Baseball Thread 5 - #5 George Brett Has a Story to Tell

He struck out 26 and walked NONE in 14 1/3 innings in the Sally. Real impressive. Seems to have the mental makeup to go quickly through the system. Obviously more polished because he's a college pitcher.

 

I wonder who's next.

 

Crap. Can't get it to load, either.

Just watched their High-A team last weekend. Wonder if any of them will switch sides today.

 

Did anybody on the Red Sox affiliate really suck? That'll be the guy.

 

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/09203/985575-100.stm

Here's the link on the LaRoche trade. No details beyond the fact that he has been traded.

 

I think the Rays would be a good fit. They have a very good chip (David Price) and wouldn't need to give up too much beyond that.

Plus a starting rotation of Halladay, Shields, Garza and Neimann would be pretty damn tough behind their offense.

 

The Post-Gazette reporting the Red Sox send SS Argenis Diaz and Hunter Strickland to Pittsburgh for LaRoche.

Diaz opened the year as the No. 17 prospect in the Boston system, according to Baseball America. Apparently has a fantastic glove. Not so much with the stick (.253 at Double-A Portland). Pirates have a big need for middle infielders, with the two best options right now in High-A and years away from helping, and one of those guys (Chase d'Arnaud) may be out for the year with a thumb injury.

Strickland was an 18th-round pick in 2007. 5-3 with a 3.18 ERA last year in the NYP League for Lowell, and he's 5-4 with a 3.35 ERA for Greenville in the Sally this year. He doesn't walk a lot of people (13 in 81 1/3 IP), so I'm sure that's what the Pirates like in him. I would assume he'll stay in the Sally and pitch for West Virginia, because there's a logjam of starting pitching right now in Lynchburg, and pitchers rarely jump from low-A to Double-A.

 

Beat me to it, Cosmo, I was about to post that. Here are their player bios ...

http://www.soxprospects.com/players/strickland-hunter.htm
http://www.soxprospects.com/players/diaz-argenis.htm

... Sounds like the Bucs might have actually done all right with this trade.

 

Diaz is a really, really good defensive prospect, his offense has a ways to go however.

 

Guess that means Garrett Jones will become the next first baseman with Lastings Milledge maybe being called up to start in the outfield?

 

That would be my guess.

 

The Cubs really need to find an adult who can play shortstop.