I really don't get the insta-verdicts being thumbsed down on the Fister trade. I loved Fister, and much preferred moving Vargas, but come on - Fister is no Roy Halladay. Not even close.
Yes Fister pitched well, and yes he's club controlled for many years to come, and yes I understand that the sabers will discredit me for my next point - but come on he had 3 wins and 12 losses for the M's this year. I don't care what team Roy Halladay is on, he's not going 3-12 in any 15 game stretch.
I'm always one who argues a process over results based analysis. And the decision making process in moving Fister was one I wholeheartedly support. Trade from a position of depth, deep, deep depth, in order to bolster your positions of weakness. While I hate giving away the best player in any trade, sometimes you just have too many holes to fill. And at this trade deadline GM Z was looking straight at a bullpen that was miserable, a disastrous outfield, and no clear long term options in the pipeline (and MLB performance that I don't have a word in my vocabulary to accurately describe how bad) at 3b.
And while our storybook relievers may have come from nowhere, next year's bullpen is looking my-T-fine: League, Williamson, Delabar*, Ruffin, Kelley and Furbush. *Side note: Can we please get Delabar's training regimen and Dr. Elliot together? Like, yesterday?
Our outfield depth is looking at least somewhat legitimate with Wells, Robinson, Guiterrez, Ichiro and Carp.
And Francisco Martinez did nothing but hit .310/.326/.481 as a rushed 20 (21 September 1 - happy birthday!) year old in AA @ Jackson.
But whither the rotation you ask? Repeat after me: Felix, Pineda, Paxton, Hulzen, Walker and Campos. When you've got 2 franchise cornerstones already holding up the 1 and 2 spots, and 4 of your top 5 (okay, maybe top 6) prospects are flamethrowers on the fast track? We're gonna worry about Doug-freaking-Fister? Sheesh, in a year we're gonna be worrying about how to fit them all into the rotation*.
*Another side note: Totally behind Dave Cameron's suggestion of trading Figgins for Zito+cash - particularly since I suggested similar much earlier in the year. :)
--
Aaaaanyway. I love that we all appreciate Doug Fister. He was awesome and deserving of our praise. But the hyperbole that has elevated him somehow into a perennial Cy Young candidate is just that - exaggerated and not to be taken literally.
- Ben.
Add new comment
1