Bourjos traded to Cardinals

[Jim]

Ok, I've made it through all 32 pages, not sure why though? 

 

The optimistic me says wait until Mr. Dipoto comes through with the missing pieces, showing us all why Arte picked him as our GM and savior. It’s difficult to stay optimistic when I combine all Dipoto’s moves as GM. To date, the man has made some pretty shitty moves, all the while we put a good spin on them hoping they turn out well. It’s looking more and more as if he doesn’t have the pulse of the league, and certainly doesn't seem to possess the talent for negotiating.   

 

My feeling is that overall, it's not a good trade, and I'm losing more faith in Dipoto after every move.

 

God I hope I'm wrong.  

[ten ocho recon scout]

wow, someone is really reaching here

someone has to. The cards weren't even gentlemanly enough to give us a reach around.

[Grigori]

I think this sets up a trade of Trout to the Rangers for Mitch Moreland.  The Angels need more first basemen to go with Trumbo an Pujols.  

[TobiasFunke]

First time posting on this topic.

 

It blows my mind that some of you on here are going ballistic on Bourjos, a guy that we'll all remember not for his playing time but for his bobblehead sitting on our desk. A career .251 batting average.

 

This is the player that you guys are starting a Civil War over.

 

OOF!

[Glen]

First time posting on this topic.

 

It blows my mind that some of you on here are going ballistic on Bourjos, a guy that we'll all remember not for his playing time but for his bobblehead sitting on our desk. A career .251 batting average.

 

This is the player that you guys are starting a Civil War over.

 

OOF!

 

 

Way off.  We're going off on what we got in return for him.  Freese is the Blanton of 3B and he's more of an injury risk than is Bourjos (see what the Cards fan was saying about him).  I think Bourjos has the potential to be much better at the plate than does Freese, and defensively there isn't even a comparison.  I've never been a failo but I've run out of gas for defending Dipoto's moves.  This isn't even a lateral move.  It's difficult to find anybody who thinks we even got fair value in the trade:

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/11/reactions-to-the-freese-bourjos-trade.html

[TobiasFunke]

We were never going to get a fair value for him. Getting a major league ready 3B was the best we were going to get for Bourjos. That or a stellar AAA guy maybe which is pretty much what Bourjos is.

[Glen]

Freese's bat is declining and his defense is terrible. Bourjos is more of a starting CF than Freese is a starting 3B.  The Cards wanted to get rid of him.  

 

All of my complaining about this trade aside, I do like that Calhoun will probably get a lot more starts and may even be the starting LF (we still have Trumbo who probably slots as DH/1B right now but will also get time in LF).  I just don't like Freese.  I hope I'm wrong about him but all I see is more regression from him.

[Grigori]

Seriously, wasn't this just a trade out of necessity for the Angels? They needed a 3B and it's not like they don't need to take some chances to find a good relief pitcher.  I look at it more as necessary housecleaning before they can decorate for the party.  

 

For the Cardinals it was a trade of convenience. The biggest feature for them was getting rid of a contract that was in the way. They have Taveras and Jay. Borjous was not necessary.  All this does for them is open up a spot for Wong and save them some money. It's not as if Borjous offers them any huge upgrade when they have the best prospect in baseball potentially moving into CF for them soon. 

 

IMHO, anyone who does not like the trade should have to a) explain who else was going to play 3B for the Angels, b ) explain why the Angels don't need anyone else to try out for a bullpen spot, and c) explain why the Cardinals even bothered with this.   

Edited November 23, 2013 by Grigori

[HaloCory22]

Yeah, I don't think anyone (or at least many) are angry about Bourjos being traded, but more so on what he and Grichuk were traded for. Should have been used on pitching.

[Stradling]

Cory we all think that, I'm sure that's what Dipoto wanted as well, but then no one was willing to part with pitching for him.

[HaloCory22]

Cory we all think that, I'm sure that's what Dipoto wanted as well, but then no one was willing to part with pitching for him.

Oh I totally get that. I will fully admit that I am probably overvaluing him a bit and assuming we could get something for him that we never really could (at his current value) That might be what pisses me off the most. Part of me wishes we flipped him after 2011 when teams were drooling at the thought of Bourjos.

[Troll Daddy]

The Cardinals wanted Grichuk ... that's why. It's been reported without him this deal doesn't get done.

[Angel Oracle]

Geez, I hope that somehow Freese flunks his physical. That's our ONLY hope.

What is this org's fascination with older players.

Welcome to the 1970s, a BAD rerun!

Edited November 23, 2013 by Angel Oracle

[Stradling]

AW- where 30 years old is old.

[TobiasFunke]

baseball - where 30 years old is old.

fixed

[Stradling]

Bullshit. In the pre steroid age a players prime was about 26-32.

[Torridd]

Man, this is a tough group! Bourjos hasn't shown much with us and we filled a hole. I look forward to Freese. I'm sure more is coming from Dipoto. I'm glad we didn't lose Trumbo, Aybar or HK for him. And now Calhoun will start.

[OregonLAA]

I have been reading this board for the last 24 hours just laughing. Some of you are pissed and I can't totally blame you. But there are a few who act like they know more than Dipoto. It drives me insane.

Let me say that Bourjos is one of my favorites and I'm sad to see him go BUT he hasn't played an entire season of good baseball yet. We are overvaluing him by a lot. We weren't in a position to demand pitching. We have extra outfielders and I doubt Bourjos was going to get a ton of playing time next year. The Cardinals were in control of the negotiations because they knew we had extra outfielders and we didn't have a need for Bourjos.

So we got rid of a bench player who might not stay healthy and a guy who might not pan out and filled a need at 3b and people are freaking the **** out???? Really?

I also find it funny that people wanted Trout in center field because he would be happy there and be more inclined to stay with an organization that did what he wanted, and so we made that happen. But no one seems to care.

3b, 2 relief spots and 2 rotation spots were the holes that needed filling this offseason. Well, one of those just got filled and I'm sure the other 4 will be coming soon. But let's freak out because the guy with a mediocre offensive line got traded away with a prospect who no one here has been all that high on. Criminy

[Docwaukee]

Cory we all think that, I'm sure that's what Dipoto wanted as well, but then no one was willing to part with pitching for him.

you don't think there was a team out there that was willing to give up pitching prospects for Pete and Randall?

 

Perhaps that combo didn't have enough value to net us a young, club controlled major league starter with upside, but I have to think a AA SP and RP could have been a reasonable return. 

 

It's now obvious what the goal is this offseason ie make the major league club better to address the window of opportunity.  I am just not sure that is the best approach. 

[Stradling]

Yea I don't know if it's the best approach either. That being said how would this board react to those two being traded for someone's fifth or sixth best pitching prospect and a relief pitching prospect that are a year or two away? They would be wondering why we didn't trade those two for Lynn or Shelby.

[ELEVEN]

Salas is a palindrome.

You take that back!

[Hollyw00d]

Lol at people who think freese "fills a need.". I'm willing to bet we will be bottom third of the league again in 3B production in 2014

Edited November 23, 2013 by Hollyw00d

[Marsaka]

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

 

Im sure the cardinals liked it.

[jshep]

Even if there was no one offering more for Bourjos at this particular juncture, there was again, nothing forcing the Angels to trade him RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND.

 

I've said it before, but this feels like the Angels got tunnel vision about what they "NEEDED" to do this offseason and how they wanted to go about it and just plowed full speed ahead with that plan, no matter what.

 

As a result, they got older, more expensive, and even possibly worse, all for the sake of 2 years of an injury prone, possibly not very good anymore 3B, and a reliever who was heading for the non-tender scrap heap. And they threw Grichuk into the shit sundae just for good measure.

 

I hope it works out, but there's a reason this trade is being panned from the Angels perspective from just about everywhere and it's not like this team has earned a lot of faith that it knows what it's doing over recent years, either.

Edited November 23, 2013 by jshep

[tennischmp]

3b, 2 relief spots and 2 rotation spots were the holes that needed filling this offseason. Well, one of those just got filled and I'm sure the other 4 will be coming soon. But let's freak out because the guy with a mediocre offensive line got traded away with a prospect who no one here has been all that high on. Criminy

I actually don't think that 3b was a hole. A hole on offense, not on defense. And as good as our offense is overall that's not that big of a hole.