Josh Hamilton traded to Texas

[mofome]

The Rangers and Reds have agreed to a Josh Hamilton trade, with Edinson Volquez and a minor league pitcher going to Cincinnati.


Source: Rangers.mlb.com


i love this deal for texas. it looks like cinci couldnt close out with bedard, so they went another direction. with bruce coming up, it could turn out to be a win/win.

[jjgold]

Hamilton looks like a solid player, should hit well in Texas.

[Willie Bee]

Agree that this could be a good deal for both clubs. Hamilton should enjoy hitting in Arlington which is more of a hitter's park than the one in Houston that always gets talked up as some bandbox. Volquez will just be 25 next year and could turn out to be a very nice 6th-7th-8th inning guy along the way. He's really learned to keep his pitches out of the fat zones the last couple of seasons.

In addition to the human-interest story that Hamilton is, the minor leaguer Texas threw into the deal, Danny Herrera, is something of a story himself. His name was in Texas papers from his high school days up in the Panhandle and into college just across the border at New Mexico. Has a pretty good strikeout rate despite what you'd think of as a few HUGE handicaps.

First, he tops out in the upper 80s even on the more liberal speed guns. And secondly, he looks like he should be a jockey...well, that's stretching it as he's 5-7, 150 pounds after a big meal and with a brick in his back pocket. To top it off, he was a 45th round pick -- something like #1,300 or so -- in 2006.

[2Pac]

Son of a bitch. I'm a huge Reds fan, and Hamilton is going to be a stud if he stays healthy.

[mofome]

Hamilton looks like a solid player, should hit well in Texas.

yeah, im not sure why cinci would make this deal. its possible that volquez is a piece the Os wanted in return for bedard. imo, it just looks like one of many bad deals cinci has made recently.

[mofome]

Agree that this could be a good deal for both clubs. Hamilton should enjoy hitting in Arlington which is more of a hitter's park than the one in Houston that always gets talked up as some bandbox. Volquez will just be 25 next year and could turn out to be a very nice 6th-7th-8th inning guy along the way. He's really learned to keep his pitches out of the fat zones the last couple of seasons.

In addition to the human-interest story that Hamilton is, the minor leaguer Texas threw into the deal, Danny Herrera, is something of a story himself. His name was in Texas papers from his high school days up in the Panhandle and into college just across the border at New Mexico. Has a pretty good strikeout rate despite what you'd think of as a few HUGE handicaps.

First, he tops out in the upper 80s even on the more liberal speed guns. And secondly, he looks like he should be a jockey...well, that's stretching it as he's 5-7, 150 pounds after a big meal and with a brick in his back pocket. To top it off, he was a 45th round pick -- something like #1,300 or so -- in 2006.

yeah, volquez looks like more of a reliever than a starter. we'll see what direction cinci goes with this. Bruce coming up gave them some options with their of, i suppose, but i would have figured they'd get more in return for hamilton.

[jjgold]

The question is why did Cincy deal this guy?? Do they have a good backup or prospect coming up?

[Willie Bee]

yeah, im not sure why cinci would make this deal. its possible that volquez is a piece the Os wanted in return for bedard.

Interesting angle on the Volquez bit, but that's also the angle for Cincinnati if he stays there. Their bullpen absotively sucked pond water last year, and Volquez has always been a pretty live arm that other teams have asked for in trades with the Rangers. If the Reds can send Volquez in a package and get Bedard, then it's a great deal for them likely. But they dealt from strength (OF), had nothing invested in Hamilton, and improved their biggest weakness (pitching).

[mofome]

The question is why did Cincy deal this guy?? Do they have a good backup or prospect coming up?

The reds have (OF) Jay Bruce coming up. He is the #1 prospect in baseball.

[mofome]

Interesting angle on the Volquez bit, but that's also the angle for Cincinnati if he stays there. Their bullpen absotively sucked pond water last year, and Volquez has always been a pretty live arm that other teams have asked for in trades with the Rangers. If the Reds can send Volquez in a package and get Bedard, then it's a great deal for them likely. But they dealt from strength (OF), had nothing invested in Hamilton, and improved their biggest weakness (pitching).

the os want at least one arm in return for Bedard and im not sure that they value homer/cueto as highly as the reds do. so, maybe votto/ee/volquez/??? is something they would be more interested in. personally i think you have to get bruce if you're dealing bedard, but thats not gonna happen.