Supposedly the Kolb deal will be announced at 9:30 PM ET tonight. Also, the story says that the Braves will renegotiate Smoltz’s contract, probably for three years without the per-start bonuses of this season.
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Maybe they see some Rokcer-type traits in Cappelan or Nuke Lalooche ($1million dollar arm, 5 cent head). That’s the only thing I can think of. My real guess is that he hasn’t been able to learn a 2nd pitch. It’s great to throw 101 mph, but if you have no off-speed stuff, then you’re not gonna last long.
They thought Capellan was good enough to pitch him for the big league team in September. If they decided to trade him because that short audition didn’t go well, then that’s retarded.
I think the need for Smoltz to start and the need for a new closer tirggered this trade, but Capellan’s completely unspectacular performace in September didin’t hold it up any.
Somebody on the message board at Baseball Primer reported somebody reported this about Capellan:
“regarding capellan, braves were never optimistic of him starting. supposedly when he bombed in a couple of starts in the major by not locating his breaking ball, eddie perez talked to his minor league catchers..and all year..he had been using his fastball to strike ppl out, and not the breaking ball which he was supposed to have developed. so i guess they went for a proven name in the pen instead of upside… ”
Who knows if it’s true. But it is believable.
If you are going to trade Capellan for a 1 year pitcher. I think I would rather have Hudson (would not include Giles..Green or Orr and another minor league player). I worry if Smoltz can hold up starting again.
Sure, but the A’s would never make that deal. Nor should they. They already have lots of guys as good as Green, so it would basically be Hudson for Capellan. Nobody’s that stupid, and Billy Beane certainly isn’t.
Hudson is on the market because of money$ How bad do they want to move him? Plus Beane asked for a 2nd baseman. Capellan…Orr…McBride
I don’t think you properly understand Beane’s motives here. He’s not rebuilding, or simply salary-dumping, he’s trying to stay in contention. He wants a good second baseman, not just some prospect who might be good in a few years. Giles is, when healthy, one of the three or four best second basemen in the game.
Beane can get someone as good as Orr — at least as good as Orr is now — easily, without trading his ace. They’re not hard to find. And if he’s simply going to do a salary dump, he’ll deal Zito or Mulder long before he’d trade Hudson. The Braves could offer Furcal (to move to second base) and maybe Beane would take that.
Although I’m excited about Smoltz’s return to the rotation, I’m also a little concerned about the renegotiating of his contract. For me, a significant part of the appeal of starting Smoltz in ’05 is that it’s a calculated gamble with short-term risk involved. If he has a great year and the Red Sox want to offer him 2 years/$20 million, then so be it. But if he blows out his elbow instead, we can at least say we rolled the dice with money already committed.
In the meantime, wild horses couldn’t drag me away from Turner Field for his first home start next year. I’ll be on my feet when he takes the mound.
I’m with you Sansho, I want nothing more than Smoltz to return to dominance. He deserves to be starter again, considering all of his achievements. There’s not a better guy who could get another shot to start. I could have done without the anti-gay marriage comments, which were reminiscent of another John, but a great guy notheless. Good luck Smoltzie!
The general consensus is that Smoltz’s arm will be better with a regular pitching schedule, not worse. Better to renegotiate now and lock him up before his price gets driven up to high. (Though he really wants to finish his career in atlanta. I’m not sure he would turn down any fair offer from the braves even with much better offers from elsewhere).