When that's the best thing you can say about a trade on day two, it probably wasn't too great.
We won't hate Church, or Schneider. RY Chizzle (nope) will figure in a few rallies, get a big hit or two, make a couple nice plays in the outfield, and we'll warm up to him. He'll look stoned most of the time, with his "laid back California demeanor," making it a certainty that he and John Maine will be fast friends. Schneider will be an effective platoon-partner with Ramon Castro, and while getting the majority of starts may just show the world that it is possible for a Mets catcher to throw out more than 25% of would-be base stealers.
You know what? I think I'm kind of going to like these new players. They'll each have a nice little 2 or 3 year run in Queens, which is convenient, because by then Lastings Milledge should be just about entering his prime and showing the Mets how badly they got fleeced long-term with this deal.
This isn't as horrendous as Kazmir/Zambrano, as some fans are suggesting, because in all likelihood Ryan Church and Brian Schneider aren't going to totally suck for parts of roughly a season before running off the field in unbearable pain.
What irks me more than anything else about this trade, though, is how uncreative Omar Minaya was in making it. It's being billed by it's proponents and the Mets' PR department (roughly the same crowd on this one) as a move granting the Mets "additional roster flexibility," a real need-filler.
But, and I pointed this out yesterday, Omar Minaya couldn't have demanded a Jon Rauch in this deal? Really? We just traded our former top prospect and we couldn't have squeezed even Ray King out of it?
Oh yeah, that's right, we got Brian Stokes and his 7.whatever ERA from those pesky Rays. Bullpen problems: solved.
If this move had included a middle reliever, I might just be in support of it. Former top prospect with diminished value who will probably turn around and exceed unrealistically low expectations for three solid, mid-level major leaguers who address immediate needs on our team? Not bad, creative. Omar's trying to make things happen.
But instead Omar just made things happen by letting Jim Bowden take him out to dinner and a movie and never call him again.
****
Scene: Two office settings, one in Washington, DC, one on a Mets team private jet, en route to New York from the Domincan Republic, where Omar Minaya has just spent the past 2 weeks watching 17-year olds learn to hit curveballs. Minaya calls up old friend Jim Bowden, who's been salivating for weeks at the chance to steal Lastings Milledge from the Mets in exchange for two players the Nationals have determined they can live without. Jim's expecting Omar's call. The phone begins to ring in Bowden's office.
"This is Jim Bowden."
"Hi Jim, it's Omar."
"Omar! My man! The Big O! The Minayanator! What can I do for ya?"
"Well, I was wondering if perhaps you might be ready to do that deal we talked about..."
"Ahh, you're finally ready to pull the trigger on Milledge, eh? L Millz, as the kids are calling him these days. Knew you'd come around eventually. He'll fit right in in DC. Now, who did you want?"
"Well, I know we talked about Church and Schneider, but I wanted to ask if it might be possible to include a middle reliever. Rauch, maybe? Ray King? I know you're not going to give us Chad Cordero, sorry for asking last time. But anyone you might be able to offer would be greatly appreciated. It's just that we really need bullpen help and, and, we're a little thin in that department, and Duaner Sanchez is kind of lazy so he's no sure thing and, and...you know what I'm sayin'?"
"Yeah, of course Omar. I know what you're saying. And I'd love to help you out. I just don't know if that's possible right now. We do want Milledge, but I'm not sure if we're willing to part with anything else. Quite frankly, you're lucky I even threw Church into that offer. But I know how much you like him and all..."
"Well, when do you think you'll know? Billy Wagner's angry. I need to do something quickly."
"Let me get back to you Omar. I have to talk it over with Jesus Flores - sorry. And Manny Acta - okay, I'll stop. Can I give you a call back later today?"
"You know Jim, I'd really like to do this right now. Give me Schneider and Church and it's cool."
"You sure Omar? I don't want to take advantage of you or anything..."
"Really Jim, it's okay. The fans are going to love me. They love everything I do."
"Okay, man. It's your job..."
****
And that's how the Mets got Brian Schneider and Ryan Church. Two average major leaguers in exchange for a former top prospect who's still got a high ceiling despite some manufactured "character issues."
Really? We couldn't have gotten Jon Rauch? Really?
(Pictures courtesy media.philly.com, cantstopthebleeding.com)
2 comments:
Hey this is really funny stuff; I really liked:
"Let me get back to you Omar. I have to talk it over with Jesus Flores - sorry. And Manny Acta - okay, I'll stop. Can I give you a call back later today?"
One thing- I think the Milledge trade would have been worse had it been for just pair a pair of relievers, just based on overall production and ease-of-obtainability.
totally agree. milledge for rauch, or rauch and ray king, or something of that nature, would have probably been dumber.
like i said in the post, i kind of like ryan church. brian schneider might just be an asset behind the plate. my main issue is the overall value we got in return for a former #1 pick and the fact that we should have been able to get more. i'm not talking about a number 1, but it's totally reasonable to expect that we could have gotten a middle reliever out of this deal in addition to schneider and church.
i'm pissed that lastings is gone, but had we gotten that additional player i'd probably be in favor of this deal from a baseball standpoint. as it stands we got a couple of solid players but the overall return is just so underwhelming, and i don't feel that it had to be that way.
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