November 16, 2005
Cameron a Padre?
ESPN is reporting that Mike Cameron is going to the Padres in exchange for Xavier Nady. I'm guessing the Mets would move Nady to first, possibly giving them an outfield of Floyd, Beltran and Victor Diaz.
If you are going to play Beltran in center, then Cameron isn't a good fit on that team. I assume Mike will play center on San Diego. Are they going to move Dave Roberts to right if they can't sign Giles, or is Roberts going to move in another deal?
Posted by David Pinto at
05:26 PM
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Yeah, Nady isn't as good as Cameron, but they are saving $7M this way. Diaz will put up numbers at least as good as Cameron would, and for much less money, too. Not a bad deal, though if I were a Mets fan I would have liked to have gotten a pitcher out of this deal.
I read a rumor somewhere a day or two ago that had Roberts going to Boston for someone. I was scratching my head on that one but with this deal, now it makes more sense.
David,
The Padres are probably going to let Roberts go. I think the idea is either Giles or J Jones (both Southern California natives) on one side and probably Ben Johnson, Freddy Guzman or Laynce Nix (assuming the rumored Adam Eaton trade goes through) in the other corner.
I disagree that Nady isn't as good as Cameron. Bochy has never given Nady a real chance to play through a slump, much like Jim Tracy with respect to Hee Sop Choi. He is very flexible defensively, as he can play corner outfield, first base, and a little third. In 775 career at bats, despite shuttling in and out of the lineup, he's put up 25 HR and 91 RBI. He was an excellent hitter at Cal, maybe one of the few best in the country, and if he's given a real shot, I think he could easily outperform Cameron. Oh, and he costs 6.5 million less than Cameron.
And despite this, I like this as a Padres fan. I was dreading the possibility that the Padres would trot Dave Roberts or Freddy Guzman out in center field and watch one of them pile up 2 or 3 home runs over the course of the year. Plus, it's a sign that the Padres aren't waiting for 2007 and think they can tread water before the big contracts (Klesko, Park) come off the books. Cameron fills a real need. I think this is a good trade for both teams.
...plus the odd coincidence that Cameron and Beltran collided in PetCo., ending Cameron's season.
From the perspective of a Mets fan...
I'm very happy with this deal. Nady's current levels of production aren't quite at Cameron's level, especially considering defense. But, Cameron's on the decline and coming off major facial reconstruction surgery, and Nady's coming right into his prime seasons. There is a good chance that Nady will give the Mets as good of a performance as they would've out of Cameron. And if not? The fact that he destroys LHP makes him a good platoon option at 1B with Mike Jacobs.
And the saved money gives the Mets some good flexibility, to use in the pen, in right or at second. Although, I hope it's not for Manny ^^
Oh, it's Manny, Jeff. This is a salary motivated maneuver.
The talk in Red Sox Nation is that Dave Roberts would be part of a package for David Wells, who doesn't want to play in Boston and might retire if he isn't moved. (Roberts and a prospect, I don't recall who.) Roberts could be the 4th outfielder for the Red Sox, or slide into CF if Johnny Damon signs elsewhere.