Blog For Free!
Archives
Home
2005 July
2005 May
2005 April
2005 March
2005 February
2005 January
2004 December
2004 November
2004 September
2004 August
2004 July
2004 June
2004 May
2004 April
My Links
ESPN Royals Message Board
Royalmania
Baseball Relevance
Rob Neyer
UL's toothpick
The Baseball Cube
Royals baseball
kcroyalzone
Royalsnightly
Royalties
Baseball Prospectus
BA
Baseball Primer
Payroll: Dugout Dollars
Fire Bavasi
'Till You're Blue in the Face
Kevin's Royals Blog
Met's fan blog
tBlog
My Profile
Send tMail
My tFriends
My Images
Sponsored
Blog
|
| End of the Carlos Beltran era in K.C. |
| 06.25.04 (5:08 am) [edit] |
The Royals traded star Center Fielder Carlos Beltran to the Houston Astros last night in a 3 team deal with the A's. Octavio Dotel goes to Oakland to clean up the toxic waste dump that has resembled the A's pen. The Astros plug Beltran in CF replacing Craig Biggio and possibly snagging them 4 or 5 extra wins this season. The Royals collect prospects: Mark Teahan 3B, John Buck C, and Mike Wood RHP. Teahan is a third basemen who is solid defensively and disciplined at the plate. His power is lacking but Baird has faith in him and has proven himself to be a better Scout than GM in the long run. Buck is a slugging catcher who was voted as the top defensive backstop in the PCL. Ok, then why do they keep mentioning a need to work on his mechanical problems with Tony? Who cares? He hit 22 homers in Single A and was on pace for 20 this year in AAA. I'll take him. Wood is a sinkerballer with good control, decent K rates, and he keeps the ball in the park.
Do I believe that any of these guys are stars? No. I think Teahan is the second coming of Corey Koskie. But that really isn't a bad thing. I think Buck could be similar to Michael Barrett. I don't like projecting pitching prospects that Beane trades away and I don't really know enough about Wood to guess. I think he'll be a solid #4 starter capable of posting an ERA around 4.20.
Three contributing major league players, on the cheap, for the next 6 years. This deal takes care of our blind spots. We needed a young catcher badly. And we definitely needed a 3B prospect. This should allow us to move Mitch Maier to the OF where I expect him to flourish with his speed.
All in all I like this trade. Its not great but it may have been the best out there. The future of the Royals is now. Dejesus has been called up and is going to be the everyday CF. Buck will be getting a lot of time behind the plate and Wood is in the rotation now. This season may have gone down the tubes but at least we will have a younger roster to watch develop as the season drags on.
|
|
|
| |
| Don't Fear the Reaper... |
| 06.23.04 (8:51 am) [edit] |
I've got a fever and the only prescription is Denny Bautista. Sideshow Baird pulled the wool over the eyes of the Wonder Twins running the O's, Beattie & Flannigan. In their dire crusade to prevent the Devil Rays from leaving them in the cellar the Orioles snagged the missing part of any team that really wants to make a run at 3rd place, a durable, old, middle reliever. In exchange for the solid but quasi fungible Jason Grimsley the Royals get the rights to 23 year old Denny Bautista. Bautista has a fastball that works at 93-94 mph and can hit 97. He has a big time slider and a developing changeup. His K rates are exceptional and he is hard to take out of the park. His control is his only issue but considering that we got Macdougal to the majors there is no reason to believe that this kid won't get their either.
But what about the gaping hole in the Royals bullpen? A) We are 27-40 so who cares? B) These guys are all pitching well in K.C. or in Omaha: Field, Affeldt, Cerda, Sullivan, Seanez, Bukvich, Carrasco, Camp, Vazquez could come up from Wichita.. I wouldn't mind seeing any of these guys forming our pen. This isn't even including Mac who will be called up eventually regardless.
This was a great move by Allard Baird and adds a power arm to the upper tiers of our minors that are currently devoid of pitching prospects. If Bass ever gets healthy than we will have two big time arms at Omaha next year in addition to the cadre of promising arms we have at the major league level.
|
|
|
| |
| First I'd like to apologize. |
| 06.23.04 (6:48 am) [edit] |
|
I haven't updated my blog since May 3rd and I'm sorry about that. In my defense that was just before Finals and I have been working 8-5 since I got out of school. Anyways, the updates start now.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
