Add new comment

...first of all...they traded Wallace because they think he can't play third and they have about eleven billion first baseman in their system.  That's also why they non-tendered Cust.  They can't afford him when they're going to have a bunch of guys gunning for first and need DH as a landing spot for one of them.
Second of all...going to Oakland won't help Beltre hit.  it's no better on righties than Seattle and has huge foul territory.  I am remembering Beltre fouling a lot of high flies off toward right on those sliders when he did make contact and they're going to get caught in Oakland.
...third of all...Oakland has no hope IMHO of running down the Mariners or Rangers in the AL West (notice i didn't even mention the Angels, who I think are about to run into a brick wall and disappear from elite status).  Oakland's prospects are not impact prospects...what makes them highly regarded is their high probability of producing SOMETHING in the big leagues...not their high upside.  They've got quantity and not quality.  Pennington and Buck and Taylor and whatnot aren't going to save the As' offense.  Which is still rather lame.  And won't get any better by adding Beltre.  They have a pair of good pitching prospects and then a whole slew of mediocre prospects no more exciting than Saunders or Balentien.
Shandler does provide an important insight re: Beltre that I hadn't really noticed...the injury swarm has indeed begun and there is little reason to expect it to go away...bone spurs come back most of the time.  ESPECIALLY in the shoulder.
Also...Beltre may not actually be 31...like many Latin players he is too good in his early years for me to believe he really was 17-18-19.  I am betting he's actually 34 and KNOWS he's actually 34.