The trade rumors that have been swirling around Ubaldo Jimenez for the last month have been surreal to say the least. Trading Ubaldo was not something that was expected by Rockies fans before the season started. But, what took place in San Diego tonight went beyond surreal. More aptly, it was a total fiasco. The last image Rockies’ fans have of Ubaldo is him walking off the field after the most bizarre and awkward half inning in recent memory. Jimenez looked discouraged and disinterested as he pitched for a team that had just traded him. Why he was on the mound is anyone’s guess, but it sure seemed like a slap in the face to a pitcher who, in just a short period of time, established himself as the best to ever take the mound for the Rockies.
Six months ago, the Rox were selling everyone on the championship core they had built with Tulo, Cargo, and Ubaldo. How quickly things can change. Jimenez got off to a rough start this year, and, despite a turnaround over the last couple of months, the Rockies decided that they could get better by trading the big right-hander. Whether they did or not will likely decide Dan O’Dowd’s legacy as GM of the Rox. Without a doubt, this was the biggest transaction of his tenure with the team. Some would point to the Matt Holliday/Cargo trade as being a move that was equally significant, but getting something for the departing Holliday doesn’t compare to trading an ace, in his prime, with three cheap years left on his current contract.
It should be mentioned that this move probably removes the Rockies from contention next year. Of the four players the Rockies received in return for Jimenez, pitcher Alex White is the most ready. He’s actually made three starts for the Indians this year. But, while White has enormous potential, it’s not likely that he is ready to produce like Ubaldo. With De La Rosa questionable to start the season, and the back end of their rotation currently looking shaky, the Rockies appear to have resigned themselves to rebuilding in 2012.
More than anything, the deal carries an enormous amount of risk. The Rockies aren’t getting anyone with big league experience. And, Drew Pomeranz, the biggest piece coming to the Rockies in the trade, only has 91 career professional innings. Sure, he’s been dominant in AA this year, but so was Juan Nicasio and nobody is prepared to say he’s a sure thing. For this to truly be worth it one of either Pomeranz or White needs to become the Rockies’ number one starter in the near future. Nobody can guarantee that type of thing.
Honestly, I don’t know enough about the four prospects to truly know if this was a good deal or not, but there are some saying it was a steal for the Indians (info on the four players the Rockies received in return for Ubaldo). And, based on what we were told it would take to get Ubaldo, it seems like that there shouldn’t be any doubt about which team came out on top in this deal. Maybe O’Dowd went and got a couple of future aces, but if he didn’t, this day that will be rued in Denver for a very long time to come. If the GM just traded the best pitcher ever to wear the purple pinstripes and didn’t improve the team, he will never be forgiven.
The organization took a step back today. This move is an acknowledgement that they can’t win with their current team. It’s also an acknowledgement that they don’t really like what they have in the farm system. Hopefully, it will allow them to eventually take three giant steps forward. After all, they just picked up two top ten draft picks. However, one has to be worried that it’s an overreaction. Only time will tell.
Good-bye, Ubaldo. Thanks for everything you gave us during your time in Colorado. It was truly our pleasure.
Loading ...
Loading tweets...
7 comments
2 pings
Simone
July 30, 2011 at 8:30 PM (UTC -6)
To be honest, I don’t think this is a bad move…especially if only 2 out of the 4 prospects end up being good in the big leagues (I know…big IF).
In my opinion, Ubaldo is a good pitcher…not fantastic. He had a very good 1/2 of 2010 and ever since it’s been downhill. I do think the Rox got the upper hand in this trade, I just hope that we don’t have to wait until 2013 for a decent shot at the playoffs.
Chris
July 30, 2011 at 8:38 PM (UTC -6)
Did not think this was actually going to happen. In my opinion, a sad day for Rockies fans. You never know how Ubaldo will turn out in Cleveland, but I still do not understand why they would spend all this time on such a great prospect and then let him go when they had him for a low price over the remainder of his existing contract. Oh well, at least I still have a professional baseball team to watch, if you call it that. Is it me, or does Dan O’Dowd have nine lives? I am usually the half glass full kind of guy, but I am again beginning to wonder again about the decisions made by Rockies ownership and management. Best of luck to Ubaldo..you will be missed.
CodenameDuchess
July 30, 2011 at 8:42 PM (UTC -6)
A bit heartbroken. Farewell Ubaldo, you will be missed.
Hope you get your dick caught in your zipper O’Dowd.
Forsythe P Jones
July 30, 2011 at 9:06 PM (UTC -6)
I understand people’s feelings about this trade, but I think that O’Dowd (potentially) did a pretty good job. I know that there won’t be any immediate gratification for the fans to see, but, and this is alway the issue, if the two pitchers turn out to be at least as good as advertised, then I would count this as a win. I really question how well the Chief is going to pitch in the AL. Those teams tend to grind, and wait, and I can sort of picture U needing about 100 pitches to get through four innings. I wish him nothing but the best, as he’s been nothing but a class act, but when you’re a team in the middle class, sometimes you have to make these kinds of deals
Now, why Ubaldo pitched tonight, I have no idea. If it was Tracy’s idea, to give him an ‘encore’, and if it potentially botches this trade, then he should be fired tomorrow. This was serious idiocy on a level even Jim Tracy should be above. Did O’Dowd okay this? I hope for the future of this team he didn’t. Because that’s bush league garbage.
Ken
July 30, 2011 at 9:19 PM (UTC -6)
My gut feeling is that this trade was at least one season too early. And while I feel we have a tradition of over valuing our talent, this really feels like the Indians scalped us (excuse the racist pun). Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing our new AA players in purple pin stripes in…… 2013? 2014?
Way to punk your Ace, Dan O’Dowd! Send him out to pitch half an inning only to tell him that he doesn’t actually play for the team. This was a classless and embarrassing act.
Travis Lay
July 30, 2011 at 9:52 PM (UTC -6)
I agree with the sentiments about having Ubaldo start tonight – why? Why not just start Rogers if the trade was so darn close to being complete? You can’t tell me that much changed in the 20 minutes or so between 6:30 and when Ubaldo walked off the mound. At 6:10pm MT tonight there is no way that O’Dowd wasn’t at least 99% sure Jimenez was going to Cleveland. Call Tracy and ask him to push Ubaldo back one day. That is all.
Kevin fitzgibbons
July 31, 2011 at 6:11 AM (UTC -6)
Agreed with the previous comment. If you watched tracy during his post-game interview, he sounded like a defensive, guilty teenager, who had clearly done something wrong. He spent ten minutes justifying why ubaldo was left out there, alone on an island during that first inning. I don’t think it was intentional, but that was a classless, gigantic mishandling of the situation. No excuse, no explanation will suffice. Congrats, Rockies. Once again, we look like amateurs. As for ubaldo, he was my favorite from the moment he arrived. He signed several balls, 2 jerseys, and was always available to chat and sign autographs for me. He is humble and thankful, a testament to everything that is RIGHT in professional sports. I eagerly looked forward to watching him take the mound every five days. What a depressing season to be a Rockies fan. Best of luck, ubaldo. You will be greatly missed, for everything you have done, both on and off the field. As for O’dowd, just what is the plan, Dan? Where is the accountability from his office? These are your players that have led us to this point. I wish that you had been included in the deal. And, as for root sports, you suck as well. They all sounded like they were talking all of us fans down from the ledge last night. “remember the Holliday trade?” they must have mentioned that 30 times. Matt Holliday, mr. Personality, is not ubaldo Jimenez.
Scouting Reports on players Rockies received in Ubaldo trade |
July 30, 2011 at 9:41 PM (UTC -6)
[...] ← When the unthinkable becomes reality [...]
Ubaldo Jimenez traded: A dark day in Denver sports |
July 31, 2011 at 8:33 AM (UTC -6)
[...] Ubaldo Jimenez was traded on July 30, 2011, and the unthinkable became reality for Rockies fans. [...]