Scraps: Yu-Bet, Rhodes, Raul, Sosa
by Jon Shields ~ July 26th, 2008
No new word yet on what’s going on with the Jarrod Washburn trade. There are a million conflicting reports out there regarding who’s coming and going. There is, however, some other trade talk to digest.
One scout thinks Seattle should trade Yuniesky Betancourt, saying that “he probably won’t reach his potential in Seattle.” Would Seattle deal him? Prospect Insider mentioned that the Dodgers have had scouts watching the M’s everyday, assuming they were there for Adrian Beltre, but could they have been there for Betancourt?
The Milwaukee Brewers had a scout watching Arthur Rhodes pitch against Toronto, according to Geoff Baker. He makes sense for them since they aren’t willing to give up any big-time prospects for a reliever. USS Mariner thinks that if these two teams make a deal for Rhodes, Seattle should target first baseman Brad Nelson. Such a move would be good for both teams and seems like it could actually happen.
ESPN’s Jayson Stark thinks that the New York Mets are now focussing on getting Raul Ibanez, though he doesn’t think the teams match up well. Other reports are saying that the Mets are trying to get Brian Giles from the Padres right now, not Ibanez.
Seattle has signed 31 year old pitcher Jorge Sosa to a minor league deal. This is his second stint in the Mariners organization. Sosa’s numbers have been sparatic throughout his career, and his best year came in 2005 with Atlanta when he posted a 2.55 ERA over 134 innings. Weird thing is that I remember getting Sosa’s autograph when he was an outfielder for the Portland Rockies (A-) way back in 1999. I still have that ball somewhere.
6 Responses to Scraps: Yu-Bet, Rhodes, Raul, Sosa
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1 July 26th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Thanks for the good coverage of the trade deadline. Been reading this blog for awhile, it has really stepped it up lately in a sorta crowded market.
Still waiting to see what we got with Washburn, Prospect Insider insider indicates its complicated, hopefully that doesn’t mean we got screwed, as every trade for awhile has been… it seems. If RRS is gone I may become a Rainiers fan.
2 July 26th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Thanks Phil. I love the rumors, so the trade deadline and offseason is when you’ll see a ton of activity on here.
Last I read about the Washburn thing the Mariners are holding it up because they want a top prospect (Gardner, I’d suspect) and the Yanks would rather not… obviously.
3 July 26th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
As much as I hate the Yankees, they aren’t stupid. They’re the Yankees for a reason. You’d have to work some serious magic to get them to give anything up.
4 July 26th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Side note by the way . . .
I’m going to risk offending a few people and say that I never really got on the Yu-Bet train. I always thought hewas awkward. I would actually be happy to see them deal Yunie and get someone or a few someones decent for him. If I remember correctly, the M’s organization has enough up and coming talent in the middle infield so it wouldn’t necessarily be wrong to trade him. I think the M’s could get some pitching for him, which, as is the story with most, is the biggest need out there.
5 July 29th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I know we have some talent in the farm in terms of MIFs, but it doesn’t make sense to deal someone young and cheap and basically a solid .280+ hitter with very very good speed and good in the clutch.
If he shores up what we brought him in for, his D, I could see him being around quite some time.
6 July 29th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
A couple arguments…
There isn’t a ton of great MIF talent in the upper levels of the organization. The top talent there lies in A-ball and below, though Luis Valbuena, a 2B at AAA, is intriguing. Nothing beyond him in AAA or AA that I see.
butthol: I disagree with much of your comment. One, I think you’ve been listening to a little too much of Dave Simms if you believe Yuni has “very very good speed.” He is a solid baserunner, but no speed. He’s never going to be a stolen base threat and never going to be a guy, like Ichiro, who can beat out a lot of grounders. He’s only going to slow down from here, too.
Two, he’s not all that cheap considering the lack of production. This year he’s making just $1.25 million, but his salary steadily increases every year through the remainder of his contract (2, 3, 4, 6 with a club option). Jhonny Peralta of the Indians makes similar money (slightly more) and is hitting .269 with 17 homers. He signed that contract following a 24 HR 74 RBI season, something Betancourt probably won’t ever do. Arizona’s Stephen Drew has a much cheaper contract and was a 1st round pick and is starting to play like it. A lot of the good shortstops in the league and still going year-to-year, so there aren’t many multiyear contracts to compare Betancourts to beyond Peralta and Drew’s. But those year-to-year guys are making the same or less, and even solid veterans like Orlando Cabrera are only making a couple million more. Bottom line is that Betancourt isn’t a valuable hitter or defender, and shouldn’t be making very much at all.
Now, like you said, if he had stellar defense like he was supposed to have, then it might be a different story, but he offers little from the defensive side right now, and I don’t see his range coming back around as he ages.
I don’t think Seattle will trade him, unless it is as part of a multi-player deal. The bottom line is Seattle doesn’t have anyone who can fill in besides utility guys Bloomquist, Cairo and, looking beyond this season, Hulett. Even Triunfel, Seattle’s top prospect, will not be a SS when he arrives in a couple years.