Do you like the Feldman trade?

[mark_beckens]

I think some of the negativity about the move has to do with some people who have delusions about the value of Arrieta/Strop.

I grew up in Chicago and was a die hard Cubs fan till 17. I bleed Orange now but I still have love for the Cubs and many friends in Chicago. I can tell you the vast majority of them think they got fleeced.

" So we gave up a guy who can pitch for a guy (Arrieta) who is not a young prospect and Freddy Garcia was starting over and another dude who is strike zone challenged with no options....we should have gotten more"

Pretty much that quote sums up the sentiment of my friends in Chicago. Maybe their forums will have a different take

Gotta love Chicago fans. They are going no where. They signed Feldman to 1 year deal. They get two players with potential for 3 months of Feldman.

[atomic]

But he is having a career year in the NL Central, now coming to the AL East. His ERA with the Rangers was something like 4.75.

4.75 is a lot better than the guys we have been pitching 5th in the rotation. What is Arrieta's, Garcia, and Gausman's combined ERA this year? I am guessing close to 7? 4.75 at camden yards is better than replacement level.

[markakis4pres]

4.75 is a lot better than the guys we have been pitching 5th in the rotation. What is Arrieta's, Garcia, and Gausman's combined ERA this year? I am guessing close to 7? 4.75 at camden yards is better than replacement level.

He pitched to a 5.48 ERA in 2010 and 5.09 in 2012. 2011 he pitched to a 3.94 ERA but he only pitched in 11 games so a smaller sample size.

I'd rather pitch Gausman or Britton every 5 days. If we make the playoffs, he isn't pitching over Tillman, Gonzalez, Hammel, or Chen.

[Ornithological]

I like this trade. I'm not sure it makes the rotation better, but it makes the bullpen better. Strop needed to be demoted,

but he had no options left. Jake needs a change of scenery. Best wishes to Jake and Pedro with the Cubs organization.

I wonder who will replace Strop in the bullpen. I hope it is Gausman. Let him learn in the bullpen. He can move to the

rotation sometime later this year or next.

[Slappy]

But he is having a career year in the NL Central, now coming to the AL East. His ERA with the Rangers was something like 4.75.

Is the Central that bad? Two of the best W/L records in MLB and a 3rd team who could easily win 90 in Cincy. Even the last place Brewers have a strong lineup.

[Ommaculate]

Is everyone forgetting what usually happens when a pitcher from the NL comes to the O's?

They get lit up like a Christmas tree. I remember Kline, DeJean off the top of my head. I am sure there is more.

[lovetoaster]

Is everyone forgetting what usually happens when a pitcher from the NL comes to the O's?

They get lit up like a Christmas tree. I remember Kline, DeJean off the top of my head. I am sure there is more.

Joe Saunders did better in Baltimore than he did in the NL just last year. I think that is a much more appropriate example than Kline and DeJean. Put the Christmas tree away.

[Ommaculate]

Joe Saunders did better in Baltimore than he did in the NL just last year. I think that is a much more appropriate example than Kline and DeJean. Put the Christmas tree away.

That doesn't even count. Saunders was on the Angels most of his career. Try again please?

[Enjoy Terror]

Is everyone forgetting what usually happens when a pitcher from the NL comes to the O's?

They get lit up like a Christmas tree. I remember Kline, DeJean off the top of my head. I am sure there is more.

Lindstrom did fine going from the Rockies to the O's.

Will Ohman did fine coming from the Dodgers.

Mark Hendrickson improved coming from the Marlins.

Lance Cormier did better after we rescued him from Braves.

I mean, there are a few instances where an NL pitcher was lit up coming to the O's, but there are a few instances where they got better too. I don't think there's a correlation.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Is everyone forgetting what usually happens when a pitcher from the NL comes to the O's?

They get lit up like a Christmas tree. I remember Kline, DeJean off the top of my head. I am sure there is more.

Kuroda has had the best 2 years of his career in the AL East.

[lovetoaster]

That doesn't even count. Saunders was on the Angels most of his career. Try again please?

But he came directly from the NL and put up better numbers in Baltimore. I don't think two mid-30's relievers that turned out to be awful moves have any bearing on what Feldman can do for this team in 2013. We made a lot of awful moves back then, regardless of whether players were switching leagues.

I think the more important metric is that we simply had a bad team and poor front office personnel for so long that nobody we brought in was terribly effective. I think the AL/NL thing is blown out of proportion, especially in the game's current state.

[xKHx]

but but but wait a minute these facts keep tripping me up guys, don't wait up its going to take me a second.

[e16bball]

Feldman - Probably a weak #5, but better than Garcia or Arrieta could do, and deeper into game than Britton or Gausman could do

Not to single you out here, but just quoting this post because it seems to be a bit of a common theme amongst the folks who are underwhelmed or unhappy with this acquisition. The bar for #4/#5 starters, even in this era of resurgent pitching, is really very low. The following is a list of each of the primary #4/#5 starters in the AL:

Texas: Nick Tepesch (4.71 ERA, 4.36 FIP); Justin Grimm (5.56 ERA, 4.30 FIP)

Oakland: Tommy Milone (4.17 ERA, 4.62 FIP); Dan Straily (5.00 ERA, 3.71 FIP)

Seattle: Joe Saunders (4.98 ERA, 4.80 FIP); Aaron Harang (5.08 ERA, 4.13 FIP)

Los Angeles: Tommy Hanson (5.10 ERA, 5.26 FIP); Joe Blanton (5.07 ERA, 4.30 FIP)

Houston: Lucas Harrell (4.59 ERA, 4.89 FIP); Dallas Keuchel (4.65 ERA, 4.72 FIP)

Detroit: Doug Fister (3.50 ERA, 2.82 FIP); Rick Porcello (5.21 ERA, 3.64 FIP)

Cleveland: Ubaldo Jimenez (4.63 ERA, 4.50 FIP); Scott Kazmir (4.83 ERA, 4.72 FIP)

Minnesota: Mike Pelfrey (6.11 ERA, 4.20 FIP); P.J. Walters (6.03 ERA, 5.24 FIP)

Chicago: Hector Santiago (3.59 ERA, 4.15 FIP); Dylan Axelrod (4.57 ERA, 5.16 FIP)

Kansas City: Jeremy Guthrie (4.11 ERA, 5.76 FIP); Wade Davis (5.55 ERA, 4.43 FIP)

Boston: Ryan Dempster (4.11 ERA, 4.80 FIP); Felix Doubront (4.22 ERA, 3.67 FIP)

New York: Phil Hughes (4.82 ERA, 4.41 FIP); David Phelps (4.95 ERA, 3.83 FIP)

Tampa Bay: Jeremy Hellickson (4.90 ERA, 4.04 FIP); Roberto Hernandez (4.98 ERA, 4.50 FIP)

Toronto: Brandon Morrow (5.63 ERA, 5.43 FIP); Chien-Ming Wang (5.24 ERA, 4.84 FIP)

Playoff Contenders: 4.78 ERA, 4.26 FIP

All AL Teams: 4.85 ERA, 4.47 FIP

In his career as a starter, Feldman has a 4.66 ERA and a 4.45 FIP, which means he'd fit right in as a back-end SP for an AL team, even on a playoff contender. And over the past 3 seasons combined, he has a 4.34 ERA and a 3.88 FIP. That's a very solid #4 starter for any team. And when you look at that list, there's really no one aside from Fister that I think we wouldn't have a very real shot at beating with Feldman on the hill. That's a pretty substantial upgrade from what we've been running out there so far this season in those back-end slots.

[allquixotic]

But he came directly from the NL and put up better numbers in Baltimore. I don't think two mid-30's relievers that turned out to be awful moves have any bearing on what Feldman can do for this team in 2013. We made a lot of awful moves back then, regardless of whether players were switching leagues.

I think the more important metric is that we simply had a bad team and poor front office personnel for so long that nobody we brought in was terribly effective. I think the AL/NL thing is blown out of proportion, especially in the game's current state.

Agreed. It'd not like you can fall asleep on the mound in the NL when you're facing Yadier Molina or Carlos Gonzalez Michael Cuddyer or Joey Votto.

[weams]

Joe Saunders did better in Baltimore than he did in the NL just last year. I think that is a much more appropriate example than Kline and DeJean. Put the Christmas tree away.

That doesn't even count. Saunders was on the Angels most of his career. Try again please?

Feldman was with the Rangers most of his career. Light it back up!