Comments on: O’s fans suspect Tejada deal linked to Mitchell report http://umpbump.com/press/2007/12/12/os-fans-suspect-tejada-deal-linked-to-mitchell-report/ In-your-face baseball commentary Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:30:20 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Paul Moro http://umpbump.com/press/2007/12/12/os-fans-suspect-tejada-deal-linked-to-mitchell-report/comment-page-1/#comment-54143 Paul Moro Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:58:32 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/os-fans-suspect-tejada-deal-linked-to-mitchell-report/#comment-54143 Here's how I see it (and there's a good chance I have no idea what I'm talking about): First off, if I was an Orioles fan, I would actually hope that this is the start of a fire sale. Trade away Ramon Hernandez to anyone who wants him. Trade away Brian Roberts for some prospects. See if Corey Patterson still has any value. Give Erik Bedard a $100m deal. Give Nick Markakis a long-term extension (say, 4 years, $35 million). Build around those guys plus Guthrie and Loewen. They're probably stuck with the Mora, Bradford, Huff and Gibbons deals though. Those are terrible contracts. Basically, I like this deal for Baltimore for one reason - it's SOMETHING. This is a team that spent $93m in 2007 and couldn't win 70 games. Even if they spent $20m more this off-season, it still wouldn't have made them contenders in the AL East. At least this is a direction instead of continued mediocrity. For the Astros, I think they completely overvalued their own chances to win. They're in a terrible situation - their stars are getting older, their farm system is nonexistent and there's no quality free agents. Both Lee and Berkman are going to be 32 in 2008. I don't know about you guys, but looking at their bodies, I don't expect them to age very well. Wade thought that he has a two-year window to win. Problem is, he just cleared out their farm system for a big offensive upgrade AND a big defensive downgrade. Sure, Tejada will hit a lot better than Adam Everett. But Everett is so much better than Tejada with the glove. I wouldn't call it a "wash" since Tejada's bat still makes him more valuable, but it's not a huge positive impact. The Astros won 73 games last year. Even in the NL Central, they finished 12 games out. Mind you, the Astros were relatively healthy too. Their two big bats (Lee and Berkman) and their undisputed ace all performed about as well as you can rationally expect. At this point, Wade seems to be banking on the fact that a healthy Hunter Pence plus the addition of Tejada will be enough to make up those 12 games. Ain't gonna happen. No way, no how. By the way, if this Mitchell report influencing the O's thing has merit, wouldn't they just pay someone to take Jay Gibbons? Here’s how I see it (and there’s a good chance I have no idea what I’m talking about):

First off, if I was an Orioles fan, I would actually hope that this is the start of a fire sale. Trade away Ramon Hernandez to anyone who wants him. Trade away Brian Roberts for some prospects. See if Corey Patterson still has any value. Give Erik Bedard a $100m deal. Give Nick Markakis a long-term extension (say, 4 years, $35 million). Build around those guys plus Guthrie and Loewen. They’re probably stuck with the Mora, Bradford, Huff and Gibbons deals though. Those are terrible contracts. Basically, I like this deal for Baltimore for one reason – it’s SOMETHING. This is a team that spent $93m in 2007 and couldn’t win 70 games. Even if they spent $20m more this off-season, it still wouldn’t have made them contenders in the AL East. At least this is a direction instead of continued mediocrity.

For the Astros, I think they completely overvalued their own chances to win. They’re in a terrible situation – their stars are getting older, their farm system is nonexistent and there’s no quality free agents. Both Lee and Berkman are going to be 32 in 2008. I don’t know about you guys, but looking at their bodies, I don’t expect them to age very well. Wade thought that he has a two-year window to win. Problem is, he just cleared out their farm system for a big offensive upgrade AND a big defensive downgrade. Sure, Tejada will hit a lot better than Adam Everett. But Everett is so much better than Tejada with the glove. I wouldn’t call it a “wash” since Tejada’s bat still makes him more valuable, but it’s not a huge positive impact. The Astros won 73 games last year. Even in the NL Central, they finished 12 games out. Mind you, the Astros were relatively healthy too. Their two big bats (Lee and Berkman) and their undisputed ace all performed about as well as you can rationally expect. At this point, Wade seems to be banking on the fact that a healthy Hunter Pence plus the addition of Tejada will be enough to make up those 12 games. Ain’t gonna happen. No way, no how.

By the way, if this Mitchell report influencing the O’s thing has merit, wouldn’t they just pay someone to take Jay Gibbons?

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]]> By: melissa http://umpbump.com/press/2007/12/12/os-fans-suspect-tejada-deal-linked-to-mitchell-report/comment-page-1/#comment-54142 melissa Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:05:30 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/os-fans-suspect-tejada-deal-linked-to-mitchell-report/#comment-54142 I don't think this is a good deal for the Astros but I refuse to believe Andy Mac-F-A-I-L got the better of anyone. I don’t think this is a good deal for the Astros but I refuse to believe Andy Mac-F-A-I-L got the better of anyone.

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]]> By: Sarah Green http://umpbump.com/press/2007/12/12/os-fans-suspect-tejada-deal-linked-to-mitchell-report/comment-page-1/#comment-54141 Sarah Green Wed, 12 Dec 2007 23:49:31 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/os-fans-suspect-tejada-deal-linked-to-mitchell-report/#comment-54141 Coley, I'd expect you to be curious as to why Ed Wade was willing to trade so much for a guy who is likely to be named as a steroid user tomorrow afternoon. Or have you just given up on ever understanding the inner workings of Ed Wade's "brain"? Coley, I’d expect you to be curious as to why Ed Wade was willing to trade so much for a guy who is likely to be named as a steroid user tomorrow afternoon. Or have you just given up on ever understanding the inner workings of Ed Wade’s “brain”?

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]]> By: Coley Ward http://umpbump.com/press/2007/12/12/os-fans-suspect-tejada-deal-linked-to-mitchell-report/comment-page-1/#comment-54140 Coley Ward Wed, 12 Dec 2007 23:43:19 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/os-fans-suspect-tejada-deal-linked-to-mitchell-report/#comment-54140 Well, according to <a href="http://vegaswatch.blogspot.com/2007/12/tejada-traded-to-astros.html" rel="nofollow">Vegas Watch</a>, Luke Scott might be a better player right now than Tejada is. So I'd have to say the Orioles got the best of this deal. Well, according to Vegas Watch, Luke Scott might be a better player right now than Tejada is. So I’d have to say the Orioles got the best of this deal.

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]]> By: Rich http://umpbump.com/press/2007/12/12/os-fans-suspect-tejada-deal-linked-to-mitchell-report/comment-page-1/#comment-34810 Rich Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:49:20 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/os-fans-suspect-tejada-deal-linked-to-mitchell-report/#comment-34810 Funny clothes on cafepress: http://www.cafepress.com/buy/barry bonds funny/-/pv_design_details/pg_1/id_21480405/opt_/fpt_/c_666/ Funny clothes on cafepress:

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/barry bonds funny/-/pv_design_details/pg_1/id_21480405/opt_/fpt_/c_666/

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