Bourjos traded to Cardinals

[Chuck]

The only person I was cool with getting traded is Trumbo, because I think he's overvalued. But now I fear there's a cleaning of house, and several players will go.

I'm not liking this stove.

That's ok Jeff, because like Thanksgiving, there's plenty still burning on the stove and in the oven.

This deal was just the cranberries on the side.

[Inside Pitch]

This deal was just the cranberries on the side.

 

 

That explains the sour taste....

[Cdaniel]

I wish you could expand on what you're suggesting

[Season Over]

The Wells contract is in another universe of incompetence, calm the hell down. Freese is going to cost like 2/15 at the absolute most. We took on 4 years and 80 something million of crappy Vernon Wells.

[jshep]

I don't think this is worse than the Wells trade or anything, but it stings quite a bit nonetheless.

 

By the time Vernon Wells happened, I fully expected Reagins to **** stuff up. Wells was a more spectacular one than I expected, but I had no confidence in him.

 

But I actually had some degree of confidence in Dipoto before this. However much of that was left is gone now though, he's a nitwit.

[HaloCory22]

Welcome to the club Chuck!

"I want to be gentlemanly about this, but I really hope you get Lou Gehrig's disease."

[mtangelsfan]

Welcome to the club Chuck!

 

ha!  perfect.

[arch stanton]

I think we have to deal with the reality that the moves made will be made with the next 2 seasons in mind. Did we improve ourselves for this window? And did we position ourselves to make further moves in this direction.

 

Getting Freese allows us to trade Howie and basically break even in production. We can always use Romine as a late inning defensive guy if necessary. 

Grichuk has no part in the plans for the next 2 seasons and if he wasn't a 1st rounder his numbers would make him pretty lowly on anyone's list.

Salas and Freese are not studs but they are both upgrades in their respective positions and the price was one player who was nice to have but not a season maker and one who may never be a major league regular.

[jshep]

Fernando Salas is an upgrade in the bullpen?

[CardsFanVegas]

Fernando Salas is an upgrade in the bullpen?

 

Maybe. Maybe not.

 

In 2011, he was doing some closing.

 

Not sure what happened in 2012-2013.  

 

He was a non-tender candidate because of all the young pitching in STL.   JD is probably hoping he is one of those change of scenery guys. 

 

Its very little risk. 

[jshep]

Sure, maybe he's a change of scenery guy. Or maybe the Cardinals know exactly what they're doing and he's another version of the kind of the guy the Angels' bullpen already features too many of, which is what he currently appears to be.

 

This reeks of the Angels' outbidding themselves in order to acquire a piece in Salas that was likely going to be available for nothing but a small chunk of cash in a few weeks though.

Edited November 23, 2013 by jshep

[arch stanton]

Fernando Salas is an upgrade in the bullpen?

If you don't want to call it an upgrade then call it depth at a position that always begs fr it. Everybody thinks the Cards have reinvented baseball genius but it seems to me that they outsmarted themselves last year and shelved every pitcher who went through a bad spell. How else do Miller and Mujica help carry them to the best record in the league then draw splinters in the post season? Maybe Salas can right himself with some regular work and become a solid piece. There's a greater chance of that happening than there is of Grichuk becoming a starting OF.

[Spirit]

[NrM]

What the hell chuck. How can you like this trade? How can anyone like this trade? 

[Oz27]

I don't think this is worse than the Wells trade or anything, but it stings quite a bit nonetheless.

 

By the time Vernon Wells happened, I fully expected Reagins to **** stuff up. Wells was a more spectacular one than I expected, but I had no confidence in him.

 

But I actually had some degree of confidence in Dipoto before this. However much of that was left is gone now though, he's a nitwit.

As far as I'm concerned this sums it up perfectly. Before this, I was on board with giving Dipoto another crack to fix this sinking ship. Now I think every day he's in the job, the greater the pile of sh*t our next GM is going to have to deal with. I'd have been completely against this trade without throwing in Grichuk, throwing him in just stinks of stupidity. It means that over the past few months, we've given up Bourjos, Grichuk and Callaspo (the first two of whom were some of our most valuable trade chips, at a time of great need) for a decent reliever, a slight upgrade at 3B and a prospect with major flaws. How are people okay with that? How are people okay with giving up two of your best trade chips without fixing our primary need? It's idiotic and it shows why Dipoto isn't up to this job.

[seenoevil]

Freese is a solid every day 3B. Something we haven't had in a while. Better than a part time injury player. I like the trade : )

[rsmit84]

As a cardinals fan I will always remember Freese for his heroics but I seriously think he is all but done.  Ive seen many people talking about his back but his ankles just might be the bigger issue.  Larussa always handled him with kid gloves because of his ankles.  When Matheny took over in 2012 he took the reigns off of David and it paid off.  However, I think that season really wore him down.  It was painful to watch him hobble around the bases this year and it kind of reminded me of watching Pujols run.  I hope he can turn it around but I just dont see it.  

 

As for Salas, he is pretty bad.  As others have said, he was on his way to being released.

[seenoevil]

As a cardinals fan I will always remember Freese for his heroics but I seriously think he is all but done.  Ive seen many people talking about his back but his ankles just might be the bigger issue.  Larussa always handled him with kid gloves because of his ankles.  When Matheny took over in 2012 he took the reigns off of David and it paid off.  However, I think that season really wore him down.  It was painful to watch him hobble around the bases this year and it kind of reminded me of watching Pujols run.  I hope he can turn it around but I just dont see it.  

 

As for Salas, he is pretty bad.  As others have said, he was on his way to being released.

 

I'm glad you guys got your asses kickd by the red sox... Bourjos can't hit worth a lick good luck with him

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

Freese is a solid every day 3B. Something we haven't had in a while. Better than a part time injury player. I like the trade : )

He's a below average (defensively), injury prone 3B. If he wasn't traded, he would've probably been a reserve 3B this coming year. 

[rsmit84]

I'm glad you guys got your asses kickd by the red sox... Bourjos can't hit worth a lick good luck with him

Was just trying to give you some idea of what to expect.  I really do hope he can produce.  As for Bourjos, I cant wait to see him in the field.  I never want to see Jon Jay take three steps in on a ball hit to the track or make a 5 hop throw that barely reaches home plate again.  Anything Bourjos can give at the plate will be icing on the cake.

Edited November 23, 2013 by rsmit84

[Carlos]

Fernando Salas is an upgrade in the bullpen?

He'll fit right in with the current group

[Jim]

Was just trying to give you some idea of what to expect.  I really do hope he can produce.  As for Bourjos, I cant wait to see him in the field.  I never want to see Jon Jay take three steps in on a ball hit to the track or make a 5 hop throw that barely reaches home plate again.  Anything Bourjos can give at the plate will be icing on the cake.

Your analysis was spot on, and thank you. Seenoevil is a little less than civil much of the time, so I wouldn't put much stock in his reply if I were you. You guys will enjoy seeing Bourjos play the field, he is fun to watch. And oh my yes, he will be much better at the plate than Jay.   

Edited November 23, 2013 by Jim

[Brent Maguire]

If Salas is his 2011 version, then he's definitely a nice option in this pen. Career 1.20 WHIP and 8.7 K/9 rate isn't all that bad for a reliever. 

 

The problem is he's posted an 89 ERA+ and 82 ERA+ the past 2 seasons.

 

There's nothing wrong with taking a chance on him but it's the fact that we gave up anything significant for him. 

[Tyler]

Getting Walden for Hanson vibes from this trade. sigh

[Brent Maguire]

Here's some positive stuff that might make some people feel better: 

 

"In 2013, Callaspo (later traded to Oakland) and several others combined to hit all of .246/.304/.333, for the third-worst OPS at the position in the league, and they were also four runs below average via Defensive Runs Saved."

 

 

Freese hit .262/.340/.380 in what possibly could've been a down year for him. I don't think the defense is going to be that bad again. Yes, it would've made more sense just to keep Callaspo and not have made this trade but getting Freese at 3rd does make me feel a little better than going with Jimenez/Romine/whoever. Just not at the expense of Bourjos.