Carlos Lee to the Rangers

by OaktownPower on Jul 28, 2006 8:17 AM PDT Comment 18 comments

Wow.....Huge deal with huge names....

The Milwaukee Brewers are trading slugger Carlos Lee to the Texas Rangers as part of a multi-player deal, ESPN.com learned Friday.

The Brewers are sending Lee, minor-league outfield prospect Nelson Cruz and a player to be named later to the Rangers for relief pitcher Francisco Cordero and outfielders Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix.

Both teams are checking for any medical issues before consummating the deal.

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Rangers Pitching

Still stinks.

by RudiFan on Jul 28, 2006 8:21 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

damn

Every day is just a little worse than the previous, that means every day is the worst day of my life.

by shooting4life on Jul 28, 2006 8:21 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Now beane has to make a move

Im sorry, we have to get some help

by Oaklanda12 on Jul 28, 2006 8:22 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Whatever!

When will the Rangers get it through their thick skulls???? Pitching pitching pitching!

"Don't you play the flute, Huddy?"

by capper3 on Jul 28, 2006 8:22 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

lee is going to pitch the 8th for them

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Jul 28, 2006 8:31 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually, Texas

is seventh in the AL in runs, a few runs ahead of Minnesota. That's not great considering their home ballpark. Their pitching is tenth, which isn't too awful considering their home ballpark.

Can intangibles exist? Only the ones you can touch.

by salb918 on Jul 28, 2006 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

lee is better (well, his NL stats are better, but we all know how those don't always translate in the AL), but mench was a pretty decent contributor to the rangers. i don't think this makes the rangers significantly better, and as many have noted, its the pitching that matters.

"welcome to ME, motherf*^*er!" - tim hudson

by guy incognito on Jul 28, 2006 8:29 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

flip trade?

They dumped CoCo Cordero and an A's KILLER in Mench. Unless they flip him for more pitching... who gives a shit??

"If you're surprised by getting the job done, that means you didn't expect it out of yourself." -Huston Street

by ohtobe21likehuston on Jul 28, 2006 8:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

When an A's pitcher

has to go MY, Teix, C Lee with a one run lead.....You will.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Jul 28, 2006 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I already fear their lineup

Wait until they have to face Crosby, Scutaro and Kendall... and we'll see how they like it. With their pitching even those hitters could be dangerous.

"If you're surprised by getting the job done, that means you didn't expect it out of yourself." -Huston Street

by ohtobe21likehuston on Jul 28, 2006 9:07 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Their lineup this year wasnt to be feared...

Now it is. They were soemthing like 7th in the AL in runs scored.....They werent a feared lineup like in the past. Now they are.

THere are no stud pitchers available...and Beane aint trading Zito in the division....So it was either a super stud bat..or a mediocre SP? Id take the bat if Im Texas.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Jul 28, 2006 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's not about the pitching

It's about run differential, as it is for any team. If the Rangers can make their run differential more strongly positive than they did before, then they'll be fine. In a market where there were very few impact pitchers available, I think this was a teriffic trade for them. Instead of overpaying for a so-so pitcher, they've gotten an excellent player and given up expendable players in return. Yes, they may allow a lot of runs, but if they can score more, they'll be ok.

Futhermore, to make the playoffs, it really really helps if they can beat the A's and the Angels. Both of these teams hit poorly and pitch very well. The Rangers know their pitching can't keep up, so they have apparently elected to negate their rivals' pitching advantages.

The question is whether or not this philosophy holds against good hitting teams as well as it holds against the league as a whole. If they play Toronto down the stretch or Detroit in the playoffs, they might not do so well.

"I have to stay kind of focused when I'm pitching." ~Barry Zito, 7/19/06

by rich on Jul 28, 2006 8:56 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't think that's true in this case

It may be their best option but it's doubtful that it will get them to an AL West crown. You are 100% right about the available pitching, though.

"If you're surprised by getting the job done, that means you didn't expect it out of yourself." -Huston Street

by ohtobe21likehuston on Jul 28, 2006 9:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The most important part of this trade is that

now the Angels don't have Lee, who would have been a huge boost for them. I agree with those above that say that Mench is a pretty good player, so while Lee is an upgrade, it is not as big an impact as it would otherwise be and they gave up Cordero (when they should be adding pitching).

Unless this is followed by the Rangers landing a good starting pitcher(and really who is even out there?) I am not so concerned.

The good ones learn from their mistakes. The great ones learn from everyone's mistakes. -- James Street

by AsFanInLA on Jul 28, 2006 9:05 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you

It has been reported before that certain GMs will make a trade, or help complete a three way trade, just to keep a certain player from being traded to a competitor. Even Billy Beane has been described as participating is such Machiavellian activity. Texas might have made this trade just to keep Lee from going to two competitors that really do need offensive help. Oakland and L.A. for example.

"Several teams showed interest in Lee, including Detroit, Oakland and both Los Angeles clubs, but Melvin felt he got the best return from Texas."

Texas is only two games out, with L.A. and Oakland just ahead of them. They must feel like this is the one year they still have a chance in many years. Why not improve your team, (even if just slightly) if by doing so you also prevent your nearest competitors from improving their squads?

by Hang Man on Jul 28, 2006 10:07 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't necessarily understand the deal

from the Rangers standpoint because they do need pitching. They probably increase their runs scored but it doesn't help that pitching at all unless like xbx said, Lee is going into the rotation too.

by Tyler Bleszinski on Jul 28, 2006 9:44 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Just a minor possible correction

but mlb.com is reporing the deal as Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz to the Rangers for Kevin Mench, Lance Nix, Francisco Cordero and minor league lefty Julian Cordero.

So the extra minor leaguer is from Texas to Milwaukee not the other way around (if mlb.com is correct).

Not sure it matters either way (know nothing about the lefty) but at least it would be one less player for Texas.

The good ones learn from their mistakes. The great ones learn from everyone's mistakes. -- James Street

by AsFanInLA on Jul 28, 2006 9:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I think it boils down

to that ballpark as per the TX pitching, or lack thereof. When the weather heats up down there you could just about bunt the baseball over the fence, so unless they move the fences or change the configuration to be less carry-friendly for balls in the air, I don't see how they will ever win anything, Carlos Lee or not.

To be successful there you have to throw really slow (Kenny Rogers is a good example) and supply absolutely no power to the hitter, which is more of a rarity in the game now with dudes like Verlander and Harden throwing 100+ mph. Zito has actually had good success there over the years with the curve and the changeup working well.

1972...1973...1974...1989...2006

by emperor nobody on Jul 28, 2006 3:36 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs