A wrap-up of some items as we head into the weekend…
- Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle wonders if the Athletics erred in dealing promising outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to Colorado.
- MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli says that the Orioles are holding off on any potential Luke Scott trades until they see if Felix Pie and Nolan Reimold are healthy and can handle regular roles.
- Phillies assistant GM Scott Proefrock tells MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that the team isn't looking at free agent relievers to fill in for the injured Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero: "We're keeping our eyes open, but we're not actively pursuing. People are calling us more than we're calling them."
- The Indians have no interest in the recently-released Elijah Dukes, reports The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes.
- Speaking of the Tribe, they announced in a press release that seven players were optioned to their minor league camp, the most notable of these being top catching prospect Carlos Santana. Indians GM Mark Shapiro told Hoynes that Santana was being sent down to work on his defense, but noted that Santana will "be on an accelerated program" due to his impressive bat. The ESPN Insider Rumors page speculates that the club may have made the move to delay the start of Santana's major league service time.
- In the wake of Cliff Lee's suspension, abdominal strain and possible DL stint, Dave Cameron of the U.S.S. Mariner blog notes (via Twitter) that signing Jarrod Washburn as a replacement wouldn't work since Washburn wouldn't be fit for the start of the season anyway.
- MLB.com's Marty Noble covers several topics in a reader mailbag, including how Mets prospect Fernando Martinez "is less likely trade bait now" than he has been in the past two years.
- Arn Tellem, Hideki Matsui's agent, was originally told by the outfielder that he wanted to play in the majors for 10 years, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Matsui is about to enter his eighth season, and though his current contract with the Angels is just for the 2010 campaign, I suspect the 2009 World Series MVP will last that full decade.
Isn’t his name Nolan Reimold, not Luke?
Luke Reimold? It’s Nolan aka The Judge (anyone watch arrested development?)
I think that the Matt Holliday trade for Carlos Gonzalez, Street, and Smith was actually not a bad trade at all for the A’s. It’s almost like a tree if you think about the Mark Mulder trade. The trade has kept going and going like tree branches if you know what I mean. It got the A’s Michael Taylor (who I think is going to be a great Major League Baseball player along with Chris Carter). It also got the netted the A’s Shane Peterson and Clayton Mortensen. It’s crazy to know that one Mark Mulder trade could have kept going for all this time and a big part of the A’s current ballclub and minor league system revolves around players involved in that trade.
I think we will see Carlos Santana by June. He really is the future. Hope he can live up to expectations. A Michael Brantley, Grady Sizemore, Matt LaPorta, Asdrubal Cabrera, Shin Soo Choo, and Carlos Santana young nucleus seems pretty good. If only the Indians can find a way to get some good Starting Pitching.
Also, The Orioles really have a good thing now with their young players. It’s good to see the team recognize defense by realizing that Nolan Reimold is the future DH and Felie Pie is the future Left Fielder. Felix Pie really put on a show the second half of last season.
I’m really excited to see what the Mets prospects can do in the coming years. Hopefully sometime this season Ike Davis will be the everyday First Baseman and when Carlos Beltran becomes a free agent after next season Fernando Martinez will be the starting Center Fielder. Hopefully before that. Ruben Tejada is also a really good young player. He could be the Opening Day Shortstop. As for Mejia, nothing more need be said.
The Cliff Lee trade will eventually backfire on the Mariners once they don’t make the post-season and also once Phillipe Aumont provides to be a quality pitcher for the Phillies.
And then maybe people will stop criticizing Ruben Amaro for that Lee trade – which I feel like one of the only people that agrees it was a good move.
No, people will still criticize that trade for the next 20 years. The Blue Jays robbed Kyle Drabek and the Phillies gave up to big pieces when Roy Halladay is not that much better than Cliff Lee. Drabek is going to be a much better pitcher than Aumont and Michael Taylor is the next Matt Kemp.
But why do you think it was a good move for the Phillies? If you don’t mind.
I disagree that Halladay is much better than Cliff Lee mainly because Halladay has been pitching in the AL East and was still able to hold a 3 era, while Lee was pitching in the AL Central.
Cliff Lee, for the past two years, dominated out of division talent the same he did in-division talent.
I understand but the goal for a really good team is to win the World Series year after year. I don’t understand why you need to rebuild the farm system when Cliff Lee would have netted them to top picks if he stayed and walked.
Well, for one, I think Roy Halladay is a big upgrade over Cliff Lee – as in, different classes. Halladay is a legendary pitcher destined for the Hall of Fame, perhaps the most reliable pitcher in the game today, while Lee has had two good years. Three prospects is in no way too much to give up for four-five years of the best pitcher in the game.
Cliff Lee, don’t get me wrong, is really good. He had a great 2008 when he won the Cy Young, though a lot of experts would argue Halladay was still the better pitcher that year (Doc had a slightly higher WAR, and while his ERA was weaker than Lee’s, you can’t compare the competition they faced). There’s no doubt that Halladay was superior in 2009, and while people act like Lee was unstoppable in the NL, his 3.39 there isn’t miraculous, just really good. The Phillies also sold Lee at his peak value, in terms of perception, after everyone remembered his incredible outing against the Yankees in the World Series.
So that’s why I can’t fault Amaro for wanting to move Lee, and I do like the prospects he got in return. Aumont, though many feel he’ll end up a closer, does have a ton of potential still, and could turn things around and become a top flight starter, and I find it hard not to love the ability that Tyson Gillies brings to the table, even if people say he caps out as a Juan Pierre-type.
The reason Amaro traded Lee was to rebuild the system after trading half of the future to the Blue Jays. Whether Halladay is destined for the Hall of Fame or not it doesn’t discount how great of a pitcher he is and whether Cliff Lee has had 2 good seasons or not it doesn’t mean he won’t win 18 games every season for the next 7 seasons. Is that likely? No. But right now he is one of the top 10 in the game and he could help the Phillies win the World Series right now. So obviously every GM has to tend to the system but at the same time, these Phillies aren’t the Kansas City Royals or San Diego Padres. Two teams who rely on their minor league system and have no chance to win the World Series this within the next few seasons. The Phillies on the other hand, are certainly not in rebuild mode and could easily be the front runner if they have Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay in the same rotation. Aumont could be a closer come 2012, Gillies could be Juan Pierre in a few seasons, hec, Juan Carlos Ramirez could win the CY Young in a few seasons but does that help the Phillies now? Not really.
the thing is….he could have kept lee for the 2010 season…AND DRABEK…AND TAYLOR…and just traded Lee for prospects this year…in the off-season…u sign Doc…then ur rotation becomes Doc…Cole…Drabek…
No doubt the Indians would like to delay Santana’s arb clock, but he hasn’t played at AAA for a full season, he does have a need to improve his catching skills, and there is the small matter that is really quite a big one for a catcher in the ML-he doesn’t speak English. He’s working on it, he’s made a lot of progress this last off season, but the Indians want him to be able to communicate with their entire staff. Three good reasons, I think. The Indians are in a position financially where they have to manage everyone they hope to keep in terms of their arb clock.
Asdrubal Cabrera can translate when Santana visits the mound.
Jhonny Peralta too.
I’m wondering what Dave Cameron meant when he says Jarrod Washburn is not fit to start the season? Certainly, he’s been working out and throwing. He had to have found at least a handful of college batters he could pitch to on a regular basis?
I’m wondering what Dave Cameron meant when he says Jarrod Washburn is not fit to start the season? Certainly, he’s been working out and throwing. He had to have found at least a handful of college batters he could pitch to on a regular basis?
Lee better not be hurt…