Trade Winds a Swirlin'

Jason Michael Barker

Thank goodness for the general managers meetings, because with free agency having yet to ramp up, we were running out of things to talk about. Then came a series of blockbuster trades, and... OK, so that's overstating the case a bit. But anytime teams manage to move contracts like those of Charles Johnson ($25M over three years) and Mike Hampton ($78.5M over six years), it's worth talking about.

Major League Baseball may not have a salary cap, but its trades (and the trade rumors which precede them) have taken on a distinctly NBA-type feel -- teams make deals only if the salaries are relatively close. The Diamondbacks would love to add Larry Walker ($37.5M left on his current deal) from the Rockies, but only if Colorado will take Matt Williams and the $10M he's owed next season. They're also trying to move Denny Neagle ($28M) to the Mets, but the Mets need them to take Jeromy Burnitz ($12.5M) and Rey Ordonez ($6.25M). Round and round we go.

Fortunately, these trades are more interesting that just the salaries which go along with them. Here's a quick look:

To Colorado: C Charles Johnson, OF Preston Wilson, LHP Vic Darensbourg, 2B Pablo Ozuna
To Florida: OF Juan Pierre, RHP Tim Spooneybarger, RHP Ryan Baker
To Atlanta: LHP Mike Hampton

Who comes out ahead in this convoluted three-team, eight-player trade? The Braves clearly wound up with the most valuable commodity, a left-handed starter just two years removed from being pretty darned good. He's also six years younger than the man he likely replaces (Tom Glavine), and Atlanta will pay Hampton just $5.5M total over the next three years. That's not to say he's a sure thing, however.

Darryl Kile and Pedro Astacio both thrived after leaving Coors, but neither of them were quite as bad as Hampton was, either. Hampton's road ERA was actually higher than his home mark last season, and he didn't pitch well on the road in 2001 either. He also suffered a dramatic drop in his strikeout rate each of the past two seasons amid talk of an injury, fouled up mechanics or perhaps both. The Braves are taking a big gamble with Hampton, but if anyone can set him straight it's superstar pitching coach Leo Mazzone. My guess? Give him a year to work out the kinks and he'll be back to normal by 2004.

The Rockies must be thrilled to rid themselves of Hampton's contract -- and his "pitching," for that matter -- though they're now stuck with a 31-year old catcher who has really only hit well once in the past five seasons and who doesn't have the best health record. Johnson is under contract through 2005 and by that time things could be pretty ugly, even factoring in the boost his offense will get from Coors Field.

Preston Wilson is also under contract through 2005 -- and for more cash to boot -- but he's not nearly the disaster Johnson could be. Like the man he's replacing (Juan Pierre), Wilson covers a ton of ground in center, which is a requirement for playing the position in Coors' roomy outfield. Unlike Pierre, Wilson has some pop in his bat and will take a walk, meaning his value is not tied up solely in his batting average.

Vic Darensbourg and Pablo Ozuna are potentially useful, however replaceable, players. Darensbourg is extremely inconsistent -- in three of his five seasons, his ERAs have been respectable: 3.68, 4.07 and 4.25. The other two seasons? 8.83 and 6.15. Ozuna was once a hotshot middle infield prospect, but was recently revealed to be four years older than originally believed. Needless to say, at 28 he's no longer a prospect.

As for the Marlins, they rid themselves of Johnson's salary without getting much in return, but sometimes you have to believe in addition by subtraction. With his speed and ability to slap the ball all over the field, Pierre would be a great leadoff man if only he drew about twice as many walks. As it is, his performance last season (.675 OPS) was pathetic given his home park. What will happen when he moves from a great hitters park to a great pitchers park? If last season's .594 road OPS is any indication, it won't be pretty.

Tim Spooneybarger has a great name and probably would have thrived in the Atlanta bullpen, but that's more a function of the way Bobby Cox and Leo Mazzone manage their bullpen. A big loss for the Braves? Certainly not, as they've shown themselves more than capable of plucking quality relievers (Darren Holmes, Chris Hammond) out of nowhere. That's not to say Spooneybarger isn't a good pitcher, what with his moving low-90's fastball and curveball. He'll probably even be in the closer mix in Florida... it's just that relief pitchers, for the most part, are a dime a dozen.

Finally, Baker is a reliever who worked primarily at high-A last season with a brief stop at AA. He fanned 44 in 38.2 high-A innings but his fastball reaches only 90, and he also walked 20 so his control could use some work. Already 24, he isn't projectable as far as pitchers go, and is more of a throw-in at this point.

In conclusion, then, the Braves get a potentially pretty good pitcher for relatively cheap, the Rockies rid themselves of a huge contract and pick up a solid outfielder in the process, while the Marlins serve as a Mike Hampton clearing house but get very little in return. As for the individual players involved, this should be a huge positive for Hampton, Johnson, Wilson and perhaps Spooneybarger (if he gets to close games), but a huge step backwards for Pierre, who could very well be the worst regular in baseball next season if he hits like he did away from Coors Field last year.

about the author

Jason Michael Barker is developing his own line of ballpark snacks. Tell him hotdog soup and deep fried lemonade don't sound like winners when you write jmb@strikethree.com.

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