliday hits .290 and goes 27 – 105 in Oakland, he’ll get more money than he ever could have hitting .320 – 35 – 125 in the thin Denver air.

Here’s a nice highlight of Holliday, perhaps the highlight of his career, as he scores the game-winning run in the 2007 one-game playoff with San Diego to win the NL Wild Card.

Peppers to Pats???

I should probably note that I am a die-hard New England sports fan, but now that I’ve gotten that out of the way I will let the journalist in me take over again. The New England Patriots, according to Vic Carucci of NFL.com, are in position to trade their 34th overall draft pick to the Carolina Panthers for Pro-Bowl DE Julius Peppers. The 29-year-old Peppers would probably be converted to outside linebacker in the wake of Mike Vrabel’s departure to Kansas City. But the still-in-his-prime veteran should have little trouble fitting into their scheme and being a relentless pass rusher off the edge, something they could sorely miss with Vrabel departing. Despite always being considered a perfect fit for a 4-3 setup, Peppers’ agent Carl Carey stated back in January that his client is intrigued by the idea of playing in a 3-4 defense in 2009, which bodes very well for New England’s prospects of landing him. Said Carey of Peppers:

Julius feels he can thrive in another system. Perhaps a 3-4 (defense) will give him the opportunities he is seeking and will allow him to use his athletic ability to its fullest potential. He is seeking something different that will open him up some and allow him to be the disruptive force that he believes he has the potential to be.

The Patriots would effectively parlay Tom Brady’s backup and the still-reliable but aging Vrabel into a stud defensive player who could be a cornerstone for several years if the Patriots decide to sign him long-term. This would be another in a series of many moves the Pats have made to improve their roster this off-season, which includes the signings of RB Fred Taylor, WR Joey Galloway, CBs Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden, and trading for WR Greg Lewis. And don’t forget they would still have three picks in the first two rounds of next month’s NFL Draft.

Here’s a very well-edited video package of some highlights from Peppers’ 2008 season, in which he started for the NFC in the Pro Bowl: