Oswalt to Phils? ... The trade-deadline thread

Astros and Phils have agreed to a deal. just awaiting Oswalt waiving his no-trade.
Aparently, Stros with also pay part of the money Oswalt is owed and will get JA Happ and two prospects, including Class A 1B Jonathon Singleton, 18-year-old power hitter.

Also rumors of Yanks and Rays in a bidding war for Adam Dunn and the Marlins supposedly bing ready to move Jorge Cantu.

 

No one can get anything for anyone anymore.

 

Yankees apparently dangling Joba to get Scott Downs, who will most definitely be traded. As a Jays fanboi looser should I be excited about getting Joba?

Lotta discussion here about whether the Jays should trade Jose Bautista. His value will never be higher and they will ask for plenty for him. If the deal is right, I'd do it.

 

Toronto bar owners should be excited about Joba coming to town.

 

History is littered with teams ripped for being stupid and/or cheap by trading a name player for prospects.

And watching the name player fizzle in a year or two while one of the prospects becomes a 10-year All-Star.

 

I question the Phils giving up Happ for a guy who's 33 next month and could break down at any tme

 

I still think they were stupid to give up Cliff Lee in the first place, although I could see why they wanted to.

 

The players who have been traded in recent years are much more than name players -- CC Sabathia, Roy Halladay, Victor Martinez, rumored Roy Oswalt, rumored Prince Fielder, Cliff Lee, Cliff Lee, Cliff Lee. They are top-of-the-line guys.

The heralded trades that brought the prospects weren't for players of that caliber. Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz, Larry Anderson for Jeff Bagwell. That's more along the lines of the recent Scott Podsednik to the Dodgers for a couple of minor leaguers.

Now the best in the game are being traded for lottery tickets.

 

Like Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz.

Although Alexander was 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA for the Tigers in 1987.



Just found something out about that trade: Alexander was only 5-10 with a 4.13 ERA for Atlanta that year. Talk about turning it around quickly with a new team.

 

Happ was unbelievably lucky last year. .270 BABIP. But even more telling, a .141 BABIP in high-leverage situations. He stranded 85 percent of his runners, best in the N.L. Very mediocre SO/BB. High home run rate. His upside, at his age, is probably minimal. In fact, we've likely already seen it.

At some point, that luck runs out. Big-time. He's not going to be John Smoltz. Not close.

 

Yup, making good pitches and getting batters out in clutch situations is all luck.
Oh, I forgot. Sabermetrics doesn't believe in clutch situations. Every at-bat, every pitch is exactly the same.

 

You're right. J.A. Happ has a remarkable, unique ability - which no pitcher in baseball history has ever had - to turn all major league hitters into the equivalent of the worst hitting pitchers when runners get into scoring position.