...Matt Morris. The Giants' resurgence in starting pitching has been led by the most improbable of the starting 5 this year to do so. After a 3-year decline that could have been easily predicted by age and injury, Matt Morris has seemingly come back to #2 - starter form. This is certainly a sweet surprise for the Giants, as they are finally halfway getting their money's worth for the guy (did you know he's actually getting paid less than Zito this year, for all the grumblings of his overpaid-ness? Of course Morris's contract is not a 7-year one, but nevertheless...). Unfortunately for Morris, his timing is inexplicably perfect for the Giants to use him as trade bait.
It is well-known that the Giants aren't exactly lighting up the Bay with runs this year. In fact, they just plain suck when it comes to hitting. It's a testament to the fact that Cain is only 2-4 with the way he has been pitching this year. If Pedro Feliz is batting 3rd in the lineup, as he was on Saturday, you know you've got a problem. So...if only there was a team or two who had the opposite problem - a group of young, promising hitters with a poor and/or depleted pitching staff...
To me, the Yankees make the most sense as trade partners. Steinbrenner has a history of giving chances to guys performing well in their late ages, and wouldn't mind taking on Morris' $10+ million contract. Especially after yet another of their pitchers went down this weekend, I can't imagine that good 'ol George wouldn't be interested in a resurging pitcher who could keep them out of the cellar. Any of you think he'll decide to mail it in for the year and decide to change things up in the offseason? I wouldn't put my money on it. And guess which starting right fielder is crapping it up so far this year? I would certainly take a Morris + Hennesorreia for Abreu-type trade in a second. Abreu won't keep up his decline and Morris won't keep up his excellency. Neither team can't not afford to seriously consider it.
But why Morris, do you say? Well, his ERA and K/BB are both about half of the norm, and there's no way he keeps that up. The kids (Lincecum, Cain) aren't touchable, Zito's too expensive, and Ortiz will give you Morris' production for 1/20th of the price. Lowry's another trade candidate, but young, cheap, lefty pitchers with league-average numbers are much harder to come by. I'd also throw in Sanchez, as his development is being stunted in the bullpen anyway, and he's basically become a one-pitch pitcher. Morris is perfect, though--an older, expensive guy that won't kill us if he's gone (can still grab Sanchez and then Hennesorreia if someone gets hurt in the rotation), and who is pitching well. Buy low and sell high. C'mon Brian. DO IT!
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2 comments:
Now all the MLB teams know our secret, that Morris really isn't this good.
I don't want Abreu or any other highly-paid player; give me two or three prospects (even one great one would do it for me) and we'll start looking to the future.
Yeah, the problem is that they're still built to win now or in the near future with Bonds and the old-man crew. Another two big bats would really give them a good chance to pull ahead of the West. I wouldn't be opposed to a top-notch hitting prospect either, though.
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