Trades

[nyy26wc]

1) In a 4 way trade--

The A's get 1B Erubiel Durazo from the Diamondbacks.
The Diamondbacks get P Elmer Dessens from the Reds.
The Reds get SS Felipe Lopez from the BlueJays.
The BlueJays get 2 players to be named later from the A's.

After 3 RCAA/.817 OPS (67 G) and 10 RCAA/.909 OPS (92 G) seasons, Durazo hit .550 SLG, .395 OBA, .944 OPS, 18 RCAA in 76 games. He has a .918 career OPS, compared to his league average of .782, and 50 RCAA in 287 games.

After 4.28 ERA/12 RSAA and 4.48 ERA/-4 RSAA seasons, Dessens had a surprise 3.03 ERA/28 RSAA in 30 starts. He has a 4.29 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.34, and 16 RSAA in 165 games and has never had consecutive years with a positive RSAA.

After starting his career with a .722 OPS/-6 RCAA in 49 games in 49 games as a 21 year old rookie in 2001, Lopez hit .387 SLG, .287 OBA, .673 OPS, -11 RCAA in 85 games. He has a .692 career OPS, compared to his league average of .759, and -17 RCAA in 134 games. The Reds are hoping that he's just a case of a young player (he turns 23 in the middle of May) who just took a while to become productive. But, as I've finding doing studies in the player comments book, the general rule is the worse a player plays at an early age, the better the odds are that he's just a bad player, rather than a slow starter. Lopez could move to 2B for a year and then replace Barry Larkin at SS in 2004.

It is believed that the players to be named later are prospects OF John-Ford Griffin and P Jason Arnold. But, according to the Toronto Globe and Mail, Arnold might only be part of this deal and there Griffin will be sent to the BlueJays in a future trade.

2) The Phillies traded 1B-OF Jeremy Giambi to the Redsox for P Josh Hancock.

After -4 RCAA/.761 OPS and 14 RCAA/.841 OPS seasons with the A's, Giambi hit .505 SLG, .414 OBA, .919 OPS, 27 RCAA in 124 games (first 42 with the A's). He has a .818 career OPS, compared to his league average of .775, and 31 RCAA in 460 games.

Hancock had a 3.68 ERA/1 RSAA in his first 3 major league games (1 start), along with a 3.61 ERA in 14 starts in AA and a 3.45 ERA in 8 starts. He's not considered a serious prospect and had surgery for a groin injury and may not be at full strength for the start of spring training.

3) The Giants signed free agent 3B Edgardo Alfonzo to a 4 year, $26 million contract.

After a 55 RCAA/.967 OPS season in 2000, Alfonzo dropped drastically to a -4 RCAA/.725 OPS form in 2001. He rebounded with a good .459 SLG, .391 OBA, .851 OPS, 32 RCAA in 135 games in 2002. Alfonzo has a .812 career OPS, compared to his league average of .775, and 126 RCAA in 1086 games.

Alfonzo ranks 6th on the Mets career RCAA list--

1    Darryl Strawberry           269   
2    Mike Piazza                 164   
3    Keith Hernandez             162   
4    Howard Johnson              156   
5    John Olerud                 133   
6    Edgardo Alfonzo             126   
7    Dave Magadan                 88   
8    Kevin McReynolds             87   
9    Lee Mazzilli                 77   
10   Rusty Staub                  69   

4) The Mets traded SS Rey Ordonez and cash to the Devil Rays for 2 players to be named later.

After -14 RCAA/.504 OPS (just 45 games) and -27 RCAA/.635 OPS seasons, Ordonez hit .324 OBA, .292 OPS, .616 OPS, -27 RCAA in 144 games. He has a .594 career OPS, compared to his league average of .773, and -200 RCAA in 916 games.

Ordonez is a landslide winner for the Mets worst career RCAA--

1    Rey Ordonez                -200   
2    Doug Flynn                 -135   
3    Bud Harrelson              -112   
4    Jerry Grote                 -90   
5    Roy McMillan                -67   
6    Rafael Santana              -65   
7    Ted Martinez                -55   
8    Frank Taveras               -54   
T9   Ken Boswell                 -49   
T9   Carlos Baerga               -49   

One of the PTNBL is believed to be Russ Johnson.

5) The Padres traded P Brett Tomko to the Cardinals for P Luther Hackman and a player to be named later.

After 4.68 ERA/-2 RSAA and 5.19 ERA/-4 RSAA seasons, Tomko had a 4.49 ERA/-17 RSAA in 32 starts. That was the worst RSAA of his career and, after starting his career with a 3.43 ERA/13 RSAA with the 1997 Reds, Tomko's had 5 consecutive negative RSAA's. He has a 4.46 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.36, and -21 RSAA in 164 games.

After starting his career with a 4.29 ERA/0 RSAA in 2001 (he also pitched a total of 6 games in 1999-2000), Hackman had a 4.11 ERA/-2 RSAA in 43 games (6 starts). He has a 5.05 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.24, and -12 RSAA in 84 games, but -10 of those -12 RSAA came in the course of 6 games in 1999-2000.

6) The Pirates signed free agent OF Matt Stairs to a 1 year, $900,000 contract, contingent on him passing his physical.

After -6 RCAA/.747 OPS and 8 RCAA/.820 OPS seasons, Stairs hit .478 SLG, .349 OBA, .827 OPS, 7 RCAA in 107 games with the Brewers. He has a .852 career OPS, compared to his league average of .779, and 93 RCAA in 925 games.

7) The Yankees could be close to a trade that would send Juan Rivera, Nick Johnson and Orlando Hernandez to the Expos for Bartolo Colon, but there are also rumors that the Redsox could get Colon by also agreeing to take Fernando Tatis. On the other hand, there are also stories that the Redsox are just floating that idea in order to drive up the price the Yankees would have to pay.

Meanwhile, WFAN's Sweeny Murty reports the Expos are asking for a 4th player from the Yankees, whose identity isn't known, but could be a dealbreaker.

8) The Orioles signed free agent SS Deivi Cruz to a 1 year, $1.2 million contract, with an option for 2004.

After -16 RCAA/.767 OPS and -18 RCAA/.670 OPS seasons, Cruz hit .366 SLG, .294 OBA, .660 OPS, -21 RCAA in 151 games with the Padres. He has a .679 career OPS, compared to his league average of .776, and -138 RCAA in 854 games.

Cruz has had -16 or less RCAA in each of his 6 years in the majors. He became the 12th player in the past half century to have at least 6 consecutive years with a RCAA of less than or equal to -15 RCAA-

1    Ken Reitz                1973-81    9   
T2   Doug Flynn               1977-84    8   
T2   Bob Boone                1980-87    8   
T4   Tim Foli                 1972-78    7   
T4   Roger Metzger            1972-78    7   
T4   Alfredo Griffin          1979-85    7   
T7   Joe DeMaestri            1953-58    6   
T7   Ed Brinkman              1962-67    6   
T7   Hal Lanier               1965-70    6   
T7   Ozzie Guillen            1986-91    6   
T7   Jose Lind                1989-94    6   
T7   Deivi Cruz               1997-02    6   

9) The BlueJays re-signed INF Dave Berg to a 2 year contract, with the terms not disclosed.

After .683 OPS/-7 RCAA and .655 OPS/-9 RCAA seasons with the Marlins, Berg hit .382 SLG, .322 OBA, .704 OPS, -6 RCAA in 109 games. He has a .713 career OPS, compared to his league average of .777, and -20 RCAA in 463 games.

10) The Reds released P Jared Fernandez.

After starting his career with a 4.38 ERA/0 RSAA in 5 games (2 starts) in 2001, Fernandez had a 4.44 ERA/0 RSAA in 14 games (8 starts) in 2002. He has a 4.43 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.16, and 0 RSAA in 19 games.

11) The Nippon Ham Fighters signed Angel Echevarria to a contract.

After -4 RCAA/.587 OPS and -2 RCAA/.761 OPS seasons, Echevarria hit .469 SLG, .351 OBA, .821 OPS, 2 RCAA in 50 games with the Cubs. He has a .798 career OPS (spending half his career in Coors), compared to his league average of .782, and -15 RCAA in 328 games.

12) According to reports from New York and Colorado, the Mets, Rockies and Rangers are working on a 3 way trade that would send Jeromy Burnitz and Todd Van Poppel to the Rockies, Pedro Astacio and Roger Cedeno to the Rangers and Denny Neagle to the Mets.

13) According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies are frustrated by Chuck Finley's refusal to either accept or reject their offer, so they are now interested in Paul Byrd.

14) According to the Denver Post, the Rockies are considering signing free agent INF Jay Bell.

15) According to WFAN radio, the Mets have signed free agent P Mike Stanton to a 3 year contract.

16) According to the Washington Post, the Orioles are trying to get in on the Vazquez and Colon talks.

17) According to the New York Post, the Yankees rejected a Sterling Hitchcock for Todd Van Poppel trade, but there are rumors they'd be interested i a Hitchcock for Jay Powell deal.

18) According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Reds are believed to be interested in Pirates P Jimmy Anderson and could offer OF Ruben Mateo.

On the other hand, Anderson could non tendered later in the week.

19) According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies have some interest in Reds P Scott Sullivan.

20) The Rockies signed P Jim Dougherty to a minor league contract.

Dougherty had a 5.99 ERA/-22 RSAA in 79 games with the Astros, A's and Pirates, from 1995-99 (except 1997).

21) According to a couple of reports from Boston, the Redsox are considering signing free agent David Justice.