From a Pirates blog, in a post entitled, “At least we’re not the Reds today”:
I cannot believe what a horrible move this is. The Reds traded two very valuable commodities, plus their 2004 first-round pick, and didn’t get a single really good player in return. They got two relievers, a not-great pitching prospect, a utility infielder prospect and Royce Clayton. I like Bray and Harris as much as the next guy – they’re both from my alma mater – but, wow.
Yep, that’s a Pirates fan who is happy not to be a Reds fan today. Sheesh.
Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
If I were a Reds fans, I’d be choking back the vomit right about now. The Reds, a team in contention, have just given up two of their most important position players to pick up 2 good relievers, a horrible SS, a waiver-wire 3B, and a decent pitching prospect with some injury problems.
What else can be said about this trade? I’ve heard some talk about a Kearns trade this morning, but I never envisioned the horror that was unleashed by Wayne Krivsky on Cincinnati fans. The Nats have suddenly acquired two solid regulars in their 20s for players they don’t really need.
Seriously, is Alfonso Soriano and unnamed player to be named later or something?
and
Ring … ring … ring.
“Nationals. Bowden speaking.”
“Jim, it’s Wayne. Listen, I have a trade to run past you. How about Kearns for Clayton, Harris, Bray, Majewski and Thompson?”
“Ha! Only if you throw in Lopez and Wagner. Now, seriously …”
“Done! I’ll phone it in to Bud.”
Click.
“Wait … what?”
Nationals GM Jim Bowden should have a warrant out for his arrest at this hour, because he just committed highway robbery.
I know people have been trying to defend this trade, but it’s just miserable. Absolutely miserable.
I’m hopping from site to site trying to find the punchline to all of this. Do you think Krivsky is going to sleep tonight? I imagine the trade went off a lot like the beginning of Vacation when Griswold bought the family cruiser and then went home to his wife with a big smile on his face.
Choking back vomit is pretty close, although it is pretty much freely spewing forward at this point.
Who gives a crap about the Pirates?
chris’s comment is the key to why people don’t like this trade: “i’ve never heard of any of these guys.”
the more i think about the trade, the more i realize it’s a classic money ball deal. Trade the guys who sound great for more real talent. We lost the battle of name recognition today, just like Billy Beane lost the battle of name recognition with Hudson and Mulder.
But name recognition doesn’t win ballgames, and neither do felipe lopez or ryan wagner. kearns is a tough hit, but for two good young relievers and a decent starting pitching prosepct, whith what our needs were, i’ll take it.
Does it make folks feel better if Majewski and Bray are referred to as middle relievers? The former has been a set up man for two years and the latter looks like he will be moving toward the back end of the game with more experience. But, if that helps…
Chris said:
You are SO right, Cary. You’ve finally broken through. This is a GREAT trade.
And Baseball Prospectus, who wrote this, is full of dipshits:
This is a rip-off for the ages–less humiliatingly bad than the infamous Jeff Bagwell-for-Larry Andersen deal, but not by that much.
BP writes a lot of good stuff. Besides your appeal to authority, how about looking at what your authority said:
They compared a one for one deal of a minor leaguer at the trade deadline for a veteran pitcher in the midst of a pennant race. The minor leaguer in this case turned out to be a steal, so it is compared to a trade of two average (being generous again) regulars and a failed 1st round pick to bring in two live arms. Like I’ve said, BP does a lot of good stuff, but that off-the-cuff remark is not exactly resume building.
Your hyperbole, or quote of the same from others, is a lesson in reactionary fandom.