Millwood Traded and Other News
More news in what’s becoming a somewhat busy day in Indianapolis …
The Rangers have swapped veteran righthander Kevin Millwood to the Orioles for Chris Ray. The 34-year-old Millwood won 13 games, threw 198 innings, and posted a 3.67 ERA with Texas as his home park in 2009. Ray was Baltimore’s closer in ’06 and ’07 before blowing out his elbow; he missed all of 2008 and was awful in 43 games in 2009. I guess the Rangers made this deal to shed payroll, since Millwood is due $12M (one sources reports that Texas will eat $3M of it as part of the deal). I wonder if they would have been interested in Bobby Parnell? Millwood would instantly step in as the second-best starter on the Mets, and a one-year commitment is easy to stomach.
In other news, the Astros are close to a deal to acquire Matt Lindstrom from the Marlins, the Braves may unload Rafael Soriano on the Rays, Rich Harden is about to sign with a mystery team, and J.J. Putz may be close to joining the White Sox.
I don’t think trading Parnell for Millwood would have been wise. You’d get one year of a 35 year old Millwood on what’s shaping up to be a bad team and giving away a 100mph reliever with a lot of upside. If Parnell is to be traded, it’s in a package for a major contributor who can help now and in the future. Millwood does not fit that billing.
Parnell may turn into something, maybe even a setup man, but the Mets need people who can actually hold a lead beyond the 5th inning.
Which was their backward stupidity in signing K-Rod last winter — no point in having a high-priced closer when there are few games to close!
A. As dude says KEEP BP. He is a key part of that pen.
B. AND you are right we need 3/5 of the rotation to turnover. I’d keep the 1st and 5th starters…the 5th starter being Niese/Nieve and any of the 19 spring training invites to follow. As such that means (as the mill seems to indicate…) sign lackey and trade for an OF, or sign the OF and trade for a starter.
c. The Mets tho need to part with Delgado. Its just too big a risk, a risk they took (knowingly) and paid dearly for.
The fifth starter and Bobby Parnell’s role are the last things they need to be concerned about. With their offense, they need BOTH Lackey AND Halladay to be a postseason club in 2010. If you don’t believe that then you’re not paying attention to what’s going on with teams outside Flushing.
We all know Omar and co are incompetent. We are debating the best strategy for the Mets this off season which is our right as fans, we don’t need to be constantly reminded they are too futile to actually do anything right.
So yes I disagree that your fantasy scenario is a bad idea, thank god you are not the GM of the Mets, or we would have a team of Jason Marquis and Cfers in LF.
I maintain the strategy is sit on your hands Omar, if the minors develop and the team competes you will have all of your job, a stocked farm, and a much better FA class ahead of you in 2011.
The Mets offer of a deal to Bengie Molina means they want to win NOW, not in two years when Parnell may or may not be a decent setup man. A middle-rotation starter with a proven track record and in a motivational walk year is much more valuable, on paper, than a questionable flamethrower who belongs in AAA. Even if Parnell was already a decent setup man, a #3-type starter has more value. You need to have leads going into the late innings before worrying about who is finishing the games.
And yeah, the Mets would “have to go fishing again next year” when Millwood becomes a FA. But I’d prefer that as opposed to getting locked into a 3-year / $30M deal with a schlub like Jason Marquis.
All it took for the Birds to land Millwood was a guy coming off major arm surgery and was last a successful closer 4 seasons ago. Parnell is coming off a breakout season in which he showcased a 100 MPH heater and the ability to pitch well in relief or as a starter, though admittedly in inconsistent fashion. Still, his value right now is much higher than Ray’s, and it doesn’t seem right that the Mets would have to give up such a high ranking prospect of their system when the Orioles only had to surrender a reliever who’s been hurt for the bulk of the past 2 years.
And at the heart of the matter is that Millwood is no messiah. He had a very good 2009, but has been anything but consistent for the past 6 seasons, posting ERAs between 2.86 to 5.16 during that span. Parnell’s future may very well be a question mark right now, but having a young, fresh arm who is under team control for many years to come has got to trump a 35 year old who’s going to make $12M in 2010 and then depart via free agency, especially for a team needing to hold on to as many young talents as possible.
And though I’m not putting one ounce of faith in the Mets’ decision making abilities, the option isn’t trade for Millwood or sign Jason Marquis. They can pass on both. I don’t know if they will, but I’d prefer to keep Parnell and find a Millwood-like pitcher (Jon Garland? Gil Meche? Vicente Padilla?) through some other method that won’t be as costly to the payroll or the farm system.
The Milwood issue is more aptly covered on other blogs (did i link the right one?) in which the Millwood trade characterizes a trade the METS need to do. IN FACT the Mets were rumored to be in talks to swap millwood for Castillo..(which i liked). If the Mets traded Castillo for Millwood then they could trade Pelfrey and/or Maine. And get a quality return. As dude also says there are several of these deals lingering….Castillo for Nate Robertson/Jeremy Bonderman, or the LOoooong rumored Castillo for Juan Pierre.
Does todays trade give a clue that the Dodgers and Mets are brewing another trade.