[USML Announce] 7-04 USML Moves

[SpringKerb at aol.com]

Actually, Mulder was long gone when I did my deal with the Cups, and Greinke was the guy they were after anyway.  But, more to the point, Jeff is distorting my message.

The Cups got a perfectly good deal, at least in my opinion.   I think Greinke's a great long-term prospect (particularly at only $2), and so does Jeff, or at least so he keeps telling us.  They also got a pretty darned good looking young outfielder in the same deal, with a $5 salary.  Both of those players are Y1, so they have plenty of time to pay off.

Blocker instead went for the proven commodities with major league track records--Mulder, Huff, Mueller (and Olivo).  That's a different philosophy at work, but it hardly means Blocker got ripped off.  He went for--and clearly received--proven big league performers.  "Failing" to get Greinke wasn't a failure by Blocker to do anything; it was just the obvious implication of his tactical choice to go for more established players.  Mulder is clearly the right pitcher for that approach.  (And the statement he has "been hurt in each of the last few seasons" isn't very accurate.  Last year's hip injury was the only injury that had a signicant impact on his performance, and it has shown no signs of recurring.)

So the Cups got cheaper, younger, Y1 players (more risk, but potentially greater long-term rewards).  Blocker got older, slightly more expensive, mostly Y2 or LT05 players (less risk, but also more limited upside potential).  Both teams got lots of future value, but Blocker's is mostly loaded into 2005.

Mark

In a message dated 7/6/2004 12:04:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, JHWinick at aol.com writes:

>In a message dated 7/6/2004 9:29:14 AM Central Daylight Time, 
>SpringKerb at aol.com writes:
>Also, regarding Winick's continued flogging of the "Blocker shuould have 
>gotten Greinke" issue, I suggest everyone look at Greinke's actual performance, 
>compare it to Mulder's, and draw your own conclusions as to whether Blocker got 
>the right starting pitcher. ?(He couldn't have gotten both of them, because he 
>didn't have two quality starters to offer in return.) ?In fact, when one 
>look's at the performance of Mulder, Huff and Anderson since my trade with 
>Blocker, a good argument could be made that I got fleeced--and it clearly was not the 
>other way around.
>
>Mark
>I nominate this post for the single most disingenuous post of the year.
>
>You're kidding, right? ?I assume this wasn't the pitch you made to the Cup 
>when you sought Vladimir Guerrero in exchange for Greinke. ?It sounds to me like 
>you owe them an apology.
>
>I want to make sure I understand your argument, though. ?Greinke's "actual 
>performances" (as opposed to his alleged performance??) haven't been very good, 
>so he is far less valuable than Mulder. ?Put aside for purposes of argument 
>that as a dumper, Mark B. should have been far more concerned with the future 
>than with present performance. ?And, of course, we'll have to put aside the 
>facts that Mulder is more expensive, has been hurt each of the last few seasons 
>and has only one year left on his contract. ?Let's focus on your assertion that 
>Greinke's "actual performances" aren't very good, which I will assume is your 
>way of saying that he isn't terribly valuable for this year. ?It suggests that 
>it wouldn't have taken much to replace his stats and add him to the deal 
>(assuming, of course, that was the reason you didn't want to trade him and it had 
>nothing to do with the fact that you were looking to dump him in another 
>deal). ?Most importantly, though, I'll wager that Mark B. didn't ask or at least 
>didn't push very hard.
>
>As for the trade which Andy Klein and I concur will be the principal reason 
>why the Nukes will win (and why the Bombers will finish in the middle of the 
>pack once again), I think the numbers speak for themselves and make the 
>suggestion that you got fleeced a complete joke.
>
>Even with Well's injury, the traded has so far netted the folllowing
>
>Runs: +26
>Home Runs: +23
>RBI's: +25
>Stolen Bases: +4
>Batting Average: ?Major Increase in at bats and average
>Wins: -2
>ERA: ?Worse
>Whip: ?Moderately worse
>Strikeout: ?+4
>
>For future reference, I would suggest that Kerber's posts be treated like 
>press releases from the RNC. ?Use them for entertainment value, but not for 
>accurate information.
>
>Jeff
>