Tejada To Houston...
Today, the Astros made a trade for Miguel Tejada. In return, Houston sent Luke Scott, Matt Albers, Troy Patton, Dennis Sarfate, and Mike Costanzo to the Baltimore Orioles.
5 for 1. Lopsided? It's probably a push.
My logic is simple. Let me explain.
Luke Scott is a fan favorite in Houston, probably because the fans don't believe he was given a fair chance to play everyday. With the arrival of Hunter Pence and the trade that brought Michael Bourn to play center, it was clear that Scott was on his way out. Rather the front office believed he was worthy of a starting job is irrelevant. With Carlos Lee intrenched in left field, Pence moving to his natural position in right field, and Michael Bourn's speed in center, Scott was the odd man out.
Troy Patton was our top prospect, but even he was expandable for the right deal. Was this the right deal? That remains to be seen.
Patton is a lefty with a fastball that tops out around 92 mph. He has a good command of his pitches, but his stuff doesn't blow you away. He's probably a third or fourth starter over his career, and it seems to be the general impression that he's never reached his full potential. With a history of slight shoulder problems, I wonder if the Astros organization was concerned with his durability.
Matt Albers is the pitcher that I'm concerned with losing. We've heard about his maturity issues over the years, but seen flashes of brilliance. He has great stuff, but it appears his work ethic won't allow him to completely develop. If he can gain better control, he can be a true stud in this league.
Dennis Sarfate was decent in the minors, but brilliant in his short time in the majors last September. 14 strikeouts and one walk over 8.1 innings had people asking if he could step in as the Astros closer. His control problems probably won't allow it this early, but with a fastball near 100 mph, the potential exists. It appears neither of his two former teams (Brewers & Astros) were convinced he'd be an impact player in the majors.
Mike Constanzo was acquired in the Brad Lidge trade, and the knock on him was terrible defense and a high strikeout rate. He's a power hitting third baseman with Adam Dunn-type potential: he'll hit a home run, strikeout, or walk in most of his at bats.
Miguel Tejada is 32-years old (9 months older than Adam Everett), and by no means has he lost his ability to hit. Last season was the first he's missed a single game in several years, meaning he's durable. When you get 140 less at-bats, your numbers are going to go down.
He brings energy to the clubhouse, helps the Astros with the Hispanic market, and should bring an element to the diamond that the team could use. He'll make everyone around him better.
Don't forget, Adam Everett had 8 errors in 66 games last season. Those numbers aren't very good, and translate into a bad defensive year. While he had one of the best defensive seasons in baseball history in 2006, he's an out machine at the plate.
Stop reading the message boards and get your information from a real source, like ESPN.com, FoxSports.com, or local papers. The Astros get knocked for giving up a lot. I say we gave up a couple good prospects (Albers, Sarfate, & Patton), a major league-ready outfielder who should be a role-player (Scott), and a throw-in (Costanzo).
The Astros got a lot better this week. Now lets find a proven pitcher.
Labels: Baseball, Houston Astros, Sports
Post a Comment
