My Ideal Trade Target

[Answerman]

I expect to get lit up for this, mostly due to the high cost of getting this guy coupled with the salary...but my ideal trade target is Craig Kimbrell. I strongly believe the bullpen is our Achilles. I think the starters will be solid (though not spectacular) in the second half. Every good team needs three dependable bullpen guys. We have two. The others have their moments, but we all hold our breath when they are warming up. We saw the impact of at third shutdown guy last year. It's huge.

So what would it take? Does Alvarez, Wilson and Mancini get it done if we take him on at full salary?

[Number5]

I expect to get lit up for this, mostly due to the high cost of getting this guy coupled with the salary...but my ideal trade target is Craig Kimbrell. I strongly believe the bullpen is our Achilles. I think the starters will be solid (though not spectacular) in the second half. Every good team needs three dependable bullpen guys. We have two. The others have their moments, but we all hold our breath when they are warming up. We saw the impact of at third shutdown guy last year. It's huge.

So what would it take? Does Alvarez, Wilson and Mancini get it done if we take him on at full salary?

Yeah, trading for Kimbrel worked out real well for the Padres.

[Ruzious]

The bullpen is vital, BUT... it's also where you can get quality for low prices. Kimbrell will NOT... come at a low price. If we were the Yankees, he might make sense, but we ain't..

[Can_of_corn]

Yeah, trading for Kimbrel worked out real well for the Padres.

You got to get a lead to hold a lead.

[Number5]

You got to get a lead to hold a lead.

I wasn't knocking Kimbrel, but rather trading away what it takes to get a closer like Kimbrel. The Padres made a very bad trade. I see know reason to bail them out. Do you?

[Number5]

*no* LOL

[Can_of_corn]

I wasn't knocking Kimbrel, but rather trading away what it takes to get a closer like Kimbrel. The Padres made a very bad trade. I see know reason to bail them out. Do you?

Does liking watching Kimbrel pitch count as a valid reason?

[Number5]

Does liking watching Kimbrel pitch count as a valid reason?

Not to me. If you want to trade away the farm for a relief pitcher, knock yourself out. Personally, I thought the Kimbrel trade was the worst one San Diego pulled this past off-season.. and that is saying something.

I'm not surprised that you would argue for argument's sake, but I am quite surprised that you would choose this particular argument. I've not known you to be in favor of trading away good young talent for relief pitchers before.

[Can_of_corn]

Not to me. If you want to trade away the farm for a relief pitcher, knock yourself out. Personally, I thought the Kimbrel trade was the worst one San Diego pulled this past off-season.. and that is saying something.

I'm not surprised that you would argue for argument's sake, but I am quite surprised that you would choose this particular argument. I've not known you to be in favor of trading away good young talent for relief pitchers before.

Dude, it was a joke.

Do you really think that I would ask if my personal enjoyment at watching Kimbrel pitch should count as a reason to trade for him?

[mdbdotcom]

If the bullpen were really our Achilles heel, I suspect our record of having lost only one game when leading after the 7th inning would be considerably worse. We have only two starters with an ERA under 4.00. Adding Kimbrel wouldn't fix that.

[Number5]

Dude, it was a joke.

Do you really think that I would ask if my personal enjoyment at watching Kimbrel pitch should count as a reason to trade for him?

Gotcha. I guess my sarcasm meter was broken.

[Camden_yardbird]

Resources better spent elsewhere.

[Three Run Homer]

I agree that we need help in the bullpen if we're going all in this year. A shutdown lefty specialist would be really nice, for instance.

But we already have one of the best closers in baseball, as well as an All-Star setup man for the 8th inning. We don't need to trade for someone like Kimbrel or Papelbon, who would cost a lot in terms of both dollars and prospects.

[Nevermore]

I expect to get lit up for this, mostly due to the high cost of getting this guy coupled with the salary...but my ideal trade target is Craig Kimbrell. I strongly believe the bullpen is our Achilles. I think the starters will be solid (though not spectacular) in the second half. Every good team needs three dependable bullpen guys. We have two. The others have their moments, but we all hold our breath when they are warming up. We saw the impact of at third shutdown guy last year. It's huge.

So what would it take? Does Alvarez, Wilson and Mancini get it done if we take him on at full salary?

Why do we need Kimbrell when we already have Zach Britton?

[Can_of_corn]

Why do we need Kimbrell when we already have Zach Britton?

So Miller wasn't helpful last season?