Zambrano traded to Marlins for Chris Volstad (P. 8)

[KingCubsFan]

volstad has some value, but you really don't want to be populating your starting rotation with a bunch of young guys who can't be anything more than league average (randy wells, travis wood, maybe volstad)

I still think Wood has a good chance to be above average. But, yeah, at some point you'll want potential TOR guys. If they can get Turner for Garza, they can potentially go into next offseason with a cheap mid-rotation guy (Wood), two cheap bottom of the rotation guys (Wells and Volstad), a potential #1/#2 (Turner), with a ton of money to spend on Cain, Hamels or Greinke.

[Outshined_One]

PSD Insider guy says Z is worthless, we'll be paying entire contract and getting Volstad in return. He doesn't mention whether that's ALL we'll be getting back.

 

Does Volstad have some really great stuff or something? He's 26, hits arbitration in 2013, and has been less than stellar so far in his ML career. I don't have a problem targeting him, but I don't see enough potential there to pay all of Z's contract unless he's got some really nice stuff. I don't expect stars for Z (as great as the LoMo talk is, it's almost certainly a pipedream), but if Volstad is it and we're paying the entire deal, I'd have rather kept Z and hoped a good first half would boost his value some.

 

That said, after the Marshall/Wood trade, I'm not criticizing this trade until we find out all the details. And Volstad is 6'8, which is kind of cool ......

 

He once was a worthwhile prospect from 2006-2008, when BA had him as their #97, #40, and #58 prospect in baseball each of those three years, respectively. He's just never panned out the way everyone hoped.

 

FanGraphs liked him as a bounceback candidate.

[XZero771679666304]

PSD Insider guy says Z is worthless, we'll be paying entire contract and getting Volstad in return. He doesn't mention whether that's ALL we'll be getting back.

 

Does Volstad have some really great stuff or something? He's 26, hits arbitration in 2013, and has been less than stellar so far in his ML career. I don't have a problem targeting him, but I don't see enough potential there to pay all of Z's contract unless he's got some really nice stuff. I don't expect stars for Z (as great as the LoMo talk is, it's almost certainly a pipedream), but if Volstad is it and we're paying the entire deal, I'd have rather kept Z and hoped a good first half would boost his value some.

 

That said, after the Marshall/Wood trade, I'm not criticizing this trade until we find out all the details. And Volstad is 6'8, which is kind of cool ......

 

Volstad has a pretty good sinker, iirc, and a decent curve. He's a ground ball pitcher also, iirc.

[TruffleShuffle]

yeah i didn't realize volstad has over 3 years of service time. he's a back of the rotation guy, meaning that once he hits arbitration he's a candidate to be non-tendered unless he suddenly gets better. not seeing much value in dumping zambrano for volstad unless it results in saving a bunch of cash that is invested elsewhere.

[Rob]

volstad kind of blows

Career high strikeout rate last year along with a career low walk rate. The improvement was masked by what looks like some moderately bad luck.

 

There's a hint of potential there, but the best case scenario looks like a typical Ryan Dempster year. Given he's not even under club control for long, I think I'd have rather held on to Zambrano and prayed for a resurgence (culminating in a deadline deal).

[davell]

Without looking at his numbers to confirm, MLBTR has Volstad scheduled to make 2.6 mill in arb for 2012. I'm not sure I've ever watched him pitch. If so, he wasn't memorable. He was a 1st round pick and he's very tall. Without cheating, that's all I know about him.

[dew1679666265]

Volstad has a pretty good sinker, iirc, and a decent curve. He's a ground ball pitcher also, iirc.

 

He once was a worthwhile prospect from 2006-2008, when BA had him as their #97, #40, and #58 prospect in baseball each of those three years, respectively. He's just never panned out the way everyone hoped.

 

FanGraphs liked him as a bounceback candidate.

 

Thanks. Both of those give me some hope that Theo/Hoyer saw something in him and feel that he's a candidate to potentially break out a bit. If the deal is Z for Volstad straight up and we're paying all of Z's contract, I'd still rather have waited for the deadline, though.

[XZero771679666304]

Without looking at his numbers to confirm, MLBTR has Volstad scheduled to make 2.6 mill in arb for 2012. I'm not sure I've ever watched him pitch. If so, he wasn't memorable. He was a 1st round pick and he's very tall. Without cheating, that's all I know about him.

 

I remember seeing him in 2008 when he first came up and thinking he had good, live stuff. I remember a power sinker, though I could be wrong. Obviously the numbers are not what you'd like to see.

[Outshined_One]

volstad kind of blows

Career high strikeout rate last year along with a career low walk rate. The improvement was masked by what looks like some moderately bad luck.

 

There's a hint of potential there, but the best case scenario looks like a typical Ryan Dempster year. Given he's not even under club control for long, I think I'd have rather held on to Zambrano and prayed for a resurgence (culminating in a deadline deal).

 

He has serious issues with HRs. Even if you throw out his ERA and W/L, you're still looking at a pitcher whose best case scenario at this point seems to be either as a 4/5 or as a good, but not great, setup man.

 

Maybe he just needs a few tweaks to help his mechanics/delivery. But, I'm not exactly thrilled with the Cubs picking him up if he's all they would get for Zambrano.

[XZero771679666304]

I also seem to remember him having an attitude problem, but that's vague and anecdotal.

[USSoccer]

If we trade Zambrano, eat a bunch of salary and get Volstad back, I'm going to inject heroin into my forehead.

[Guest]

volstad kind of blows

Career high strikeout rate last year along with a career low walk rate. The improvement was masked by what looks like some moderately bad luck.

 

There's a hint of potential there, but the best case scenario looks like a typical Ryan Dempster year. Given he's not even under club control for long, I think I'd have rather held on to Zambrano and prayed for a resurgence (culminating in a deadline deal).

 

He has serious issues with HRs. Even if you throw out his ERA and W/L, you're still looking at a pitcher whose best case scenario at this point seems to be either as a 4/5 or as a good, but not great, setup man.

 

Maybe he just needs a few tweaks to help his mechanics/delivery. But, I'm not exactly thrilled with the Cubs picking him up if he's all they would get for Zambrano.

 

This strikes me as sort of a weird thing to say. Because you should always throw those out. Actually, you should never even have them.

[davell]

Someone from the Palm Beach paper mentions Dominguez as a possibility. I'm not very high on him, but he IS a potential excellent fielder with average power for the position. Nobody else has reported him as being potentially in the deal as well, but if he IS, it's solid work from our side, in my opinion. He'd be a trade chip at least. This being said, our 40 man is at 40, so unless another move is made or we include something else in the deal, I figure it's a straight one for one deal.

[XZero771679666304]

If we trade Zambrano, eat a bunch of salary and get Volstad back, I'm going to inject heroin into my forehead.

 

That that needle ready

[Outshined_One]

Deal might be Volstad and/or Dominguez for Zambrano

 

I'm lukewarm on Dominguez. Good glove, but I'm not sold on his ability to hit.

[RynoRules]

I'd be fine with Volstad in return if we are relieved of all but 5 mill of Z's salary. I dont think his perceived value will net us very much else. If it's Volstad and Dominguez then we win by a lot, IMO.

[XZero771679666304]

Deal might be Volstad and/or Dominguez for Zambrano

 

I'm lukewarm on Dominguez. Good glove, but I'm not sold on his ability to hit.

 

I agree (his numbers are pretty bad), but frankly Volstad and Dominguez is about as much as I have been hoping to get for Z. Which obviously isn't much.

[RynoRules]

Deal might be Volstad and/or Dominguez for Zambrano

 

I'm lukewarm on Dominguez. Good glove, but I'm not sold on his ability to hit.

 

Only 21. Power could still develop. What's his perceived ceiling?

[SouthSideRyan]

I'd be fine with Volstad in return if we are relieved of all but 5 mill of Z's salary. I dont think his perceived value will net us very much else. If it's Volstad and Dominguez then we win by a lot, IMO.

 

Why do you care about salary relief? We don't have anybody to spend that 5M on.

[TruffleShuffle]

dominguez is just a lousy hitter. he's supposed to be outstanding at third so the bar for him is pretty low offensively, but if he hits like gary scott then it doesn't matter how great his glove is.

[Outshined_One]

Deal might be Volstad and/or Dominguez for Zambrano

 

I'm lukewarm on Dominguez. Good glove, but I'm not sold on his ability to hit.

 

Only 21. Power could still develop. What's his perceived ceiling?

 

John Sickels compared him to Pedro Feliz. That sounds about right if he doesn't improve his walk numbers.

[USSoccer]

I'd be fine with Volstad in return if we are relieved of all but 5 mill of Z's salary. I dont think his perceived value will net us very much else. If it's Volstad and Dominguez then we win by a lot, IMO.

 

Yay, more money saved to spend on nothing.

[dew1679666265]

Someone from the Palm Beach paper mentions Dominguez as a possibility. I'm not very high on him, but he IS a potential excellent fielder with average power for the position. Nobody else has reported him as being potentially in the deal as well, but if he IS, it's solid work from our side, in my opinion. He'd be a trade chip at least. This being said, our 40 man is at 40, so unless another move is made or we include something else in the deal, I figure it's a straight one for one deal.

 

Volstad and Dominguez for Z would be kind of intriguing. I'd like some offense from a third base prospect, but if the awful offense we've been seeing at third continues, Dominguez could project moderately well and could be used as trade bait in the future.

[RynoRules]

I'd be fine with Volstad in return if we are relieved of all but 5 mill of Z's salary. I dont think his perceived value will net us very much else. If it's Volstad and Dominguez then we win by a lot, IMO.

 

Why do you care about salary relief? We don't have anybody to spend that 5M on.

 

Banking cash is fine with me if it's used to sign draft picks, international FA's, make trades to add veterans, or to ink future FA's. I'm not thinking it's going to be used immediately.

[RynoRules]

Deal might be Volstad and/or Dominguez for Zambrano

 

I'm lukewarm on Dominguez. Good glove, but I'm not sold on his ability to hit.

 

Only 21. Power could still develop. What's his perceived ceiling?

 

John Sickels compared him to Pedro Feliz. That sounds about right if he doesn't improve his walk numbers.

 

That's not terrible. Not great, but not terrible.