Brian Bannister dealt for Ambiorix Burgos

by mtk52983 on Dec 5, 2006 10:18 PM EST

Nice deal for the Mets as the Mets have a number of starters ahead of Bannister and without the pressure to be a closer from Day 1, Burgos will have a chance to develop a bit and will hopefully be the answer once Wagner's contract is up a couple of years from now. Discuss

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Wow..

It's like acquiring Jorge Julio every year! Bannister had all the makings of a AAAA hall of famer too...

by MetfanBren on Dec 5, 2006 10:20 PM EST reply actions

IMO

burgos > julio...by a hell of a lot

by Rob Castellano on Dec 6, 2006 12:23 AM EST up reply actions

Not too bad

for the Royals either. Bannister will be a top-of the rotation starter in 2007 for the Royals until Hochevar and Greinke come up, and then will still be a solid #3. Nelson is not a sexy closer option, but Burgos wasn't cutting it either. I had heard rumors earlier that the Royals might want Greinke to close. While I see him as a starter and not a closer based on his wide arsenal and uncanny ability to change speeds, this move may be a sign.

Hey fish, leave those kids alone!

by The Congo Hammer on Dec 5, 2006 10:21 PM EST reply actions

Really?

"Bannister will be a top-of the rotation starter" Do you honestly think Bannister is top of the rotation material or did you just mean to say he will be the best starting pitcher the Royals have next year?

by RandyKutcherHair on Dec 5, 2006 10:30 PM EST up reply actions

Best...

the Royals have.

Why so down on Burgos?

I'm not a fan either, but he is really young and his stuff is/can be sick.

by SenorGato88 on Dec 5, 2006 10:34 PM EST up reply actions

Burgos

I believe there had been talk of possibly letting start in KC. So, its probbaly a good thing he is going to the Mets to pitch in relief. Maybe Peterson can help him with his location because his heater is great, though down right down the middle of the plate often times.

PS: This move strengthens my opinion that Braun will be the closer in KC.

by Havok1517 on Dec 5, 2006 11:00 PM EST up reply actions

Burgos Fastball

Yes often times it's right down the plate, but usually has good movement too. I think the real hurdle is coming up with a more effective second pitch.

by caseintheface on Dec 5, 2006 11:17 PM EST up reply actions

he has a nasty split finger

Too bad he just can't throw his fastball well consistently enough to get the most out of that pitch. Maybe developing an off-speed pitch that he can throw for strikes will help. But I don't think he'll ever succeed in KC. He was rushed and we screwed Royally with his head. Maybe he'll turn it around some with the Mets. But I don't ever see him as a top closer. Roberto Hernandez is probably the best case scenario.

As to Bannister, he's not going to be sexy. But he'll probably be better than Runelvys(OK, he WILL be better than Fatelvys) and anything to get that fat ass out of the rotation is a good thing.

KC Rotation for 07
Odalis Perez
Luke Hudson
Zack Greinke
Brian Bannister
scrappy FA veteran

Hey, better than 06

by playingwithfire on Dec 5, 2006 11:35 PM EST up reply actions

Decent trade

Good trade for both sides.

And to the above, Moore has already said that he expects to hand the ball to Jorge De La Rosa every 5 days. Greinke MIGHT start in the bullpen if Moore gets Meche or Batista, and go into the rotation when one of the above goes down by injury.

by doublestix on Dec 6, 2006 12:05 AM EST up reply actions

ugh

I thought DM is smarter than Baird? I don't think I can take much more of De La Rosa's inconsistency. Well, I guess it's better than having Redman and not trade him at the deadline...

by playingwithfire on Dec 6, 2006 12:20 AM EST up reply actions

Yep

He'll be on a short leash for sure, especially with Greinke ready, and Elarton ready in June. Moore said he knew the problem with JDLR, something about landing on his heel and not his whole foot, hopefully that is the problem and it can be fixed.

On a different note, this should be a precursor to many trades tomorrow and Thursday.

by doublestix on Dec 6, 2006 12:29 AM EST up reply actions

You know the winter meetings

are dead when we're analyzing this trade. I can't see either player helping out their new team significantly, although it would seem that the Mets need starters more than relievers, which confuses me a bit.

by Brickhaus on Dec 6, 2006 12:14 AM EST reply actions

can't disagree more

first of all i think brian bannister is going to be a big find for the royals in '07...not only will he contribute bigtime, i think he'll be the royals most valuable starter in '07 and a mainstay in their rotation for years to come...and exactly the kind of player they should be targeting: underrated solid young players who are under contract for years

and as for the mets, technically we don't need starters...i count well over 5 starters who will most probably start for them in '07 who are already in the organization: maine, o.perez, duque, glavine, pedro, alay soler, humber, pelfrey, jason vargas...maybe this new guy bostick...what we need is impact, top of the rotation guys like zito or dontrelle and while i think bannister is underrated, hes not an ace-level pitcher

now with the departures of vital bullpen pieces like chad bradford, darren oliver and mota i'd say what the mets need is more impact relievers...like burgos, i think its a good deal for both teams

by Rob Castellano on Dec 6, 2006 12:38 AM EST up reply actions

i liked this rotoworld blurb

The A's and Mets have talked about a deal, but Oakland assistant GM David Forst wouldn't comment on whether Joe Blanton for Lastings Milledge would be discussed.

"We haven't had specific conversations about players," he said. "[GM] Billy [Beane] has talked to [Mets GM] Omar [Minaya] several times, mainly because Omar likes to make deals, but we haven't discussed any specific deals."

------

hey omar. it's billy. [pause] yeah, i'm up here in my suite. listen - yeah, i saw that. listen - i was on the phone with piazza's agent just now, and i got to thinking... how do you feel about making deals? [pause] you like it? that's awesome! i know what you mean. [pause] fucking A trades, right! [pause] me too. totally. all right, see you later buddy. right. have fun with zito. bye.

by wily mo on Dec 6, 2006 1:22 AM EST up reply actions

also

from BP earlier today:

----

Guy No. 2 stopping me in lobby -- "Anything going on? You hear about Lieber/Mench?"

----

i looked at this for a second, and then said, "if they start trying to send Mench to KC for Hüber, i'm out of here."

by wily mo on Dec 6, 2006 1:49 AM EST up reply actions

So tell me about Bannister...

His minor league numbers are solid. His stuff, I hear, is marginal. Realistically, there's a big difference between a number 5 starter and a number 3 starter; which is he? Do we know yet?

He was the Mets number 6 prospect last year according to BA.

If he can be a solid number three starter until he hits free agency, I love this trade for the Royals.

by ajohnst1 on Dec 6, 2006 12:47 AM EST reply actions

Bannister

Good move for the Royals.

Bannister is a young, cheap starter with average/marginal stuff that can probably post a league average ERA over 150-200 IP.

Burgos is a young, cheap middle reliever that has "good stuff" but awful command.

They seem fairly even, but IMO starters are almost always going to be more valuable than relievers, especially a guy like Burgos.

by eazyb81 on Dec 6, 2006 9:15 AM EST reply actions

Bannister

His ERA numbers were low because he worked out of a lot of jams. His BB totals not good and he does not miss as many bats as he should. Having watched him pitch for the Mets, you are looking at a younger version of Steve Trachsel

by mtk52983 on Dec 6, 2006 9:23 AM EST reply actions

Huh?

His career BB/9 in 550+ minor league IP is 2.5...that's not equivalent to high walk totals.

It's narrow-minded to focus only on his brief 35 IP appearance with the Mets this year while ignoring his long minor league track record.

by eazyb81 on Dec 6, 2006 10:26 AM EST up reply actions

yeah

i'd have to agree, his bb/9 while in the majors was uncharacteristically high which i attributed to nerves and expect fully to decrease...but what really impressed me about him was that even after he'd put men on base, he was like a 20yr vet in terms of his ability to bear down and get the next batters out...his stuff never blew me away, though his change was a pretty good pitch, but i loved his his knowledge of that stuff as well as his knowledge of how to pitch (which surprisingly few young pitchers have) which i assume probably comes from his father, a former big league pitcher

this ability to pitch with men on base coupled with the expected dropoff of his bb/9 and i expect bannister to be a solid #3 for the royals for this and many other seasons

mark my words, bannister is a VERY underrated pitcher and royals fans will be very glad they've got him...as a mets fan, i'm disappointed it didn't work out but i'm glad hes getting his shot which clearly was not going to come in NY with the emergence of john maine and oliver perez and then humber and pelfrey hot on his tail...

by Rob Castellano on Dec 6, 2006 10:47 AM EST up reply actions