January 27, 2015
Peace, out...Robbie Ross???
Amended:
The rumor is flying fast that Texas has traded Left-handed, low-ceiling, non-LOOGY fan-favorite pitcher Robbie Ross (,Jr., as of 2014) to Boston for moderate ceiling, injury-prone right-hander Anthony Ranaudo.
This is, on the cover, a puzzling trade until you start looking at the caveats. Texas needed to focus on the bullpen now, especially lefties now that Neal Cotts won't be returning to the Rangers. However, Ross never could get lefties out; he has no effective pitch to his strong arm. So, Ross wasn't filling a role in the Texas bullpen despite his left-handedness. Boston didn't need a lefty, but they did need someone with a proven history of getting out righties. Ergo, Ross.
Ross sure as heck wasn't going to start again in Texas anytime soon. It's entirely possible he asked for the trade when the Rangers made it clear he was around the double-digit mark in starting pitching depth.
Boston has been high on Ranaudo, but he has a handful of promising pitchers in front of him and didn't make the most of his big-league debut last year. Additionally, Ranaudo spent a great deal of his early career injured, so he carries additional risk.
Boston has been high on Ranaudo, but he has a handful of promising pitchers in front of him and didn't make the most of his big-league debut last year. Additionally, Ranaudo spent a great deal of his early career injured, so he carries additional risk.
Ranaudo isn't an ace-in-waiting, but if he could up his control of his low-to-mid 90's fast ball, he's got the pitches to be an everyday starter. He's a good shot right now to make some rotations, and I suspect Texas views him primarily as a potential trade chip, and secondarily as organizational depth if the pitching staff collapses again.
Posted by: Ben at
10:13 PM
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January 10, 2015
What?
The Oakland A's, widely considered to be in "Sell Now for long-term good" mode after trading Josh Donaldson, Derek Norris, Brandon Moss, and Jeff Samardzija (plus a handful of minor leaguers) for a ton of prospects, just sent their top prospect, another well-regarded prospect and catcher John Jaso to Tampa Bay for Yunel Escobar and Ben Zobrist.
Zobrist has one year left, Escobar has two, and Billy Butler (signed earlier in the off-season to a three year deal) has three years left. Zobrist is a game changing player, but for one year this would have to be regarded as a "win now" move. In addition, Zobrist is in the decline phase of his career; although you would certainly be forgiven for expecting multi-WAR performances for the next couple of years. As has been pointed out quite a bit recently, Zobrist has actually been one of the most valuable players in baseball for several years. Yes, up there with the elite players.
The bottom line is, if you're rebuilding, you don't trade your top prospect for a year of Ben Zobrist.
UNLESS, you're intending to either flip him for a package of prospects that YOU, the Oakland A's want that Tampa Bay didn't...
OR, you want Zobrist on your roster at the trade deadline, 2015, when Detroit or Texas or Boston or Chicago or L.A or L.A.A.A.L.A.a.O.C. would trade two or three top prospects for three months of Zobrist in their lineup.
That's where my money is, for the record. The only other possibility is that Oakland actually thinks they're going to contend this year. Now, I certainly think Oakland will be better than the press they've gotten, but they're not competing for the playoffs. No, Zobrist will be THE big trade chip in July. I'll take bets.
UPDATE: All of you hyper-excited-we're-competing-this-year A's fans can simmer down a bit; Oakland traded Yunel Escobar to the Nationals. On the other hand, they traded for Tyler Clippard, a good reliever who has one year of team control left. Once again, the only two reasons you would do that is if you thought your team was going to compete in 2015 or if the entire plan is to trade Clippard and Zobrist. However, Clippard is a good reliever with a big price tag (for a reliever); which makes him risky as trade bait. The most use Oakland could hope to get out of him is if they're planning to play October baseball. Billy Beane, who has been considered the single best GM in baseball at identifying market inefficiencies, seems to believe that expensive relievers are good for something. I can't see it as anything other than a con, or maybe it's just that Billy Beane isn't *quite* as smart as he gets credit for.
Zobrist has one year left, Escobar has two, and Billy Butler (signed earlier in the off-season to a three year deal) has three years left. Zobrist is a game changing player, but for one year this would have to be regarded as a "win now" move. In addition, Zobrist is in the decline phase of his career; although you would certainly be forgiven for expecting multi-WAR performances for the next couple of years. As has been pointed out quite a bit recently, Zobrist has actually been one of the most valuable players in baseball for several years. Yes, up there with the elite players.
The bottom line is, if you're rebuilding, you don't trade your top prospect for a year of Ben Zobrist.
UNLESS, you're intending to either flip him for a package of prospects that YOU, the Oakland A's want that Tampa Bay didn't...
OR, you want Zobrist on your roster at the trade deadline, 2015, when Detroit or Texas or Boston or Chicago or L.A or L.A.A.A.L.A.a.O.C. would trade two or three top prospects for three months of Zobrist in their lineup.
That's where my money is, for the record. The only other possibility is that Oakland actually thinks they're going to contend this year. Now, I certainly think Oakland will be better than the press they've gotten, but they're not competing for the playoffs. No, Zobrist will be THE big trade chip in July. I'll take bets.
Posted by: Ben at
03:51 PM
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