Will Bradford be gone

by nyyfaninlaaland on Feb 6, 2009 1:54 PM EST Comment 14 comments

before we know who the Rays traded for him as a PTBNL?

Maybe I missed it somewhere along the line - and I've asked it before, I know - but he was acquired on Aug. 7, so Sat. is 6 months since the trade. To my understanding that's the timeframe in which our mystery guy must be announced.

Did I miss it? Or has Baltimore just agreed to give him away? Was there just cash involved? Does anybody know? Does anybody care?

And do you expect him to move on, now that there's a bit of a reliever glut. Percy, Wheeler, Balfour, Bradford, Howell, Nelson, and out of options guys Hammel, Niemann (could be starting in short run), Cormier, plus the acquisition of Shouse. Seems some bodies have to move.

But I remain curious about the price on the original acquisition. Always thought it would be a 40 man guy or '08 draftee, hence the delay. Perhaps Eliot Johnson is looking at a new lease on life, with the plethora of minors IF's signed of late?

It all makes so much sense! Except perhaps for Baltimore. Adding in Hammel might fit better for both sides, ignoring the O's roster pitching glut.

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They traded 20k for him.

by R.J. Anderson on Feb 6, 2009 2:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'm a little surprised

That the Cubs didn’t ask for someone from us as the PBTNL in the Hill deal.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Feb 6, 2009 2:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Here is the difference in our status.

For the Orioles who do not consider themselves contenders this year, they can keep Hilll in the majors to see if he fulfills his promise (he really has terrific talent). For them, it is a very smart move.

For the Rays, we cannot risk keeping Hill in TB. We expect to contend and cannot have the patience we had in 2006-2007 with promising but underperforming players. That is the penalty of success.

by bobr on Feb 6, 2009 6:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Let me rephrase...

What I mean is that the Orioles traded for Hill for a PBTNL. If the Orioles didn’t want anyone from us, I’m surprised they didn’t give the Cubs the option to pick someone from us to be the PBTNL in that trade.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Feb 6, 2009 7:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think PTBN deals are typically

based on a short list of players or cash.

Not sure a team can transfer that list to another. It’s likely the cash was always envisioned as the probable result – I’m just pissy about the number. It seems to me Bradford was worth more than that – I wonder if the elbow woes came into play in the payoff somehow (meaning a health proviso). Perhaps both teams knew there were issues – it’s not unknown for pitchers to continue to perform when needed with “loose bodies” floating around, hence the seemingly low price.

by nyyfaninlaaland on Feb 10, 2009 2:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If your last point was the case

why wait until now to have the surgery? Even if they though rest would have been sufficient, why not get it scoped in November and be ready by April?

Anyway, as I was lying in the puddle, I think I may have found a way for us to get Bonds and Griffey, and we wouldn't have to give up that much.

~George Costanza~

by Sandy Kazmir on Feb 10, 2009 10:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Are you ****ing me??!!

Jeez, how about Markakis for Johnson then? Guess you could throw in Hammel there.

F***in’O’s. They deserve to suck.

by nyyfaninlaaland on Feb 6, 2009 2:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think

the Orioles have done a very good job this off-season. They are picking up free talent in players like Pie and Hill. Low risk-high reward. I still think they should cash in on Huff and especially Mora, but perhaps they are waiting for better offers. In any case, this is a team that should be better in 2009 and may emerge as a contender by 2010 or 2011. There is a lot of talented pitching in the high minors and some veteran pieces on hand who may bring back more talent as well as a potentially devastating offensive core in Baltimore (or almost there) already.

I was a bit surprised at the Bradford payoff also, but in the context of everything else they have done, it is a blip.

by bobr on Feb 6, 2009 6:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

McPhail has done a wonderful job since he has been there

they are going to be up there with the rays,red sox and yankees in a couple of years if he keeps on his plan he has set out for them, i love the pie and hill trades for them, and last years rapeing of the mariners for bedard.

TB Rays in 09!!!

by RaysOfHope on Feb 8, 2009 11:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hey, that was just a vent

since they gave away a useful guy for chump change.

I too think they’re doing an okay job now. Or maybe just avoiding some of the bigger bonehead moves of the recent past like Baez.

They need to nail down Roberts somehow though – he’s important to that team. And they have shown a willingness to spend moderately to plug short term gaps and try to remain a bit competitive.

But I’ve heard they’re talking about Looper or another starter – I think they should leave room for some of their upper level pitchers to hopefully grow into spots. I know they struggled with a parade of minors guys last season, but the next flight is getting close, so determining what they might have in Waters, Albers, Hill, Pauley, Patton, and Liz makes some sense. They’ve already cut bait on Cabrera, Olson, Burres, and Penn’s gotten lost due to injuries – get a better feel for the guys who’ve gotten a taste, hope for the best, or move on to the next flight of Tillman, Hernandez, Bergesen, Spoone, Matusz, Arrieta, and Erbe. As you said, nice pitching prospect depth despite some injuries.

by nyyfaninlaaland on Feb 10, 2009 2:46 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Bradford just doesn't have much trade value

Didn’t the Rays try to shop him earlier this offseason and find no takers?

When Bradford was traded last summer, I believe the Rays had the best record in the AL at the time, so every other AL team declined to even place a wavier claim on him.

He’s very good at what he does, but he’s not exactly a bargain at $3.5MM/year – he’s being paid about what he’s worth.

From the O’s perspective, they saved $1MM in 2008 (which they re-appropriated towards signing bonuses for several hard-to-sign draftees), they save $3.5MM in 2009, and they free up a roster spot that could be better used to stash a guy like Rich Hill. An old situational RHP is pretty much worthless to a rebuilding team. What’s not to like?

by dkdc on Feb 9, 2009 4:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs