Daniel Straily will make his Major League debut tonight in Oakland, starting for the A's against the Blue Jays. Straily was an unheralded minor league arm heading into 2012 but exploded to lead the minor leagues with 175 strikeouts in 138 1/3 combined innings at the Double-A and Triple-A levels, plus a 2.60 ERA and a 4.73 K/BB ratio.
Here are some more items from around the AL West…
- The Mariners weren't eager to move Kevin Millwood at the trade deadline and put a "very high price tag" on the veteran starter, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
- Though the Rangers asked the Phillies about Cliff Lee before the trade deadline, Texas didn't put in a waiver claim on the left-hander, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. The Dodgers were awarded the claim on Lee earlier today. Lee would've had to pass unclaimed through every NL team and every AL team except the Yankees for Texas to win their claim, had they submitted one.
- With Kurt Suzuki now in Washington, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks the Athletics could be in the market for a veteran catcher. Slusser (Twitter links) suggests the A's could look at the likes of Yorvit Torrealba and Ramon Hernandez in waiver deals, as catchers are easier to find right now than shortstops, another of Oakland's needs.
Oakland doesn’t need another catcher. They need a short stop.
They need both…
I’m sorry, I just don’t see Torrealba, Hernandez or an equivalent as an upgrade over Norris or Suzuki. If they traded for a Weiters or McCann type, then that would be an upgrade. But that isn’t going to happen.
Any kinda average hitting catcher who can put up a .650 OPS and average defense would be an upgrade right now
If they make a claim on someone like that, I’d want them as the backup to Norris. Norris has a .800+ OPS in each of his minor league seasons except the first, and while I don’t expect that to transfer to the big leagues, .650 shouldn’t be hard over the next two months. And if that’s the case, what good was the Kottaras trade?
It was a good minor move for a backup catcher who’ll be better and less expensive than zooks
I think he is going to be great for Washington.
he definitely could be, doesn’t mean that he was going to be any good with Oakland going forward
I agree and I think trading him was the right move for both him and Oakland.
it’s kinda tough to understand the way seattle does(?) business sometimes.
I agree. A 37-year old bargain bin pickup that could have been flipped for at least minor league depth. Another one of many head-scratcher non moves this trade deadline. Dollars to donuts he is not on this roster come Spring.
i was really confused when the deadline passed and vargas/millwood were still on the team. the mariners need to take some shots and improve their farm, unless i’m missing something in my cursory look at their minor league system.
The reason Millwood/Vargas weren’t traded was because the offers were too low and as well as they have been pitching they didn’t want to practically get nothing for them when they are both worth a couple wins during the season. The game i just went to last week Millwood pitched and won. He pitched a decent game against the Yankees last night as well. I’ll bet some teams wish they had him. Another reason why it doesn’t matter that Millwood wasn’t traded was because some of the younger M’s arms aren’t really ready, so it doesn’t really matter. Erasmo Ramirez doesn’t really need to come back up yet. If Seattle wants to trade Vargas, they should just do it during the off season. They absolutely made the right move getting rid of League, it’s just too bad it’s one year too late.
You’re missing something. But it’s okay.
Yep. The Mariners are trying to build something. You can’t trade everything away all of the time. Millwood is pitching really well, and he’s cheap. I’m sure he would have been traded if the return was worth it, but the Mariners have a lot of prospects already. It’s difficult to see a trade being worth it if the trade offer was even more 4th outfielders. For the price why not just keep Millwood and finish strong? Give the young guys something to believe in. It’s momentum heading into the 2013 season.
i know they’ve got a good variety of young talent (carp, smoak if he gets his head back on straight, ackley, king felix, etc.), but vargas/millwood just don’t strike me as the type you’re going to be looking to build around. i guess my question is why you wouldn’t take some shots.
i liked the delabar for thames trade because you’re trading a volatile commodity for a far more stable one — why not treat older pitchers who are not going to be around for the next mariners run in the same way?
would love to see ’em make noise in the west again!
i’m obviously a hometown braves fan, but i always enjoyed watching the mariners when i got a chance as a kid for some reason. probably the griffey effect on me as a youth ballplayer.
Dan Straily!
He’s Freed!!
it’s all well and good for Heyman to allege the Mariners put a “high price tag” on Millwood, but local reporters seem to think it was a case of them not being offered anything that would help the team.
I’m glad Millwood is still a Mariner. He’s done really good in the Seattle rotation this year.
FA after this year vs. FA after 2013/14
Meh, unless the marlins pick up his tab, too expensive to be a backup
I dunno, they could pick somebody up from the waiver wire and just take on his contract for the year.
I honestly doubt it, unless there’s an available obvious upgrade on waivers.
That’s true, and it was a good minor move. Only problem is he’s a platooner against righties
The A’s already acquired a back-up vet. catcher—Kotaras and he hits from the left side of the plate. So, maybe Sluuser’s just putting her opinion in. They don’t need another one this year. SS would be nice, though.
Again, Norris/Kotaras.