It is quite reasonable to view Brandon League as simply a better pitcher than Brandon Morrow.
I spent, er, wasted my time defending Brandon Morrow's value for how long now? Fifteen years, has it been? There are 1,000 hours of my life I'll never get back :- )
................
If League is going to become the next Jonathan Papelbon, OR CERTAINLY if we start hearing about the rotation, well.... League throws every inch as hard as Morrow, and unlike Morrow has his wipeout offspeed game all ready to go.
If the "flash of genius" here is a plan for League to move into the rotation, League could become Justin Verlander on April 5, 2009.
Or ten years from now, we may find that the "flash of genius" was that Brandon League is going into the Hall of Fame. Have you seen the late-season 2009 videos on this guy?
..................
Arencibia could fit in as part of the "stoploss" factor that fans don't worry about, but that GM's have to. What if Rob Johnson doesn't heal up?
.................
I'm not afraid to rip a Zdurienick trade. You heard me on Heilman-for-Olson/Cedeno, on the Shannahan situation, among others. :- )
Not on this one. Morrow for League even steven, you can argue it either side. I'd rather have Morrow than League, but if Zduriencik differs, he very well may be right. Brandon League is a special talent.
Take 2 League videos and call me in the morning,
Dr D
League IS a better pitcher than Morrow, and I take his next 2-3 years over Morrow's. I guess I'm just used to Z ripping people off. :-)
Still waiting to hear who the prospect is, and if its Arencibia (who is a better C prospect than Moore) than its a solid deal. If its someone like Wallace, then that changes things too.
I can see how Brandon League is a letdown, yeah. LOL.
M's still would have plenty 'nuff to make the deal for a big bat, though. And for a few hours yet we can hope for Snider or somebody ...
Arencibio is a HORRIBLE catching prospect. Can't field his position and probably will never be able to, can't make contact, and has a horrible batting eye, and his power id dead-pull to the wrong part of Safeco. Thanks...but I'd rather start ROB flippin' JOHNSON than JP Arencibio.
And if Zduriencik traded for him, the M's team doesn't consider him a horrible prospect.
I haven't seen him enough to know whether he will ever be able to competently field... where do you catch his games in the PCL? :- )
Of course that much is obvious. And you know how much the scouts can sometimes exaggerate a player's negative qualities.
But still...his bat does not profile well here. At all.
Arencibia is kind of the C version of Jose Lopez as a prospect. Less contact, more power.
He started mashing in his last month+ in AAA and has gone through the minors quite quickly.
Lopez's didn't either, but at C we may need to compromise with a 6-year club controlled player. Arencibia's bat profiles better than Lopez's in Safeco thanks to his edge raw strength.
The key is going to be that CT rate. At 80% he'll be productive, but since he'll never walk it can't go too much lower than that.
That's an interesting angle on it.
Even if League is better than Morrow TODAY, or even over the next 3 years...Is League really that much better than White, Kelley, Lowe, Aardsma, and all the other spaghetti that Jack has been accumulating for a bullpen? How much better? Since a really good reliever is worth about 1.5 WAR,... I just can not imagine THIS Seattle FO even closely equating League to Morrow, as Jack and crew KNOW that Toronto will be putting Morrow in the rotation.
Relievers are worth so much less than starters.
Why not trade Olsen or French or even Fister...
I am just so confused.
League is fundamentally MUCH better than Aardsma or Kelley, much less than the other hamburger-filler relievers Zduriencik has run out there.
Brandon League is different and superior. Relievers are worth less than SP's, but Rivera and Papelbon are worth more than Ryan Rowland-Smith.
WAR also underrates relievers slightly.
Yes, Position players and SPs are far more valuable, but elite relievers pitch in much more leveraged situations.