Monday, February 23, 2015

Meet a Prospect: Stephen Drew


Stephen Drew was the latest member of the Boston Red Sox to either die a hero or live long enough to see himself become the villain as he switched sides and joined the New York Yankees. Obviously Drew didn’t have much choice as he was traded but still, it’s always fun to watch the responses of Red Sox fans when their players become Yankees. Anyway, I digress… Drew is part of the only trio of siblings in major League Baseball to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft. Drew is the younger brother of former outfielder J.D. Drew and former pitcher Tim Drew. Drew has come a long way since his father found his first baseball glove in a dumpster and is now a member of the New York Yankees. Well he will be after we introduce him to you anyway, this is meet a prospect the Stephen Drew edition.

Stephen Oris Drew was born on March 16, 1983 and spent him high school years in Valdosta, Georgia while attending Lowndes High School. Following in the footsteps on the aforementioned JD Drew the younger Drew played college baseball at Florida State University. Drew caught the attention of the Arizona Diamondbacks and was drafted out of college. Drew was polished so he started his professional career in High-A ball in 2006 and ended the season all the way in Triple-A. Drew was a player in the 2006 All Star Futures Game after tearing up the minor leagues. Drew was called up in 2006 when Craig Counsell injured his ribs and made his major league debut on July 15, 2006. In the same game against the Milwaukee Brewers was another player making his own major league debut in Tony Gwynn Jr. Drew would have a strong 2006 season ending with a .316 batting average with five home runs and 23 RBI.

Drew couldn’t follow up his successful 2006 season in 2007 and only hit .238 with 12 home runs. Drew had another disappointing season in 2008 that was only highlighted by hitting for the cycle on September 1, 2008 against the St. Louis Cardinals. On the same day the Seattle Mariners Adrian Beltre hit for the cycle. Drew bounced around with average numbers in 2009 and 2010 before the injury bug hit him hard in 2011. Drew missed the first four games of the season with abdominal pain and then on July 20 he slid into home plate and fractured his right ankle. Drew would miss the remainder of the season and ended the season with 86 games played and a .252 average with five home runs and 45 RBI. The ankle injury caused Drew to spend the early parts of the 2012 season on the disabled list as he did not make it back onto the field until June 27 of that season. August of the 2012 season the Diamondbacks traded Drew to the Oakland Athletics for minor league shortstop Sean Jamieson.

Drew finished the 2012 season with just a .223 batting average in 79 games with seven home runs and 28 RBI. The Oakland Athletics declined Drew’s $10 million option on his deal and instead paid a $1.35 million buyout making Drew a free agent for the first time in his career. Drew would sign with the Boston Red Sox before Christmas in 2012 on a one year deal worth $9.5 million plus incentives for an additional $500K. Drew had another typical Stephen Drew season in 2013 batting .253 with 13 home runs and 67 RBI and even hit a home run in the series clinching Game 6 of the World Series. This was Drew’s first World Series ring of his career and the Red Sox third in nine seasons. Drew was offered a qualifying offer after the 2013 season that was ultimately denied making him less attractive as a free agent.

Drew declined the one year deal worth $14.1 million and could not find a deal until May 20, 2014. Any team that signed Drew except the Red Sox would have had to forfeit a draft pick to sign Drew and Drew ultimately signed with Boston on a one year $10 million deal with the Red Sox when it was all said and done. The deal equated to a prorated version of the qualifying offer that he declined earlier in the winter. Drew struggled through May and June before turning it on offensively in July just in time to get traded at the July 31 trading deadline. The Yankees and Red Sox swapped Drew for Kelly Johnson and Drew will be the Yankees every day second baseman.


Drew is back for the 2015 season on a one year deal worth $5 million to stopgap the second base position while keeping it warm for Robert Refsnyder. Drew will need to earn his second half with the Yankees because if he is hitting below .200 again in June or July I can see him going the same route as Brian Roberts did in 2014. 

54 comments:

  1. So the Red Sox get Moncada for $31 million. Hope Didi and Refsnyder pan out.

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    1. I can't bring myself to write about it much yet...

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  2. IRISH BONES......god damn them. I woke up one morning, and knew.

    Last week my bones spoke..no Moncada for the Yankees. This is not bad, it is awful.

    My son, Tommy who lives in Boston, just called me...."Dad, you can't believe whats going on
    here. The Boston sports radio shows are flooded with calls from Sox Nation fans rejoicing."

    They know that obtained something special, and will shove it in the Yankee's face 19 times
    a year, for the foreseeable future.
    Expect the saloons surrounding Fenway Park to be rocking tonight.

    Now batting....second baseman, Stephen Drew.
    God help us.

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    1. awful is the only word I can muster right now. I'm devastated.

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  3. Well Patty Boy as I have been saying Hal the Coupon Clipper and Brian the Elf Cashman are as inept as Obama and Biden

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    1. I'm on board with that. Welcome back.

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    2. Don't even start on Cashman for this one Hans. It is all on the family and Hal! We all know it is an "I told you so!" moment, but you have the wrong guy in Cashman. Who had the Yankees set-up another showing of Yoan? Cashman, not Hal and Company for sure...Cash tried but was overruled again...not fact, just common sense!

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    3. For what it's worth those inside the organization say it WAS Cashman.

      https://twitter.com/ESPNNYYankees/status/569980487680307201

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    4. The only ones that would override this would be The Infamous "Tampa Cabal", with the blessing of the brothers, Hal and Hank.
      If it were Cashman, the tweet would've said so, they always do a "cover my ass" when it is anyone other than him.
      But, in the fairy Tale realm of, "As the Yankees Turn", anything is possible! If it was Cashman I will apologize to one and all...even Hans!

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    5. Reed please sit down as I agree it was the Stein's that let this slip away, that's not to say that Cashman is a good GM, however he gets a pass from me on this one. If this doesn't tell you that Hal needs to sell then nothing will. The tax process in my opinion was just like the posting of Japanese players a few years back. Rod Sux paid for Rice K 51 Mill or there about's for the fee and another 50 Mill or so for his contract. Tell me what the difference is by paying the tax penalty? It's money you won't see just like the posting fee.

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    6. Reed I don't need your apologies for that even if I am right. I wouldn't believe it anyway

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    7. Especially when it can essentially be spread out across the next three seasons since we won't be signing any more IFA's for two more seasons.

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    8. My dig was as a joke, you do know what that is, don't you?
      You are a welcome commenter but don't ever doubt my veracity! When I am wrong I admit it for all to see. You, on the other hand, run and hide!
      Now, as I see it...who is the stand-up guy? A runner or one that stands and takes the heat?

      I have backed Cashman on many things over the years and have been shown to be on the right side of the ledger in deals that were proven to be his. He, as well as ALL the other Gm's make mistakes, when he does, the commenters here take him to task! What is wrong with making a mistake on a player once in a while, it is not life and death is it?

      Talk about GM's that are making their bones with money to cover any mistakes they make, look around, it isn't the Yankees...it really hasn't been for a few years now.

      Thank you for your opinions Hans, they are always welcome!

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    9. Sorry Reed in my humble opinion you're delusional on Cashman. I don't hide from anyone. Just because I wasn't on here doesn't mean I was hiding. I can assure you I will let you, Patty Boy or anyone else I think is wrong on a point here about it just as I will get it from you guys. Don't give yourself so much credit just yet my friend

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  4. Maybe in a week or two I'll be able to reply to this unconscionable aberration called the Yankee Ownership. King George should have had all girls...wait, he did, he just misnamed them Hal and Hank!

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  5. KENNY HANS.....Good to read you again. I'm glad.

    Sorry the team missed out on Moncada. He was there at their feet.
    I don't know who was the deciding vote......no one seems to know that now. It will come out.
    At the end of the day, they had a chance to add someone special, and did not.

    Moncada in Boston ? Maybe he slips on a oyster, rattles his cerebellum, and marries Padroia.

    Glad you're posting.


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    1. Boston could conceivably trade Pedroia.... since you brought him up. Probably not this year, but maybe next.

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  6. If Cashman was involved in the deciding vote of NO Yoan! I can only come to two obvious suppositions, (maybe more later)...he thinks he has enough good players coming up and money spent on Yoan would be superfluous. Remember this is for the long haul, not 3 or 4 years. Also, Yoan would not be a major league Switch Hitter unless he drastically improved his weaker side!
    Second...he will need more time in AA/AAA than some think to get his hitting changed from SH to just his strong side, and learn to play at the speed for our games in the USA. Hell, at 60+ years I played 2nd base but put me out there with "A" (or less) farm team and it would be funny to watch the ball fly by me. Work-outs show the glove, arm and footwork at that speed but not the Big Show level of play...maybe Cashman's people saw a big hold in his play that made him more of a Refsnyder player than his hype made him out to be?

    I did say; "maybe more later"...maybe they didn't want to add another big contract around their necks for the future...this contract is chicken feed compared to the one he would demand later if he were to live up to his Hype!

    Who the heck knows, I have turned the page on what may have been and gone on to what is! That is that, folks!

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    1. This contract is nothing when you're paying for six years of team control. At 19 years old and with his talent you make a spot for him. The fact they didn't get him is a joke and there is no excuse I will take to explain it.

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    2. Your fascination with Cashman as a good GM is comical to me. I have some simple questions for you that I want answered truthfully. First what stud pitcher or top flight pitcher has he drafted? Second what all-star caliber player has he drafted? He has had twelve years to develop talent and hasn't done so. Please don't play the card that it was Newman and Oppenheimer in charge because the last I looked the GM and President of Baseball Operations is in charge of the entire scouting and drafting department.

      I also don't want to hear about us drafting late in the rounds because that's BS. Example in point is the Rays pitching staff. I am including Price in there even though he is with the Tigers right now. I would say they're staff is a top flight staff wouldn't you? Every starter on their team last year but Price was drafted after the first rd which means the Yankees could've drafted every single one of their pitchers except for Price.

      Has he made some dumpster dive moves that worked out...YES he has. Why does he dumpster dive? Easy he doesn't have enough ammo in the farm system to trade for top flight talent. This all speaks of him. Lastly let's not kid ourselves here, Stick and Watson where the driving force behind the great farm system we had which produced the core four and other Yankees along with George's checkbook. Cashman was always able to buy his way out of his mistakes and there were and are many. He gets credit for the WS rings when we all know he played a slight hand in it.

      This organization has become a joke and its not built to be financially fiscal since there is no farm system. The WS or bust moniker is BS as we are re-building and not re-tooling. Lets keep paying high ticket prices, high merchandise prices, high concession stand prices so they can put this roster on the field. To lose out for 13 million dollars on Moncado is disgraceful and shows that Hal is not the right owner for this team. You need to feed the beast and the bean counter has no clue.

      George turned his 10 Million dollar investment when he purchased the Yankees into a 3 Billion dollar corporation because he invested in getting the best players and his desire to win was that of a fan. Hal is in it to make money. Economics 101 to make money you need to spend money. I hope you answer my questions Reed because the answers are simple. None and None is all I should see, but I know I won't

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    3. Well, I will try and explain things to you Mr. Hans....
      1st is, George used upwards of $70,000,000 +/- ($100,000,000+ nowadays) of his own money in the earlier days of his ownership on players and upgrading everything he saw needing fixing. The family is making a good living with the Yankee organization, whereas, George Didn't!
      Stick and Watson didn't have to deal with George (he was suspended) and besides that, George always looked to Stick for his opinion and followed it many more times than fans may think. When George was suspended, he gave control to Stick and that is one of the reasons we had the core 4+1. When he came back to power stick asked Cashman to carry on with the farm system and Cashman tried! But when you have to follow the orders of not only George but also the Tampa Cabal. One does what one can but when told to do this trade or that trade, one does it or quits.
      As for our Farm System, it has been rated anywhere from #10 to #20 depending on the people doing the rating! We have two-star pitchers in the person of Dellin, Tanka we also have two or three soon to play in Lindgren and Severino. We also have a few position players coming along just fine (so far) and may never be super stars but can turn out to be very good players. Granted, we would love to have a couple Super Stars on the team, but it has been years since we had any Super Stars, we have had stars but not Super Stars.
      As far as the ownership goes, we need new people owning the team, someone not having to live off the team.
      As for Cashman getting credit for the WS rings he has, he should get it. If you think the Rings were won because of the core 4+1 you are out of your mind! It was because of the team of players some of whom played very well to get to the WS and played well to win the games. Not one or two players EVER win a World Series...it takes a team! Remember Scott Brosius, Chuck Knoblauch and El Duque were all brought in by Cashman and they contributed mightily to the WS Wins also.

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    4. Lindgen drafted by Yankees Severino not drafted by Yankees. Tanka not drafted by Yankees and Betances was. My point to you is that you think Cashman is some great GM. I can name a half a dozen who clean his clock yearly and work from a smaller budget and draft at the bottom of the draft all the time. Check the Cards and Giant's out along with the Roid Sux. All three have top flight farm systems and yes they win more than we do in the last 10 years. Any you point about El Duque another signing with George's money. Chuck and Scott were brought over so I will give Cashman that.

      What about Pavano, Wright, Weaver, Felciano, Brown, Igawa Vasquez twice. Tell me how those signings and trades went for us? You still didn't answer my question about top flight pitcher unless your using Betances so far which brings me to top flight everyday player he has drafted? If you say Gardner I will lose it.

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    5. Sorry for the typo's I was typing to fast

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    6. Ken you're going to argue with this, but stats back me up. You are 100% right about position players, and 100% wrong on pitchers. Under Cashman, you have a rotation of Hughes, Kennedy, Nova, Green, and Pineda. Pretty good. Bullpen pitchers include Betances, Chamberlain, Coke, Phelps, Warren, Claiborne, & Robertson. I'd take that bullpen too. That brings us to position players. That's where it gets a little scary. You're right here. All Cashman really did here is sign Cano. Outside of that, he's pretty much shit the bed,

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    7. Sorry guys but I disagree but, not by a lot! For years, the Yankees have stocked up on catchers and pitchers. In the last few years, they have gone after BP pitchers and also (with the International Free Agents) position players. We have two or three ready for the big Show right now! Oh damn, they may end up being blocked for this year, but we have a few knocking on the door and a few knocking down the door.
      It looks good to me, not great but better than it has been in many years and only getting better.

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    8. They are pretty stacked with outfielders too and their shortstop prospects are extremely underrated other than Jorge Mateo.

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    9. Ya we were so stacked with catchers we had to buy McCann

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    10. You yourself are one of the first people to claim the team isn't great at making decisions or evaluating talent so the McCann signing should be a moot point. At this point last year we had Gary Sanchez, Luis Torrens, Francisco Cervelli, Austin Romine and John Ryan Murphy. I'm forgetting some of the others, like Peter O'Brien who I believe was a catcher at one point and so was Greg Bird. I call that stacked.

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    11. We have so many good talented SS in the Lower system that some of them may start playing other positions as they move up. They think a couple of them may be suited for 3rd base because of power potential. who knows someday we could end up with an infield of SS.
      With Heathcott, you have an intriguing player. When healthy, he is one of the best OF we have! His problem is (as we all know) staying in one piece for a whole season or two!

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    12. Third base is also getting there with Andujar and Jagielo.

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    13. Really Daniel stacked. Having numerous players at one position means stacked. Having the ability to be the one catcher is what we are after. If we are so stacked at that position as you state, why did we have to purchase Mr. McCann's services? I don't think the team is great at evaluating talent and numerous respected people in the industry always make comments that the Yankees overvalue their talent. Let's not kid ourselves here. Our current team is a world beater yet all the so called studs you and Mr. Reed claim are coming aren't here. Why is that...because their to young? Cashmere's problem is he wants to make you go through the entire minor league system. Many respected people in MLB feel if you can play then there is no need for the progression of low A to A ball to high A to AA to AAA and so on. Sorry those catchers you mentioned aren't shaking any of the pillars of stardom

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    14. Sorry for the error, we are not world beaters

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    15. Okay, something is wrong here. I'm agreeing with Ken way too much recently. But when he's right, he's right. The Yankees take way too much time to develop their players. There is no reason why they need to play an entire season at each level. Either they make it, or they don't. Stop talking about how good your prospects are and put them on the field and see. Refsnyder, Austin, Severino, Bird, they all need to be on the major league roster instead of retreads like Drew, Young, Capuano, and Jones. Other teams let players finish their development at the major league level and end up with young superstars like Trout, and Machado. What would have happened to Trout if he had spent 5 years in the minors simply because he was 19 years old? Be bold!

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    16. Sorry to say (I think Daniel will also agree) I agree with both of you but only part of and your synopsis!
      I posted an article on my blog a few month ago about the same thing...somewhat!

      First thing is, many of our best players are only 17-19 years old. Those that are older, like 20-24 need little farm system time (college players) mainly to get a handle on playing at the speed of pro baseball and the wooden bats. They need time to clean-up all the bad habits from college...in the field and at the plate. One to two years should have put them in the Big show by the time they have pro-ball under their belt. Thus, 24-year olds players should be playing in the Show...but that is in a best case scenario only, not all players have the talent of A-Rod or Trout.
      Some pitchers take more time than do others...as we see every year...and High School kids you can forget about them for a few years. Those with talent have only had to play with their abilities at half speed to be better than the other players...that has to change very quickly and they have much more to learn.
      Players that move one step at a time are doing so because of being blocked on the next level with a player about as good as they are...sometimes!
      Right now we have (from memory) about 7 players that could contribute this year but won't get the chance because of the contracts in the Show already...like, Beltran. Tex, A-Rod, Drew, and C.C.!

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    17. Having two highly regarded prospects in Sanchez and Torrens with two or more MLB ready and MLB caliber catchers in a position that is pretty thin league wide makes you stacked, yes Hans.

      Why we got McCann? Probably because we don't trust prospects. We've proven that time and time again. We'd rather let Sanchez rot in the minors and Murphy too and lock up the position with McCann on the wrong side of 30. It's the Yankees way and doesn't mean we're not or weren't stacked.

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    18. Perhaps if you listed teams with more good catching prospects.

      I'm far from an expert on the subject, but catching is a thin position league-wise. So having a few guys in the minors that could turn into MLB regulars at the position does seem worthy of the term "stacked".

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  7. We are getting to the point (if not there already) to be able to use some of our players for a trade once in a while without hurting the system much at all.
    Look at the catchers we do have, Murphy, Sanchez, Torrens and Romine...all of whom are projected very favorably by most scouts...we only need two of them for our team! McCann is only 31, so if one of our guys can impress enough this year...McCann is used for trade bait! Let's face it, McCann would bring a top player to us in a trade, more so than the others...and that is a maybe!
    There is no position that isn't stacked with talent, counting 3rd base, again, not stars (yet) but very good players. Have one League starting catcher go down and we will be having a knock on the door for one of our catchers.

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    1. Brian McCann has full no trade protection... that's before you factor in his unwillingness to beat the shift, his surgeries he had in Atlanta, the fact that he's on the wrong side of 30 and his drop in numbers in the AL.

      I like McCann, I wanted McCann because he took our biggest hole offensively and plugged it well on paper but there is no way we're trading McCann after his 2014 season and with him having the NTC.

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    2. TRAPPER REED....Trap line runner on the western frontier of New York.

      My two cents, on Brian McCann, if you allow.

      McCann has two things going for him, that your list of young catchers do not have yet.
      They can not handle a pitching staff like McCann can, nor do they have the
      leadership qualities that he owns. Look for McCann to step forward, now that
      Jeter has retired. I will.

      Kenny...look at McCann, as that veteran sergeant you had, while going into harms way.
      Stay well...And, chase that young wife of yours. ( If you still can )

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    3. I can still chase her but, have trouble catching her! That is why I said IF one of the guys can step up. I must remember, many fans think a catcher just puts down fingers and catches the ball.
      Yes, sorry I didn't make myself clear! McCann is a very good handler of pitchers and knows what makes some of them tick. We have one of the guys, (I forget who it was) sending the signal to management he is almost ready because I read he handles the game very well.
      It wouldn't surprise me to have McCann step up and be the clubhouse leader at all. Where Posada was a hammer with the pitchers, McCann is more subtle but he is the guy calling the shots except for Tank!
      One thing to keep in mind, Joe G. was a good handler of pitchers but couldn't hit, so Posada replaced him. The same could be said of McCann, difference being McCann can hit, and that makes for a high priced trading chip...right?

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    4. McCann can def work a pitching staff and work an umpire with his framing and such. That is something that takes a while to be taught, if ever.

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  8. Burch are they highly touted by ML executives or touted by the Yankee front office or by you? Again if we are do stacked why not trade one or two. Correct me if I'm wrong it only takes one catcher to play at a time correct? Enjoy your Friday Burch

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    1. Well you need a back up or two as well. Last year there were all sort of trade rumors surrounding Cervelli and Murphy specifically so I would say MLB execs think as highly of them as the Yankees or I do.

      And we did trade one, Cervelli. Murphy/Romine situation will be sorted out by this spring since Romine is out of options and will have to be traded or DFA'd.

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  9. Cazu Cervelli was traded because they guy can't stay in the field and is an injury waiting to happen.

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    1. Which you would think would make him untradeable if rival GM's thought so low of him... not that we traded him for Byron Buxton but I think we got a good return for what he was.

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  10. One man's garbage is another mans treasure

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  11. Damn iPhone with all these auto corrects. Sorry guys

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    1. That's brutal Ken. Say what you want about Cervelli's health, I can't argue that. But he was very talented and played with an extreme amount of intensity. He was a gamer. I wouldn't call him trash.

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  12. Ya trash wasn't what I was really calling him. I was trying to use the saying that if you don't need something someone else will. I like Cazu with his intensity. We should have more players that love to play the game the way he does. Unlike you guys I don't believe we got back anything of great importance for him other than he was a lefty pitcher.

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    1. A lefty pitcher that can get both righties and lefties out. Maybe a young Boone Logan when he was good with New York?

      You have to remember we were trading a back up catcher who is injury prone and coming off a steroid suspension with the Biogenesis scandal. Honestly we were lucky for someone to take him off our hands, fist pumps after strike outs or not.

      So yeah we didn't get the next Mariano Rivera but for what we traded I think we got the better end of the deal. I may be bias though because I think John Ryan Murphy is a MLB caliber STARTING catcher (eventually) so it was easy for me to say goodbye to Cervelli.

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    2. No Daniel, Ken is right. Cervelli was not coming off a steroid suspension. He was a year removed. And he was coming off a season in which he hit .301/.370/.432 with a .997 fielding percentage as a backup catcher. We got a left handed reliver with a 4.20 era, high walk totals, and blocks our OWN lefthanded reliever from helping our ball club. Cashman screwed up and sold low on Cervelli. Pirates got the better end of this deal. Mark my words, Cervelli will have more of an impact than Wilson.

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    3. Six of one, half a dozen of the other on the suspensions. I do agree that Wilson does stop Lindgren from starting with the team in camp and his control is sketchy, you're right, but it's hard to say who will have more of an impact. Wilson may only pitch 50 IP this season while Cervelli may slide in after Russell Martin left and play everyday.

      If I'm wrong, you know me, I'll be the first to admit it.

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  13. Hey Burch believe it or not i'm in agreement with you. I like his intensity, thats about it. I think he is an average receiver and average arm. I'm not crazy what we got back, but I understand the reason why

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)