8 Player trade, how patient is the Nationals GM?
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by user MikeBriggs
- 5 players going to the Cincinnati Reds
- SS Royce Clayton, IF Brendan Harris, LHP Bill Bray, RHP Gary Majewski, & RHP Daryl Thompson
- 3 players going to the Washington Nationals
- SS Felipe Lopez, OF Austin Kearns, & RHP Ryan Wagner
- 5 players going to the Cincinnati Reds
The "untradable" (as in no one would want him because of his age - as stated by the Washington Post in an article about the team and who might leave) SS Royce Clayton, youngish infielder (who I believe is 25) Brendan Harris, and young relievers Bill Bray, Gary Majewski, and Daryl Thompson have been traded by the Washington Nationals to the Cincinnati Reds for SS Felipe Lopez (26), currently hitting .268, tied for fourth in the NL for stolen bases with 23, and is second in the NL for home-runs by a short-stop with nine home-runs, outfielder Austin Kearns (26) who is currently hitting .274 with 16 home-runs and 50 RBI, plus RHP Ryan Wagner (23) who will be sent to AAA New Orleans. Reliever Roy Corcoran (26) with his 2.45 ERA, is likely to be called up (or "purchased" - last I checked he was on the 40-man roster) to fill the now vacant roster position. Corcoran has an opposing batting average of .169.
Interesting, I went to look for Ryan Wagner's record on the Minor League website, and it already lists him as being on the New Orleans team. He is coming over from the Louisville Bats with a record of 1-3 in 35 games and with an ERA of 6.34 in 38.1 IP. He has allowed 55 hits, 29 runs, 27 ER, 3 HR, 14 walks and strike-out 28 batters. Not exactly earth-shattering numers, no? The Bats, I now notice, are a AAA club. I'm sure there is a way to look closer at his record, but I can't seem to find it at this time. Now on to the other two players. Of course, I didn't think to look in the majors. In the same year he was drafted, 2003, Wagner played in the majors for 17 games, recording an ERA of just 1.66. For his major league career, so far, he has appeared in 108 games, all in relief, and has a record of 8-4 with an ERA of 4.69 in 119 IP, striking out 101 and walking 56 while also saving five games.
CF Austin Kearns (I guess Alex Escobar actually isn't going to get that chance to start, unless they move him to right-field in place of the struggling Jose Guillen, but then they are trying to hope that Guillen improves so that they can trade him - to bad, the often hurt Escobar is doing a great job so far) has a career batting average of .267 in 452 games played in the majors. He made his MLB debut in 2002 in April. He has 71 career home-runs, 263 RBI, 206 walks to 412 strike-outs, .468 SLG and .358 OBP. Kearns is currently hitting .316 vs. lefties and .257 vs. righties - platoon him with Escobar? probably not (except that both are quite injury-prone, so maybe the plan is to have one playing while the other is on the DL, then when the playing OF gets injured, remove the other from the DL and so on - quite unworkable, I know). He is currently hitting .270 this month. He hit .264 in 82 games in 2003 with the Reds, knocking in 15 HR, 58 RBI, and his OBP was .364. In 2004, Kearns hit .230 in 64 games with the Reds, knocking in 9 HR and 32 RBI. IN 2005, Kearns average inched slightly higher to .240 in 112 games, 387 AB, 18 HR 67 HR. I read something somewhere (one of those sporting newspapers) that batter reach their peak at 27 before sliding (I had previously read an older age for the peak, but times change), and it looks like Kearns might be getting better as he reaches that magically age of 27. He won't turn 27 until next year. Kearns would be a definate improvement for CF based on all the other strugglers that tried to play the position, but then Escobar did just start playing great in that position, so . . . Oh, and fielding - currently sporting a career fielding percentage of .986, .991 for 2006.
SS Felipe Lopez has appeared in four seasons with the Reds in the majors, and 2 seasons with the Blue Jays. He is a career .259 hitter in 505 games and 1843 AB. He has hit 93 doubles, 17 triples, 54 home-runs, 216 RBI, has 56 stolen bases to 26 CS, has an on-base percentage of .329 and a slugging percentage of .416. In terms of age and offense, he seems to be a great improvement over Royce Clayton. Fielding? Lopez is currently sporting a career fielding percentage of .959 vs. Clayton's .974. So, a downgrade in defense (and Clayton is hitting .001 point higher than Lopez, but that doesn't make up for the other great offensive number put out by Lopez).
Interesting to see this occur today. I just read an article in the Washington Post that talked about the GM's (Bowden) prior trades, and how most weren't particularly good with the Nationals (of note: Bowden was the fellow who was the GM when Kearns, Wagner, and Lopez were acquired for the Reds). Also how the GM will need to be patient to follow the new owners plans. Then I hear about this trade. Youngsters in for youngters and old Clayton. Two major league relievers out the door, one minor league reliever in. So, I noticed that guy they will probably bring up, Corcoran, has great numbers, but will he make up two relief positions?
Apparently, the thinking in the rumor-mills is that the Nationals will trade Soriano and Guillen (or just one of them) for pitching, and that Soriano, who has noted that he wants to stay in Washington DC with a no-trade clause in his contract, might then re-sign in the offseason with the Nationals.
One last thought: in the last week of the first half, Majewski pitched in 5 innings and while he had two save opportunities, he didn't get the saves and his ERA was 5.40. Majewski is said to have (had) the best stuff in the Nationals bullpen, but is quite inconsistent. In that same week, Bill Bray pitched in 6.2 innings and didn't give up a run. Clayton, in that last week with the team, appeared in 29 AB, hitting .310 with 4 runs, 6 RBI, and 3 SB. Compared with the Reds/new Nationals players: in that last week with the Reds, Lopez had 21 AB, and got 4 hits, a .190 batting average, he also had 2 runs, and 1 stolen base. Kearns appeared in 29 AB, hitting .310, scoring 4 runs, hitting 1 run, 3 RBi and 1 stolen base.
I'll let others get more detailed, and also to examine the Reds side of the deal.
1. Royce Clayton; 2. Gary Majewski (sorry so dark); 3. Brendan Harris; 4. Bill Bray; 5. Harris in the field; 6. two of those pitchers are going to the Reds, can you tell which ones?
Date
Thu 07/13/06, 3:58 pm EST
