December 21, 2007
Trading Pitching
The Texas Rangers acquired Josh Hamilton from the Reds for Edinson Volquez and Danny Herrera. I find it strange that Texas would trade a top pitching prospect, given their lack of depth on the mound. Volquez, however, while a great minor league pitcher has been just terrible in his major league outings. At the minor league level, he keeps the ball in the park, doesn't walk too many batters and strikes out a ton. But in the majors, all those numbers go in the wrong direction. Maybe he just needs some maturity, but I also could understand why Texas might want to let him go. Herrera, however, also is putting up great numbers in the minor leagues.
It could be the Rangers feel they just don't have a good way of improving the pitching this year, so they might as well make the offense as potent as possible and hope they get lucky.
Posted by David Pinto at
09:48 PM
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Hicks' business model for the team has always centered around offensive production. He talks all the time about how he will put more money into the club when people start buying tickets and coming to games. The moves for Hamilton and Milton Bradley make sense since Hicks probably figures strong bats sell seats.
He'll start putting money into pitching when fans start showing up, which won't happen until we have a reason to, since until they have pitching they'll be a losing club.
I'll keep watching the games though, because one day they are bound to put something together. Maybe someday we'll even win another playoff game.
Sorry, to both Dave and Art, but your comments are outdated. The Rangers have had a weak offense for a while now, even before the Teixeira trade, yet everyone still assumes they are the 90s big bat Rangers.
The Ranger actually have more pitching depth now in the minors than they have in a very long time, maybe ever. What's in the big leagues isn't sexy, but they aren't contending this year anyway. Volquez is as big a risk performance-wise as Hamilton is.
Bottom line, Hamilton instantly becomes by far the best outfield in TX, and the best within 2 or 3 years of contributing even if you go down into the minor leagues. He might even be the best player, period, on the team right now, and that is not something you could really say about Volquez.
t ball: "[Hamilton] might even be the best player...on the team right now."
I think Michael Young might have something to say about that.
I think it's a good trade. The Rangers don't need Volquez to loose 20 games for them next year. They have that covered. What they don't have covered are offense and outfield positions. Hamilton helps in both of those areas.
t ball: "[Hamilton] might even be the best player...on the team right now."
I think Michael Young might have something to say about that.
I think it's a good trade. The Rangers don't need Volquez to loose 20 games for them next year. They have that covered. What they don't have covered are offense and outfield positions. Hamilton helps in both of those areas.
Great trade. Potential .300/.390/.550, 30-100-100 bat for a #4-5 starter that might end up in the pen and an organizational arm.
I agree that short term you put a potential all-star everyday player but you are giving up one of your top pitching prospects - if Volquez works out it's a mistake - could the Reds possibly need starting pitching that bad that they are trading Hamilton or are they more than a little concerned about his future?
