Our scouts suck. JP Howell? At least Gathright gives the impression of having an up side.

Let's try to imagine how fans would react to the following situation. The team has a 24 year old outfielder, a former 32nd round pick 949 overall), who has gotten 409 ABs already over 3 years, 377 of them in the past 2 years. He is not a very good defensive player; in fact he is rather poor.

In those ABs, he has compiled a line of .244/.299/.290. He has never hit a home run either in the majors or the minors. He has managed 13 doubles and 3 triples in the majors. There is nothing out of character here as his slugging % in the minors has been around .314.

How many fans do you think would be demanding he be given more time to prove himself?

Now suppose the Rays, who already have a fairly impressive stable of high ceiling outfielders, have an opportunity to exchange him for a recent supplemental first round pick, a 23 year old left-handed pitcher. Although in a brief 15 game trial in the majors he did poorly, his minor league record is outstanding, giving up very few hits/9, a reasonable walk rate and K rate generally over 10/9IP. He was thought highly enough to be a second round pick of the Braves a year before he actually signed as the 31st overall pick.

What do you think? Bad deal for the Rays? Reasonable risk? In any case, that is why the Rays dealt away a player whose primary baseball skill seemed to be the ability to jump over cars, something rarely used on the field.

JP Howell had dirty stuff.  Please click on "Top play" in the middle of the page and watch the dirtyness.  His slider was disgusting.  His 2 seamer moved all over the place and he was blowing 88mph "heat" past people.  If he could throw 88 again (he won't), he'd be easily a #3 starter and perhaps a #2.  It was certainly worth the risk.

http://www.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20050611&content_id=1085300&vkey=wrapup2004&fext=.j sp&c_id=kc

Bob, I know you used rarely, which is true, but Gathright did display his skill of jumping cars during a game against the Dodgers this spring when he jumped a pitcher.  It was very impressive if you didn't see it.

Yes, I saw it and was very impressed. I also note that in 2007 he actually had a solid OBP (albeit with the usual lack of power and strangely with a SB record of 9 steals and 8 caught stealings, which is dreadful).

I think Gathright has talent and even can be a useful player. As you point out, at the time it was worth the risk to deal him, and may still work out in the Rays' favor. In any case, I do not see either player as a major difference maker on a major league team, and I certainly do not see that trade as an indictment of the Rays' scouting.