Matt Morris to the Pirates

[CraziCub]

Saw this on the Giants board:

 

PIRATES ACQUIRE VETERAN STARTER MATT MORRIS

 

The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced they have acquired right-handed pitcher Matt Morris from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for outfielder Rajai Davis and a player to be named. The announcement was made by Dave Littlefield, the Pirates' Senior Vice President and General Manager.

 

Morris, who turns 33 on August 9, has gone 7-7 with a 4.35 ERA (136.2ip/66er) in 21 starts with the Giants this season. His three complete games are tied with Los Angeles’ Derek Lowe for first among National League pitchers and his innings pitched total leads the San Francisco staff.

 

“Matt brings a veteran presence and durability to our rotation that should compliment our current group of young starters,” said Littlefield.

 

Morris, a two-time All-Star (2001 & 2002), has pitched at least 6.0 innings in 202 of his 260 career starts (78%) and has won 118 games in the big leagues. Since 2001, only Roy Oswalt (108) and Greg Maddux (100) have won more games in the majors than Morris (96). Morris made his major league debut with St. Louis in 1997 and pitched eight seasons with the Cardinals before signing with the Giants as a free agent on October 28, 2005.

 

Davis, 26, hit .271 with two doubles, one triple and two RBI in 24 games with Pittsburgh this season. Rajai¸originally selected by the Pirates in the 38th round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, made his big league debut last year on August 14.

 

Well Rajai Davis is basically nothing, and the PTBNL isn't much, but still - why, if you're a team with very limited payroll resources, are you trading for Matt Frickin Morris?

 

No idea. This trade makes no sense at all for the Pirates.

[kujay]

Man, can you imagine what Morris did to piss off the Giants GM?

 

Sure, he's on a last place team. But at least he's in California.

 

What ring of hell is this?

[JC]

I can't stand Matt Morris. I don't care if he rots with Pittsburgh or SF, just as long as he rots.

[Bruno7481]

Maybe they traded for him because he was a cool guy? I don't know...

 

 

 

He was a lot of fun when the Giants were intown bantering with the bleachers.

 

:)

[badger1679666666]

Sweet! How many more times do we play the pirates?

[98navigator]

ESPN News says the Pirates sent Raji Davis and PTBNL to the Giants.

[Bruno7481]

I can't stand Matt Morris. I don't care if he rots with Pittsburgh or SF, just as long as he rots.

 

I use to feel the same, but he converted me.

[nilodnayr]

Sweet! How many more times do we play the pirates?

 

Exactly what I was about to post.

[JeffH]

An argument against revenue sharing if I've ever seen one...

[OleMissCub]

The Giants swapping players with the Pirates??

 

That's like two Frenchmen swapping white flags, I don't get it.

[JC]

I can't stand Matt Morris. I don't care if he rots with Pittsburgh or SF, just as long as he rots.

 

I use to feel the same, but he converted me.

 

There will be no conversion for me. The final straw was his smug smile when he brushed back Kerry Wood on a contentious day with Wood falling to the ground.

 

I take much satisfaction in his missing out on St. Louis' WS Championship. Grudges are all about commitment.

[RynoRules]

The Giants swapping players with the Pirates??

 

That's like two Frenchmen swapping white flags, I don't get it.

 

:lol:

[J.R.]

Inevitably, Morris will win all his bucco starts against us.

[Derwood]

local sports radio right now is great. Pirates fans are realizing that next season, Morris, Wilson and Izturis will comprise 1/2 the team's payroll

[OleMissCub]

local sports radio right now is great. Pirates fans are realizing that next season, Morris, Wilson and Izturis will comprise 1/2 the team's payroll

 

I really do feel bad for Pirates fans. Genuinely.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I'm waiting for Jake's opinion on this move.....

[Jake]

what the hell?!?!?

 

Took the words right out of my mouth!

 

Jake, whats going on over there?

 

This one comepletely caught me off guard. We've been trying to get an established starter for a couple of years now.

 

I don't think Davis was a lot to give up. Hit well in the minors, never much in the majors. Defense can be suspect. Plus, we have three other guys like him. Let's see who the PTBNL is. (No, it's not Duke)

 

EDIT: Just read we took his whole salary on!

 

BTW, We have armas back in the rotation. This is surely an upgrade. Goerzo is hurting a bit, so this allows us to skip him once or twice. And, he's signed through next year.

 

More later.

[Bixby]

I wonder what Morris's reaction was when he found out he was going to Pittsburgh.

[BigbadB]

Pirates are stocking up for the stretch run. Look out!

[JimSorgi]

This deal makes no sense to me.

[sweetpeteman]

I wonder what Morris's reaction was when he found out he was going to Pittsburgh.

 

Something like this, I would guess:

 

http://img451.imageshack.us/img451/9448/17561070hk3.gif

[Smack]

local sports radio right now is great. Pirates fans are realizing that next season, Morris, Wilson and Izturis will comprise 1/2 the team's payroll

 

Ouch

[Transmogrified Tiger]

local sports radio right now is great. Pirates fans are realizing that next season, Morris, Wilson and Izturis will comprise 1/2 the team's payroll

 

Ouch

 

Someone forget to tell them Izturis is a Free Agent?

[E.J.]

local sports radio right now is great. Pirates fans are realizing that next season, Morris, Wilson and Izturis will comprise 1/2 the team's payroll

 

Ouch

 

Someone forget to tell them Izturis is a Free Agent?

 

They could pick up his option for next year. It would be extremely stupid to do, but it's the Pirates.

[Keener98]

Apparently the Cardinals thought they had Morris, but San Fran decided to trade him to Pitt instead, and basically everybody in baseball, including Morris, is completely dumbfounded about this trade.

 

General manager Walt Jocketty thought he had an excellent chance at adding a bigger name, however. The Cardinals made a serious bid for right-hander Matt Morris before the Giants dealt Morris to the Pirates for Rajai Davis and a player to be named later.

 

"I think we felt very confident that we might be able to get a deal done," Jocketty said.

 

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070731&content_id=2119840&vkey=news_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl