Leo Nunez Traded to Marlins for Mike Jacobs

by Charlie Wilmoth on Oct 30, 2008 6:40 PM EDT

Here's a pretty interesting trade to start the offseason. Leo Nunez, the former Pirates prospect Dave Littlefield dealt to the Royals for Benito Santiago, has been traded to the Marlins for first baseman Mike Jacobs.

I just looked at Jacobs' stat line for the first time in a couple months, and it's a sight to behold if you haven't looked at it. Jacobs' .247/.299/.514 line is like a year out of Dave Kingman's career--he didn't hit much, but when he did the ball went a really long way. Jacobs' 32-homer 2008 may be the worst 30-homer season since--what--Tony Batista in 2000? Jeromy Burnitz in 2003?

Anyway, the most likely path for Jacobs may well be a few more seasons of a decreasing batting average until he just isn't playable anymore, but he just turned 28 today; Kingman himself had a late peak that started in his age 29 season, and he hit 48 homers as a 30-year-old, so anything's possible. For a bad team with no good first base option, Jacobs is a great gamble.

I just wonder whether the Royals are that bad team. This move probably amounts to an admission that Billy Butler should DH going forward, which sounds fine to me, but what about Kila Ka'aihue, who had a ridiculous 1.085 OPS in Class AA and AAA this year while hitting 37 homers and posting 104 walks against 67 strikeouts? If that isn't the line of a player who deserves a shot in the big leagues, I don't know what is. And Ka'aihue and Jacobs are both left-handed, so they can't be platooned. Royals Review has it right: "Royals Acquire Mike Jacobs for Some Reason."

For the Marlins, this is probably just a salary dump--Jacobs is arbitration-eligible--but I've always like Nunez and I see no reason to stop now. His strikeout rate declined a bit this year, but he allowed just two homers in 48 innings. He just benefit from a move to a weaker league and a nice pitcher's park.

This is a strange trade for the Royals--not necessarily a terrible one, but it raises some questions about their plans. If it gets in the way of Butler's development, it's an awful idea, and personally, I'd have preferred to keep Nunez and give Ka'aihue a shot.

UPDATE: ChadBahamas in the comments may be on to something in suggesting that the Pirates try to swing a deal for Butler. Rany Jazayerli's excellent writeup about the Jacobs rumors, written before the trade, points out this article, which reports that after the 2006 season, the Royals offered Butler to the Mariners for Yuniesky Betancourt. (Bill Bavasi, amazingly even for him, turned the Royals down.) I'm not sure what the Pirates have to offer that the Royals would want, but Butler's definitely a player I'd want around, even given his defensive liabilities, and it sounds like the Royals would gladly trade him for below market value. I've never figured Royals GM Dayton Moore for a sucker before, but I'm beginning to wonder now.

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Comments

Dear NH,

Please make a run at Billy Butler.

Thank you.

by Chad Bahamas on Oct 30, 2008 6:56 PM EDT reply actions

Or...

Ka’aihue. It would be nice to have some 1st base options with Laroche entering FA. I wonder what it would take to get him. We really don’t seem like a good match with the Royals.

by Slick1 on Oct 30, 2008 7:38 PM EDT reply actions

How about...

Nyjer Morgan and someone like Tony Watson. I know we are giving up very little for a potentialy really good hitter, but I do believe Dayton Moore is a sucker.

by joegonzo on Oct 30, 2008 9:43 PM EDT reply actions

Even if he's a sucker...

…I doubt he’s THAT MUCH of a sucker. You might as well offer him a kick in the ass.

by Vlad on Oct 30, 2008 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Butler

I’d love it if Morgan + some not great prospect netted Butler. I highly doubt it, but it’d be worth trying something like that. If I’m NH, I’d have a little fun with this. KC could use starting pitching. I’d offer Snell for Butler and a prospect like Cortes or Rosa. I hear Butler’s defense is poor, but still, its 1B, poor defense shouldn’t that be that costly.

Ka’aihue would be costlier to get, but he’d no doubt be our 1b of the future. All I really want out of NH this offseason is an effort to acquire higher end talent. Going after a logjam with young talented players like Butler and Ka’aihue are the kinds of moves he should be pursuing.

by Chad Bahamas on Oct 30, 2008 11:01 PM EDT reply actions

Rosa's arm is hurt.

He was supposed to be in the Marlins deal instead of Nunez, but the Fish didn’t like the medicals.

Just a FYI.

by Vlad on Oct 30, 2008 11:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Do we need another right handed bat ?

Ok, I understand Butler is a good hitter, but do we need another right handed hitter ? If we’re looking to get rid of Mario LaRoche at first, let’s either A: Get a left handed power hitting first baseman or B: A left handed power hitting outfielder and move Steve Pearce to first.

by Ketcham Bruce on Oct 31, 2008 8:11 AM EDT reply actions

Does it matter?

I don’t think it matters if they are right handed or leftt handed. Al long as, Butler is better then what they have. The pirates are not at the point where they can worry about balance. They need to worry about the quality of the player.

by succos12 on Oct 31, 2008 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions

What he (succos12) said.

Balance and match up options are worthy of consideration when you are decent trying to become good. When you suck and are trying to become not suck, your focus should be largely on getting good players.

Good day.

by Uncle Nate on Oct 31, 2008 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Billy Butler is a DH

He hits much better against left handers than right handers. Jacobs is a DH who can play first (albeit brutally). He hits much better against right handers than left handers. This trade is about beefing up the KC DH situation. Butler has some promise as a hitter, but he profiles as Josh Phelps, Jr. (although with less power and fewer defensive skills). While accepting the notion that a couple of good bench bats would be very valuable, Butler is worth more to the Royals than to the Pirates.

Viva Clemente!

by Roberto on Oct 31, 2008 10:47 AM EDT reply actions

Roberto

Very good, concise analysis of Butler.

by thegunner on Oct 31, 2008 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions

Yes, it does matter

Butler might be a quality hitter, but we need left handed power bats in our line up. Half of our games are played in PNC Park where there is a short porch in right. If we have the opportunity to get a power hitter, lets go with one that will have an advantage.

by Ketcham Bruce on Oct 31, 2008 12:34 PM EDT reply actions

Come on

The Cubs need left handed bats. We need good players. I am not saying don’t get lefties. Just make sure they are better than the righties we currently have. We have to make moves on getting the best available player we can not what side of the plate they hit from. When you limit the pool of available players you usually end up with lesser quality players.

by succos12 on Oct 31, 2008 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

Gather good players first. Once we get enough good players, a smart GM can fine tune a roster to perform to its maximum.

by Chad Bahamas on Oct 31, 2008 10:35 PM EDT up reply actions

I understand what you're saying

but look at it this way. If I was Hunington and had the opportunity to trade for Ryan Sandburg in his prime, a right handed slugging second baseman, or Chase Utley in his prime, a left handed slugging second baseman, I’d get Utley. If we HAVE the opportunity to take a left handed hitter over a right handed hitter we need to take the lefty. We’ve never had a GM who has fielded a team that uses PNC Park’s dimesnsions. Butler maybe great, but lets hold off for a power lefty bat instead.

by Ketcham Bruce on Nov 1, 2008 5:48 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, but...

…where is the lefty slugger being sold for pennies on the dollar?

If someone offers you a Sandberg, you don’t out-think yourself and go with Wayne Tolleson instead just because he can hit left-handed. The whole advantage for us getting a lefty is that he’ll outperform his purchase price because of our park. Well, getting Butler on the cheap would allow him to outperform his purchase price, too… it’s just that it’d be the result of a shrewd deal, not park effects.

by Vlad on Nov 2, 2008 3:50 PM EST up reply actions