Couple of things here... We did get a top 5 prospect in Clemens and another top 10 pitcher. Remember the Braves have a top 3 farm system and ELITE prospects, wish we had gotten, so their 8-9-10 guy will instantly be in our top 5-6-7. On the money, we suck with an 80 million dollar payroll, we can suck with a 60 million dollar payroll and pick up piece to the puzzle in the meantime. Spend in the draft and Int FAgents with that money, which is what Crane has said he will do. I dont love the deal, not sure I even like it but its not awful by any means.
I would say that is accurate. They have a deep organization. We aren't looking to compete until 2013. We got a couple of guys ready for the majors and a couple of guys that may be able to help when we actually need it.
This what I'm waiting on as well. It worked in our favor when Beltran came off the board before Pence and now I hope it helps that Jimenez is no longer available.
1. Didn't know that, but he's not owner yet so it's not his call to make - even if Wade is conferring with him. Also, we can trade Bourn in the offseason if Crane truly feels that 60 million is a make-or-break dividing line. Plus, we sent them 4 million in this deal. 2. Doesn't matter if he accepts arbitration. If he declines arbitration, then we get picks. This isn't an ideal scenario, but I'd rather have multiple picks in the first couple of rounds, especially if a required slot system is put in place, than "spare parts" from the Braves. 3. Quantity over quality...how did that Billy Wagner trade work out when we settled for Bucholz, Zeke Astacio, and Brandon Duckworth instead of holding out for Hamels? On the flipside, how did the Lidge trade work out when we accepted Bourn straight up instead of 3 or 4 lesser prospects? 4. Did we mention he's a Gold Glove centerfielder with a high BA/OBP? Bourn has always been a healthier Kenny Lofton without the walks/high OBP to me. If he matches Kenny's career trajectory and stays relatively healthy, he's a very valuable asset for at least another 3-4 years, maybe longer.
The Braves 10-15 prospects are similar to our 3-8 prospects. The Braves not giving up their big 4 pitchers is ok, because we got multiple guys that are probably similar in prospect stature to Keuchel. Keuchel is probably our best pitching prospect(as tough as that is to say) until these recent trades. Now Cosart is ahead of him obviously, and you just added two more guys with the Braves haul that are right there at that same development stage and are similar in how they would be ranked as prospects. I you think that the Rockies mad off like Bandits with the Jimenez trade as compared to what we got in this one, then you are just blinded by your hate o Ed Wade I believe. The Alex White kid the Rockies got back is a great prospect. The other pitcher is 23, has a 5.00 ERA in Double A and does not strike anyone out. He'd probably struggle to crack the top 25 of the Astros prospect list, and that is saying something. The position player they got is a 26 year old minor leaguer, so basically another Brian Bogusevic type. Would you have rather gotten just one of the Braves big four and then a couple of guys that would struggle to crack our top 20 prospects? I personally feel more comfortable about getting 3 or 4 guys that all slot nicely into the top 20 prospects. Less chance of one injury or one guy not reaching the ceiling making this trade really bad.
#1 above controls all. Crane is holding on to $687 million and his approval as new owner is a formality that will occur in less than 2 weeks. McLane already said these deals are Crane's. Wade isn't interested in pissing off the new owner. The directive was to get under $60 million.
Even with all that, the trade still doesn't make sense and I don't agree with the 4th and 5th statements cause he wanted to stay in Houston and would still be very good in 6-8 years. Yes, we are far and away the worst team but that doesn't skew his fielding, hitting or stealing. He should have been an all-star this year. Speed is the first thing to go, I know that but this isn't basketball. How much of his speed you think he would lose, he's not gonna get all fat like Beltran of Griffy. I can remember Berkman holding down center for us at one time, I'm sure a 38 year old Bourn would be able to beat an any age Berkman in a footrace. I used 38 cause thats still ten years away! We just lost our center fielder of now and the future and some of you guys pretending this was a good idea. You don't trade your best player with at least a good decade left in him. How long do you expect the Astros are gonna suck like this anyway? We need Crane to spend money this offseason, that will turn a team around faster than these bad trades we keep making for unproven talent. If Crane is coming in to not spend money, then we will continue to be where were at no matter how much we trade for prospects. To give this trade any kind of justification is just crazy, we needed Bourn for the long haul. Who knows maybe the new gm will beg him to come back after 2013 when we finally realize how bad we need him
Huge revisionist history on the Bourn trade. Lidge was damaged goods. Bourn was not some super-mega prospect that we held out for. He, in fact, was no where near the prospect status as the outfielder we just got from the Braves. Michael Bourn was #7 on the Phillies top 10 list coming into 2007 and no where near the top 100 overall, so get outta here with that.
again, Crane says $60 million. I disagree with the idea that you'd keep anyone on this roster for the long haul. The haul is too long to keep a guy like Bourn who just hired Boras as his agent and whose contract comes up after this season. That's just ridiculous to expect them to do that given where they are big picture.
It's just a guess but I'd say that wade took this deal over one that involved 1 of the big 2 pitchers they were high on. I think that atlanta drew a line in the sand and said if you want delgado or viscino then that's about all you are getting. So rather than taking one prospect, the astros decided to take 4 guys with potential. I'm kinda sad that one of those players wasn't Tyler Pastornicky, but again, I assume that clements and Oberholtzer dictated that we weren't getting him.
exactly...and he was older than schafer. i'm really surprised people are on the 'stros for trading anyone on this roster given how bad they are...and how far they are from being anything competitive again.
jcrasnick Jerry Crasnick Talked to scout who thinks #Astros did 'OK' in Bourn deal. He called Oberholzer a 'Randy Wolf type' & Clemens a 'strong-armed kid.' #braves
Then See #2 - if Schaeffer and Grade B prospects is the best we can get, let him walk in free agency. Bourn hired Boras for a reason, so he'll decline arbitration and we'll get another team's first round pick and a compensation pick. Or at least leak THAT to the press rather than leak the fact that the Astros have to get under $60 million.
jcrasnick Jerry Crasnick Lots of baseball people puzzled, though, that Ed Wade didn't get a prospect closer to majors in Pence deal. #Astros #Braves #trades
these prospects are better than most of the prospects we currently have. and draft picks in MLB are the biggest crap shoot ever. i'd rather have 4 prospects than one draft pick. particularly if one of those prospects has been top 50. idk who leaked crane's under $60 million mandate.
Bourn wasn't a fizzled prospect when we traded for him. Schafer has done absolutely nothing since he was a highly rated prospect. Also, at the time that we acquired Bourn we were a team contending for the division. We're not going to be that type of team again for a few years now. The circumstances matter when you make a trade.
