So, let's recap this amazing trade engineered by the mastermind genius Bill Bavasi. (I know it's hard to establish sarcasm in written form but let me point out I was laying it on pretty thick in the last sentence.)
The Mariners receive a left-handed strike-out, ground ball pitcher who goes on to post an 11-6 record working 146.2 innings in a little under a year and a half with a 3.07 ERA. In those 146.2 innings he has struck out 137 batters and walked only 59. Not bad stats but obviously the glaring issue is the 146.2 innings pitched, roughly half of what he should be at.
Let's take a look at what the guys the M's have given up have done. The centerpiece of the deal, Center Fielder Adam Jones has gone on to post a .296/.341/479 with the Orioles. It's nothing earth shattering but if you also remember that 2008 was his first full-year in the majors and that the kid is only 24 years old, it hurts more than a little bit.
The other major league piece of the trade, George Sherrill has only saved 43 games for the Orioles in just under a year and a half. Hmm, I'm sure the M's would have loved that kind of production out of their closer last year and early this season.
Not to mention
But what's done is done, right? Let's look to the future. As I was telling Garbs, if we didn't have Franklin Gutierrez in Center Field, arguably a better defender than Adam Jones by about 3 runs this would be a harder pill to swallow. The only reason I'm holding my head high is because I emphatically believe Jack Zduriencik is the man who can right the ship after this debacle of a trade and we have already seen how he can turn situations into positives for the M's.
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So for one, I think that you are thinking of Chris Tillman as the red-hot pitching prospect due to be called up later this year. Also, I contend that the Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe to the Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb continues to be the worst trade in Mariner history. I may poo poo this Bedard deal now, but I can't lie, I was all over them to pull the trigger on the deal when it was in the works. I would have preferred to keep Tillman and Kam Mickolio, who could turn out to be one dynamite closer before all is said and done, but on paper that Mariner's team really did look to contend with the addition of Bedard. Sometimes they just don't work out as you plan them. That being said, FUCK Bill Bavasi...
ReplyDeleteAgh...I hate that I made the infamous Justin Vargas mistake. Rushed through the end of this right before the end of work and didn't do my fact checking. I guess that's why we have you around Rob.
ReplyDeleteI think what makes this trade worse than the Heathcliff Slocumb deal is the fact the '97 M's at least made the playoffs. Even if it was at the expense of their future for two or three years. The Erik Bedard trade will never be tied to a playoff run, too bad.
That's why they call me Stat Boy. I will give you the fact that the '97 M's had a nice run, but you can't tell me that Slocumb was the missing link that got them over the hump. Upset they blew it against the Pads today, wasted a nice pitching outing and a rare power display from Gutierrez. Bah...
ReplyDeleteWell no, Slocumb wasn't the guy to put them over the hump. They needed a left-handed bat and the '97 season was the beginning of the end for Lou Piniella. I think he realized that season the front office just wasn't going to give him what he wanted.
ReplyDeleteVery frustrating last game...turned a 5-4 road trip into 4-5. Not what we needed against the Orioles and the NL West.