Holding the Phone: Someone Wants Adam Lind?!?

I saw you, MLB Trade Rumors.  I saw you trying to sneak that little tidbit in there, knowing that I'd go ahead and make a big deal of it.  Clever.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm not terribly surprised.  Pittsburgh is apparently looking at James Loney to be their first baseman, as if he's actually good and didn't have an excellent season last year by accident.  Of course, the Tampa Bay turning-shit-in-to-strawberry-shortcake thing applies at least a bit here.

Anyway, Jayson Stark was mentioning that the Pirates have also reached out to the Rangers about Mitch Moreland's availability-- which, when you think about the whole Prince Fielder thing, makes a lot of sense-- and to the BLUE JAYS ABOUT ADAM LIND.

Sorry.  Things got out of hand there for a second.  Too excited.

The Jays don't necessarily have to trade Lind this offseason-- it would create a small, easy fillable hole in the lineup at 1B/DH, but it's not like there isn't an upgrade or forty available out there.  Lind is very serviceable against RHP, but doesn't really offer a whole lot else.  He's also making $7MM this year, and at least has $1.5MM more coming to him in the way of option buyouts.  There's no Mark DeRosa anymore, and there's probably no Rajai Davis around either to take his spot in the order when lefty pitchers are around.

Now watch how I spin this in the right direction.

James Loney is projected for 1 WAR in 2014, and is apparently seeking a three year deal.  Given that Justin Morneau signed yesterday for 2 years and $13MM, I think three years for Loney is looking like nothing less than $18MM.  Lind?  A practically free $7MM, with two options!  May as well be three 1-year deals!

Lind is one of those big cocksuckers who can hit the ball out of the ballpark.  Loney?  Walks.  Reasonable defense.  That's about it.  When's the last time you saw someone score a run by catching the ball?

Lind has been bad in the past, but it's not like Loney wasn't worth -0.4 WAR in 2012 himself, and never better than 2 WAR over a single season in his entire career.  At least Lind has a 3.4 WAR season under his belt, which is driven down thanks to a -22.4 run defensive tally, though he was playing LF then, and is a 1B now.

Loney just isn't all that good, and three years there would be shockingly bad, especially when Adam Lind is available for probably less than that on a 1-year deal with options.  The scary thing is that I'm kind of talking myself out of hating Adam Lind.

But really.  If James Loney is worth whatever he's going to be worth, three options of Adam Lind has to be at least somewhat attractive if you're Pittsburgh.  The only real benefit to Loney over Lind is health.and maybe relative defense.  I wouldn't classify Loney as "good" defensively, but he's practically a full win better than Lind is with the glove.  Lind obviously makes that up with the bat, and is coming off a bit of a comeback year himself.

Mitch Moreland is still probably a better fit for Pittsburgh if Texas chooses to move him, but holy crap... the pieces fit.  Maybe we can get Snider back.