Last Minute Trades

As I’m sure you’ve heard, there have been a lot of player swaps here at the August 31 post-season roster deadline, and some warm bodies have changed hands.

The Dodgers acquired Jim Thome and Jon Garland for not a lot in return.  James Loney hasn’t hit the way the Dodgers would like this year, so Thome certainly gives them a chance to get more power out of the first base slot, as well as a great left-handed bat off the bench when Loney starts.

The player the Dodgers gave up for Thome is 26 year old middle infielder Justin Fuller, who is playing in the Class A+ California League.  He sure doesn’t look like a prospect.  It looks like the White Sox made the move solely to save the rest of Thome’s 2009 salary.

I’m no fan of Jon Garland, but the Dodgers needed pitching, and, while Garland cost the Dodgers more than Thome in terms of talent, it didn’t cost them a whole lot.  The player the Diamond Backs got, 2Bman Tony Abreu, looked like a coming star at age 22 in 2007, but he hurt himself and missed all of 2008 and a portion of 2009.

Abreu is currently hitting .351 in 49 games at AAA Albuquerque in the Pacific Coast League with a .891 OPs.  He’s 24 this year and a middle infielder, so he at least still has a realistic shot at becoming a useful major league player.

The Rockies obtained pitcher Jose Contreras from the White Sox for minor league pitcher Brandon Hynick.  Hynick can pitch but doesn’t have the strikeout stuff you look for in a prospect.  He’s 24 this year and had a 3.83 ERA in the PCL, good for pitching his home games in Colorado Springs, but he’ll need better-than-average defense behind him to be successful at the major league level.

The most interesting news, I thought, was that the player to be named later that the Rays will be receiving for Scott Kazmir is reported to be 24 year middle infielder Sean Rodriguez.  This year, Rodriguez is hitting .299 with 29 HRs and a 1.017 OPS, good for second highest in the PCL.

The Rays sure got a lot of young talent for a pitcher who looks like a good chance for a major arm problem in the next year or two.

Kevin Mulvey, whom the Twins received from the Mets in the Johan Santana deal, has been identified as the likely player to be named later to be sent to the D-Backs for pitcher Jon Rauch.  At age 24 Mulvey has had a solid season at AAA Rochester, posting a 3.93 ERA with 54 walks and 113 Ks in 149 IP.  However, he had almost the exactly same year for the Red Wings in 2008 (actually, his 2008 was slightly better), so the Twins were likely concerned that he has peaked at AAA.

You never know, though.  At age 24 and with two solid, full seasons as a AAA starter under his belt, Mulvey doesn’t have to improve much to be a major league pitcher.  It certainly seems like a sensible deal for 30 year old Jon Rauch, as far as the DBacks are concerned.