HOT STOVEAGE
The stove is at full blast. Let’s talk about some recent rumors and whatnot.
The Giants are supposedly thinking of trading Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum to Toronto for Alex Rios. That’s who Kenny Williams should have trade Jon Garland for–Rios. Rios is a good player, still young, still some potential upside. As for the Giants, they are nutso if they would trade either of those young arms for Rios.
Speaking of Williams, he was quoted in the paper this morning on the Miggy/D-Train trade and I found it interesting on 2 fronts.
“In some respects, you go, ‘uh-oh,’ ” White Sox general manager Ken Williams said when informed of the reported eight-player trade that brings Cabrera and faded All-Star Dontrelle Willis to Detroit. “In other regards, you go, ‘Good.’ ”
Good?
“One thing that’s difficult when you make a decision like that, one that is made for the short term, is that what you’re trying to do had better work,” Williams said. “If it doesn’t, you’re swimming upstream.”
That statement makes no sense when you consider that Cabrera is only 24 and Willis just 25. It also makes no sense because he just traded a 28-year old starting pitcher for a 33-year old shortstop.
If his offer wasn’t good enough, fine. But trading for those 2 is a long term deal, not a short term. That’s ridiculous. And again I’ll point out that the prospects Detroit gave up are good, but you wonder about their ceilings.
The other deal that really doesn’t make sense for me is the Brewers supposed interest in Scott Rolen. Sure, Ryan Braun had a lot of errors last year–26 in just 112 games–but the rumored offer for Rolen is just wack. They were prepared to trade Capuano, a “top prospect” and foot the bill for all of Rolen’s remaining salary, except the deferred part. Still, they’d be on the hook for $33 million.
Rolen has reached 500 ABs just once in the last 3 years, and it’s apparent to all he is not the same player either offensively or defensively. It’s possible he is now more like David Bell than his former self. And I wouldn’t be so quick to part with a left-handed starter that had 2 really good seasons before taking a step back in 2007. Maybe they realized that too because the talks regarding the deal have been chilled out.
