The Cardinals were looking for pitching and the Royals have an abundance right now. Seems odd to me that neither team could pull a trigger on a deal with each other.
Very good article, I very much enjoyed it. In my opinion, the Royals got very little for what they traded. The rating of the trade will only be known in a couple years. As a Royals fan I want to believe these trades will be good for the team, however, in all probability the Royals will end up with but a few players that stick in the bigs, whether long term or short term. The rest of them will be minor league filler. It will end up just like most of the trades that are made by Moore & Company, it has a shadowy likeness of a good trade but the players returned will dissipate into nothingness before the end. Trading for just for the thrill of trading usually ends up like this.
Wanted to get your thoughts on what it felt like. What I mean is…..some of the trades before yesterday felt like maybe JJ was a little different. However, yesterday they did the bare minimum in my eyes….which I’m glad they did at least that….but yesterday felt a whole lot like a DM trade deadline to me. It continues to be the same MO…hold on to a valuable reliever for a losing team at a volatile position. Chances are decent he won’t be as valuable to us next year. The point I’m getting to is did you feel like enough changed to tell if JJ is much different than DM? Where some good signs….but a lot of the same.
The only way this makes sense to me (not trading Taylor, Barlow, Keller, etc) is that they KNOW they have to compete next year for their job (assuming they still have it). They have to be .500 a year from now. It just smells to me like they know they don’t have much rope here. Which also means to me if this team is to hover around .500 a top of the rotation arm is coming this offseason. A trade that hurts. At this point, alot would have to go right to be around .500 a year from now. It’s possible….and it will ride on the pitching and health. So second question….does this smell like a deadline where they knew they couldn’t get too creative because feet are to the fire….OR they just aren’t a creative FO anyway.
I was listening to an MLB show yesterday around the trade deadline, and while I'm surprised Barlow didn't move, their comment was they were surprised at how little movement was done on relievers in general.
Also, in keeping with poorly the Royals develop pitchers, Jorge Lopez brought back a good haul for the Orioles. Not bad for a DFA'd pitcher a couple of years ago.
More than I expected less than I hoped. 3 of the 10 are gone, which I'm happy for. This was JJ's first trading deadline, and I hope he has started putting irons in the fire. It will be interesting how the up coming off season goes. Relationships drive action in this league. Hopefully he has established new ones with GM's across the league. Relationships that may lead to other moves before and after the winter meetings. He has got his feet wet. Let's see what he can do to drive this team towards another championship run.
Good work as usual Lesky. I'm still not wasting my time watching the Royals until Cal is gone - just can't justify time away from my family to watch a movie where I already know the ending. That said, I never tune out of ITC, just don't like to comment unless I'm actively watching. But I'm still reading every article.
That said, I DID watch the trade deadline and came away impressed and believe you're right, it smells more like JJ work than DM work. Adding 6 top 30 prospects, which is 20% is probably the best we could hope for and IMO solid. I'd say an A- with rationale below...
We've already promoted and lost (on the list) BWJ and Melendez and Pratto and Vinnie will be moving off the list soon. So, I would MUCH rather add talent that has been developed by Yanks, Blue Jays and Braves than try and do the same thing with the draft. And what did we give up? 2 months of Beni (no biggie, we weren't a playoff team with him and won't be without him), Cam (great guy but you and me both finally got to be right), Carlos (thank the Lord), Whit (who everyone was angry about) and Rivera - although I didn't like that trade at all. Oh yeah and a comp pick for a possible 5 tool guy (more on that later).
I feel good about the bats trades in general b/c that is, perhaps, the one thing we can trust the Royals to develop at this point (and if Waters keeps this up ALL look back fondly at this trade season). As for the arms trades - well, we better get a LOT of them b/c we need so many that Cal and crew can't screw them all up.
Now, can you pull a few strings and get Cal his walking papers so I can watch a game again???
For a guy with only 21 MLB IP, Max Castillo looks promising, at least on paper. 20 K's vs 5 BB with a WHIP of 0.968 is a nice way to start a big-league career. 6.5 hits per 9 IP will work, too. 4 HR in 21 IP is slightly concerning, but the sample size is way too small to draw any conclusions. The video clips you posted look intriguing.
His minor-league numbers are a little less attention-grabbing but still decent: 517 IP, 8.2 K's per 9 IP, 1.247 WHIP.
The acquisition of Brent Rooker, with his OPS+ of 91 in 241 career MLB AB's at 27 years old, doesn't exactly make me tingly all over. Usually when the Twins give up on a guy in his mid-20s there's a good reason why, as the Padres learned. But who knows, maybe with the new bevy of hitting coaches something can be done with him.
Rooker's minor-league numbers give at least some basis for hope. Ditto-plus for Samad Taylor.
Michael A. Taylor will never again have the trade value he had at this year's deadline. I feel quite confident that Dayton's overvaluing of him prevented a successful deal. How disappointing. But hardly surprising.
David - after a very impressive start, Pratto's numbers have fallen off pretty dramatically lately. His OPS is down 200 points from two weeks ago and his BA is getting perilously close to the Mendoza line. His 32% K rate is about what we all expected, I guess. I realize how small the sample size is. It's probably nothing more than normal rookie variability. But I was just wondering if you've noticed opponents pitching him any differently now than they did when he first came up….
After the first pitch of the 5th inning to Salvy last night, I got the sense that Ryan was sorely tempted to say "....and it's high and outside for strike one." I wish he had.
I usually poke fun at fans, even fans of my own teams, for complaining about umps/refs. But this strike zone crap that the Royals are having to take from seemingly every home plate umpire is getting really freakin' old. And as you documented so well, David, it's a real thing.
For God's sake, please, bring on the laser beams and the robo-umps! (If there really is a fair and consistent strike zone next year, the Yankees are gonna have some major adjustments to make, both on the mound and at bat. They've never had to deal with that before.)
Legitimate question. How is Brent Rooker a better option in the MLB than Emanuel Rivera? Rivera is 26 and Rooker 27. Both with fantastic AAA numbers and middling MLB numbers. Rooker 1B/DH and Rivera 3B. Last I checked we don't have a 3B tree and we do have a 1B/DH tree. Rivera still has 5 years of team control. Even if he was stuck at AAA as the "break glass in case of emergency" fill in, that has value. I also really liked the way Rivera was trending up in July and (I assume) making adjustments at the plate. I know they were not in the same trade but this really feels like Rooker is the organizational replacement for Rivera.
Can add as many top prospect as they want, won’t do them any good at the major league level as long as this managerial and coaching staff is in place. Players excelling at AA and AAA mediocre in the major. Great talent poorly managed and coached. Switch the AAA/AA staffs for the major league staff. No motivation under Matheny. You keep banging on Dozier, he has always been solid defensively no matter where you play him. Looks like Matheny pulled his line up out of a hat again today. When are they going to DFA O’Hearn, taking up a roster spot.
Vinnie and Isbel have two of the top four average exit velos among rookies, but have VERY little to show for it. Do you see that as just the normal variability of luck in hitting? Or are they maybe hitting the ball to easily predictable places on the field, making them unusually easy to defend? Your thoughts, David?
That's reassuring. I still have hopes that an Isbel/Oliveras platoon can be a potent one. Assuming that we get a manager who is willing to put players in the best possible position to succeed. And who is able to understand what that is.
David, I enjoyed your take on the trades. I also wondered about whether upper management worked hard enough to trade some of our other players.
The Cardinals were looking for pitching and the Royals have an abundance right now. Seems odd to me that neither team could pull a trigger on a deal with each other.
Very good article, I very much enjoyed it. In my opinion, the Royals got very little for what they traded. The rating of the trade will only be known in a couple years. As a Royals fan I want to believe these trades will be good for the team, however, in all probability the Royals will end up with but a few players that stick in the bigs, whether long term or short term. The rest of them will be minor league filler. It will end up just like most of the trades that are made by Moore & Company, it has a shadowy likeness of a good trade but the players returned will dissipate into nothingness before the end. Trading for just for the thrill of trading usually ends up like this.
Wanted to get your thoughts on what it felt like. What I mean is…..some of the trades before yesterday felt like maybe JJ was a little different. However, yesterday they did the bare minimum in my eyes….which I’m glad they did at least that….but yesterday felt a whole lot like a DM trade deadline to me. It continues to be the same MO…hold on to a valuable reliever for a losing team at a volatile position. Chances are decent he won’t be as valuable to us next year. The point I’m getting to is did you feel like enough changed to tell if JJ is much different than DM? Where some good signs….but a lot of the same.
The only way this makes sense to me (not trading Taylor, Barlow, Keller, etc) is that they KNOW they have to compete next year for their job (assuming they still have it). They have to be .500 a year from now. It just smells to me like they know they don’t have much rope here. Which also means to me if this team is to hover around .500 a top of the rotation arm is coming this offseason. A trade that hurts. At this point, alot would have to go right to be around .500 a year from now. It’s possible….and it will ride on the pitching and health. So second question….does this smell like a deadline where they knew they couldn’t get too creative because feet are to the fire….OR they just aren’t a creative FO anyway.
I was listening to an MLB show yesterday around the trade deadline, and while I'm surprised Barlow didn't move, their comment was they were surprised at how little movement was done on relievers in general.
Also, in keeping with poorly the Royals develop pitchers, Jorge Lopez brought back a good haul for the Orioles. Not bad for a DFA'd pitcher a couple of years ago.
More than I expected less than I hoped. 3 of the 10 are gone, which I'm happy for. This was JJ's first trading deadline, and I hope he has started putting irons in the fire. It will be interesting how the up coming off season goes. Relationships drive action in this league. Hopefully he has established new ones with GM's across the league. Relationships that may lead to other moves before and after the winter meetings. He has got his feet wet. Let's see what he can do to drive this team towards another championship run.
Good work as usual Lesky. I'm still not wasting my time watching the Royals until Cal is gone - just can't justify time away from my family to watch a movie where I already know the ending. That said, I never tune out of ITC, just don't like to comment unless I'm actively watching. But I'm still reading every article.
That said, I DID watch the trade deadline and came away impressed and believe you're right, it smells more like JJ work than DM work. Adding 6 top 30 prospects, which is 20% is probably the best we could hope for and IMO solid. I'd say an A- with rationale below...
We've already promoted and lost (on the list) BWJ and Melendez and Pratto and Vinnie will be moving off the list soon. So, I would MUCH rather add talent that has been developed by Yanks, Blue Jays and Braves than try and do the same thing with the draft. And what did we give up? 2 months of Beni (no biggie, we weren't a playoff team with him and won't be without him), Cam (great guy but you and me both finally got to be right), Carlos (thank the Lord), Whit (who everyone was angry about) and Rivera - although I didn't like that trade at all. Oh yeah and a comp pick for a possible 5 tool guy (more on that later).
I feel good about the bats trades in general b/c that is, perhaps, the one thing we can trust the Royals to develop at this point (and if Waters keeps this up ALL look back fondly at this trade season). As for the arms trades - well, we better get a LOT of them b/c we need so many that Cal and crew can't screw them all up.
Now, can you pull a few strings and get Cal his walking papers so I can watch a game again???
For a guy with only 21 MLB IP, Max Castillo looks promising, at least on paper. 20 K's vs 5 BB with a WHIP of 0.968 is a nice way to start a big-league career. 6.5 hits per 9 IP will work, too. 4 HR in 21 IP is slightly concerning, but the sample size is way too small to draw any conclusions. The video clips you posted look intriguing.
His minor-league numbers are a little less attention-grabbing but still decent: 517 IP, 8.2 K's per 9 IP, 1.247 WHIP.
The acquisition of Brent Rooker, with his OPS+ of 91 in 241 career MLB AB's at 27 years old, doesn't exactly make me tingly all over. Usually when the Twins give up on a guy in his mid-20s there's a good reason why, as the Padres learned. But who knows, maybe with the new bevy of hitting coaches something can be done with him.
Rooker's minor-league numbers give at least some basis for hope. Ditto-plus for Samad Taylor.
Michael A. Taylor will never again have the trade value he had at this year's deadline. I feel quite confident that Dayton's overvaluing of him prevented a successful deal. How disappointing. But hardly surprising.
David - after a very impressive start, Pratto's numbers have fallen off pretty dramatically lately. His OPS is down 200 points from two weeks ago and his BA is getting perilously close to the Mendoza line. His 32% K rate is about what we all expected, I guess. I realize how small the sample size is. It's probably nothing more than normal rookie variability. But I was just wondering if you've noticed opponents pitching him any differently now than they did when he first came up….
After the first pitch of the 5th inning to Salvy last night, I got the sense that Ryan was sorely tempted to say "....and it's high and outside for strike one." I wish he had.
I usually poke fun at fans, even fans of my own teams, for complaining about umps/refs. But this strike zone crap that the Royals are having to take from seemingly every home plate umpire is getting really freakin' old. And as you documented so well, David, it's a real thing.
For God's sake, please, bring on the laser beams and the robo-umps! (If there really is a fair and consistent strike zone next year, the Yankees are gonna have some major adjustments to make, both on the mound and at bat. They've never had to deal with that before.)
Good article, as usual. A few thoughts:
--In reading about Samad Taylor it sounds like we traded Merrifield for a younger version.
--Lots of talk about teams needing a CF, yet MAT stays here. I really thought they'd move him.
--Wonder what effect trading Rivera had on holding onto Dozier? Would they have been too thin at 3rd?
--I'm okay with Barlow, Clarke and Staumont staying, due to the control we have on them. I would have only moved them for a sure trade win.
--Got a number of pitchers back in these transactions. Better make some changes in personnel to coach them up -- looking at you Cal...
Legitimate question. How is Brent Rooker a better option in the MLB than Emanuel Rivera? Rivera is 26 and Rooker 27. Both with fantastic AAA numbers and middling MLB numbers. Rooker 1B/DH and Rivera 3B. Last I checked we don't have a 3B tree and we do have a 1B/DH tree. Rivera still has 5 years of team control. Even if he was stuck at AAA as the "break glass in case of emergency" fill in, that has value. I also really liked the way Rivera was trending up in July and (I assume) making adjustments at the plate. I know they were not in the same trade but this really feels like Rooker is the organizational replacement for Rivera.
Can add as many top prospect as they want, won’t do them any good at the major league level as long as this managerial and coaching staff is in place. Players excelling at AA and AAA mediocre in the major. Great talent poorly managed and coached. Switch the AAA/AA staffs for the major league staff. No motivation under Matheny. You keep banging on Dozier, he has always been solid defensively no matter where you play him. Looks like Matheny pulled his line up out of a hat again today. When are they going to DFA O’Hearn, taking up a roster spot.
Vinnie and Isbel have two of the top four average exit velos among rookies, but have VERY little to show for it. Do you see that as just the normal variability of luck in hitting? Or are they maybe hitting the ball to easily predictable places on the field, making them unusually easy to defend? Your thoughts, David?
That's reassuring. I still have hopes that an Isbel/Oliveras platoon can be a potent one. Assuming that we get a manager who is willing to put players in the best possible position to succeed. And who is able to understand what that is.
Call him "Joe Notmatheny."