On the Road Again...

by Charlie Wilmoth on Dec 16, 2007 12:06 PM EST in News

My apologies for the sporadic updates - I'm at a conference in Chicago right now and haven't had as much access to internet as I'd like. I'm in an internet cafe right now and will have to keep this short. There doesn't seem to be a lot to report anyway, except the signing of T.J. Beam, which Vlad already wrote up, and the massive Dan Haren deal, which will take me a half hour or so to really figure out. My first thought, though, is that Billy Beane got a ton of interesting stuff, probably even more than you'd think he'd get for someone like Haren. Carlos Gonzalez could potentially be terrific, and Aaron Cunningham, Greg Smith, Brett Anderson and Chris Carter are good prospects too.

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For the A's

This deal actually looks great. 4 of the 6 specs have pretty high upside and the other two look like they could be nice niche or backup players. If two of the better four pan out they probably will win this deal in the long run.

by Kosstic518 on Dec 16, 2007 1:47 PM EST reply actions

Funny, isn't it?

You go into a deal with Beane knowing he's pretty much going to hose your ass, and yet he always finds suitors for what he's selling. Like challenging Texas Slim to a game of poker or Minnesota Fats to a game of pool.

by bucdaddy on Dec 16, 2007 8:51 PM EST reply actions

Still...

The D'Backs are already loaded with young talent at the big league level (assuming that Upton, Drew, Young, etc. actually start to hit) and they just added Dan Haren to go with Brandon Webb. It's hard to say they actually "lost" this trade.

http://whereisvanslyke.blogspot.com
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/mlb

by whygavs on Dec 17, 2007 4:18 PM EST reply actions

Yeah

They traded three hitters they don't have roles for and two pitching prospects who are . . . well . . . pitching prospects. Meanwhile, Haren could be a monster in the NL. His peripherals in the stronger league are outstanding--career K:BB of better than 3:1--and he's thrown almost exactly 220 IP three straight years.

by WTM on Dec 17, 2007 5:20 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed.

This is one of those trades that benefits both teams. Yes - Az gave up a lot in terms of the future but they now have a solid a 1-2 punch as any in the majors. They have a nice looking window to try and bring a championship back to the desert.

Oakland as usual restocked and added depth to the system. They'll be competitive again in a couple of years and are probably not done dealing. You gotta love an organization that has vision and a strategic plan that it adheres to despite losing in the court of public opinion. Fans are not happy about the Harren deal but that doesn't stop Beane from making the deal. This is what true leadership is all about. Let's hope our new team has half the courage that Beane has because some tough decsions are going to have to be made in light of the losing season record that is hanging over our heads.

by Slick @ Bucs Dugout on Dec 17, 2007 5:29 PM EST reply actions

Kendall

Fans are not happy about the Harren deal but that doesn't stop Beane from making the deal.

I remember reading that Kendall, who'd just been traded to Oakland, threw a water glass in a restaurant when he heard they'd traded Mark Mulder. Kendall got to play on his first contender and winner that year and his first postseason team the next. And Haren severely outpitched Mulder in the three years since the trade. Not saying Haren will end up like Mulder, but it's comical how people continue to misjudge Beane.

by WTM on Dec 17, 2007 5:40 PM EST up reply actions

Hear you.

If I were AZ, I'd look at the 220 innings/year for three years you mentioned and not go counting my World Series titles just yet.

by bucdaddy on Dec 18, 2007 8:50 AM EST up reply actions

Point taken

But I am still going to put my money on Haren dominating again next year.

by The New Guy on Dec 18, 2007 10:15 AM EST up reply actions

It's an interesting point about Mulder ...

Just keep in mind that Barry Zito struggled severely with the Giants last year, his first in the NL, after signing a $126 million free-agent contract.

by bern1 on Dec 18, 2007 4:47 PM EST reply actions

Zito v Haren

If you think Haren and Zito are the same type of pitcher than its not even worth arguing this issue with you. Looking at the K:BB rate alone is enough to see that they are not even comparable.

by Kosstic518 on Dec 18, 2007 6:17 PM EST up reply actions

I started a blog.

http://thebgspot.blogspot.com/

Still very rough. I know a lot of people here have blogs of their own, and any advice on things would be appreciated.

by Vlad on Dec 18, 2007 8:49 PM EST reply actions

You lost me at hello

I hate hate HATE a black background. Hate it.

by azibuck on Dec 18, 2007 8:58 PM EST up reply actions

See, this is the kind of feedback I want.

I know a lot about baseball, but page design? Not so much...

by Vlad on Dec 18, 2007 9:00 PM EST up reply actions

Only real advice

Is to actually BE a blogger. I think it's pretty hard to stay at it for the long haul. But posting just about every day is a must. Not like Travelling Charlie here, who just lets the diaries do the work for him. Also, be patient with sarcastic jackass know-it-alls that leave comments.

by azibuck on Dec 18, 2007 9:09 PM EST up reply actions

Patience with the know-it-alls

Charlie does a great job with that!

by The New Guy on Dec 18, 2007 9:13 PM EST up reply actions

Black background

I had a black background once. Then a yellow one. I think azibuck subconsciously directed me to change both.

http://whereisvanslyke.blogspot.com
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/mlb

by whygavs on Dec 18, 2007 9:24 PM EST up reply actions

Didn't you have...

...a button that let people switch between a black sheet and a white one? Or am I thinking of someone else?

by Vlad on Dec 18, 2007 9:37 PM EST up reply actions

Well . . .

I wouldn't even know how to do a black background.

by WTM on Dec 19, 2007 1:28 PM EST up reply actions

No way

That was definitely not my site. I'm barely literate enough to keep things going the way they are, though I did manage to finally find a template that worked for both me and everyone else after a while. The new version of blogger makes it pretty easy.

http://whereisvanslyke.blogspot.com
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/mlb

by whygavs on Dec 21, 2007 2:30 AM EST up reply actions