Transactions for the week of 11/21-11/30

Technically, 9 days is not a week, but whatever. Works has kept me too busy to write one of these bad boys, but there has been alot to happen lately, that it seems fitting to write about it.

Kenny Rogers resigns with Tigers

A good move, at a reasonable price. Rogers should provide a solid prescence in the middle of the rotation, and I think the Tigers needed him.

Mets trade Guillermo Mota to the Brewers for Johnny Estrada

I've heard of win-win but lose-lose. This was a classic "I'll trade my headache for yours" kind of deal, except that because of the next deal, the Mets win.

Mets trade Lastings Milledge for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider

I know most Mets fans hate this one, but I think it comes out ok for them. Milledge has been overrated for years, and most of his 2007 line came from killing lefties, while being awful against righties. While I think he may turn into a 20 HR/15 steal kind of guy, I'm far from convinced that he's gonna be a star. Especially if he doesnt improve against righties. I get a Alex Ochoa/Jay Payton vibe here.

Church, meanwhile should help the Mets more in 2008 than Milledge would. He posted a solid OPS+(On base plus Slugging normalized to the leauge) of 115, meaning he was 15% better than the average hitter. He's hitting his peak years(just turned 29) and he is under their control for a few more years. Schneider might be the best defensive catcher the Mets have had since Gary Carter, which is pretty sad when you think about how long ago that was. It will be nice to see a runner thrown out trying to steal.

This trade makes Estrada irrelevant, and I suspect, a top non-tender candidate.

Twins trade Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett and Juan Rincon to the D-Rays for Delmon Young, Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie

I like the D-Rays side of this equation. Harris is really a utility guy pretending to be an everday shortstop who will be out of a job once Reid Brignac is called up. Garza is projected to have front of the rotation stuff, and gives the D-Rays a very solid rotation, one that will get even better when David Price makes his debut. Rincon helps improve a bullpen that needed help.

Thats not to say the Twins got ripped off. Some projections of Young have him as the next Vlad Guerrero. He certainly fits the profile, and despite the hype, had a halfway decent rookie year(including 93 RBI's). Still, you'd like to see the average and OBP climb up some more. I think long term this will be a wash, but right now, I think the D-Rays come out a little ahead.

D-Rays sign Troy Percival

I think between the Twins trade and this signing, the D-Rays have improved their pen tremendously, and have candidates should Al Reyes falter in his 2nd year as closer. I'm guessing that Percival will be a every other day setup man, working in tandem with Rincon.

Reds sign Francisco Cordero

Alot of money for a guy thats not going to help the Reds that much in the standings. They have a bigger need for a starter to slot in behind Harang/Arroyo because its a bunch of unknowns after that. Blowing that much money on a closer smacks of a PR move.

Brewers sign Jason Kendall, Dave Riske

I like the Kendall signing. A solid .350 OBP behind the plate, even with no power, is nothing to sneeze at. At least they wont be giving away outs from the catcher position like they were last year with Estrada.

Riske I am less fond of. Losing Cordero really hurts, so what do they do? They sign an unneeded middle reliever. Riske had a good year with the Royals, but I suspect he's not going to post an ERA that low(2.45) again. I'm guess ERA around 3.50, WHIP around 1.29, 1.30. Not bad, but not really needed either.


There were a few other transactions(Posada signs officially, Kerry Wood resigns with Cubs) that have either been covered, or just dont need alot said about them. Til next time!