Downs traded to Braves for RHP Cory Rasmus

[Inside Pitch]

Not a lateral move so much as it was a 'trade a guy who's going to be a FA when this season appears to be going nowhere' move.  We've been spoiled for years as the Angels were usually the one's acquiring a guy for the stretch run.  Adding young arms is what they need to do and not all of them will be wins but only time will tell.

 

 

There are 20 guys like Rasmus available every year as 6th year FAs...    He's added nothing.  He just threw away a trade chip.  Would have rather seen him packaged with someone else than be given away for a potential 6th year minor league FA.

[SmallSampleSize]

It's getting to where I just don't believe he has a plan at all.  

 

 

But this IS his plan.  

 

Remember, on June 21st Dipoto said the Angels are "'one bad streak away from considering all options."

 

Losing 3 to Oakland when that was your sliver of chance...   Here you finally have it.

 

Today's move is "all options"

[Angel Oracle]

Personally, it's probably the best we could hope for, given that teams aren't snookered anymore like the Red Sux were when they dealt Bagwell for an aging relief specialist in the late 1980's.

[Inside Pitch]

Fangraphs is probably the most respected site I visit often and all they do is shit on the angels...

 

Really is amazing how far this org. has fallen.

 

 

That article is about as dead on as anyone could be.

[Mudville]

Wow!  I am surprised we couldn't pry away Teheran for a 38yo impending FA that can face 1-2 batters per game

 

All sarcasm aside, the Braves knew what they were getting and offered what it was worth.

[Tank]

People were expecting Verlader for Downs.

 

now THATS a trade i would have made.

 

stupid dipoto.

[Angel Oracle]

Thinking we could have hauled in something better for Downs is just silly. Funny that people bag on the player all the time but then think he is going to return something much more valuable in trade. As for Santana, his trade value was very low. He's had a career flashing great stuff terribly inconsistent. He's a head case and baseball knows it. Did anyone honestly think a team would give up good players in return for Santana?

No, but I expected Dipoto to know about how a contract year a lot of times brings out the best, plus Santana always rebounded after a poor season (like 2012 being). At least hold on to him through July 2013.

Plus he was only making some $5 million/year more than Blanton is for 2013, and without the 2014 commitment.

[Inside Pitch]

Wow!  I am surprised we couldn't pry away Teheran for a 38yo impending FA that can face 1-2 batters per game

 

 

You don't think Downs could have been packaged with a guy like Kendrick or Aybar to get some sweetner?    Downs is precisely the sort of guy that a creative GM uses to get a piece he actually wants as part of a larger trade.   Throw in Downs while paying his contract the rest of the year as part of a trade, and it's possible they get someone of actual value.

 

People are defending this move because the feeling is that Downs had little value, and on his own, that's correct.

If this is the ONLY move the team makes then meh -- whatever.  But they could have squeezed value out of him as part of a larger deal, and at best this is a move to make people think the team got something for nothing.    All they got was a guy that likely would have been available -- for nothing.

[Angel Oracle]

It seems like they may not have had enough time to put together a package including Downs, and trading him now was the best option?

[NrM]

You don't think Downs could have been packaged with a guy like Kendrick or Aybar to get some sweetner?    Downs is precisely the sort of guy that a creative GM uses to get a piece he actually wants as part of a larger trade.   Throw in Downs while paying his contract the rest of the year as part of a trade, and it's possible they get someone of actual value.

I don't believe Dipoto is smart enough to pull off something like this

[mtangelsfan]

That's a huge jump.  First you would have to assume that they are looking to trade one of those players.  Second, you would have to assume the same teams that wanted them would want Downs.

[markb]

1998 Honda Civic w/225k mi, balding tires and primered passenger door.  Stereo works occasionally.  $11k OBO

 

^ most of the people in this thread.

[ettin]

No, you are missing the point, a AAA pitcher that is just coming into his own is not bumping an extremely successful pitcher off the roster. So denigrating the guy the Angels traded for simply because he couldn't crack the Braves relief squad makes your argument all the more worthless.

 

But go ahead and complain away about every move our team makes, it is what the cool kids do.

 

I kinda have to agree with Eric on this one IP, you seem a little bent about this. Downs didn't have much overall value considering there is only a month and a half left in the season and to get a live arm is perfectly acceptable.

 

In regards to your comment about not being able to crack the big league bullpen, the Braves are pretty deep in relief help and there are such things as big league service time and arbitration clocks that may or may not have played a part in Rasmus' being brought up.

 

I'm of the opinion that we have to let this stuff play out over time. Dipoto traded for Skaggs and Corbin and was widely panned for the trade but after a couple of years who looks like a genius?

 

This trade could easily fall flat on its face but I think Dipoto saw something in this kid and perhaps the Angels are able to exploit a mechanical change or the like that makes Rasmus more effective. Hanson suddenly picked up velocity due to a minor change in his mechanics so can we give it a couple of years to see what develops?

[Lifetime]

No, but I expected Dipoto to know about how a contract year a lot of times brings out the best, plus Santana always rebounded after a poor season (like 2012 being). At least hold on to him through July 2013.

Plus he was only making some $5 million/year more than Blanton is for 2013, and without the 2014 commitment.

so you were in the keep Santana camp last year AO? 

[Mudville]

You don't think Downs could have been packaged with a guy like Kendrick or Aybar to get some sweetner?    Downs is precisely the sort of guy that a creative GM uses to get a piece he actually wants as part of a larger trade.   Throw in Downs while paying his contract the rest of the year as part of a trade, and it's possible they get someone of actual value.

 

So now it needed to be a multi player trade or it wasn't creative. Amazing how the deal gets worse and worse as you add more and more players into the mix. Maybe the Angels should have added in Trout because that would have really brought in a better package for Downs.

[Lifetime]

You don't think Downs could have been packaged with a guy like Kendrick or Aybar to get some sweetner?    Downs is precisely the sort of guy that a creative GM uses to get a piece he actually wants as part of a larger trade.   Throw in Downs while paying his contract the rest of the year as part of a trade, and it's possible they get someone of actual value.

in a net gain value, no I don't think it would have been better to package Downs with one of those guys. People are seriously over estimating Downs' value to other teams.

[Tank]

I don't believe Dipoto is smart enough to pull off something like this

 

but remember, the other team has a part to play in any trade scenario. what if the braves didn't want or need a guy like aybar or kendrick? what if they wanted more than what the angels were willing to offer? what if the braves didn't offer anything back to the halos that the team really wanted or needed?

 

i know that's a simplistic answer, but during this time of year people often post like the angels should be able to do anything they want and fleece every team they deal with.

[NrM]

but remember, the other team has a part to play in any trade scenario. what if the braves didn't want or need a guy like aybar or kendrick? what if they wanted more than what the angels were willing to offer? what if the braves didn't offer anything back to the halos that the team really wanted or needed?

 

i know that's a simplistic answer, but during this time of year people often post like the angels should be able to do anything they want and fleece every team they deal with.

I just really hate Dipoto right now and I'm venting tbh..

 

[Ohtaniland]

The Angels are dumping players and the fans are dumping tickets.

[Lifetime]

the Angels aren't dumping players Mr Stick in the Mud.

[ettin]

Fangraphs is probably the most respected site I visit often and all they do is shit on the angels...

 

Really is amazing how far this org. has fallen.

 

Dave Cameron, the author of that article, really seems to take a negative slant with any Angels article. It is a little disappointing as I like a lot of his other work. He is a die hard Mariners fan and unfortunately it shows in articles such as that one.

[shellback]

the trade's not that big of a deal.

[Ohtaniland]

the Angels aren't dumping players Mr Stick in the Mud.

You have a reason to celebrate this season?

[Inside Pitch]

That's a huge jump.  First you would have to assume that they are looking to trade one of those players.  Second, you would have to assume the same teams that wanted them would want Downs.

 

 

I'm not making assumptions, I'm offering opinion on how the team could have tried to get more for what some people here feel his value was.   Take a look at any number of Billy Beane trades over the years if you need a glimpse of how a GM uses guys like Downs in order to obtain more than he would on his own.

 

Like I said, if this is the only deal they make -- whatever..   He was gone.   But the people trying to make it sound like he got something are fluffing it up.   Basically, he gave him up for free.  If all they wanted was to save 2 mil, then fine.  I can accept that, just don't try to sell this as if they got something of value.

[Inside Pitch]

I kinda have to agree with Eric on this one IP, you seem a little bent about this. Downs didn't have much overall value considering there is only a month and a half left in the season and to get a live arm is perfectly acceptable.

 

In regards to your comment about not being able to crack the big league bullpen, the Braves are pretty deep in relief help and there are such things as big league service time and arbitration clocks that may or may not have played a part in Rasmus' being brought up.

 

I'm of the opinion that we have to let this stuff play out over time. Dipoto traded for Skaggs and Corbin and was widely panned for the trade but after a couple of years who looks like a genius?

 

This trade could easily fall flat on its face but I think Dipoto saw something in this kid and perhaps the Angels are able to exploit a mechanical change or the like that makes Rasmus more effective. Hanson suddenly picked up velocity due to a minor change in his mechanics so can we give it a couple of years to see what develops?

 

 

Sorry, this team has pissed away a lot of its advantages of late.   Say what you will about the Braves -- they have been hurting for a lefty in the pen for a while.  The return on Downs isn't much different than it would have been had they DFA'd him and found someone willing to move a non-spect for him, if you're honest you'll admit that..   I likely am a bit frustrated, in large part because I want to buy into the idea that ours is a smart front office and really outside of some well stated sales pitches to fans -- there isn't much we can point to as proof that it is.