Seth Smith was sent to Oakland.
Too many “baseball” people think Moneyball and Athletics GM Billy Beane were all about on-base percentage and once everyone figured out what OBP was Beane and the A’s no longer had a leg up on the rest of baseball. Really, Moneyball and Beane and other smart General Managers around baseball are looking for market inefficiencies; that type of player that other teams under value and might come cheap.
Apparently the Rockies think back-of-the-rotation starters are an inefficiency in the market? They will certainly come cheap…
It was easy to see as the 2011 season wound down that the Rockies were going to look to move a few players on the roster before the start of the 2012 season. Ian Stewart and Chris Iannetta had fallen out of favor with Rockies management. Aaron Cook had clearly lost his stuff and the team couldn’t bring him back without a coup knocking down the doors at 20th and Blake. Seth Smith had been relegated to a platoon player who only played against right hand pitchers and on a team full of left hand bats he was not a piece the Rockies required. Finally, Ryan Spilborghs was the fourth outfield for the Rockies and the team is loaded with possibilities in the minor leagues to help in the outfield. Once Michael Cuddyer was signed by the Rockies Smith and Spilborghs were definitely gone.
Iannetta was sent to the Anaheim Angels before they became focal points in the baseball world by signing Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson.
Stewart was traded to the Chicago Cubs for four players who may or may not impact the Rockies.
Cook was recently signed by the Boston Red Sox to a minor league deal (good luck facing the Yankees, Rays and Blue Jays, Cook).
There are rumors that Spilborghs has met with the Texas Rangers and in all likelihood will not receive a contract offer from the Rockies.
And today it was announced that the Rockies have sent Smith to the A’s for pitchers Josh Outman and Guillermo Moscoso.
The players jettisoned by the Rockies being of any value is debatable. Sure, all four of these guys has SOME value but does any of them have enough value worth retaining? I am of the opinion that the Rockies are better without all of them except Smith and Iannetta.
Debating their value in a Rockies uniform is moot at this point. What I want to chat about are the starting pitchers the Rockies have obtained this offseason.
I have this card. I was 9 when I got it.
Before the Rockies acquired Outman and Moscoso today they traded for Tyler Chatwood, signed Kevin Slowey and very recently offered Jamie Moyer a minor league contract.
Out of 184 starting pitchers in 2011 with 50 innings pitched or more Outman ranks 181st, Moscoso ranks 180th and Chatwood ranks 178th in xFIP and each of them should have had ERA’s close to 5.00. Outman and Moscoso had ERA’s in the 3′s while Chatman did have an ERA of 4.75. Outman and Moscoso were very lucky in 2011. Slowey has not had an xFIP below 4.00 since 2008.
Not really exciting numbers for Rockies fans (Esmil Rogers and Alex White are right there in xFIP for 2011 with Moscoso, Chatwood and Outman).
As for Jamie Moyer, well, he is 49 which is slightly older than a typical player’s prime age of 27. Moyer broke in with the Cubs in 1986 or before 11 Rockies currently listed on the Rockies 40-man roster were born.
Bottom of the barrel pitchers and old players are what the Rockies roster is currently comprised of. Of course guys like Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Drew Pomeranz and a few others do not fit this mold, but a lot of players do.
Along with Moyer and his walker the Rockies have Jason Giambi (40), Casey Blake (38), Todd Helton (38), Rafael Betancourt (36), Ramon Hernandez (36) and recently signed Cuddyer (32 – will be 33 next season) all on the wrong side of the age of 30.
I can tell you one thing: the Rockies will be sorely inefficient in the wins column in 2012. Maybe that is the market Dan O’Dowd is after? The losses market?
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4 comments
CodenameDuchess
January 17, 2012 at 4:54 PM (UTC -6)
This whole post makes me want to cry. Mostly because I cannot dispute a single point.
Travis Lay
January 17, 2012 at 6:09 PM (UTC -6)
Can you somehow get my wife to respond similarly every time I have a differing point of view than her?
Bucket
January 19, 2012 at 4:20 PM (UTC -6)
I’m astounded that nobody else has responded to this posting. What’s happening to the Rockies borders on criminal. Only one of the “free” agents signed last year made it through to the end and he was cruddy and he’s gone this year. I’ll be surprised if any of the players signed, or traded for, this year make it…including Cuddyer. There has to be a “change” and it ought to start in the front office and continue down to the manager. Fans in Denver were forgiving to the Broncos for years…until they got a taste of winning and now you find them howling during underwhelming performances which have been all too frequent. How long will Rockies fans continue to give them a “pass” before they revolt? C’mon man…at least try harder.
Travis Lay
January 19, 2012 at 4:52 PM (UTC -6)
I don’t think you will find much argument around these parts. I hope you got my sarcasm in this post. Now the Rockies are feeding reporters like Troy Renck the “so-and-so is in the best shape of his life” rhetoric that comes every Spring Training in baseball. The Rockies signed a few guys who are either old or just plain suck to replace guys who probably give the Rockies the same results at a much cheaper rate.
Here’s an idea! Since the Manager is supposed to control the mood in the clubhouse and motivate his players how come the Rockies didn’t make a managerial change? Why leave it up to the players and why go so extreme that you bring in guys well past peak performing years? Ask the Manager to do his freaking job.
And to your point: fire O’Dowd while you are at it. Rockies fans are sick of 84-80 seasons being considered successful. Rockies fans are sick of the team being projected to win the NL West by so-called experts to only finish dead last or second to last.