If the deal was for Abreu, I tend to waver a little bit more.... First of all, while Abreu does bring appreciable offensive skills... I think our team would then be more similiar to the 2004 counterpart (with Abreu taking the role of Kent/Beltran), and only two stud pitchers in the rotation with a off-and-on again Backe. But, this time, you don't have a guaranteed lights-out closer to finish off all those games (remember... 35-10 in 2004 does not come close to happening without Lidge). Secondly, if we do make any deal for Abreu, it comes with the caveat that we'll have him (under his enormous contract) for 2 years. Now, if Drayton balks at wanting to try to resign him to an extension(which is understandable, given his price tag and age), we might really have him only for one year... and then use the following off-season to dangle him as trade bait, so we don't risk losing him for nothing. Meanwhile, Lidge is guaranteed to be under organizational control for at least another 2-3 years... and while he'll be getting hefty raises throughout that time, we wouldn't have to worry about him leaving as a FA, and he certainly still won't be making as much as Abreu. And in the end, if Lidge is too pricey of a FA, he leaves or gets traded... around the same time we would have lost Abreu anyways. Thus, in 2-3 years time, we're probably looking at a team without Lidge (if you keep him), and without Abreu (if you trade for him)... basically right back to square one. Thus, this deal has to completely be about the here and now... are we better with a decent stick in the lineup, but trading a top-3 closer (to a competitor, I might add).... or are we better knowing we have that insurance policy in Lidge for some time, and trying to add another bat (albeit lesser than Abreu) by any other means possible? Of course, as I said before, Lidge-Manny I'd do in a heartbeat... Manny is in a whole nother level than Abreu. He's a batting champioon, RBI champion, and I guarantee he'd push 50 HR's if he played all his games in our beloved MMP. While my same arguments I made above could still apply to this case (thus making me hypocritical), it would still be too damn enticing, because a player like Manny doesn't just "become available" every single year.
All I know is that I'd be pissed to give up Qualls for an over-the-hill stiff like Rondell White or Encarnacion. At least Mench is young and has upside. I'd rather keep Qualls than trade him for a stiff like that. Hell, sign Reggie Sanders -- at least he doesn't cost us any of our current players. Back to Abreu. Remember what I said about him in another thread. Phillie fans are less than enamored with the guy. He does have a gun of an arm, but he has defensive lapses. More often than not, he comes up empty in clutch situations. Great player, great hitter -- but he doesn't have "it". I'd want to get him without giving up Lidge if at all possible. Now, I'd give up Lidge for Tejada or Manny in a second. BTW, the O's have received offers from the Cubs and Angels for Tejada, but they're trying to convince him to stay. Also, a Manny/Tejada deal looks DOA.
I know Encarnacion is a free agent and I'm pretty sure White is as well. Guys like that will be plan C, which won't be too terribly bad.
Well, Lopez implies in his article that White would have to be acquired in a trade, presumably for Qualls. I agree that Encarnacion as a FA signing isn't bad for Plan C. But Qualls for White as Plan C stinks. Let's just hope we don't get to Plan C. There are still a lot of exciting options out there!
At some point, I think we have to start looking at financial realities of today's MLB market. $13MM for an Abreu is not an enormous contract these days - especially not for just two years. Players of much lower caliber are getting $10MM per year. Furcal got something like $12MM. Last year, Renteria got $10MM. We committed to Berkman at $15MM while he had a torn ACL. Unless the plan is to build entirely from within and never sign a good free agent, $13MM for an all-star player is more than reasonable today. So we can either accept those kinds of contracts, or pretty much never get top quality major league talent from outside the organization. If you can get Abreu for relief pitcher, Lidge or otherwise, you make that move - no questions asked. If we only had one of the 3 relievers, then it's a different story. But when you have 3 top flight relievers, that's called trade bait. I'd rather trade Qualls than Lidge, but you do what it takes if you can get a player of this quality. I think the Garner comment is very appropriate - "If it doesn't hurt, then it's probably not a good deal."
This is actually an excellent point. Trading for guys with "old" contracts that sound big but are relatively sane in the current market isn't a terrible strategy. Keeps you from having to spend $12MM on guys like Furcal in the FA market. Or $40MM on .500 pitchers with "potential" like AJ Burnett. I mean, who would you rather have? Furcal at $12MM or Abreu at $13MM? Abreu sounds like a bargain when you put it like that. Or how about Tejada at $12MM vs Furcall at $12MM?
I actually don't give a rats butt how much they get paid....just want the franchise to go out and get some talent to take this team to the next level. DD
I saw on ESPNNews last night that Tejada is denying that he ever demanded a trade. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2256260
Yep, I think Tejada's out of the mix for now. How about that completely useless article in the Chronicle today? "Let me break down how the squad is going to look next year. Um, it'll look just like last year. Wasn't that insightful?"
You may appreciate this quote from the Star-Telegram: Super duds Anyone else understand the excitement about Carolina? Or have the words "idiot" and "expert" become synonyms? Every week, we are forced to read some glowing assessment of the Panthers' certain Super Bowl trip. Let's review. They lost Sunday at home to Tampa Bay. They lost at home to New Orleans. They lost in Miami. They still have to play Dallas at home and visit Atlanta. If they make it to the Super Bowl, it will be the NFL's version of the Astros in the World Series. They are the worst good team in the NFL. http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/football/13388177.htm Just Jealous
First of all, a Dallas paper making fun of Houston because of baseball should never ever happen... its the worst interstate discrepancy (in-terms of accomplishment between teams) in all of baseball. Even the Cubs/White Sox are closer than Astros/Rangers. Secondly.... I think Carolina would kill the Cowboys.
interesting point. i never thought of that before. i suppose the Royals still have the 85 World Series to hold on to as ultimate scoreboard!
Well....it looks like the Red Sox are going after Ausmus... The Sox are said to be interested in veterans Ken Huckaby and Brad Ausmus as possible replacements for No. 2 catcher Doug Mirabelli, who was traded to San Diego last week for second baseman Mark Loretta. Posted December 12, by Ben Maller
