Make sure to tune in to the return of Matt and Joe Radio TONIGHT at 10pm EST : Matt & Joe The Return
Also, for the first time ever, watch the video feed of Matt during tonight's broadcast right here on Matt and Joe the Blog...
Live .TV show provided by Ustream
Don't forget to take part in the BTR chat room and call in - 1-646-478-4588
Enjoy.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Risky Business: Rich Harden and the Chicago Cubs
I decided to give myself the night to sleep on it before I posted about Rich Harden. If I had tried to blog yesterday, I would have come off as an excited school girl who just got asked to prom by the captain of the football team. I've took some time and gathered my thoughts and I am now here to tell you all why this trade is probably the best trade for a starting pitcher this season (dating back to Bedard) and definitely better than the CC trade.
I'll state it here and now: Rich Harden has a history of injuries. I accept that and understand that for awhile (if not for the rest of the season), we might only see 5-6 innings a start out of Rich Harden. Every pitcher is an injury waiting to happen - pitching is one of the most unnatural motions we force our bodies to do. Rich Harden has been injured more than most, but as of right now he is strung together a nice streak of quality and healthy starts. I believe Hendry said it best that if he didn't have these health issues recently, he wouldn't even be on the market. While you would love to be getting a Rich Harden whose made 30 starts the last three years and has been just as electrifying throughout it all, he wouldn't have been available and even if he was you weren't going to get him without a package including your top two or three prospects.
That being said, obviously the package obtained by the A's reflect those concerns. There is no Carlos Gomez, no Matt LaPorta, and definitely no Adam Jones in this package. Matt Murton has hovered between Triple A and a 4th outfielder even though he is/was touted to be much more than that. Sean Gallagher is a young and talented pitcher. He could bloom into something good (not great), but there is a risk he won't. With any prospect, it is a very real possibility that nothing will come of their talent they have shown at lower levels of competitive play. So while I completely see the risk of Rich Harden, at least we know he can play and dominate at the Major League level. Not many people can say that about their talent and execution. If I could have made a package without Gallagher, I would have, but he is the only part of the package that I am somewhat going to miss.
While Murton was shuffling back and forth between MLB and Triple A, Eric Patterson proved he can play but was still not hitting enough. He is an OF and can play second base. The OF is a bit full with Soriano, Fukudome, and Pie (eventually). Even after that, DeRosa is still hanging around for another year. Long story short - We have a bit of a jam in the OF/2B position. I wasn't sold on Patterson (maybe I'm still hurting from Corey) so again, he is someone that I won't miss. We sold from a relative strength in our OF since we've been able to get players from the free agent pool. The final piece was a Double A catcher Josh Donaldson. With Soto showing he can field and hit his position well, I don't mind sending a low ball catcher away in a package.
This post started with me accepting that there is a huge risk in getting Rich Harden. Well, there is a huge risk that Matt Murton never becomes more than a 4th outfielder. That Sean Gallagher is never more than a mediocre pitcher. That Eric Patterson never finds his swing in the big leagues. These are the risks you see with all prospects and the reason why you try to hold onto them is because you hope they reward you with success in the MLB. No one in that package offers the reward that Rich Harden offers if he does put his injuries behind him. On top of the fact that his upside outweighs all of the others, the Cubs also got the A's to put an insurance policy into the deal: Chad Gaudin. Is he Harden? No. But this isn't a deal that if Harden goes on the DL we can officially say we handed the A's four prospects.
There is one more aspect of this trade that I'm excited for that is more of an intangible. The idea of competition within a team is not always a bad thing. Kevin Garnett talked about what it felt like to truly play with people he considered on his skill level in Boston. It often drives you to play up to your maximum potential. That isn't to say Garnett wasn't trying in Minnesota, but sometimes you don't even realize you have another level until the skill around you catches up to your own level. Carlos Zambrano hasn't had another ace on his staff since 2003. In 2003, he was sort of the young, wild guy who was hoping to be Mark Prior and Kerry Wood (I still get emotional thinking about it...). After that, Big Z was on his own here to lead the staff. He has done well and pitched like an #1 pitcher. I personally want to see what Harden and Zambrano do for one another. I won't claim that this had anything to do with Zambrano 8 inning 1 hitter against the Reds tonight but hopefully you can see my point. There will never be a way to measure it or even be sure it is happening, but I think adding a pitcher of Harden's quality to a group of good pitchers brings everyone up a level. Aside from the rotation, Harden can hopefully help the bullpen as well. While he might not eat innings, you can actually rotate your bullpen pitchers into games a lot better if you are calling for them in 4-0 and 5-0 games instead of going to the same guys that you look to in close games.
And on top of all this, Rich Harden isn't even a rental. The Cubs control Harden for '08 and '09. So when the Brewers have to accept two draft picks and hope they find the diamond in the rough in next year's draft, the Mariners trade away Erik Bedard for pennies on the dollar because their team sits in last place, the Diamondbacks hope that not all 5 prospects sent over to Oakland turn out to be studs even though Haren has been great, and the Mets pray that Santana is worth the money in years 4 and 5 of his deal, the Cubs get a year and a half of one of the best pitchers in baseball. If they are smart and they watch his pitch count, which is hard because when he strikes out 8 in 4 innings and hasn't allowed a hit you think its going to be an off day for your bullpen but he needs to throw a lot of pitches sometimes to get those strikeouts, and give him that extra day each time it comes up throughout the season, the Cubs will put Harden in the best position possible to remain healthy. The Cubs also have 6 starters (Zambrano, Lilly, Dempster, Marquis, Harden, and Marshall), a starter turned reliever (Lieber) and a reliever-starter hybrid (Gaudin). Obviously some of those names are more marketable than others but adding Harden may turn the Cubs into a minor seller at the trading deadline in order to add a prospect or maybe address other needs. There is always a need for a starting pitcher and teams who need to trade for them (the New York Yankees anyone?). It just opens the door for Hendry to throw a few more names around the league.
As a Cubs fan, I am not saying that this is a flat out steal of a deal because I realize that he needs to stay healthy, but I can only help but smile when I think about what it might be like if he does. Forget the curse and the World Series, lets just see 6 quality innings this Saturday. I'll be wearing my Rich Harden T-Shirt Jersey until then.
The Return - Matt and Joe Radio - July 10th 2008 - 10 PM - Listen Here
I'll state it here and now: Rich Harden has a history of injuries. I accept that and understand that for awhile (if not for the rest of the season), we might only see 5-6 innings a start out of Rich Harden. Every pitcher is an injury waiting to happen - pitching is one of the most unnatural motions we force our bodies to do. Rich Harden has been injured more than most, but as of right now he is strung together a nice streak of quality and healthy starts. I believe Hendry said it best that if he didn't have these health issues recently, he wouldn't even be on the market. While you would love to be getting a Rich Harden whose made 30 starts the last three years and has been just as electrifying throughout it all, he wouldn't have been available and even if he was you weren't going to get him without a package including your top two or three prospects.
That being said, obviously the package obtained by the A's reflect those concerns. There is no Carlos Gomez, no Matt LaPorta, and definitely no Adam Jones in this package. Matt Murton has hovered between Triple A and a 4th outfielder even though he is/was touted to be much more than that. Sean Gallagher is a young and talented pitcher. He could bloom into something good (not great), but there is a risk he won't. With any prospect, it is a very real possibility that nothing will come of their talent they have shown at lower levels of competitive play. So while I completely see the risk of Rich Harden, at least we know he can play and dominate at the Major League level. Not many people can say that about their talent and execution. If I could have made a package without Gallagher, I would have, but he is the only part of the package that I am somewhat going to miss.
While Murton was shuffling back and forth between MLB and Triple A, Eric Patterson proved he can play but was still not hitting enough. He is an OF and can play second base. The OF is a bit full with Soriano, Fukudome, and Pie (eventually). Even after that, DeRosa is still hanging around for another year. Long story short - We have a bit of a jam in the OF/2B position. I wasn't sold on Patterson (maybe I'm still hurting from Corey) so again, he is someone that I won't miss. We sold from a relative strength in our OF since we've been able to get players from the free agent pool. The final piece was a Double A catcher Josh Donaldson. With Soto showing he can field and hit his position well, I don't mind sending a low ball catcher away in a package.
This post started with me accepting that there is a huge risk in getting Rich Harden. Well, there is a huge risk that Matt Murton never becomes more than a 4th outfielder. That Sean Gallagher is never more than a mediocre pitcher. That Eric Patterson never finds his swing in the big leagues. These are the risks you see with all prospects and the reason why you try to hold onto them is because you hope they reward you with success in the MLB. No one in that package offers the reward that Rich Harden offers if he does put his injuries behind him. On top of the fact that his upside outweighs all of the others, the Cubs also got the A's to put an insurance policy into the deal: Chad Gaudin. Is he Harden? No. But this isn't a deal that if Harden goes on the DL we can officially say we handed the A's four prospects.
There is one more aspect of this trade that I'm excited for that is more of an intangible. The idea of competition within a team is not always a bad thing. Kevin Garnett talked about what it felt like to truly play with people he considered on his skill level in Boston. It often drives you to play up to your maximum potential. That isn't to say Garnett wasn't trying in Minnesota, but sometimes you don't even realize you have another level until the skill around you catches up to your own level. Carlos Zambrano hasn't had another ace on his staff since 2003. In 2003, he was sort of the young, wild guy who was hoping to be Mark Prior and Kerry Wood (I still get emotional thinking about it...). After that, Big Z was on his own here to lead the staff. He has done well and pitched like an #1 pitcher. I personally want to see what Harden and Zambrano do for one another. I won't claim that this had anything to do with Zambrano 8 inning 1 hitter against the Reds tonight but hopefully you can see my point. There will never be a way to measure it or even be sure it is happening, but I think adding a pitcher of Harden's quality to a group of good pitchers brings everyone up a level. Aside from the rotation, Harden can hopefully help the bullpen as well. While he might not eat innings, you can actually rotate your bullpen pitchers into games a lot better if you are calling for them in 4-0 and 5-0 games instead of going to the same guys that you look to in close games.
And on top of all this, Rich Harden isn't even a rental. The Cubs control Harden for '08 and '09. So when the Brewers have to accept two draft picks and hope they find the diamond in the rough in next year's draft, the Mariners trade away Erik Bedard for pennies on the dollar because their team sits in last place, the Diamondbacks hope that not all 5 prospects sent over to Oakland turn out to be studs even though Haren has been great, and the Mets pray that Santana is worth the money in years 4 and 5 of his deal, the Cubs get a year and a half of one of the best pitchers in baseball. If they are smart and they watch his pitch count, which is hard because when he strikes out 8 in 4 innings and hasn't allowed a hit you think its going to be an off day for your bullpen but he needs to throw a lot of pitches sometimes to get those strikeouts, and give him that extra day each time it comes up throughout the season, the Cubs will put Harden in the best position possible to remain healthy. The Cubs also have 6 starters (Zambrano, Lilly, Dempster, Marquis, Harden, and Marshall), a starter turned reliever (Lieber) and a reliever-starter hybrid (Gaudin). Obviously some of those names are more marketable than others but adding Harden may turn the Cubs into a minor seller at the trading deadline in order to add a prospect or maybe address other needs. There is always a need for a starting pitcher and teams who need to trade for them (the New York Yankees anyone?). It just opens the door for Hendry to throw a few more names around the league.
As a Cubs fan, I am not saying that this is a flat out steal of a deal because I realize that he needs to stay healthy, but I can only help but smile when I think about what it might be like if he does. Forget the curse and the World Series, lets just see 6 quality innings this Saturday. I'll be wearing my Rich Harden T-Shirt Jersey until then.
The Return - Matt and Joe Radio - July 10th 2008 - 10 PM - Listen Here
The Kids Come to New York City
Last night maybe the two best pitchers in baseball were pitching in New York. And yes, those two are both only 24 years old. Scott Kazmir went to the mound at Yankee Stadium while Tim Lincecum went to the mound at Shea Stadium. Both will be at Yankee Stadium next Tuesday for the All-Star game, but last night was the chance to watch these two studs throw in the biggest city in the world.
However, while Lincecum and Kazmir were pitching, the night went to another youngster; Mike Pelfrey. Pelfrey defeated Lincecum, going seven scoreless innings while striking out five. Pelfrey is now 5-0 in his last eight starts with an ERA of 2.70. His season record is now 7-6 and his ERA is below 4 (3.93).
On the other side of the Triborough Bridge, Andy Pettitte showed Kazmir that he's been a very good lefty since before Kazmir entered high school. Pettitte was definitely a senior citizen on this night for pitchers in New York.
But it's truly a refreshing feel seeing young stars taking the mound, and maybe even another young one ready to blossom. What Kazmir and Lincecum are doing are in ways comparable to how all those great pitcher from way back when busted onto the scene. They are mowing people down and doing it very, very easily.
Maybe the best part about seeing young pitchers develop is the fact that this decade is most recognized for big hitting. And the reality is the real die-hard baseball fans absolutely loves his nine-inning pitchers duel.
Just taking the New York games last night, they were mostly a pitchers duel. While the final results read the Mets winning 7-0 and the Yankees winning 5-0, if you watched these games you saw a pitcher on each side having command. Yeah, the Mets got to Lincecum with the long ball, but other than that nothing more could really be done. And for the Yankees, they got to Kazmir early and his night was done after six. But it was something at least a little special (unless you're a Rays or Giants fan) having four pitchers in one city who just know how to pitch. There were the three kids and an old guy... OK, older guy.
But you know what, those kids are alright.
Tune in to the return of Matt and Joe Radio on Thursday July 10 at 10 PM
However, while Lincecum and Kazmir were pitching, the night went to another youngster; Mike Pelfrey. Pelfrey defeated Lincecum, going seven scoreless innings while striking out five. Pelfrey is now 5-0 in his last eight starts with an ERA of 2.70. His season record is now 7-6 and his ERA is below 4 (3.93).
On the other side of the Triborough Bridge, Andy Pettitte showed Kazmir that he's been a very good lefty since before Kazmir entered high school. Pettitte was definitely a senior citizen on this night for pitchers in New York.
But it's truly a refreshing feel seeing young stars taking the mound, and maybe even another young one ready to blossom. What Kazmir and Lincecum are doing are in ways comparable to how all those great pitcher from way back when busted onto the scene. They are mowing people down and doing it very, very easily.
Maybe the best part about seeing young pitchers develop is the fact that this decade is most recognized for big hitting. And the reality is the real die-hard baseball fans absolutely loves his nine-inning pitchers duel.
Just taking the New York games last night, they were mostly a pitchers duel. While the final results read the Mets winning 7-0 and the Yankees winning 5-0, if you watched these games you saw a pitcher on each side having command. Yeah, the Mets got to Lincecum with the long ball, but other than that nothing more could really be done. And for the Yankees, they got to Kazmir early and his night was done after six. But it was something at least a little special (unless you're a Rays or Giants fan) having four pitchers in one city who just know how to pitch. There were the three kids and an old guy... OK, older guy.
But you know what, those kids are alright.
Tune in to the return of Matt and Joe Radio on Thursday July 10 at 10 PM
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
The Great Trade For Second Place
We're Back. I had a long and elaborate intro to this blog about the return of Matt and Joe but honestly - We're All About Business. So here we go....
In the past 48 hours, the most interesting in season trade in the last few seasons has been finalized. CC (note the lack of periods between the C's, you're welcome CC) Sabathia is now a Milwaukee Brewer. This blog isn't to analyze the trade itself but talk about the timing of the trade. While it is impressive to see a GM go out and make a move with the trade deadline forcing him to do so (and thus maximizing the time they get to use CC and possibly negotiate with him), to me the trade was made with a team that doesn't seem to have the parts to make a run this season. The Brewers are turning things up offensively (recently, J.J. Hardy went on a 6 homer tear in a 8 game stretch) and Ben Sheets is reminding us that he is a true ace but I still see a team that isn't ready to make that push into the playoffs (or further).
Yes - The NL is WIDE OPEN. The NL West is making its yearly threat to send a sub .500 team into the playoffs (or is it a promise since one of those teams HAS to be in the playoffs?), the Brewers are currently better than the top of the NL East (Phillies only have 48 wins to the Brewers 49), and the Cubs are only 4 games ahead in the NL Central. This may seem like a great reason to go out and get yourself a stud like CC for a much lighter price than the ransom paid for Dan Haren. However, the Brewers still put Mike Cameron out in CF every day. Jason Kendall still takes batting practice with the pitchers just to boost his self confidence (that could be completely false). Gabe Kapler is the #4 outfielder and backup to all three positions. The bullpen is horrendous (better since they threw Gagne away, but still, not very good). Prince Fielder and J.J. Hardy have heated up after slow starts while Rickie Weeks and Bill Hall (who lost his starting job to Russell Branyan) continue to play poorly. Ryan Braun is hitting well but not at the pace he set for himself with his amazing rookie season.
The list goes on and on - Jeff Suppan, though injured, will be a starter when he returns just because of the money invested in him - Ben Sheets already has 118 innings under his belt and while he has remained healthy, who knows what to expect as he approaches season highs in IP and pitches thrown - etc... This is a team that has pieces but while on a hot streak now doesn't seem to me like a team that righted the ship and is now playing up to their potential. This is a team playing a bit over their head and while that might mean they slow down a bit, it doesn't mean they are the San Francisco Giants. Adding CC to this group makes them better - How can you add an ace to your rotation, not lose any every day players and not call that an improvement? That being said, I don't think CC changes them from an good team to a great time. If the Brewers make the playoffs and the hitters are clicking, CC makes them a scary first round team just because you have to face either CC or Sheets twice if it goes to 5. However, even in the soft NL, I don't think CC necessarily is the piece that helps them get to the playoffs. I believe that the NL East (yes, this is mostly my belief in the NY Mets/Phillies) will produce the wild card team because I think the Mets have yet to play their best baseball of the season. Even with my NL Central bias as a Cubs fan, I think the Mets (assuming the Phillies take the East) have a better team and should win more games than the Brewers from here on out.
Again, not to analyze the trade, but LaPorta was a blue chip prospect that could project to big power numbers in the outfield. If the NL plays out the way I think it will, the Brewers will maybe keep it interesting but again miss the playoffs. While CC could sign with the Brewers, I don't think he will. Sure, you get 2 draft picks for him, but in the end draft picks are almost meaningless. Sure, you'd love to have a ton of them but honestly, first round players bust almost as often as 20th round players turn out to be aces. Scouting reports and work outs can only take you so far and in the end you just hope to get lucky and land on a true blue chip prospect. The Brewers traded talent to get talent but I don't think it was the move they needed to make to secure a playoff berth and therefore could be a move not worth making. Again, you love to add a pitcher like CC whenever you can but if he turns out just to be a rental and you don't even get a trip to the playoffs out of it, you have to ask yourself that one question: Was he worth it?
If the Brewers make the playoffs, this post is worthless and I'll delete it no one can read it and tell me just how wrong I was. Hell the trade would also be worth something if the Brewers don't make it but CC signs long term and LaPorta busts in Cleveland. But in the here and now, a team that needed some stability in its bullpen, a bit more offense from a few positions, a bit of consistency from their starting eight, and their ace to stay healthy just added another ace to the mix. I wouldn't complain about it but I don't think this makes them a lock for the playoffs. Only time will tell if this a move that should have been made, but for now, it seems to me like it will be the greatest trade of the season for a second place team. Maybe it is just wishful thinking from a hopeful (and jealous) Cubs fan, but CC might be more Bedard than Schilling at the end of the day.
The Return - Matt and Joe Radio - Thursday Night - 10 PM - 12 AM
In the past 48 hours, the most interesting in season trade in the last few seasons has been finalized. CC (note the lack of periods between the C's, you're welcome CC) Sabathia is now a Milwaukee Brewer. This blog isn't to analyze the trade itself but talk about the timing of the trade. While it is impressive to see a GM go out and make a move with the trade deadline forcing him to do so (and thus maximizing the time they get to use CC and possibly negotiate with him), to me the trade was made with a team that doesn't seem to have the parts to make a run this season. The Brewers are turning things up offensively (recently, J.J. Hardy went on a 6 homer tear in a 8 game stretch) and Ben Sheets is reminding us that he is a true ace but I still see a team that isn't ready to make that push into the playoffs (or further).
Yes - The NL is WIDE OPEN. The NL West is making its yearly threat to send a sub .500 team into the playoffs (or is it a promise since one of those teams HAS to be in the playoffs?), the Brewers are currently better than the top of the NL East (Phillies only have 48 wins to the Brewers 49), and the Cubs are only 4 games ahead in the NL Central. This may seem like a great reason to go out and get yourself a stud like CC for a much lighter price than the ransom paid for Dan Haren. However, the Brewers still put Mike Cameron out in CF every day. Jason Kendall still takes batting practice with the pitchers just to boost his self confidence (that could be completely false). Gabe Kapler is the #4 outfielder and backup to all three positions. The bullpen is horrendous (better since they threw Gagne away, but still, not very good). Prince Fielder and J.J. Hardy have heated up after slow starts while Rickie Weeks and Bill Hall (who lost his starting job to Russell Branyan) continue to play poorly. Ryan Braun is hitting well but not at the pace he set for himself with his amazing rookie season.
The list goes on and on - Jeff Suppan, though injured, will be a starter when he returns just because of the money invested in him - Ben Sheets already has 118 innings under his belt and while he has remained healthy, who knows what to expect as he approaches season highs in IP and pitches thrown - etc... This is a team that has pieces but while on a hot streak now doesn't seem to me like a team that righted the ship and is now playing up to their potential. This is a team playing a bit over their head and while that might mean they slow down a bit, it doesn't mean they are the San Francisco Giants. Adding CC to this group makes them better - How can you add an ace to your rotation, not lose any every day players and not call that an improvement? That being said, I don't think CC changes them from an good team to a great time. If the Brewers make the playoffs and the hitters are clicking, CC makes them a scary first round team just because you have to face either CC or Sheets twice if it goes to 5. However, even in the soft NL, I don't think CC necessarily is the piece that helps them get to the playoffs. I believe that the NL East (yes, this is mostly my belief in the NY Mets/Phillies) will produce the wild card team because I think the Mets have yet to play their best baseball of the season. Even with my NL Central bias as a Cubs fan, I think the Mets (assuming the Phillies take the East) have a better team and should win more games than the Brewers from here on out.
Again, not to analyze the trade, but LaPorta was a blue chip prospect that could project to big power numbers in the outfield. If the NL plays out the way I think it will, the Brewers will maybe keep it interesting but again miss the playoffs. While CC could sign with the Brewers, I don't think he will. Sure, you get 2 draft picks for him, but in the end draft picks are almost meaningless. Sure, you'd love to have a ton of them but honestly, first round players bust almost as often as 20th round players turn out to be aces. Scouting reports and work outs can only take you so far and in the end you just hope to get lucky and land on a true blue chip prospect. The Brewers traded talent to get talent but I don't think it was the move they needed to make to secure a playoff berth and therefore could be a move not worth making. Again, you love to add a pitcher like CC whenever you can but if he turns out just to be a rental and you don't even get a trip to the playoffs out of it, you have to ask yourself that one question: Was he worth it?
If the Brewers make the playoffs, this post is worthless and I'll delete it no one can read it and tell me just how wrong I was. Hell the trade would also be worth something if the Brewers don't make it but CC signs long term and LaPorta busts in Cleveland. But in the here and now, a team that needed some stability in its bullpen, a bit more offense from a few positions, a bit of consistency from their starting eight, and their ace to stay healthy just added another ace to the mix. I wouldn't complain about it but I don't think this makes them a lock for the playoffs. Only time will tell if this a move that should have been made, but for now, it seems to me like it will be the greatest trade of the season for a second place team. Maybe it is just wishful thinking from a hopeful (and jealous) Cubs fan, but CC might be more Bedard than Schilling at the end of the day.
The Return - Matt and Joe Radio - Thursday Night - 10 PM - 12 AM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
