On The Block:  Moises Alou

Why He’s On The Block:  Moises Alou will be a free agent after this season, and he still wants to play.  However, Alou was brought to San Francisco primarily to give the Giants one last shot at contending with Barry Bonds.  This is likely Bonds' final year in San Francisco, whether he leaves or retires at the end of the season.  WIth that in mind, it’s likely that the Giants will jettison all of their aging players and begin fielding a young team.  That leaves Alou the odd man out.

Negotiable:  Yes.  Alou’s best years are behind him, so he’ll have to accept a small contract, possibly $2 million base plus incentives.

What He Offers:  Despite his age, Alou can still crush a bat.  However, he is nearly 40 and will likely never play the outfield again and have to settle for being a DH.  Still, here’s what Alou can do for a team:

·          Plus:  Power hitter.

·          Plus:  Great plate discipline.

·          Plus:  Inexpensive.

·          Minus:  Fielding skills are deteriorating.  Will likely be left out when interleague play hits.

·          Minus:  Older player, more susceptible to injury.

He Stay Or Will He Go:  90%-10% on Alou remaining when he returns from the DL, as the Giants want to squeeze one last title shot out of their current staff before bidding them sayonara.  As for next year, here’s what we got:

·          Minnesota Twins – 40%.  The Twins love cheap talent and Alou wouldn’t be expensive to deal with.  The Twins could toss a small contract at him and have him be their DH.  However, if the Twins do embark on a fire sale, Alou would have to be the centerpiece of their lineup.  And despite the power he still has, Alou is more effective at the cleanup spot.  I don’t know if the Twins will have that next year.

·          Toronto Blue Jays – 25%.  Alou would certainly be a upgrade for the Jays at DH.  With Alou in there hitting sixth behind Vernon Wells, Troy Glaus, and Lyle Overbay, the Blue Jays will have a fearsome lineup, one good enough to devastate the weakened pitching staff in the Bronx.  And Alou wouldn’t cost a fortune.  I like this move a lot.

·          New York Yankees – 20%.  The Yankees really don’t have a DH, as Bernie Williams is a utilityman at best.  Alou would give the Yankees options at DH and he wouldn’t cost too much.  However, Alou once nixed a trade to the Yankees when he was with the Astros.  I don’t know if he’d take a deal if the Yankees come calling.

·          Oakland Athletics – 10%.  It looks like Frank Thomas isn’t working out, which means Oakland will need another offensive player.  Again, Alou presents a suitable replacement, as he still has power and not as many health questions as Thomas did.  Plus, Oakland won’t sacrifice prospects to get power. 

·          Los Angeles Angels of Melrose Place – 5%.  The Angels could use Alou, who still has plenty of raw power.  Alou would give the Angels a power bat and would cost them nothing in terms of prospects.  Plus, Alou would be inexpensive and would not severely hurt the Angels’ payroll flexibility. 

End Result – Signed in the 2007 off-season for 1 year, $2 million by the Minnesota Twins.