What’s Next: Dan Uggla, Corey Hart, Prince Fielder, and more

The Florida Marlins are looking to deal. They’ve told other clubs that they are willing to move OF Cody Ross and corner infielder Jorge Cantu. At this point, it seems, those are the only two Marlins on the trading block.

That’s not good news for the Colorado Rockies, who continue to express interest in obtaining second baseman Dan Uggla from Florida. While shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is recovering nicely from a broken wrist (there’s talk he could be back within two weeks), Clint Barmes has been manning short and doing a fine job. Barmes was playing second before Tulo’s injury, and Johnny Herrera has filled in admirably in the starting lineup, hitting .319 since taking over as an everyday guy.

Multiple outlets have the Uggla-to-Colorado talk going back to last winter, when the Rockies were offering Barmes and a prospect for the Marlins slugger. Without a true need at second base, especially given Tulowitzki’s coming return, Uggla would likely end up playing multiple positions in Colorado, something he hasn’t seemed interested in doing in the past.

Given the desire to use Uggla more at first and third than at second, one has to wonder if the Rockies wouldn’t be wiser to focus more on Cantu than Uggla. He’ll cost a lot less to obtain, and he has the experience to man those areas more effectively. Of course, while Cantu is a solid bat, he doesn’t provide the same punch that Uggla does.

(continue reading for news on other trade chips)

In other NL West news, the Giants are currently looking for an upgrade to their offense (and have been for years), and have contacted the Brewers about the availability of all-star OF Corey Hart. Hart is having a monster year after really struggling in 2009 and the Brewers asking price from San Francisco is said to be either Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner. Both pitchers are under team control through at least 2012 and both have shown the capability of helping this Giants team right now, so if Brian Sabean were to move one of them, you’d have to think Hart would be too little return.

An alternative would be to look again to Florida, where Ross has the potential to provide the same kind of production as Hart, but would cost significantly less to get via trade. Ross has supplied just seven homers this year, but has averaged 23 over the past two seasons with the Fish.

Sure, Hart is the better player, and he has significantly more upside than Ross, but the cost of losing one of your top young arms might be too much to pay. If I were Sabean, I’d be much more inclined to trade Sanchez than Baumgarner, if I had to deal one of them.

For the Brewers, it seems like it’s time to have the tough conversations. GM Doug Melvin’s club is nine games under .500 and going nowhere fast this season. Melvin has stated that manager Ken Macha will not be fired today, but I can’t imagine he’ll be back next year.

The Brewers need pitching in the worst way. They have Yovanni Gallardo, but there hasn’t been much help behind him in the rotation and the bullpen imploded on itself earlier in the year as well, when old-timers LaTroy Hawkins and Trevor Hoffman failed to live up to expectations.

Melvin needs to overhaul his roster and add some arms. In order to do so, the Brewers will likely trade away Hart and potentially prospect Mat Gamel this year. They say they have no plans to trade second baseman Rickie Weeks or first baseman Prince Fielder, but those situations could change soon.

Weeks has struggled with injuries for most of his career and has never become the consistent force at the top of the lineup the Brewers were counting on. Fielder, like Weeks, has a ton of talent, and both are still fairly young, certainly young enough and talented enough to bring a huge return. But if Melvin were to trade either of them, there would a loud outcry from fans, such is the case when trading away the pieces you’ve been building around.

Both players have one arbitration year remaining and it seems unlikely that Milwaukee will want to pay the increased salaries. The Brewers have a payroll north of $90 milllion for the first time in team history this year, and they haven’t had a good season. It stands to reason that they’ll reverse course soon to avoid losing big dollars in 2011

If they decide to make either or both available for trade, you can bet the suitors will be lining the block. Weeks is the classic change of scenery guy, and there will be plenty of clubs figuring that if they can keep him healthy, he could yet become the player he never has been with the Brewers. Melvin could demand two MLB-ready prospects in return and he’d likely get it.

Fielder is the guy more likely to be traded in the offseason, just because a deal of this magnitude will take some time to put together. If the Brewers are smart, they try to get a deal done this month, however, as a year and a half of Fielder mashing bombs is more appealing (and more valuable) than just one season. With Scott Boras as his agent, no team will be convinced they can extend Fielder’s contract before he hits free agency, so they’ll be less willing to give up the farm this winter than they would right now, when the finish line is closing in.

Milwaukee doesn’t have a ton of depth in the minors, so using Fielder and Weeks to replenish the system, and provide quality young arms to the major league staff is essential for the long-term success of this franchise.

Trading Hart for Sanchez or Bumgarner is a good start, but if Melvin can add several more pieces by dealing away Fielder and Weeks, the Brewers could set themselves up for a long run of contending seasons. They’d still have a solid core of Ryan Braun and Casey McGehee to build around, and money to spend in the winter.

John Parent is the lead writer at Motor City Bengals. “What’s Next” will appear on Wednesday mornings going forward. To read more from John, head over to his site and be sure to pick up a copy of his ebook, the “MCB 2010 Trade Deadline Primer”, available via download by following this link.