Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:14 am Post subject: The mailbag
Always good for a laugh. It has been said before, but i think it is worth saying again - Poor Steve Gilbert.
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Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. No surprise that the D-backs' trade with the Brewers that netted Doug Davis also filled up the mailbag over the past few days. It's always interesting to see the different reactions, which ranged from people liking the trade to others comparing it to the Richie Sexson trade a couple of years ago.
I have to admit that my immediate reaction to this trade is a bit negative. I know that we needed a lefty and that Johnny Estrada wasn't too happy in Arizona, but a $350,000-per-year Claudio Vargas who went 12-10 for a seven-figure per year guy who went 11-11 and is three years older ... I just cannot believe we couldn't get more from the Brewers (or another team for that matter) for three talented and established players. Can you let me know if there is more going on here that can explain this trade? Thanks and enjoy the holidays!
-- Francois A., Phoenix
Happy holidays right back at you, Francois. Before we actually delve into the trade, I should clear up Vargas' salary. He actually made $1.275 million last year and was due a raise via the salary arbitration process. I'll get into the Estrada part of the deal in the question below, but I think what the D-backs were trying to do in terms of the Davis-Vargas swap was get a little more consistency from the rotation. Though the D-backs did get some solid performances at times from the back end of the rotation (including Vargas), they also got some games (also from Vargas) in which those guys exited before the fifth inning.
To me, the bigger problem with the members of the rotation was not so much their performance as their inconsistency and the fact that their early exits put a real strain on the bullpen. On paper, at least, with Brandon Webb, Livan Hernandez and Davis they have three guys that if history is any indication will provide consistent innings. They are also banking on the fact that Davis will be more effective with a better defense behind him. We'll have to see how that all plays out.
As for Dana Eveland, he's a left-hander who throws hard and has had good numbers in the Minor Leagues. He probably is worth taking a look at, as sometimes lefties are slower to develop. That's one of the reasons Brewers general manager Doug Melvin was hesitant to include him in the deal. Dave Krynzel is a guy who may benefit from a change in scenery.
Did management seem a little rushed to trade Estrada? If they would have waited longer, wouldn't the market have increased for his services? Also, with pitching on demand this year, wouldn't the Estrada/Vargas package attract more teams as the market dried up? For example, would the Blue Jays, who need pitching and catching, perhaps have created a Vernon Wells deal?
-- Dallin B., Rexburg, Idaho
What the exact market for Estrada was, we'll never know for sure. I thought going into the offseason that maybe the D-backs would be able to get more for him, but after talking with a couple of baseball front-office people (not with the D-backs, by the way) after the trade, it seemed that I overestimated the market.
While there's no way the Blue Jays would part with Wells for Estrada and Vargas, I guess it's possible the D-backs could have gotten more by waiting. It's also possible they could have gotten less. Remember what happened to Bengie Molina last offseason when he was looking for a big payday in the catching market. Teams filled their needs, and he was left having to accept a one-year deal. A team probably is better off defining what it is they want (in this case a reliable starting pitcher) and grabbing it when they can.
How will Davis help the D-backs if he at best is a .500 pitcher with a losing career record? Does this mean that Mark Mulder will not come to the desert?
-- Jose S., Mesa, Ariz.
You can see in my answer above how Davis might help the D-Backs. As far as Mulder goes, I don't think this affects their chances of landing him at all. They still have money to spend and would love to add another starter to the rotation, so my guess is they will continue to pursue him.
Now that the Snakes have made a trade that looks on the outside to be pretty good, what's next? Will they stand pat with what they've got or continue to look for more pitching? Along those lines, have they signed Eric Byrnes to a contract for next year yet?
-- Jay C., Phoenix
I think they're going to continue to try to pursue pitching, whether it's with a free agent like Mulder or maybe another trade. As for Byrnes, he is eligible for salary arbitration rather than free agency. There had been some initial talk about the possibility of a multiyear contract for him, but I think that looks less likely though not out of the question.
Now with Doug Davis aboard for the Diamondbacks third starter, who is competing for the Nos. 4 and 5 slots?
-- Michael H., New Kensington, Pa.
There's going to be a lot of competition for those final two spots. Provided of course that they don't add another pitcher through trade or free agency, the likely candidates would be Edgar Gonzalez, Enrique Gonzalez, Dustin Nippert, Ross Ohlendorf, Micah Owings, Eveland, Evan MacLane and Juan Cruz. With innings limited during the spring, getting enough frames to get a good look at those guys will present a challenge for manager Bob Melvin and his staff.
Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
Posts: 3359
Location: In front of my computer
Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:43 am Post subject:
I actually like how Steve picks out the e mails he does. He uses the mailbag as an educational tool. I think he helps raise a few baseball IQ points here and there. Thats always a good thing.
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
Posts: 1772
Location: Researching my theory that a lime hat is more effective than tinfoil
Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:13 am Post subject:
shoewizard wrote:
I actually like how Steve picks out the e mails he does. He uses the mailbag as an educational tool. I think he helps raise a few baseball IQ points here and there. Thats always a good thing.
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