Start your tradin': Carlos Lee to Rangers

It's not known if Cordero will be on the Brewers next year.  If that's the case, his contract says that he is owed 5 million.  That's not a good contract for a reliever.  He could potentially emerge as the closer, but there's no guarantee of this.  Almost all relievers aren't worth 5 million a year, especially in Milwaukee.

Based on what it sounds like from the press conference and other places, Kolb is still the 'closer' for now, but Cordero is #1 in the waiting if Danny coughs up a game.  Turnbow is still out there, but he can't find his slider and won't return to the closer role until he does.

Texas fans will be treated to Lee for a couple of months.  The worst thing about Carlos is that he barely can play outfield.  The best thing is that the AL has a DH, although I'd imagine he'll still be manning left field.

Cruz is a solid player in AAA.  We'll see if he can do that at the major league level on a consistent basis.  His main knock against him is that he strikes out quite a bit, which could be potentially useful in the hot Texas sun.


EDIT: Well, it sounds like Doug Melvin has changed his mind a bit. He just said on ESPN Radio that Turnbow and Cordero will both close out games, depending upon who is actually getting guys out at the time. No mention of Kolb. Please disregard the above stuff about Cordero not closing.

 

Don't the Rangers need more pitching than they do offense?

 

I don't think he's any different than anybody else. GMs like to bring in guys their familiar with from earlier stops.

Dayton Moore just did it with Odalis Perez. Theo Epstein did it with Matt Clement (and probably regrets it every waking moment). Jim Duquette did it with Kris Benson. Pat Gillick did it with Alex Gonzalez (muahahahhahaha). And Jim Bowden's done it with every single toolsy outfielder he could ever get his hands on (and, in the case of Alex Escobar, one whom he couldn't six years ago this weekend).

 

Daniels says pitching is the priority, but they couldn't pass when Lee went on the market. The team has been shut out eight times this year and needs a jolt. Wilkerson and Big Tex have struggled all year, and DeRosa has hit the wall.

Their starting pitching has been fine, but the bullpen (mainly Coco) has sucked ass of late. Nonetheless, Daniels says he thinks the pieces are in place for a capable bullpen.

 

Sure, they do. And so does everybody else. With so little pitching available, a team needs to improve itself any way it can.

 

I like this trade for both teams.

It will be interesting to see the effect this trade has on the Brewers. I think it could kick-start their chances for the wild-card. The last time the Brewers traded a big name player (Richie Sexson) - they got back some very good talent.

For the Rangers - they got rid of a pitcher who just no longer could function for them (like Allen Embree for the Sox last season), Mench who is best known for having a huge hat and being the fifth best baseball player from Delaware and a prospect who really wasn't going to be a big thing in Texas (like Xavier Nady in San Diego). They get back Lee who can really help thm in the weak AL West and a pretty good prospect.

I like the trade from both sides.

 

This trade is nothing like the haul the Brewers got for Sexson. i can't remember all of it, but I know they got Lyle Overbay and Chris Capuano as part of it and the Diamondbacks got one, injury-ruined season out of Sexson.

 

On this trade, I say advantage Texas. They got more in 2 players than what they gave up in 3. I'm not saying Mench and Cordero won't help MIL. But Lee and Cruz will help the Rangers more. And they're the ones in a tight division race. I don't think Daniels is done dealing. He still has to shore up that pen.

 

Lee will really help Texas in the A.L. West race, especially if he keeps the ball down and throws strikes.

 

Like I said ... I don't think Daniels is done dealing.

 

As a Brewers fan, my first reaction is one of disappointment.

Not that Lee needed to be traded, once I read that he turned down an offer, you knew he was gone. Not even who the Brewers got for Lee.

My disappointment is rooted in why was Melvin in such a hurry to deal Lee. Why not let the market create its own inertia over the weekend, let demand set in, before pulling the trigger?

I get the feeling Melvin did the deal, and consumated it early, because he was familiar with Mench, Cordero, Nix from his Texas days and it scares me that it played into his motivation. I get wary whenever a GM is trading for "his" players in any sport, it falls flat too often.

 

Lee 2-for-2 with 2 singles up the middle in his first 2 Texas at-bats.

Not that it matters. Padilla is getting shelled. 6-1 Royals after 1 1/2.