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Rays Acquire Chad Bradford for PTBNL

Maddonbear2_tiny by R.J. Anderson on

Bradford is the owner of a funky delivery chronicled in Moneyball. He's not a strikeout pitcher (only 2.90 K/9 this season) however he doesn't walk anyone either and gets an amazing amount of groundballs (nearly 70%) which makes him a nice fit for the Rays infield defense.  He's also the owner of a sub-4 FIP and a 2.64 BERA.

Bradford is only 33 and is under contract through next season at 3.5 million.

Bradford-chad-oka-1_medium


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Awesome

Exactly the kind of relief specialist we needed. He will probably give up a few more hits on the turf, but at the same time, will get more double plays

by GomesSweetGomes on Aug 7, 2008 2:48 PM EDT   0 recs

Great acquisition

Wonder who the PTBNL is?

by weebs on Aug 7, 2008 2:48 PM EDT   0 recs

who is going to be DFA reyes?

Longo=ROY. Friedman=Executive of the year. Maddon=Manager of the year. Rays=WS champs 08! fiddler cat=best way to show your excitement. BJ UPTON IS NOT LAZY! ! ! Gabe Gross=caption clutch.

by RaysOfHope on Aug 7, 2008 2:50 PM EDT   0 recs

Chad Bradford can just look unhittable for long periods of time.

Good lord it would be nice if Salas came up to replace Reyes and we got rid of Miller here. (Obviously Maddon’s BFF Percival isn’t going anywhere).

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Aug 7, 2008 2:51 PM EDT   0 recs

look at the elbow, its lower than his left knee

ive always been jealous of teams that have these guys, they never seem to get roughed up or hit outta games. too odd a delievery to tee off on, always seems to have guys guessing.

BOHICA

by Mr. Tonight TB on Aug 7, 2008 2:57 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

how did he slip through the dumbass red sux and the yankees

this is just great, i was hopeing that the rays would upgrade some part of their bullpen soon and this definetly is it, btw he is supposed to be joining the rays tomorrow where a roster move will be made.
http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080807&content_id=3268964&vkey=pr_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb

Longo=ROY. Friedman=Executive of the year. Maddon=Manager of the year. Rays=WS champs 08! fiddler cat=best way to show your excitement. BJ UPTON IS NOT LAZY! ! ! Gabe Gross=caption clutch.

by RaysOfHope on Aug 7, 2008 2:54 PM EDT   0 recs

Great Pickup off the waivers

he had/has a post season scoreless streak of 15 innings, not shabby. better than a few of the guys we have now.

BOHICA

by Mr. Tonight TB on Aug 7, 2008 2:54 PM EDT   0 recs

Great guy to have

though i wont be seeing him the next time i go to Birdland

by BrendanHarrisLives on Aug 7, 2008 2:57 PM EDT   0 recs

This is untrue.

Fuentes and Marte are both better than Bradford.

But, given the likely price, I’d rather have Bradford.

by Peter Bendix on Aug 7, 2008 3:00 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

In front of this defense

The gap between them becomes much smaller

by GomesSweetGomes on Aug 7, 2008 3:03 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

SRSLY?

It’s a pretty simple argument: the more reliant a pitcher is on outs made on balls in play (especially groundballs vs. fly balls), the more he is reliant upon his defense. This explains, in passing, why someone like Walter Johnson was still able to be so goddamn dominant despite playing his entire career for a godawful (both offensive and defensive) Washington franchise: he struck people out instead of letting them get a bat on the ball.

I root for the two worst teams in baseball, non-ironically.

by esoteric on Aug 7, 2008 3:07 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Pardon me, Mr. Maddon Bear, it's hard to tell sarcasm in these situations.

There are tons of baseball noobs out there.

I root for the two worst teams in baseball, non-ironically.

by esoteric on Aug 7, 2008 3:09 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

D'oh.

I root for the two worst teams in baseball, non-ironically.

by esoteric on Aug 7, 2008 3:10 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

It's okay

I tend to take sarcasm too far at times.

by Peter Bendix on Aug 7, 2008 3:11 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

His BABIP is .285 this season.

That sounds about right. I don’t know as the Rays defense can cause his BABIP to fall much below .285.

by Peter Bendix on Aug 7, 2008 3:07 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

It might be able to. You would have to check the O's defensive stats this season.

Or, much better, actually have watched them all year so you’re familiar with their infield defense. (I’m one of those guys who still doesn’t trust any of the defensive metrics currently available.)

I root for the two worst teams in baseball, non-ironically.

by esoteric on Aug 7, 2008 3:10 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

baltimore infield this year...

Roberts, above average
Millar, average
Mora, below average
variety of shortstops, below average
OF: above average (Markakis and Jones are good)

my blog // calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy // past results do not guarantee future performance

by Sky Kalkman on Aug 7, 2008 6:40 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

True

But GB pitchers even more so than pitchers who rely on the K

by GomesSweetGomes on Aug 7, 2008 3:06 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

This would explain Shawn Camp's non-suck season so far

Certainties in Life: Death, Taxes, and Gabe Gross coming through in the ninth

by JMB on Aug 7, 2008 3:07 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Camp wasn’t that bad when he was with us. Our defence was awful last year.

by putupyourDUKES on Aug 7, 2008 3:08 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

bradford will take advantage of the good defense more than a high-K pitcher

my blog // calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy // past results do not guarantee future performance

by Sky Kalkman on Aug 7, 2008 6:37 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Bradford is so good.

If he were a little smarter he’d be the best. He can conceal his stuff, he’s got a short delivery distance, and he keeps the ball in the park.

Fuentes and Marte have got to have much higher RAs (I say without looking it up)

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Aug 7, 2008 3:04 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Goofy delievery guys are normally pretty good for a few batters. Will be good to have this option for the playoffs, that’s for sure.

by putupyourDUKES on Aug 7, 2008 3:06 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Bradford replacing Reyes?

Sounds logical to me

Certainties in Life: Death, Taxes, and Gabe Gross coming through in the ninth

by JMB on Aug 7, 2008 3:01 PM EDT   0 recs

it is either going to be him or trevor miller it seems like

Longo=ROY. Friedman=Executive of the year. Maddon=Manager of the year. Rays=WS champs 08! fiddler cat=best way to show your excitement. BJ UPTON IS NOT LAZY! ! ! Gabe Gross=caption clutch.

by RaysOfHope on Aug 7, 2008 3:08 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Since Bradford is a RHP, replacing Reyes would make more sense than replacing Miller

Certainties in Life: Death, Taxes, and Gabe Gross coming through in the ninth

by JMB on Aug 7, 2008 3:09 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

You don’t replace a lefty with a righty. Miller stays on until we call up a lefty.

Price.

by putupyourDUKES on Aug 7, 2008 3:10 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

My point exactly

Certainties in Life: Death, Taxes, and Gabe Gross coming through in the ninth

by JMB on Aug 7, 2008 3:11 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

i hope that price replaces miller soon

our bullpen will be much better with bradford and price in it

Longo=ROY. Friedman=Executive of the year. Maddon=Manager of the year. Rays=WS champs 08! fiddler cat=best way to show your excitement. BJ UPTON IS NOT LAZY! ! ! Gabe Gross=caption clutch.

by RaysOfHope on Aug 7, 2008 3:12 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

that last pitching spot on the roster is going to be an interesting battle

hammel, niemann and salas are going to be battling it out for that last playoff bullpen spot

Longo=ROY. Friedman=Executive of the year. Maddon=Manager of the year. Rays=WS champs 08! fiddler cat=best way to show your excitement. BJ UPTON IS NOT LAZY! ! ! Gabe Gross=caption clutch.

by RaysOfHope on Aug 7, 2008 3:15 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

miller's good if he only faces lefties

my blog // calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy // past results do not guarantee future performance

by Sky Kalkman on Aug 7, 2008 6:41 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

And he can't...

Miller is facing less righties this year than ever before. It seems that the average lefty specialist faces roughly 60% lefties and that’s what Miller is at.

I understand the desire to have a lefty specialist but Miller just isn’t very good. He walks too many batters and just isn’t that effective. He allows 34% of lefties to reach base which is the same as Bradford (though bradford does allow many more hits).

by tallyray on Aug 7, 2008 6:48 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

So glad we didn’t trade for fuentes.

by putupyourDUKES on Aug 7, 2008 3:07 PM EDT   0 recs

Stop

Certainties in Life: Death, Taxes, and Gabe Gross coming through in the ninth

by JMB on Aug 7, 2008 3:09 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

If he isn’t hustling out of his car, we need to fire gruden and let alstott be the full time back.

by putupyourDUKES on Aug 7, 2008 3:11 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Agreed

I would have LOVED to have seen an attempt at a logical defense of that ‘BP Hustle’ comment. If players actually focused on the game during BP, then attendance at BP would fall in half.

‘No time for autographs kids….That’s lolly-gagging’

by GomesSweetGomes on Aug 7, 2008 3:15 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

We don't know yet

Certainties in Life: Death, Taxes, and Gabe Gross coming through in the ninth

by JMB on Aug 7, 2008 3:08 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

ah now i get it

I didn’t realize that was an actual acronym. I thought it was some weird Draysbay thing.

by matthan on Aug 7, 2008 3:09 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Nope. Player To Be Named Later

Certainties in Life: Death, Taxes, and Gabe Gross coming through in the ninth

by JMB on Aug 7, 2008 3:10 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

No idea

Which is why I asked. You abbreviate the names of some people here so at first I thought there was just some popular minor leaguer with like 5 different names.

by matthan on Aug 7, 2008 3:12 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Wouldn't that likely mean

someone on the 40 man roster? Otherwise, why not just announce it since he would not have to clear waivers? I am not sure about the rule. Can you withhold someone’s name in a trade until after the season and thus avoid the need for waivers?

Or is it possible we give the Orioles a few names from which they pick one? Whatever, it is unlikely to be anyone more than roster filler or a failed prospect.

by bobr on Aug 7, 2008 4:35 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm not sure about specifics

Though withholding a guy until after the season doesn’t seem like it would violate the purpose and spirit of the waiver deadline.

by GomesSweetGomes on Aug 7, 2008 4:37 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

The O's and Red Sox did it a couple years ago

with the Adam Stern / Javy Lopez deal, so I know it’s allowed. That was the year Friedman blocked the move from happening right away because he claimed Stern on waivers, so they just waited until the end of the season to complete the transaction.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Aug 7, 2008 5:23 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

A good acquisition at a (presumably) low price.

If anyone here on this board hasn’t seen Chad Bradford pitch before, you’re in for an awesome treat. One of the funkiest, coolest deliveries on the planet. He is the ULTIMATE submariner in baseball, bringing his arm so low as he pitches that his knuckles literally will sometimes scrape the mound.

I root for the two worst teams in baseball, non-ironically.

by esoteric on Aug 7, 2008 3:13 PM EDT   0 recs

The yankee’s are having roster issues as it is.

by putupyourDUKES on Aug 7, 2008 3:15 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Agreed.

I’m really not sure how he got through them.

by R.J. Anderson on Aug 7, 2008 3:15 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

We've seen him pitch before against us.

I’m pretty sure we hated him.

by kericr on Aug 7, 2008 3:15 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Bradford has made a career out of his delivery for the same reason that Brad Ziegler is currently so soul-crushingly dominant.

Imagine being a hitter raised your entire life to recognize balls coming at you in a certain fashion – sidearm occasionally, but mostly overhead. That’s how your natural “pitch recognition” has been imprinted through tens of thousands of at-bats’ worth of real and practice experience. Then along comes a guy like Bradford or Ziegler…good luck scanning that one correctly unless you have Bonds-level eye/hand coordination. Or are just a lucky guesser.

I root for the two worst teams in baseball, non-ironically.

by esoteric on Aug 7, 2008 3:18 PM EDT