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Tuesday, July 31, 2007 |
Dodgers Trade Wilson Betemit To Yanks
The Dodgers have traded Wilson Betemit to the Yankees in exchange for former Dodger prospect Scott Proctor. (Also via MLB.com and AP.) Proctor was originally part of the deal that sent Robin Ventura to the Dodgers, also from the Yanks.
Yankees manager Joe Torre has complained about the significant drop-off offensively from his starters to reserves, and Betemit could be the answer. The 25-year-old switch-hitter also can play shortstop and second base and is batting .320 (8-for-25) as a pinch hitter this season. He had pinch-hit homers in consecutive games at Atlanta in May.Update: Rotoworld opines:
The Dodgers could look awfully bad here if Betemit is the Yankees’ third baseman next year and Proctor has undergone elbow surgery. The latter scenario is probably more likely. Betemit is one of the game’s 30-best third baseman and is fine insurance for the possibility of Alex Rodriguez leaving, but A-Rod is unlikely to go anywhere and even if he does, the Yankees are rarely a team to settle. The switch-hitting Betemit could figure into the Yankees’ picture at first base for the rest of the season. He’d outhit Andy Phillips as a first baseman against right-handers, but Phillips should keep playing versus lefties. He is also far better protection than Miguel Cairo in the event of an injury to Rodriguez or Derek Jeter.Presciently, Jay Jaffe predicted this one:
Betemit may well be sporting a new address by the time you read this, but that doesn't make the Dodgers' efforts to take his third base job away any more admirable. While the team understandably peeked at prospects Tony Abreu and Andy LaRoche during the early-season period when Betemit was struggling, the arrival and subsequent success of first baseman James Loney triggered the decision to shift Nomar Garciaparra across the diamond at his expense. Even with two homers in a three-game series versus the Mets two weekends ago, Garciaparra has just four dingers on the year, and his highest ISO in any month is a kitten-weak .120.Update 2: Jon:
I would have much rather seen the Dodgers give Jonathan Meloan a shot at aiding the bullpen before acquiring Proctor. In fact, trading for a middle reliever is almost by definition against good judgment, unless you're giving up a fringe minor-leaguer in the process. But given the reality that they haven't tried Meloan yet, given the pressing need for pitching help so that they can ease off Seanez, and given that the Dodgers were probably never going to warm up to Betemit – even though he hit 19 home runs in 330 at-bats as a Dodger – what can you say? You just hope for the best.Yes, indeedy. It goes without saying that I agree with Jon's assessment (and also his comment that the move strips the Dodger bench of another left-handed batter.) But, according to some benighted Colletti fans, "you can't be afraid to make" stupid trades.
Labels: dodgers, trades, yankees
Comments:
Thanks for thinking of me Rob but I actually said "a bad trade." I think there is a difference. The key is "afraid" though, since it seems that some GM's are indeed fearful. At any rate, I can't really think of a player yet that Coletti has traded that I would like to have back, can you? I do appreciate what you do, I just find it amusing that you are such an Angels homer.
Oh, F. I have my disagreements with Stoneman, too, but trading for middle relief so the team can get older in not one but two places (at least with Betemit on the team, the Dodgers had the option of playing him over Nomar) is just dumb.
For that matter, why don't you go over to Dodger Thoughts and complain about Jon's pro-Angels bias. Oh, wait...
I don't necessarily agree that younger is better in the heat of a pennant race. Nomar is starting to heat up, just as Kent has. I would definitely rather have Nomar up in a clutch situation than Betemit. His numbers with RISP would seem to bear that out. And you aren't telling me that you would prefer Hull to Proctor at this point, are you? The Dodgers obviously value LaRoche over Betemit as well. As for Jon, I really enjoy his writing and perspective. I think he's pretty unbiased in his evaluations.
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