DonS, an Angels fan, emailed us the news of the Garland-Cabrera trade with one comment.
“Wow!”
I guess we know how *he* feels about it.
My thoughts about it pretty much in order I thought them:
1) an unusual trade in this time. A player of value for a player of value. No salary dump. No established superstar for a handful of minor league prospects. Kinda nice.
2) The White Sox can afford this. Their well of starting pitching is deep. Sox fans can feel free to disagree but they have Gio Gonzalez and Gavin Floyd who are itching to prove their worth.
3) Orlando Cabrera is 33
Thoughts?
Don’t like it! Not that I don’t like Orlando Cabrera, because he is a great defensive SS and a very good #2 hitter, although he is 33 years old. Good pitching beats good hitting and pitching is 75% of what winning is all about, they are not only cliches, but truths that have stood the test of time. Jon Garland is a solid starting pitcher, takes the ball every 5th day, and is only 28 years of age.
My “WOW” wasn’t a “positive WOW.”
Maybe I will change my mind if Young Jon is 8-1 on Memorial Day, but I think the new Angels G.M. got fleeced on this trade.
Young Jon has had 6 years as a regular starter. One of those years, his ERA was under 4.00, another year under 4.50, the other four years were over 4.50. I would describe his positives as: He takes the ball every 5th day and if you score enough runs for him, he can win.
For me, that is not enough to trade a .300 hitting Gold Glove shortstop.
Plus, I would never trade with Kenny Williams for a pitcher. Every pitcher he trades seems to mysteriously turn up injured. Ask Gord Ash.
About two more trades like this one and Seattle will win the division next year.
Safe to say that if Teddy and I had our respective “dream jobs,” this swap would never have been proposed by either of us.
“Ask Gord Ash.”
Or Pat Gillick…