Sunday, July 30, 2006

Fun and games

In what is always and entertaining (and sometimes stressful) few days leading up to the trading deadline, we are always inundated with lists of trades that worked and those that didn't. We even had some speculation on this site about a player or two that had been traded away, notably Freddy Sanchez.

But to me, the most frustrating part of these "lists" is that just because a player develops in another organization, it doesn't mean they would have developed with the team that traded him. Often the player needs a lot of seasoning, and as it relates to the Sox, the market and rest of the roster don't allow hitters to get 500 ABs and pitchers to throw 200 innings in order to get the experience needed to be a valuable MLB player.

The two that jumped out at me today, were crtiticism thrown the Sox way for trading Mike Maroth for Bryce Florie. Sure he was off to a good start this year. And he is cheap. And he was a about league average in 2004 and 2005. But would the Sox have been able to give him 200 innings of his near 6 ERA in 2003? Of course not.

And even trading Lew Ford for Hector Carrasco. Sure he is a nice player. And carasco did not really work out, but he would have been a 4th or 5th OF in Boston. And Boston never would have been able to give him the 500 ABs he had in 2004.

So, lets enjoy the next few days, but lets also not take everything we read very seriously.

8 comments:

  1. I wonder if it is a smokescreen, but it seems at every turn there is some anonymous report or GM quoted as saying Theo is being very creative or up to something very big.

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  2. Comments like this may get Earl's favorite player a ticket out of Boston:

    “It kinda sucks,” Tavarez said. “We’re in first place and they boo me. They say ‘You suck.’ During batting practice. Out in the street.

    “I heard it was tough to play here. I didn’t believe it until I got here.”

    The Red Sox are Tavarez’ eighth big league club.

    “Any player that says he doesn’t hear (the booing) lies,” he said.

    If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

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  3. My favorite numbers today:

    Cory Lidle vs Boston 52 IP 6.49 ERA (in fact his ERA against AL East teams is over 6.00 - only under 5 for BAL (4.77).

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  4. These are my least favorite numbers today:

    vs. BOS 27 G 108 AB 21 R 5 HR 20 RBI 5 SB .324 AVG .425 OBP .999 OPS

    Abreu is a serious player. His numbers are down this year, but I worry that a trade like this was what he needs to regain his old form.

    That is unless he too can't stand the pressure cooker that is New York.

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  5. Well, unless Abreu can pitch, this trade has done nothing to address the Yankees biggest needs.

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  6. As a follow up to the last post, it looks like the Rays are not going to actually discipline their triumvirate of trouble. Since Wiggington got hurt, apparently they are about to call up Upton. That is too bad, since it would be an even stronger message that even though the Rays have a need, they still won't call him up.

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  7. The reason, I think, that Freddy Sanchez was brought up in conversation is because he was touted as a top prospect.

    If I recall Maroth and Florie (people were mad about Florie?) were not.

    Sanchez probably could have played in '05 for the Sox. The reason he played in Pittsburgh is because they didn't have anyone major league ready.

    I agree, overall, that you can't develop all your players, and that is a reason why a team with a glut of SS or 2B or whatever, will draft another young guy for that position...Trade bait.

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