Castilla Released by Pads - Door swings wide open for ensberg deal?

[rocketfat]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2524225

This could get interesting.

[Ric]

This could get interesting.
i'm all for trading ensberg, assuming he could fetch useful, younger talent. but trading him for wildly unpredictable bullpen help would be a major mistake.

[DieHard Rocket]

Mark and Rich on 610 earlier said there was a rumor out involving Ensberg and Everett for Khalil Green and Linebrink.

[rocketfat]

Mark and Rich on 610 earlier said there was a rumor out involving Ensberg and Everett for Khalil Green and Linebrink.


i said so in other ensberg thread, which got derailed into everett talk (which i had a part in), but taking an unbiased stance as an ausmus hater, the fact remains that we need start looking for a catcher of the future anyway, and somebody mentioned that they have a top catching prospect in AAA named George Kotterras, and that's in addition to Josh Bard, who's only 28 and hitting great this season. Surely one of them is expendable (considering they have Piazza to boot), so I think a trade that could bring Linebrink plus one of them would be fantastic.

[Shaji]

Mark and Rich on 610 earlier said there was a rumor out involving Ensberg and Everett for Khalil Green and Linebrink.

i gotta say that deal sounds pretty damn good considering the past 3 seasons linebrink has had and that khalil green wouldnt be much of a letdown defensively...but it scares me what could happen with ensberg...after all the guy knocked 36 bombs last year and was 4th in the mvp voting...

[Ric]

Mark and Rich on 610 earlier said there was a rumor out involving Ensberg and Everett for Khalil Green and Linebrink.
hmmmm....... could this be to appease the orioles, assuming the tejada rumors are true? i'd think BAL would prefer a younger, more offensive-minded greene to everett, no?

[Zac D]

I'm not sure we're getting enough back in an Ensberg-Everett for Greene-Linebrink deal. I mean, Khalil isn't exactly a stud with the stick, he's just not Everett. I do like him as a player, and I'd take him over Everett all else equal, but I dunno about this deal.

Now, Ensberg and Everett for Greene, Linebrink and Kottaras, well, let's talk.

Edit: Or, if the Orioles want Greene for Tejada as Ric proposes... yeah, let's talk in that case, too.

[desihooper]

If it's HRs you're worried about, I don't think a lot of Padres hit that many HRs at home because their park is so big :D

So those who judge trades solely on stats can rest easy!

[benchmoochie]

Isnt linebrink an Astros castoff?

[msn]

Isnt linebrink an Astros castoff?
Released the day after his first career victory, back in '02 methinks. There were roster-number issues that precipitated it; Hun was saying how he felt bad about it.

[Burzmali]

I'm not sure we're getting enough back in an Ensberg-Everett for Greene-Linebrink deal. I mean, Khalil isn't exactly a stud with the stick, he's just not Everett. I do like him as a player, and I'd take him over Everett all else equal, but I dunno about this deal.

Now, Ensberg and Everett for Greene, Linebrink and Kottaras, well, let's talk.

Edit: Or, if the Orioles want Greene for Tejada as Ric proposes... yeah, let's talk in that case, too.

I think the deal is straight up moronic. We're just giving up on Ensberg after a couple of bad months during which he was injured?

[BigM]

i never understood why we let linebrink go, i thought he had promising stuff here. that said, i'm not willing to trade ensberg just to correct that mistake.

[Stack24]

Im all for getting a player named Khalil..of course i am a bit biased seeing my name is Khalil :D

[Rox Addict]

i never understood why we let linebrink go, i thought he had promising stuff here. that said, i'm not willing to trade ensberg just to correct that mistake.
Read my thread on this...The Astros see talent and they say "oh no hes too good trade him or send him back down." Look at Sampson this year. He came up and pitched a 1 hitter..A ONE HITTER !!!! then they sent him right back down....

[Buck Turgidson]

i never understood why we let linebrink go
He was a mediocre young inconsistent middle-innings-type pitcher with a very good arm who they tried to sneak through waivers (was out of options) when he was 26 or so. Pads claimed him, Trevor Hoffman tutored him, he found his sh!t, so it goes.

Remember Doug Henry? That's who we traded for Linebrink in the first place, in case anyone cares.

[Buck Turgidson]

Read my thread on this...The Astros see talent and they say "oh no hes too good trade him or send him back down." Look at Sampson this year. He came up and pitched a 1 hitter..A ONE HITTER !!!! then they sent him right back down....
Take it easy, Champ. Why don't you stop talking for awhile?

[BigM]

He was a mediocre young inconsistent middle-innings-type pitcher with a very good arm who they tried to sneak through waivers (was out of options) when he was 26 or so. Pads claimed him, Trevor Hoffman tutored him, he found his sh!t, so it goes.

Remember Doug Henry? That's who we traded for Linebrink in the first place, in case anyone cares.


i seem to remember thinking we should have kept him in the big leagues, but i don't recall the exact bullpen makeup when the padres picked him up.
not a big deal, obviously losing linebrink hasn't exactly come back to bite us in the ass considering the last couple years of success.

[BigM]

Read my thread on this...The Astros see talent and they say "oh no hes too good trade him or send him back down." Look at Sampson this year. He came up and pitched a 1 hitter..A ONE HITTER !!!! then they sent him right back down....

i read the other thread. i don't agree, i think the astros have done quite alright for themselves in talent evaluation. there's a reason they are one of the best teams in baseball over the last decade.

[OldManBernie]

I'm not sure we're getting enough back in an Ensberg-Everett for Greene-Linebrink deal. I mean, Khalil isn't exactly a stud with the stick, he's just not Everett. I do like him as a player, and I'd take him over Everett all else equal, but I dunno about this deal.

Now, Ensberg and Everett for Greene, Linebrink and Kottaras, well, let's talk.

Edit: Or, if the Orioles want Greene for Tejada as Ric proposes... yeah, let's talk in that case, too.

Good defensive shortstops with offensive potential don't grow on trees, but Khalil Greene certainly falls into the category. He has slugged in the mid-to- low 400s every full year he has played. He is also riding a pretty hot streak right now. He is a bit of a right-handed pull hitter, so he can probably make good use of the crawford boxes.

[Buck Turgidson]

i seem to remember thinking we should have kept him in the big leagues, but i don't recall the exact bullpen makeup when the padres picked him up.
Don't remember exactly the reason why - coulda been a new pitch, coulda been mechanics, coulda been fate or his shakra aligned properly or whatever - but he picked up some velocity and got damn good, damn quick shortly after leaving the Stros. Changed his career.

[Drewdog]

I dont like the fact that we are giving up on Ensberg so easily. The dude was freaking MONEY last year. He's been injured this year, give the guy a chance. Everett, although a pretty bad hitter, is STELLAR with the glove.

Id pass on this one. I know we need pitching help, but damn I would think Ensberg and Everett's value would be a little more than this.

:confused:

[Ric]

Id pass on this one. I know we need pitching help, but damn I would think Ensberg and Everett's value would be a little more than this.
frankly, i don't know why the pads would consider the deal; they'd be trading a consistently great reliever and a very good, young and very cheap SS for the fourth worst everyday player in baseball and a guy mired in a horrendous slump who's currently on the DL, marking the third year in a row his production has suffered because of an injury.

the astros would be fools to pass this up, imo.

[NJRocket]

Mark and Rich on 610 earlier said there was a rumor out involving Ensberg and Everett for Khalil Green and Linebrink.

Seems too good to be true...I dont know why the Pads would do that unless they feel that Ensberg is just a change in scenery away from getting back to his usual self.

[RocketManJosh]

I think we should do this deal if we think we can keep Huff beyond this season. Khalil has a lot more potential to be a good hitter than Everett, and his defense is top notch (although a bit below Adam).

I live in San Diego and I have a hard time believing the Padres would do this for the simple fact that Khalil seems to me to be one of the most popular guys on that team.

[eric.81]

frankly, i don't know why the pads would consider the deal; they'd be trading a consistently great reliever and a very good, young and very cheap SS for the fourth worst everyday player in baseball and a guy mired in a horrendous slump who's currently on the DL, marking the third year in a row his production has suffered because of an injury.

the astros would be fools to pass this up, imo.

I agree with Ric... this deal is so good it's stupid!! I'm not passing judgement, but I think Green/Linebrink for our two biggest offensive problems (not named ausmus)! Green's just a kid and Linebrink is in his third consecutive good season as a middle reliever. Remember all, Ensberg hurt his shoulder in JUNE not MAY. This slump of Ensberg starts PRE-INJURY! If you can get an everyday shortstop and bullpen help for those two black holes... F'ing DO IT!

[NJRocket]

I think we should do this deal if we think we can keep Huff beyond this season. .

Totally agree. I think by doing a deal like this, if it happens, it means that we are confident that Ensberg will never see regular playing time at 3rd for some time to come. Unfortunately, it would be selling low with him, but it happens.

[crose]

I think we should do this deal if we think we can keep Huff beyond this season. Khalil has a lot more potential to be a good hitter than Everett, and his defense is top notch (although a bit below Adam).

I live in San Diego and I have a hard time believing the Padres would do this for the simple fact that Khalil seems to me to be one of the most popular guys on that team.
exactly

if the pads traded khalil, I think that the entire san diego female population would tear down petco.

[Gene the PIG]

This slump of Ensberg starts PRE-INJURY! If you can get an everyday shortstop and bullpen help for those two black holes... F'ing DO IT!

WERD to yer muther's uncle!

[mateo]

Shake up the roster.....make the deal!!!!

[dskillz]

Mark and Rich on 610 earlier said there was a rumor out involving Ensberg and Everett for Khalil Green and Linebrink.

If this is the real deal, Astros should do this now. Khalil has a glove and a stick.

[sammy]

I dont like the fact that we are giving up on Ensberg so easily. The dude was freaking MONEY last year. He's been injured this year, give the guy a chance. Everett, although a pretty bad hitter, is STELLAR with the glove.

Id pass on this one. I know we need pitching help, but damn I would think Ensberg and Everett's value would be a little more than this.

:confused:

He wasnt money in the World Series but no one came through during the series.

[The Cat]

Hey... you guys know that Aubrey Huff kid you guys are talking about being an everyday hitter in the middle of this lineup? He went through a .170 stretch earlier this season that lasted more than a month... and before y'all blame it on an injury, he's had similar stretches before.

EVERY player goes through slumps. It's part of baseball. Some of them are extreme. You don't give up on them, though, when the players track record is what Morgan Ensberg's is. He's been the second-best hitter on the team this year, was the best hitter on the team last year and also was a very good hitter two years before that. He's had three of four years very solid, and anyone calling him a black hole is just silly. He's not a change of scenery from his old self... he's just a little bit of time from his old self.

Any of you who thinks Morgan's slump is permanent... I'll invite you to put your money where your mouth is. Tip jar bet. Wherever he is... Houston, San Diego, you name it... I'll bet he has an OPS of at least .850 for the remainder of this season. Black holes (see Everett and Ausmus) are nowhere remotely close - they're usually in the .600 area, so if he's a black hole, you guys have nothing to lose, right?

[RocketManJosh]

Hey... you guys know that Aubrey Huff kid you guys are talking about being an everyday hitter in the middle of this lineup? He went through a .170 stretch earlier this season that lasted more than a month... and before y'all blame it on an injury, he's had similar stretches before.

EVERY player goes through slumps. It's part of baseball. Some of them are extreme. You don't give up on them, though, when the players track record is what Morgan Ensberg's is. He's been the second-best hitter on the team this year, was the best hitter on the team last year and also was a very good hitter two years before that. He's had three of four years very solid, and anyone calling him a black hole is just silly. He's not a change of scenery from his old self... he's just a little bit of time from his old self.

Any of you who thinks Morgan's slump is permanent... I'll invite you to put your money where your mouth is. Tip jar bet. Wherever he is... Houston, San Diego, you name it... I'll bet he has an OPS of at least .850 for the remainder of this season. Black holes (see Everett and Ausmus) are nowhere remotely close - they're usually in the .600 area, so if he's a black hole, you guys have nothing to lose, right?


I certainly am not saying Morgan's not going to get back to where he was, but if you give me Khalil and Linebrink, I take that deal assuming Huff is going to be here next year. Khalil is young and has the talent to become a very good hitter and defender for many years into the future. Yeah you have to give someone up to get someone. Thats the way trades usually work.

[Ric]

EVERY player goes through slumps.
i like the addition of huff, primarily because he's something we've never really had before (switch hitters aside) - a genuine left-handed hitter with some pop. but he's not by any stretch among baseball's best or even very good hitters. so while EVERY player like huff and ensberg may go through slumps, the great ones, or even very good ones, rarely endure one as prolonged, or as awful as ensberg's current slide.

but for me, personally, it goes beyond just the slump - my problem is that he's hurt all the time. worse, he gets hurt and then doesn't bother to tell anyone. and if the astros are really serious about trading him, i think this developing trend the past three years is at least part of the reason. enough already. a bruised shoulder takes two months to heal? really? i ripped a muscle off the bone below my shoulder and it took just 6-8 weeks for the muscle to reattach and he needs that long to overcome a bruised shoulder with no structural damage?

he really put the team in a bind this year, imo, wasting five weeks trying, and failing to get healthy. now he's on the DL; his return and performance after his return is in doubt... and, oh yeah, the deadline’s in three weeks. that's detrimental. they'd be in a much better position had he been more forthcoming sooner.

You don't give up on them, though, when the players track record is what Morgan Ensberg's is. He's been the second-best hitter on the team this year, was the best hitter on the team last year and also was a very good hitter two years before that. He's had three of four years very solid, and anyone calling him a black hole is just silly.
wait, wait - so one great year, another very good year and one great month followed by two months of abject futility mixed with an awful year constitutes a track record? he’s 30; not 24 – why does he deserve the benefit of the doubt? i don’t get this…

Any of you who thinks Morgan's slump is permanent... I'll invite you to put your money where your mouth is.
i think your ire is misplaced, at least it is with me. my frustration is with his fragility and acceptance of said fragility. this is the third year in a row he's pulled this ****.

but beyond that, who cares if his OPS is .850 or better if he's merely padding it, as he's been doing since june, with walks? why not really up the ante by betting he'll get back on his april pace - let’s wager whether he’ll go .330/18/38/1.23 the final two months of the season… ya know, like his track record overwhelming suggests.

either way, i'm not betting because i don't want to win - i want him back to his '05 production because this team needs it. but if he's going to be hurt every year and not bother to admit it and drag the team down in the process, then screw him; let's get something for him now while we still can.

[RocketManJosh]

I was talking to some people in a softball league I play in, and they were saying here on San Diego radio people really want to get Ensberg as well. The interesting thing is the deal they are hearing is Ensberg for Kottaras straight up. If that is how far apart the two sides really are, then I definitely don't see a deal getting done. I think the Padres are really hoping Drayton wants to drop some salary, but Morgan's salary really isn't a big enough impact to just give him away IMO.

[rocketfat]

I was talking to some people in a softball league I play in, and they were saying here on San Diego radio people really want to get Ensberg as well. The interesting thing is the deal they are hearing is Ensberg for Kottaras straight up. If that is how far apart the two sides really are, then I definitely don't see a deal getting done. I think the Padres are really hoping Drayton wants to drop some salary, but Morgan's salary really isn't a big enough impact to just give him away IMO.


like i've said in other threads, i know next to nothing about kotterras, but i looked at his stats, and he's hitting horribly right now. you gotta figure linebrink would be in the deal also though.

[Creepy Crawl]

Mark and Rich on 610 earlier said there was a rumor out involving Ensberg and Everett for Khalil Green and Linebrink.

And I quote the great Tone Loc - "Lets Do It" . :cool:

That just seems to be too good to be true IMO . I seem to remember Green always doing a good job against the Astros . It kinda sucks to have to trade for a guy that we already had once before but gave up on with Linebrink . But heck , lets get it done .

[Zac D]

like i've said in other threads, i know next to nothing about kotterras, but i looked at his stats, and he's hitting horribly right now.

In, for those of you who don't check on this statement, 16 AAA at-bats after his call-up from AA little more than a week ago. At AA, he hit .276/.394/.451 in 257 at-bats in the reputedly pitcher-friendly Southern League. He's not had an OBP below .390 since rookie ball.

But straight up for Ensberg? Ew.