C.C. Sabathia and Matt Holliday are two of the names being tossed about in Major League Baseball trade talks

I have no idea what the GM’s around the game are talking about, but I know the rumor mill is churning as far as the media and fans are concerned. It’s late June, and that means it’s time to start the buzz about which names will be moving where as the trade talks heat up. This is always more hype than substance, as the true blockbusters are few and far between these days. But it’s still loads of fun to speculate on which stars could be on the move, so I may as well get in on the chatter.

The two biggest names on the burner are without question last year’s AL Cy Young winner and the ‘07 NL runner up for MVP. C.C. Sabathia and Matt Holliday are the hottest commodities possibly up for grabs. Sabathia got off to a terrible start this season, and there was some genuine concern that the workload he accrued last season might have taken its toll. Those worries have been thoroughly dashed, as Sabathia has been rock solid over his last dozen starts. Holliday is not putting up the same power numbers he did a year ago, but all his indicators are in place, meaning it’s likely just a matter of time before he starts sending balls into orbit.

Sabathia is a free agent following this season, and the Yankees will be strong favorites to spend the big bucks and sign him up. It’s almost assured that he won’t be back in Cleveland, although the Indians are putting up the brave front. But the fact is they are long shots to retain Sabathia’s services as his contract demands will be more than the Indians have shown they’re willing to spend. But I’m not sold on the fact Cleveland will deal Sabathia, even though they certainly could use an influx of top talent in their farm system. First off, we’re seeing less teams willing to mortgage the future than we used to, particularly for a short term rental. That clearly limits the number of teams that will line up for a chance to deal for the big southpaw.

Holliday would be a different story as he’s under contract through next season. A team that’s in contention would be far less hesitant to move top prospects armed with the knowledge they’d at least get the rest of this season plus all of next year to make a pennant run with Holliday in the lineup.

As for the Indians and Rockies offering their stars, I suspect both will at least be listening. Cleveland is in contention in the AL Central right now, but they’re incredibly beat up, and their remaining in the race is not an automatic at this point. As for the Rockies, the fact they made it to the World Series gives them a little more freedom to deal a big name like Holliday, as the fan fallout wouldn’t be catastrophic. And if the Rockies were to use the dollars they’re saving on Holliday to sign other stars to long term contracts, it would probably be a good move.

My guess is that Holliday is the more likely player to get moved this season, with the key being his contract already running through 2009. I see Sabathia being a tougher sell. The Indians won’t give him away and I suspect they won’t get what they’re looking for in a deal for the soon to be free agent.

Xavier Nady and Jason Bay of the Pirates are going to get mentioned frequently. But with the Pirates having an actual shot to get to .500, moving both players would be a p.r. nightmare for them. This franchise needs to send a positive sign to their long suffering fans. Bay has rebounded smartly from a poor 2007 campaign, and while Nady has been terrific this year for the Bucs, he’s the far more movable player as the fans won’t be as disenchanted if the Pirates can reap some future rewards in a deal.

The Mariners made a ridiculous deal with the Orioles to obtain Erik Bedard. Seattle is obviously out of the pennant race already, and their farm system is atrocious. But with interim management in place in the wake of the recent firings, I’m not sure we’ll see them doing anything earthshaking. However, there’s no question they should explore all avenues as far as dealing Bedard is concerned. I just don’t know if the temps have the power to make any major moves.

Any team that trades for Ken Griffey is nuts. Junior is one of the all-time greats, but he’s a shadow of his old self at this point. Plus, he can be had for nothing at season’s end as he certainly doesn’t figure to be getting a new contract from the Reds. But no team is going to deal a prospect of note for Griffey, and I doubt the Reds will just give him away. However, there’s another Red who could very well be moved. Adam Dunn is just about done with this franchise, and he’s an ideal DH for an AL team in need of power. And that brings me full circle to the Indians. The poor performance and subsequent injury to Travis Hafner has left a gaping power hole in the Indians lineup. The AL Central is there for the taking. If I’m running the show in Cleveland, I deal for Dunn, keep Sabathia and try for another shot in the AL playoffs. The window for the Indians is starting to close anyway, so why not take a chance and go for it right now?

TWO HEADS ARE NOT BETTER THAN ONE

Speaking of shortstops, the Orioles have decided to dump Freddie Bynum and replace him with journeyman Alex Cintron. Cintron is a pretty good hitter, albeit sans much power or speed. But if you’re stuck for a fourth MI, he’s not the world’s worst option and he’s likely available everywhere. Whether or not Cintron can maintain the healthy BA playing every day is questionable as he’s been a utility guy for too long. But I would not be surprised to see a quick spike in his numbers as he’s no doubt excited about getting a chance to now play every day. Cintron might therefore work well as an emergency pickup.

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Dave Cokin hails from Las Vegas and is a Phoenix Sports Handicapper who releases his daily picks at the site.

Originally published June 24, 2008 2:46 pm EST