A's trade Blanton to Phils

[blacksilverfan12]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080717&content_id=3144975&vkey=trade2008&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
5-12 with an ERA barely under 5. Couldn't the Phillies have done better?

[MasonDixon]

Cardenas is arguably the best prospect in our organization. This is just fantastic. Ugh.

[Jose Tartabul]

But he's a second baseman--just when and where was he going to play on the big club?Cardenas is arguably the best prospect in our organization. This is just fantastic. Ugh.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080717&content_id=3144975&vkey=trade2008&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
5-12 with an ERA barely under 5. Couldn't the Phillies have done better?
I think they should have.

[blacksilverfan12]

I think they should have.

Are Bedard and Burnett still for sale?

[MasonDixon]

But he's a second baseman--just when and where was he going to play on the big club?

That doesn't mean you give him away. A hot prospect like Adrian Cardenas has more value than Joe Blanton.

[blacksilverfan12]

Also, another question the Phillies should be asking: Will Myers give them anything when he returns from AAA?

[NYMets523]

Are Bedard and Burnett still for sale?

Bedard is on the DL. There's been some bad talk about him. He's a malcontent and takes himself out of games.

[blacksilverfan12]

He's a malcontent and takes himself out of games.

I've heard that. But still, he might be better with a change of scenery. Even so, Burnett would be a better choice, although he can be inconsistent

[Jose Tartabul]

That doesn't mean you give him away. A hot prospect like Adrian Cardenas has more value than Joe Blanton.

Perhaps—only time will tell. A lot of hot prospects have tanked. I just don't think Blanton is that bad a pitcher. He's only 27, won a lot of games for a crap team, pitches a lot of innings, and doesn't walk many. What more do you want? He's sure as hell has to be better than Eaton and Meyers. The team needs to win now. Cardenas can't help them do that, but Blanton just might.

[Zito75]

Just watch- Street and Ellis will be next.

[slugger33]

Are Bedard and Burnett still for sale?
Bedard i injury-prone and Burnett has been no better than Blanton.

[Steve Jeltz]

Also, another question the Phillies should be asking: Will Myers give them anything when he returns from AAA?

Nope. Myers is also a malcontent and a cancer in the clubhouse. Myers is still pouting that the Phils traded for Lidge, taking the closer spot from him. Myers returned to the rotation and tanked games. He should be traded or released. Terrible pitcher and person.

[Zagi-CRO]

I think Huston Street are the next, indeed...

[Evangelion]

Is a innings eater helpful to the Phillies?

[Big_Mac]

Are Bedard and Burnett still for sale?

from what the media up here has been saying, riccardi has been listening to contract offers for burnett for a month or so now.

[Old Sweater]

Man....I feel so sorry for the young A's fans that can't afford all the name jerseys they like to wear.

For all the A's fans really without no chance to hold on to the home grown players.

That run better ERA at home sure makes Billy Beane counter look a lot smater then he is when it comes to getting pitchers.........guess he would also do well at PETCO.


Fantasy GM at his best.........

[Zito75]

Man....I feel so sorry for the young A's fans that can't afford all the name jerseys they like to wear.

For all the A's fans really without no chance to hold on to the home grown players.


Tell me about it... Glad I have my "adopted" team the Rockies. At least I can recognize their roster! :)

[Evangelion]

Man....I feel so sorry for the young A's fans that can't afford all the name jerseys they like to wear.

For all the A's fans really without no chance to hold on to the home grown players.

That run better ERA at home sure makes Billy Beane counter look a lot smater then he is when it comes to getting pitchers.........guess he would also do well at PETCO.


Fantasy GM at his best.........
You like insulting G.M. and never defending your opinion with actual facts?

[SamtheBravesFan]

Fantasy GM

What does that mean?! Fantasy GMs don't trade their important pieces for prospects as far as I know.

[Evangelion]

Tell me about it... Glad I have my "adopted" team the Rockies. At least I can recognize their roster! :)
Zito, you that disappointed he traded Blanton and Harden away? I'm surprised you would be disappointed with the moves he's making. If he traded Justin Duchscherer away during the season, I can see why you be angry, but he traded a Blanton, who's just a innings eater and Harden, who has a injury history as bad as Mark Prior. He got value prospects back for both players.

With Blanton depature, isn't Gio Gonzalez getting a chance to take his rotation spot?

If he dealt Ellis or Street before the deadline. What's the problem? Street could end up like Dotel. He's just a fastball pitcher and teams kill for relief pitchers. Looking at the Rangers. They got David Murphy and Gabbard for Gagne from Boston last season. Murphy has become a solid major league player and Gagne stunk. I do find relievers and the closers position to be over-rated. So, teams will over-pay for reliever. You can a nice bounty for Street, who I won't call a dominate closer in the league of Nathan and Rivera.

Ellis is hitting .238 and he's 31. Good defender, but you have prospects at the minor league that out produce him.

This got nothing to do with fantasy like some other poster keeps sprouting. More about age, money and production. Why won't you deal a Mark Ellis if teams are in dire need of him?

[Zito75]

Zito, you that disappointed he traded Blanton and Harden away? I'm surprised you would be disappointed with the moves he's making. If he traded Justin Duchscherer away during the season, I can see why you be angry, but he traded a Blanton, who's just a innings eater and Harden, who has a injury history as bad as Mark Prior. He got value prospects back for both players.

With Blanton depature, isn't Gio Gonzalez getting a chance to take his rotation spot?

If he dealt Ellis or Street before the deadline. What's the problem? Street could end up like Dotel. He's just a fastball pitcher and teams kill for relief pitchers. Looking at the Rangers. They got David Murphy and Gabbard for Gagne from Boston last season. Murphy has become a solid major league player and Gagne stunk. I do find relievers and the closers position to be over-rated. So, teams will over-pay for reliever. You can a nice bounty for Street, who I won't call a dominate closer in the league of Nathan and Rivera.

Ellis is hitting .238 and he's 31. Good defender, but you have prospects at the minor league that out produce him.

This got nothing to do with fantasy like some other poster keeps sprouting. More about age, money and production. Why won't you deal a Mark Ellis if teams are in dire need of him?

For the record, I'm at not all disappointed or surprised about the recent moves. All I'm implying is the team has a major identity crisis. The "veterans" are Ellis and Chavez. Eric can't even play wiffleball right now, and by all accounts, Mark could be shipped out soon. I'm waiting for that to happen. The A's are my team and I back them 100%, but it would be nice to keep a few guys around the city & fans can identify with.

[Old Sweater]

Attention K Mart shoppers!!!!!

Attention K Mart shoppers!!!!!!

There is a blue light special in the Beane section!!!!!!!!

Pay no mind to Zito75....he is having a "major identity crisis" because he knows he can never keep his board handle for more then 6 yrs max!!!!!!:):)

[Honus Wagner Rules]

For the record, I'm at not all disappointed or surprised about the recent moves. All I'm implying is the team has a major identity crisis. The "veterans" are Ellis and Chavez. Eric can't even play wiffleball right now, and by all accounts, Mark could be shipped out soon. I'm waiting for that to happen. The A's are my team and I back them 100%, but it would be nice to keep a few guys around the city & fans can identify with.

The way I view Beane is that he is waiting to get the one big time superstar he can build around with. He thought that player was going to be Eric Chavez. He thought Chavez was going to morph into Mike Schmidt. But it never happened. Beane's never had that superstar position player that could hit with the best of them and play great defense. Even Tejada and Giambi were not those kind of players. But Beane was so sure that Chavez was going to become a big stime superstar that's why he signed him to a long term deal. but then all the injuries cames and ruined Beane's plan. It happens.

[blacksilverfan12]

The way I view Beane is that he is waiting to get the one big time superstar he can build around with

Not so sure about that. What happens when that big time superstar's contract is expiring?
If that's his way, I hope he's patient, because guys don't come across like that very often

[Evangelion]

For the record, I'm at not all disappointed or surprised about the recent moves. All I'm implying is the team has a major identity crisis. The "veterans" are Ellis and Chavez. Eric can't even play wiffleball right now, and by all accounts, Mark could be shipped out soon. I'm waiting for that to happen. The A's are my team and I back them 100%, but it would be nice to keep a few guys around the city & fans can identify with.
I can see where you feel the A's are dealing with a major identity crisis. The one problem I do see with the A's is they haven't exactly develop or obtain a "Super Star" player worth keeping. They dealt the Big Three away, but each one isn't exactly at the level of dominance they were at while with the A's.

Which players Beane didn't bring back or let get away that bothers you?

Which players are exactly worth keeping? I understand you want to identify with the team's players, but are these players worth keeping? I like keeping players I identify with, but not if they want to cripple the team's payroll with a long and high paying contract.

Attention K Mart shoppers!!!!!

Attention K Mart shoppers!!!!!!

There is a blue light special in the Beane section!!!!!!!!

Pay no mind to Zito75....he is having a "major identity crisis" because he knows he can never keep his board handle for more then 6 yrs max!!!!!!:):)
What's the point of this post? A terrible attempt at being funny?

[nerfan]

Great trade for the A's. Joe Blanton is nothing more than an innings eater with an ERA approaching 5. Blanton has never been that good... in the past three years he's posted ERA+'s of 92, 106, and 78, and his hits allowed totals are going crazy. His strikeout rate is declining and the A's were smart to move him. Gio Gonzalez might actually be an upgrade over Blanton. Meanwhile the A's got Adrian Cardenas, a second baseman who could be hitting .300 with 15 homers each year, which would be a major upgrade over Mark Ellis, who's only hitting .235/.331/.381. Cardenas could also move to shortstop if (when) Crosby suffers a career-ending injury, although his defense would be a little bit worse. Josh Outman, a power lefty reliever, could be the subject of a great marketing campaign... OUT MAN, superhero set-up man. For a team without a single go-to guy in the bullpen with Street and Embree having subpar years and Andrew Brown, whose claim to fame is being twice traded for Milton Bradley, having an outlier year in terms of ERA, Outman will be a September call-up, and probably relieving in 2009. The third guy they acquired, Matt Spencer, will likely be a AAAA player or at best a fourth outfielder. Still, though. The A's aren't losing anything by trading away Blanton (as Gio Gonzalez can probably do at least as good of a job), and they are getting a 4-star and a 3-star prospect in return. Kudos to Beane for making one hell of a trade.