The Royals have indicated to other teams that they are willing to trade closer Jonathan Broxton, reports Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. They list the bullpen-challenged Mets as one potential suitor.
Broxton, 28, is owed approximately $2MM for the rest of the season and will become a free agent this winter. The burly right-hander has pitched to a 2.05 ERA with 20 saves in 23 chances, though his strikeout rate (6.8 K/9) is way down compared to his glory years with the Dodgers. Broxton took over as closer after Tommy John surgery shelved Joakim Soria.
One of the best free agent signings of the Offseason so far this season. They could get back a nice piece for him in a trade and many teams are looking into bullpen options. It is never easy to replace a 2.05 era and 20/23 saves guy in the 9th inning, but Moneyball says its important to cash in on Closers when their value is highest. Right now, Broxton’s value will appeal to a lot of teams and they can pick and choose their closer moving forward, if he is traded. They definitely have the young arms for it.
Moneyball is really working wonders for the A’s, especially the Manny signing.
yeah that minor league deal really sunk the franchise
moneyball is crippling tampa, too. good points all around
Oh yes because that is exactly what I wrote. I wrote that the signing didnt work, thats all. Tampa isn’t really Moneyball, they stunk for many years and then had good drafts.
I encourage you to read Jonah Keri’s book “The Extra 2%”. Very much Moneyball.
what has it done for the Mets o thats right tied for the wild card spot.
That’s not really a fair assessment of current times, is it? The Moneyball philosophy gave Oakland an advantage a decade ago because they were one of the only teams using advanced metrics to figure out how to win games at the time. Now that every team has analysts, the advantage has swung back to the teams who can spend more.
More to the point, you didn’t really address the guy’s main claim about Moneyball: That it’s important for teams to cash in on a closer’s value when it is at its highest. Given the volatility of most closers’ performances from year to year, that’s a very cogent and valid argument that you pretty much failed to refute.
Yeah well its obvious that a decade ago things were different. The game has changed drastically since then, players no longer hit 50 homeruns per season and now everyone pays some attention to advanced statistics. I agree with the closer argument but would anyone really argue against it? I just see that as common sense. If you are a team that is obviously not going to make it this year and have a closer who is having a great year, you trade him…I don’t even think closers are necessary in baseball and in my view most of them are just overpaid relievers.
So…if it’s obvious that things were different a decade ago, what’s the point in making a snarky comment and applying a decade-old concept to a minor league contract today? It didn’t really seem like a fair or logical response to the guy’s statement about Moneyball.
As for the closer argument, it’s clear that most MLB managers disagree with you, so I’m guessing they would argue against it.
Whats the point of making a comment pointing out the obvious? It’s like saying “The grass is green.” I don’t really think its clear that they disagree I just think they are used to having a closer but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it change in the future.
You don’t think that it’s clear that they disagree in spite of all the facts that show that MLB managers are all using closers? So, are those managers only using closers because they think they have to to keep their jobs, or what?
Face facts. Relievers like having roles. They don’t like the idea that one night they might get mopup duty and the next night they might close. They like having set roles, and one of those roles is closer. (Of course, they also like the fact that the closer is the one pitching role other than starter that can make big bucks.)
It makes no sense to pay a guy who a good reliever and pitches the 7th or 8th inning less than a guy who pitches the 9th. They are sent out to get three outs, no matter what inning its still three outs.
Clearly, MLB GM’s disagree with you.
How does it feel to be swept single-handedly by Brandon Moss, Coco Crisp, and Josh Reddick??? If you have any other “scraps” you don’t want, feel free to send them to OAKLAND!
There really is nothing you can say. The Red Sox are fighting to not fall into last. They trade away promising young players for injured players then sign 35 year old OF’s who get injured or suspended. Neither Epstein nor Cherington could spot a good free agent if they had one standing on their toes. Carl Crawford, John Lackey, Bobby Jenks, Dan Wheeler and their acquisitions (Mike Aviles, Marlon Byrd, Scott Podsednik) WOW, I’m really impressed Boston! At least when we make it to the World Series, we don’t choke every year. Boston will never win 20 games in a row. And the last time I checked, the sole reason why they won the World Series in 2004 is because, as John Henry mentioned in the movie, “I mean, anybody who’s not building a team right and rebuilding it using your model, they’re dinosaurs. They’ll be sittin’ on their butt on the sofa in October, watching the Boston Red Sox win the World Series.”
The A’s have won nothing the past decade…I didn’t agree with the signings of Crawford and especially Lackey so I can agree with you that those were bad signings. Mike Aviles is doing great and that was due to the managements confidence in him or otherwise they would have kept Scutaro. Either way every team has bad and good signings, thats just how it is. They really undervalued Reddick, he was and is a nice player, glad to see him playing so well but I do wish it was for the Sox. The Red Sox trade away young players to upgrade but they also have plenty of homegrown talent so I am unsure of what you are trying to argue there.
Yes, Royals are open to moving Broxton (inquiring teams must bring own crains, hoists, flatbed trucks, etc.) Probably setting up for a good return.
I thought the Royals would have the forklift left over from when they tried to move Calvin Pickering. Remember, GMs, lift with your legs.
Pretty surprising for me, as a Dodger fan, to see Broxton doing so well. I can’t say I have much confidence in him continuing the trend, especially with the low SO/9… but good for him.
I hear that a lot from Dodger fans, but I don’t get why. From 2006 through the 2010 All-Star Break, he was one of the best relievers in baseball, with absolutely ridonkulous strikeout numbers. He struggled after the break in 2010 and missed most of 2011. It was clear he was pitching injured, but Joe Torre just kept running him out there and Broxton kept taking the ball when asked. It shouldn’t be surprising that a guy who was given time to heal is pitching well again, but maybe there’s something about Broxton I don’t know. I’ll say this: I watch a lot of KC games, and that 2.05 ERA is due to a lot of good luck (and some good fielders.) He’s way more hittable than he used to be, and that makes things just a little too interesting sometimes.
Matt Stairs
He would be a great fit for the Mets.
Yep and with his injury history it wouldnt cost much hopefully in terms of prospects.
Might as well. A solid reliever can often get a good return from a desperate enough team.
How about Daniel Bard?
Haha, I kid. Or do I?
No-brainer here. Closers on noncontenders are redundant and the non-superelite ones are replaceable
I always hate, HATE paying for relief pitchers, but I really do want to see the Mets get Broxton. Assuming the cost isn’t astronomical, this is someone I really hope they grab.
Yankees need to make the move. Wade sucks. give them andrew jones lol. ok maybe not jones but a couple of minor leaguers for broxton. Broxton could be a big help in the yankees pen.
How good could the Dodgers bullpen be right now if Torre didnt completely destroy him. That game against the yankees. . . .
48 pitches?
That game again. He was unable to get anyone out. Torre’s mistake was leaving him in when it was clear he was ineffective.
Braves need to go grab the Georgia boy, I’d love to see Brox/Kimbrel back to back.
Obviously nobody posting this watches Royals games. Brox’s numbers are all smoke and mirrors. He puts way too many guys on base. He’s serviceable, but far from dominant. Anything we get out of him will be a plus. We have plenty of live bullpen arms.
WHIP of 1.33 doesn’t seem like “way too many guys on base”
If you hit on 19 and get a 2 10 times in a row, it doesn’t make it any less of a bad idea the 11th time.
What?
Comparing blackjack to baseball. Because pitching is all mathematics of course.
I watch all of the Royals games too. With Wil-Power wasting in Omaha they’d definately be willing to package Frenchy and Brox. I admittedly don’t know much about the Mets pitching prospects though. Would asking for Familia be too much?
Asking for anything of real value is too much (I don’t know who Familia is fwiw). As a Royals fan I’d move him for a lottery ticket and call it good.
Familia came to mind for me as well, not sure if he’s too much but he’s had a down year.