I will say this again, why are people simply calling Melancon a middle reliever? He might end up being that but all I've read is he was the Yanks closer of the future? Jim Callis wasn't overly high on him but he is REALLY tough on prospects so he probably undervalueing him a bit. Early in the evening we were all pissed because we didn't even get a top 25 prospect for Puma and now we found out we got their SIXTH rated prospect and the trade sucks worse now???
Which GM out there did better? Should we have gotten the awesome return from the Dan Harren trade? It is conveniently easy to claim we should have traded Berkman for Stephen Strassburg. It is more difficult to make it happen.
No I meant top 25 in the Yanks system, earlier in the night we were all complaining because we didn't even get a top 25 prospect in their system and we ended up with their 6th to 8th rated prospect in most publications.
I do hope that Berkman retires as an Astro but I wonder how they would work that out if Wallace proves ready this season. All reports indicate that Wallace can't play any other position. I'm sure Berkman will take some kind of discount but will it be a number where you can justify bringing him off the bench? Puma to the OF? I believe Lee's NTC expires after this season but they'll still have to find a suitor. He won't be easy to move, literally or figuratively. Maybe Pence gets dealt tomorrow which would open up a spot but given the direction of the team, a lot of people feel that some our fringe OF prospects should finally get a shot to see what they can do.
The Haren trade was a desperate salary dump, it's not that comparable. I don't think anyone is saying we should've been able to rejuvenate the farm system on the prospect haul from Berkman alone, but maybe not trade him to the first team that offers a reliever and a utility man.
It's not easy to claim we should have traded Berkman for Strassburg. That is r****ded, and no one is claiming that. The Haren trade wasn't great either, but Seattle got Smoak for Cliff Lee.
Off Topic, sort of.... keithlaw Heard from an exec not involved in the discussions that the White Sox are furious with the Nats over Edwin Jackson. The deal was suppose to be that the Sox would trade for Jackson and then ship him to the Nats for Dunn then trade for Myers but now it looks like the Nats backed out so I wonder where this leaves Brett.
And the reasons that Cliff Lee was much more valuable as a trade chip have been well documented. Wallace was ranked the #16 prospect by MLB, and #27 by Baseball America. His general perception around baseball is not much lower than Smoak.
I didn't think Bagwell was considered a top prospect at the time we traded for him. He hit for a decent average but he had absolutely no power. 4 home runs the year before he was brought up to the majors.
He was considered a top prospect, but Boston had a logjam with other prospects. Here is a lookback: http://www.minorleagueball.com/2006/4/14/161940/996
Yes, the Mariners didn't have to pay a cent of his remaining salary and Lee was DOMINATING while Roy had a horrible contract even with the Stros paying half of it, making demands all over the place and simply pitching pretty good.
How much more valuable do you think Smoak is than Wallace? Baseball people seem to think they are much more comparable than you do. I mean, what we really are missing around Houston is Smoak and is .198 average, ammirite? Smoak was picked 2 spots ahead of Wallace in that draft.
puma to left for $5million. i think they get rid of caballo in the offseason by whatever means necessary. the direction the team is headed, i think they are past the point of playing him just because they don't have a choice. they should keep signing berkman to 1 year contracts and trade him at the deadline every single season. :grin:
I see BA has Smoak at #13, whether that is a big difference, I don't know. But let's remember that the trade with Philly did not include Wallace. It just makes me curious that the BJ's wanted to trade the #27 guy for a guy who wasn't even in the Top 100. I know they had another 1b prospect, but that is a big dropoff in talent.
sounds sketchy...if it was guaranteed by the nats, seems like they would have just made the 3 team deal all at once.
Smoak is the #13 prospect while the BJ's traded Wallace for an A guy who wasn't even in the Top 100. Maybe the BJ's are that stupid, but I doubt it.
