Hudson traded to Atlanta
You’d think this would be good news for the M’s. As obsessive site reloader David Corcoran reports, it’s “Cruz, Meyer, and Thomas.”
Um, which frankly… doesn’t help me so much. Dave would probably be able to give full rundowns, because… well, he’s Dave. I still can’t think straight due to some signing the M’s made.
Edit: Dave’s Not Quite Full Rundown:
I’m a big Dan Meyer fan. Been talking him up to anyone who will listen for two years. He’ll get a rap as a crafty lefty because his stuff isn’t top drawer, but it’s not bad. He throws two breaking balls and a good change. He has terrific command, keeps hitters off balance, and has smooth mechanics. He was the Braves best arm and could be pitching effectively in Oakland by May or June. I like him a lot more than Joe Blanton.
Cruz is a power arm with mediocre command who doesn’t know how to pitch. Think Salomon Torres, but with a bit more upside.
Charlie Thomas is a 4th outfielder.
Definitely not as good a haul as Edwin Jackson/Antonio Perez, and probably not enough for Hudson. The Braves gave up less for a year of Tim Hudson than the White Sox did for 2 months of Freddy Garcia.
Comments
31 Responses to “Hudson traded to Atlanta”
Cruz, Meyer, and Thomas.
IMO, Beane got swindled.
The Atlanta paper is reporting it is a done deal to be announced at 5 p.m. today. The Meyer kid is suppose to be the real deal and would have competed for the #5 starter as a rookie for the Braves this year.
Am I an obsessive reloader? Sorry.
And you forgot the “J”
It just keeps getting better & better. Both Pedro & Hudson to the NL should be good for a few more victories for M’s.
Any opinions regarding value of Pedro’s 4yr deal verses Sexson?
Well, Cruz is coming off an effective year for a reliever. Hard thrower, good K-rate, a little bit high in the BB department, but good. Dan Meyer had a nice year for Greenville and Richmond….Thomas hit 358 for Richmond and I’m told he’s a hell of an outfielder.
People saying “Beane got swindled” have kind of a poor track record so far. I’m looking forward to seeing how the three of them develop.
I think Meyer had an 85/15 K/BB ratio in AA and about a 65/25 K/BB ratio in AAA, after being taken as a supplemental first rounder in 2002 (I think). About 60 IP in each league. Not bad. Numbers look like Joe Blanton. Thomas doesn’t look like the A’s profile, with a pretty average walk rate. 40/16 K/BB ratio in about 215 AAA ABs. Has to be a numbers crunch. Poor A’s. Huddy is awesome.
Hudson going to Atlanta is *fabulous* in my opinion. It means he won’t be pitching against us (since we’re skipping the Braves this time in interleague), and it also means that it may be easier for us to pry Kevin Millwood away from the clutches of the evil, evil, Braves.
Not to be too technical, but didn’t the White Sox get three months of Freddy? Either way, that means Bavasi got more for Freddy than Beane did for Hudson, AND Bavasi took Adrian Beltre away from DePodesta. I guess sometimes it IS better to be lucky than good.
WOOT!!! The Rule 5 Kid is gone too!
Even though we overpaid for Richie plus last years debacle, I’m starting to think Bavasi is a large step up from Gillick. I like his trades and I really like this Beltre deal. And so far this year we haven’t signed any Aurilia/Spiezio types for $4million. Get us a pitcher and lose Spiezio and I’ll be sold.
You’re not alone, David!!!
We all have our hobbies.
During slow periods in February, I suggest whittling.
With Hudson and Pedro both going to the NL East, that’s 5-6 more games they *actually* hava a chance in in 2005.
At my first glance, Thomas looks like the new Billy Beane type. Decent OBP, not great power, solid OF defense. Kotsay v2.0
Julio Cruz, Danny Meyer, and Gorman Thomas?
Thomas’ batting average carried his OBP this year, for the most part. He doesn’t really have the kind of power that you’d like from a corner outfielder, either, and at 26 years old it probably isn’t going to develop much further.
I like comment #6. I agree that the Jackson/Perez deal would have been much sweeter, however, I think DePo and the Dodgers are quite high on Edwin. I did like the idea of getting to see Antonio play against the Mariners. It seems as though he has worked very hard to correct his flaws and to turn his talent into skill– I wish him the best of luck. As for the deal as such, Cruz, to me, has a lot of promise. I always thought the Cubs left him to the wolves and then abandoned him. I wouldn’t be surprised to see four or five solid years out of him (in the rotation). Meyer, I have no idea about. After watching Charles Thomas quite a bit this past year, I think the A’s have gotten themselves a premier 4th outfielder: someone who can do everything you need out of that roster spot. I see him as a Randy Winn-type player (of course, he won’t be paid 4.5millon!). I think the A’s sacrificed a bit on this one in the short term, but there may be dividends. Hudson did look a bit out-of-sorts at times this season, but with a good infield defense behind him, he is still a #1 IMO. I agree though that on a prima facie level, this deal don’t make too much sense for next season…
Now it looks like the ’05 As have TWO rookie SPs, Ginter at 2B, and still needs a C. Monday we’ll find out if he’s cutting Durazo and Dotel loose, and then we wait to see how he staffs up without much money to spend. Trade Zito? More URPs? (ubiquitous replacement player)
Sorry–no C.
Either Beane is losing it or LA didn’t actually offer Edwin Jackson.
I like Meyer myself and saw him at JMU a few years back… (Virginia sucks, stay away).
He isn’t all that unlike Travis Blackley is ability and stuff… Not a clone… but somewhat similar.
So how long will it take to wipe Willie Bloomquist’s name out of the starting 3B slot on the Big Board?? Shouldn’t there be some kind of celebration. Or are you waiting for the pizza feed to do that?
I know this is completly off topic, but if DC baseball gets delayed or even contracted would that put the free agents they just signed back on the market?
Unless there was a clause in their contract saying that their contract is voided if they move again, no.
Why would Christian Guzman or Vinny Castilla ever want to void those ridiculous contracts they signed? Seriously, they could move to Siberia and I doubt either one of them would try and opt out, at least not until after they’d actually visited the place.
I wonder if today was a day, maybe the first day ever, that Beane looked up from the (figurative) little pile of money on his desk and looked north with envy?
Any other day, I would say I wish Beane would follow that envy north. But as of right now ,we have the best FO in baseball. When they announce Ron Villones 6 year contract tomorrow, my mind will change. But for today, we have the greatest FO in baseball. It makes me so happy to say that.
I have to say, the sheer sense of wonder I felt looking at cnnsi.com’s MLB page and the top two headlines began “Free Spending Mariners Add Big Bats…” and “Big Three Breaks Up…” I mean astonishing on any day (even if we knew the latter would come eventually), but on the same day…
Well, to be fair about Freddy… they locked him up for much, much less than the salary he’d be commanding with the current market.
It is amazing to me how little Beane got back here relative to Hudson’s actual value. I’m sure Billy made the best deal for which he had a solid offer, but this is the first time I can think of in a major trade that Beane has gotten back substantially less player value than he has given up.
It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Beane made Juan Cruz his new closer and jettisoned Dotel, who I think he’ll get rid of regardless. If it plays that way, Beane traded one of the three or four best starting pitchers in the majors due for big $$$ the As can’t/won’t afford for a mid-rotation starter (at best) and a closer making bareley $1M combined, not that bad a deal if that’s what it is.
Re #21, great crack about Wee Willie Bloomquist… 🙂 Now if only we could wipe him off the Big Board entirely! Don’t the Expos/Nationals need someone of his caliber??
Re #22, I read somewhere on ESPN.com that the Expos/Nationals could legitimately be contracted after the 2006 season – apparently the current CBA allows that, I don’t know, I’m just quoting the article – but it probably isn’t possible right now.
I can tell you this. I am looking forward to going to L’Olimpyque, and have bought my plane tickets to do so, on Opening Day ’05, so I can watch the 2005 World Champion MONTREAL EXPOS come back home.