Reds Trade Josh Hamilton to Rangers

[reds44]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/baseball/rangers/stories/122207dnsporanglede.3b085d1a.html

 

The Texas Rangers spent most of 2007 trying to build up the starting pitching depth in the organization. Friday, they put that depth to use.

 

The Rangers reached into their stock of young starters and used one, Edinson Volquez, to address one of their more pressing needs, the outfield. The Rangers, sources confirmed, have agreed to send Volquez and minor league pitcher Daniel Herrera to Cincinnati for power-hitting Josh Hamilton.

 

In a way, it's a trade of one successful rebuilding project for another. While Volquez worked his way back from Class A last year to have a successful September for the Rangers, Hamilton overcame a long history of injuries and addiction issues to have an impressive rookie season for the Reds.

 

Hamilton, who will turn 27 in May, hit .292 with a .922 on-base-plus-slugging average in 90 games. He also hit 19 home runs and drove in 47 runs.

 

It was the latest chapter in a comeback for the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 draft that included going three seasons without playing due to recreational drug problems. Failed drug tests also led to a year-long suspension by Major League Baseball in 2004. Hamilton has said in the past that drug problems arose after several seasons in the minors ended prematurely because of injuries that left him with lots of time on his hands.

 

After getting clean in 2006, he started on the road back by playing 15 games at short-season Class A ball. His talent was judged mature enough that Cincinnati traded up during the December Rule 5 draft to get him when the Tampa Bay declined to put him on its roster. Hamilton then won an outfield job. He missed two weeks in May with gastroenteritis (an inflammation of the intestines), another month with a sprained wrist and the final three weeks of the season with a sore hamstring.

 

But in the time that he was healthy over the final four months of the season, he appeared to refine his game even more. He batted .313 with a .389 on-base percentage and a .964 OPS. Among the 144 NL players with at least 200 plate appearances in that span, Hamilton ranked 15th in the league in OPS.

 

Hamilton gives the Rangers options in the outfield. An above-average fielder, defender, he could be used in center field. But the club could also opt to move him to a corner to try to lessen his the wear and tear on his body. Marlon Byrd and David Murphy could split time in center. Milton Bradley or Frank Catalanotto could split the left field and DH duties, depending upon Bradley's health.

 

The trade also opens the door for another young pitcher – Luis Mendoza, Armando Galarraga, Josh Rupe, A.J. Murray or even Eric Hurley – to win a spot in the starting rotation. Mendoza, Murray and Galarraga all had brief but impressive auditions as starters. Rupe went to camp last year with a good chance to win the fifth starter's job. Hurley is the club's top pitching prospect. The Rangers have also expressed at least mild interest in veteran free agents Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon and Jason Jennings, all of whom are recovering from injury.

 

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Good trade for the Rangers. Volquez has a lively arm, but has Andy Pratt like command of the strike zone.

[reds44]

Good trade for the Rangers. Volquez has a lively arm, but has Andy Pratt like command of the strike zone.

Good trade for the Rangers?

 

They just traded pitching for hitting.

[reds44]

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071221&content_id=2335816&vkey=news_cin&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin

 

Official.

[Guest]

Interesting trade. I like Hamilton better than Volquez, but each guy carries significant risks with him.

 

I'd suggest this makes it very, very unlikely that the Reds give up Bruce in a trade for Bedard, btw.

[Exile on Waveland]

Good trade for the Rangers. Volquez has a lively arm, but has Andy Pratt like command of the strike zone.

Good trade for the Rangers?

 

They just traded pitching for hitting.

 

OK, how about a Dempster for Dunn trade then?

[Guest]

Good trade for the Rangers. Volquez has a lively arm, but has Andy Pratt like command of the strike zone.

 

He doesn't have great control but it's nowhere near as bad as Andy Pratt was.

 

2.76 K/BB, 3.73 BB/9.

[RammyFanny]

I would have thought you could've gotten more than that for a young .900+ OPS CF/RF, even if he's had a shaky past. I know the Reds didn't want to trade within the division, but I wish there was someway that we could've gotten involved.

[jersey cubs fan]

Good trade for the Rangers. Volquez has a lively arm, but has Andy Pratt like command of the strike zone.

Good trade for the Rangers?

 

They just traded pitching for hitting.

 

Unimpressive pitching for hitting.

 

It's not like Texas is some great juggernaut offense, they did have a sub 100 OPS+ last year as a team. And they had a sketchy OF situation.

[reds44]

Interesting trade. I like Hamilton better than Volquez, but each guy carries significant risks with him.

 

I'd suggest this makes it very, very unlikely that the Reds give up Bruce in a trade for Bedard, btw.

That was never going to happen anyway.

 

In 34 innings (six starts) in 2007 with the Rangers, Volquez posted a 7.68 K/9 and a .750 OPSA.

Edited December 21, 2007 by reds44

[Guest]

Another way of looking at this, though, is that the Reds basically turned a rule 5 pick into Edinson Volquez over 12 months. If that's the perspective, then they did well. They could also feel that last year was a fluke and that Hamilton is unlikely to repeat his numbers.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Good trade for the Rangers. Volquez has a lively arm, but has Andy Pratt like command of the strike zone.

 

He doesn't have great control but it's nowhere near as bad as Andy Pratt was.

 

2.76 K/BB, 3.73 BB/9.

 

I was using hyperbole...you got me.

[reds44]

Bailey, Cueto, and now Volquez.

 

The question becomes do we hang onto all of them or try to flip a pair for a move proven pitcher, i.e. Bedard.

[Guest]

Interesting trade. I like Hamilton better than Volquez, but each guy carries significant risks with him.

 

I'd suggest this makes it very, very unlikely that the Reds give up Bruce in a trade for Bedard, btw.

That was never going to happen anyway.

 

In 34 innings (six starts) in 2007 with the Rangers, Volquez posted a 7.68 K/9 and a .750 OPSA.

Volquez could turn out quite well.

 

But he'll be a flyball pitcher with control issues in GABP. And he's a pitcher with some injury history playing for Dusty Baker.

[RammyFanny]

Bailey, Cueto, and now Volquez.

 

The question becomes do we hang onto all of them or try to flip a pair for a move proven pitcher, i.e. Bedard.

Probably Bedard. I can see it making sense in that regard even if i'm not that high on Volquez. You'll still have some young depth with one of Bailey/Cueto gone.

[reds44]

Interesting trade. I like Hamilton better than Volquez, but each guy carries significant risks with him.

 

I'd suggest this makes it very, very unlikely that the Reds give up Bruce in a trade for Bedard, btw.

That was never going to happen anyway.

 

In 34 innings (six starts) in 2007 with the Rangers, Volquez posted a 7.68 K/9 and a .750 OPSA.

Volquez could turn out quite well.

 

But he'll be a flyball pitcher with control issues in GABP. And he's a pitcher with some injury history playing for Dusty Baker.

A risky young pithcer for a risky young outfielder.

 

Seems fair enough.

[Guest]

Interesting trade. I like Hamilton better than Volquez, but each guy carries significant risks with him.

 

I'd suggest this makes it very, very unlikely that the Reds give up Bruce in a trade for Bedard, btw.

That was never going to happen anyway.

 

In 34 innings (six starts) in 2007 with the Rangers, Volquez posted a 7.68 K/9 and a .750 OPSA.

Volquez could turn out quite well.

 

But he'll be a flyball pitcher with control issues in GABP. And he's a pitcher with some injury history playing for Dusty Baker.

A risky young pithcer for a risky young outfielder.

 

Seems fair enough.

Yep - pretty much what I said in my first post above.

[Guest]

Bailey, Cueto, and now Volquez.

 

The question becomes do we hang onto all of them or try to flip a pair for a move proven pitcher, i.e. Bedard.

 

Volquez isn't in Bailey or Cueto's class. (Cueto's my personal favorite but Bailey has to be considered a better prospect.)

[reds44]

Bailey, Cueto, and now Volquez.

 

The question becomes do we hang onto all of them or try to flip a pair for a move proven pitcher, i.e. Bedard.

 

Volquez isn't in Bailey or Cueto's class. (Cueto's my personal favorite but Bailey has to be considered a better prospect.)

I like Cueto the most out of the bunch as well.

[Rob]

Bailey, Cueto, and now Volquez.

 

The question becomes do we hang onto all of them or try to flip a pair for a move proven pitcher, i.e. Bedard.

 

I doubt I'd ever stop laughing if you guys traded away the farm for Bedard.

[Outshined_One]

Bailey, Cueto, and now Volquez.

 

The question becomes do we hang onto all of them or try to flip a pair for a move proven pitcher, i.e. Bedard.

 

I doubt I'd ever stop laughing if you guys traded away the farm for Bedard.

 

Maybe this is a move for Blanton? I'd doubt the Rangers would want to trade Volquez away to a divisional rival. If Beane wants him, this would help the Reds' pursuit for another pitcher.

[mdwilla]

Herrera, 23, is a southpaw relief prospect. He barely registers 5-foot-7, 145 pounds. Tops out at 84mph but throws some kind of screwball to offset the weak heat. This trick helped him post an 11.0 K/9 in Double A this year.

 

Sweet

[Omar]

Just Josh Hamilton? No bag(s) of cocaine?

[CoolHandLuke]

Herrera, 23, is a southpaw relief prospect. He barely registers 5-foot-7, 145 pounds. Tops out at 84mph but throws some kind of screwball to offset the weak heat. This trick helped him post an 11.0 K/9 in Double A this year.

 

Sweet

 

Wow, I love Danny Ray. I didn't realize it was him, as they refer to him as Daniel in the article. Edison Volquez was always the lesser of the DVD trio in my mind, and I don't like this trade at all from the Reds perspective.

[badnews]

I remember I wanted the Cubs to draft Herrera. He was drafted in the 20something round and Baseball America did a big feature on him. Of course they didn't. I guess it's just as well, they would've found a way to throw him into the Trachsel deal anyway.

 

I always thought Thomas Diamond was the crappiest of the DVD trio.