Sunday, October 5, 2008

Sometimes you gotta wonder

Sometimes you gotta wonder what writers (and in this case, their unnamed sources) are thinking when they are proposing trades. I know it's easy to point out the knuckleheads who call into talk shows to offer our crap for their gold, but I just can't see this one happening:

[A high-ranking executive on a 2008 playoff team] would move Xavier Nady from left field to right and, in center, alternate young Brett Gardner—a weak hitter and strong defender—with veteran Matt Kemp, whom he thinks the Yanks could get in a trade for the regressing Melky Cabrera and the unphenomenal phenom Ian Kennedy—he of the 8.17 E.R.A., the zero wins in nine starts, and the embarrassing comments to the press.
Really? Do you really think the Dodgers would take on Melky and Kennedy for a high ceiling and now MLB proven young stud Kemp, who's no more veteran than Kennedy? An executive really thinks the Dodgers would take these two for Kemp? Really?!?! Oh yeah, and he'd then platoon him with Gardner? Yeesh.

If we could get Kemp for those two, plus some other player, do it in a blink. We know Colletti likes older players and Torre trusts "his guys", so why not offer those two and pay half of Matsui's contract to get Kemp? Too far fetched, I know. Spoken like one of those wacky call-in guys....

Lidz (the author) and his nameless source had a few other observations on re-making the Yanks in 2009:
  • Nameless says forget about Ben Sheets—the Milwaukee ace privately says he won't play in New York
  • Nameless insists that the Yanks should avoid Mark Teixeira. Sure, he's 28, a Gold Glover, and the sort of disciplined switch-hitter with power that the Yankees love. "The problem is he'll demand an eight-year contract for at least $160 million," says Nameless. "And, frankly, he's not worth that kind of money. In the long run, the investment wouldn't pay off."
  • In left and at D.H., Nameless would alternate Johnny Damon and free-agent Manny Ramirez, a perennial Yankee Killer ... Plus, signing Manny would absolutely devastate Red Sox fans.

I'd also avoid Sheets as his elbow/health makes Burnett look like Ole Reliable. Teix would be great to have but I agree, that many years at that much money is just silly.

Question for all you Sox fans: Would you really be devastated? I can't imagine you would be. You could be angry that he "betrayed" you, like Damon, but I can't see you being devastated.

3 comments:

Mark said...

Devastated? Uh, no. Partly irritated, party amused, mostly apathetic.

Though signing the "perrennial Yankee-killer" is always a good way to get him to stop killing you. And I'm reminded of how excited Wade Boggs was when the Sox signed Matt Young, becuase he couldn't hit Young, which meant he must be awesome. Yaaarrghhh...

Jason @ IIATMS said...

That's about what I figured, Mark, though I didn't remember the Boggs/Young scenario.

Mark said...

The less remembered about Matt Young, the better. Though he does share an honor with Andy Hawkins, in that both threw a no-hitter but lost the game.