Here are a few highlights from the latest column by Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:
- The Phillies are willing to listen to trade offers for righty Jeremy Hellickson. That’s hardly a surprise, since Hellickson is a short-term asset pitching for a 13-19 team that’s trying to rebuild, but it was also recently reported that the Phillies could also consider extending Hellickson, who accepted their qualifying offer last winter. Hellickson has posted a 3.49 ERA, 4.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 38 2/3 innings thus far in his second season in Philadelphia.
- Speaking of the Phillies, former GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has won praise from current team execs for his series of trades before being dismissed following the 2015 season. Those trades include an impressive haul for Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman that included Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson, Jorge Alfaro, and Nick Williams; the trade of Jonathan Papelbon to the Nationals, which brought back Nick Pivetta, a starter who made his big-league debut this year; the trade of Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers, which brought back Zach Eflin, who’s pitched well for the Phillies this season; and the deal of Marlon Byrd to the Reds, which returned Ben Lively, who’s emerging as a good depth rotation option. Amaro is currently the Red Sox’ first base coach.
- Former White Sox teammate Chris Sale thinks oft-rumored trade target Jose Quintana should be able to thrive anywhere, Cafardo writes. “He’s not a guy who lets outside factors bother him,” says Sale. “I think his middle name was ‘No-Decision,’ and how he handled himself through those times where he went out there seven innings, gave up two runs, and had nothing to show for it, never altered his attitude or his work ethic. And seeing that was impressive.”
- Rangers third baseman Will Middlebrooks hopes to return in mid- to late June after breaking his hand in April. It’s been awhile since the 28-year-old Middlebrooks made much of an impact in the Majors, but after signing a minor-league deal with the Rangers last winter, he was off to a hot start at Triple-A Round Rock, batting .313/.377/.625 in his first 53 plate appearances there.
Nobody should praise RAJ for anything. Andy McPhail was hired before he was fired and probably had more to do with most of the moves than not. Maybe credit him for the Rollins deal and the Byrd deal but the Hamels deal was McPhail.
You don’t know what you’re talking about.
Were you in the room? How do you know who made the deals?
He shouldn’t get any praise for the Hamels deal because they should have never been in a position where they had to trade him in the first place.
More talk radio nonsense. Amaro was blamed for many things that were decided by a group of people. If you blame him for some of the big contracts then give him credit for the later deals that were made while he was GM. If the Phils were guilty of anything during the glory years it was staying too long with the core. Hard to criticize a club for being too loyal. I continue to be amazed that people actually think that Amaro was authorized to decide on his own to give out the big $125,000,000 contracts to Howard, Lee, etc. He was just the guy who had to face the public when they didn’t work out. This was blood in the water for the WIP crowd who profit by building their ratings encouraging the drum beat.
Amaro was a figure head. More blame for bad trades – like giving Cliff Lee – goes to David Montgomery who controlled the $.
Can’t trust the media anywhere anymore!!!!
Yes you can.
No. No you can’t.
I can very easily be critical of a front office that is ‘too loyal’ to post-peak players.
Two teams I think Hellickson get traded to: NYY Bc they need another starter and he’s familiar with the AL East given his time with the Rays. I hope they aren’t asking the world for him because he’s really nothing but a 3 on most rotations.
Rockies: Upcoming team and need another starter to battle with LA this year.
I know that he did not perform well when he was in Tampa, but he was not that bad given the quality of team that he has been around for the majority of his career. Being in Arizona did not help him either. Now he’s doing even better on about the same quality team as Tampa. I think he is a solid 2 option, and he has definitely earned it.
If Hellickson is your 2nd best starter you’re likely the Phillies or worse.
The trade market for SPs ought to be pretty crazy in July.
Ya I’m excited to see if the White Sox can extract adequate value out of a Quintana trade. Maybe Ian Kennedy, Ervin Santana, Marco Estrada, Trevor Cahill, etc. It’s going to be a fun summer to see how teams play the next ~50 games or so leading up to the deadline.
I’m hoping for a Quintana resurrection. I want to see what the White Sox get for him.
As a royal fan, i would be fine with getting rid of Kennedy but i doubt it happens. It would be solid to open up some money but it could be a fire sale soon in KC(although they are playing better of late).
…and Quintana will not throw a hissy fit like a child because their 12 yr old ‘leader’ was asked to not spend so much time in Sox clubhouse.
Quintana throws better than what he has shown this season. Not sure if he is just missing marks, Umps are pinching him on the strike zone, or it is nerves due to the trade talk or what.