So much for the thought Da Edge might be a crucial component in a Joe Blanton deal. From the New York Daily News’ Roger Rubin.
The Mets dealt outfielder Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals for catcher Brian Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church on Friday.
Schneider, a solid defensive catcher, is now the likely starter. Ramon Castro, who was recently re-signed, is the likely back-up. Johnny Estrada, recently acquired for reliever Guillermo Mota, could be used in a deal or non-tendered.
Church had 15 home runs and 70 RBI this past season. He, along with Carlos Gomez and Endy Chavez, will compete for time in right field and occasionally spell Moises Alou in left field.
Rubin’s a quality reporter and was no doubt in a hurry to compose the above item. So he can be excused for failing to mention that Omar Minaya was abducted yesterday and was replaced on an interim basis by Frank Cashen.
So…I don’t get it. At all. Awful.
The only positive spin I can put on this is that Mike DeFelice won’t be the starting day catcher. I think. Possibly.
I can think of worse things than Ryan Church, but Lastings Milledge is not one of them.
At least this trade keeps our average age up by getting rid of the 22 year old. We don’t want to get it too close to under-30. That would be a mindfuck to root for a non-geriatric team.
So, I’ve thought about it more, now. I still fucking hate it. But it does make it possible to offer a package of Church and Johnny Estrada for Johan Santana.
David,
I think you confused “Johan Santana” with “bag of potato chips”, “stick of butter”, and/or “Jose Lima”.
It happens all the time to me after I’ve been drinking.
Wouldn’t it have been sweet if Omar didn’t leave Jesus Flores exposed so the Nats could take him last offseason? I can’t imagine who is going to be the replacement for Schneider!
Well, to be fair, Flores is younger and cheaper and hits for more power than Schneider. So you’d naturally want to get that sort of player off the 40-man so you could eventually make a move for a guy who…oh god dammit!
Also, I’d have to be drinking something incredibly powerful to confuse Johan Santana for Jose Lima. I don’t think you can buy that kind of shit in the US.
I wonder if the GMs of all the other teams sit around and laugh about how the Mets get taken for a ride every year on some prospect/young guy. It’s like the Mets are afraid to even try to keep (or play) a guy under the age of 27 or 28.
I guess the upside is I’m not an Astros fan.
I’m in some pain here. Omar was just on Mike and the Mad Dog talking up Church’s doubles power and “.270” average. Lastings Milledge is now obviously 2008’s Brian Bannister/Jason Bay/Scott Kazmir/Heath Bell/Henry Owens/Matt Lindstrom. Gah.
I can only presume Omar received a test pressing of “Bend Ya Knees ’08 – The Remix” a few days ago. Other than that, even Kevin McReynolds can’t figure this one out.
It’s a very curious deal. Which is to say, I’m curious at one what point Milledge’s stock dropped so low in the organization swapping him straight up for Xavier Nady would seem only slightly crazier.
I mean no disrespect to Ryan Church, but outfielders of the .270/15/70 sort really are falling out of trees. Da Edge’s speed, arm, presence, indie label expertise, etc. are much harder to replace. Either there’s some additional character-issue stuff we’re not being told about….or I wasn’t wrong about Cashen taking over.
I wonder how long it will be before Isiah Thomas thinks “damn, I’m glad I’m not Omar Minaya.”
So I’ve been reading about this deal, and no one seems to get it. But much has been made about Church’s OPS last year. That was apparently a major part of his (notional) appeal. That and, I guess, the groundbreakingly innovative view of theology he displayed last year or whenever.
Anyway, Church ranked 35th in the NL with an .848 OPS, which tied him with Eric Byrnes, who had by any measure (except those excluding in-studio analysis) a very good season. As trendy as the stat is, though, and as much as I believe in it, it takes only one look at the list to see how useless it is as a center-stage metric: Church is two slots below immortals such as Josh Willingham and ten ahead of Kevin Kouzmanoff…but also 18 ahead of Jose Reyes and 19 ahead of Brian McCann. By every other metric, Church’s numbers say fourth outfielder/sporadic starter on a bad team. He may have value somewhere else (as someone who’s 29, I’m not super comfortable saying that 28 year-olds have peaked in value), and if he can be dealt or makes possible other deals, then great. But considering the Mets almost certainly could’ve gotten the same full-season numbers out of Shawn Green (ugh), Jose Guillen (double-roid ugh) or…I forget his name, but the one fellow with the rap record that the Mets just traded…it just seems puzzling to me. Making a trade just to make it has NEVER worked in the Mets favor, and occasionally they wind up trading Jason Bay for Steve Reed. I like Omar okay, but almost every trade he has made since getting Duaner Sanchez from LA (or Delgado from FL; it depends on how Carlos D looks next season, in part) has looked pretty fucking lame shortly thereafter.
Still reeling from both Delmon *and* Millidge traded within in 24 hrs of one another. At least T Bay got some projectable talent in return – I’m feeling sorry for the suddenly beleaguered Mets fanbase. Here’s hoping Om-ah doesn’t flip Carlos Gomez – these 4-5 tool young bats don’t grow on trees. On the + I’d gamble that Schneider won’t hit any worse than he did last year, & thinking Church will largely keep his mouth shut and be mediocre with flashes of adequacy on field. Maybe your new Cliff Floyd. Or Nady with walks.