Brewers Deal for Ray Durham

by count sutton on Jul 20, 2008 3:07 PM EDT

Buster Olney is reporting it on ESPN.com:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3497321

There are a couple discussion points here, but I think the biggest one is what this means for Rickie Weeks. I think Durham can still provide good offense as long as he does not get injured, but Olney states that he could just be a utility guy for now.

I don't know much about the prospects going to SF (Keith Law is reporting that the prospects going to San Francisco are Steve Hammond and Darren Ford), but it seems like the Giants did good in unloading Durham now before he breaks down.

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Weeks

Is Weeks on the block now? MIF of Escobar and Hardy?

by npurcell on Jul 20, 2008 3:24 PM EDT reply actions

Not sure

One would think that either Weeks or Hardy will go either this offseason or the next. It’s hard with Weeks because you don’t how the wrist has impacted his development.

by count sutton on Jul 20, 2008 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Why does Darren Ford get so much intrigue?

Yes, there’s the speed, but I fail to see what is so interesting about him.

by toonsterwu on Jul 20, 2008 3:43 PM EDT reply actions

Hammond

From BA magazine was ranked 27th this year, 7th the year before. Lousy season dropped him down.

by cwhitman412 on Jul 20, 2008 5:13 PM EDT reply actions

Steve Hammond

Even before I learned that Steve Hammond graduated from high school with my son, I liked the idea of adding him for starting pitching depth in case the Giants trade a starter over the winter before Madison Bumgarner, Tim Alderson and Henry Sosa are ready.

Hammond’s 7.41 ERA since being promoted to AAA is horrendous, but his 20 strikes against just five walks in 17 innings look good.

I wish the Giants could have gotten more for Ray, but I am happy they got something. (I’m less enthusiastic about Ford, whose ceiling appears to me to be Freddie Lewis, who I think is overrated a bit right now and who didn’t start against the Brewers today.) I’m also happy that Ray is going to a contender. Ray slumped badly last season, but he has been a quality Giant both on and off the field.

Assuming the Giants sign their top four draft picks, I’ve now got their top 14 prospects as Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner (nearly #1), Tim Alderson, Angel Villalona, Conor Gillaspie, Pablo Sandoval, Nate Schierholtz, Nick Noonan, Rafael Rodriguez, Henry Sosa, Wendell Fairley, Roger Kriesenick, Brandon Crawford and Daryl Maday. That would be pretty good. I’m thinking top five.

A little over two years ago one could easily have argued that the Giants had the worst farm system in baseball. Getting those high draft picks and a little luck can turn things around quickly at the minor-league level.

by sharksrog on Jul 20, 2008 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Maday doesn’t really strike me as a prospect, I don’t have any reports about his stuff but I assume its pretty nominal given his low draft status a couple of years ago, plus he’s a little old for the league.

His performance since turning pro is intriguing but there are a lot of players I would rank ahead of him. Maday Reminds me of Giants farmhands such as Mike Loree or Adam Cowart. If they make it to the show it will most likely be as a middle reliever.

by Keenlow on Jul 21, 2008 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions

If

If a #14 prospect on a team makes it to the majors at all, I would consider that to be at least a small accomplishment.

by sharksrog on Jul 22, 2008 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Can’t argue with that, and of course a low draft position is hardly a danming thing, just look at Jonathan Sanchez and Brian Wilson; I just don’t know what he throws so am making a lot of assumptions on his stuff based on his draft status.

by Keenlow on Jul 22, 2008 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions

For what it's worth

The Giants have trade value in Brian Wilson and Matt Cain that they could be using before the deadline. I mean, by now Sabean must know that he has almost no lineup to build off of, so it wouldn’t be surprising for him to make a big deal going for a big, relatively young bat, like Teixeira. Bowker, Lewis and Burriss is an OK start for a team like the Giants, but they obviously need to get a big bat in that lineup, one who isn’t 50.

by METSMETSMETS on Jul 20, 2008 10:29 PM EDT reply actions

My point being

that the Durham deal could be a small start of roster changes for the Giants.

by METSMETSMETS on Jul 20, 2008 10:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I'll be surprised

if Matt Cain is deal off. I think it would take a gigantic deal for them to even remotely ponder it. Too much talent to offer up considering the FA market for pitching.

by toonsterwu on Jul 20, 2008 11:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Teixeira is a free agent this fall. Why would Sabean trade Cain for him?

by jonk1982 on Jul 21, 2008 3:04 AM EDT up reply actions

i think

he was saying that dealing Cain for a young star bat and then making a run at Tex as a FA would be two different moves the Giants could make that would have the same goal

by nms on Jul 21, 2008 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions

An OK start?

I don’t truly think of Bowker, Lewis and Burriss as much of a start at all.

Bowker has been a pleasant surprised the past two seasons, but he doesn’t truly appear to have the bat for first base. Might be OK as a corner outfielder, but his defense is only adequate even for left field.

Lewis strikes out way too much. Half his whiffs have been called third strikes, and his other strikeout specialty is swinging at balls out of the strike zone.

Burriss looks about as much like a ballplayer as anyone I have seen, but he is just a year away from hitting .165 in High A and being demoted to Low A, where he hit for average but no power (as has been his career trend, all the way back to college).

I actually like right fielder Nate Schierholtz at Fresno better than any of the above trio, and the real building will begin when the Giants sign Buster Posey and Conor Gillaspie and get them up to the majors.

The Giants are a very non-violent team. No hitting.

by sharksrog on Jul 22, 2008 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions