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Saturday, July 26, 2008

Pirate Trade Re-written

EVERYONE GETS IN WRONG


Turns out, we didn't give up two AA pitchers whom none of us have ever heard of.

We gave up Tabata....our top prospect as a position player.  OK, this year at AA he has been rebellious, fat and unproductive.  But he is only 20.

We gave up Ohlendorf....we know what he is.  Too smart for any team in the AL East.

We gave up Jeff Karstens......a starter at AAA with an excellent record in his comeback from injury.  He is young and, in my view, more talented than Rasner.  He out-pitched Rasner when they both came up to the Yankees last season.  If he stays healthy, he is a good long-term starter for the patch-eyed sailors.

We gave up McCutcheon...whom many have raved about.

So, we did not pull off a trade like the Mets did for Santana...giving up some minor league dregs for a superstar.

We gave up a lot for two bandaids.  Nady we need, big time, due to Matsui and Damon being wounded, and Gardner and Christian just not being offensive contributors.

The old lefty is not really needed.  Right now, both Edwar and Veras get lefties as well as anyone.  I'll wager $20 that Big Pappy takes this new dude deep, the very first time Joe calls on him trying to capitalize ( by the book ) on the lefty on lefty match-up opportunity.

Sorry to take the steam out of our whistles. 

 I don't understand what happened.  Did the Pirates have a 24 hour "opt-out " clause depending on what kind of criticism they endured after the original trade was announced?

This trade now favors the bad guys.

5 comments:

Mons Meg said...

I want to believe.

Anonymous said...

send me the $20. Marte did OK today.

Anonymous said...

I think you have it completely wrong. It is still a fleecing. These aren't patchwork rentals. Both of these guys are under control for next season. Marte had been coveted by the Yanks for a long time now and I believe he's that lefty that the Yanks (and most other teams for that matter) have been looking for. Nady is playing out of his mind this season. I don't know if it will continue, especially through next season, but it is a sound trade to make.

Tabata has fallen big time this year. He may still wind up being a good player, but the hype has killed him. Cashman went as far as to admit that Austin Jackson took over his spot as top position prospect.

McCutchen has had good minor league numbers, some of which is as a reliever. His numbers were not quite as good as a starter in AAA, but he could turn out to be a decent mid-rotation or lower starter for the Pirates. He's 26, so I don't think he's going to light the world on fire.

I don't love giving up Ohlendorf, but I can live with it. Got to give up something to get something.

Karstens...who cares? I see him as a AAAA player, interchangeable with Rasner.

What happened was Cashman gave the Pirates a choice between McCutchen and Coke and a choice between Karstens and Kontos. So reporters got it wrong, as the Pirates took the other choices. All in all, I don't mind this deal at all.

Alphonso said...

I can't send the $20 because you did not jump on the bet.

I would have lost. I did lose.

I am glad.

Maybe this guy will help.

The Rashblog said...

It's a great trade for the Yankees. You can't honestly be moping over the loss of Jeff Karstens.