Cabrera, Sherrill, Roberts = our big trading chips

[Ven6]

Do a little case study.

Go look at all the relievers in baseball. Find out how many of them were good two years ago.

Or pick any year. Look at all the closers. How many were good relievers two years earlier? How many were good relievers two years later?

Relievers are the most volatile of any player in baseball. They go from good to bad and back again all the time. Dominant guys become terrible in two years and vice versa. If you can get something that you think will be more helpful to your rebuilding plans and be a safer bet, its a smart move.

Nobody wants to dump Sherrill, but if we get big offers, we'd be crazy not to listen.

I'm guessing here, but I don't think AM is thinking this way right now. He's trying to stockpile young talent but so far he's focused on trading away pieces that aren't under contract long term. Sherrill is, and given that plus DT's passionate pleas to get a real closer to help his young pitching staff, I think George is our guy until he implodes (which, according to your post, I agree, happens all the time.)

Of course, is someone offers something amazing, you have to listen. But if your logic holds, they all know closers aren't worth it.

[tywright]

AM seems to be the type who can only do one thing at a time. Instead of worrying aboult trading Cabrera, Sherrll and Roberts he needs to put a little more effort into dealing the likes of Hernandes, Walker, Bradford, Huff, Payton and Millar at the deadline.

It's not about doing one thing at a time...he wasn't forced to rush in moving everybody this offseason so he was very methodical.

With parity in baseball at its highest in a long time, all the teams are sitting tight right now. We're not going to see any movement until the last week in July and that will probably only involve Walker and Bradord.

[clarence]

I don't think anyone of real value to the O's (BRob, DCab, or Sherrill) gets traded before the Teixeira sweepstakes is complete. If we don't get Teix, I can see AM seriously listening to offers for those three. He will gamble that DCab and Sherrill can maintain their current levels over an entire season and if we don't land Teix, his gamble will pay off with even better offers than we would get at the deadline.

[Golgo]

Do a little case study.

Go look at all the relievers in baseball. Find out how many of them were good two years ago.

Or pick any year. Look at all the closers. How many were good relievers two years earlier? How many were good relievers two years later?

Relievers are the most volatile of any player in baseball. They go from good to bad and back again all the time. Dominant guys become terrible in two years and vice versa. If you can get something that you think will be more helpful to your rebuilding plans and be a safer bet, its a smart move.

Nobody wants to dump Sherrill, but if we get big offers, we'd be crazy not to listen.

I did... look at my post above!

[rolliefingers]

I agree with all of this post 100%.

I can see why some people may want to keep Sherrill because he is cheap and so far, effective but you have to believe Roberts is at his peak right now. If we're not going to contend for 3 years is he going to be an effective contributor for us then? Maybe he will but since so much of his game is based on speed you have to think there is a fair chance he won't.

I agree. As much as I love Roberts - and I do think he's a tremendous player, and a real professional for the young players to emulate - I think of him the same way I do of Melvin Mora, in retrospect. I fear that we'll decide to keep him, sign him to a lucrative extension and watch as he declines before our eyes.

I was absolutely for trading BR during the offseason, a little less-so now, but I still think he needs to be moved before the start of next season. That said, there seems to be something of a glut of talented young 2Bs in MLB right now, so I do wonder who might actually pony up for him.

[Sports Guy]

AM seems to be the type who can only do one thing at a time. Instead of worrying aboult trading Cabrera, Sherrll and Roberts he needs to put a little more effort into dealing the likes of Hernandes, Walker, Bradford, Huff, Payton and Millar at the deadline.

Most of these guys should take very little effort to trade.

[utvolzac]

I dont see any reason to keep Sherrill. Time and time again the closer position has shown itself to built for flash-in-the-pan type of players (with a few exceptions). Just look at Gagne. I think the position is important, but its also the type of position where a guy can go from dominant to door mat in one season. I would trade him in a heart beat for non-pitching prospects.

I agree with this. I think in general closer is an over-rated position. If someone wants to over pay for a close, let them. I also think it's easier to fill the closer position, than it is to find an everyday player.

[utvolzac]

AM seems to be the type who can only do one thing at a time. Instead of worrying aboult trading Cabrera, Sherrll and Roberts he needs to put a little more effort into dealing the likes of Hernandes, Walker, Bradford, Huff, Payton and Millar at the deadline.

And get what? You could probably put all those guys into one package and not get one elite level prospect.

Wasting time trying to get anything useful for those guys would be like Bigbie for Byrnes a few years ago. Pointless.

[rolliefingers]

And get what? You could probably put all those guys into one package and not get one elite level prospect.

Wasting time trying to get anything useful for those guys would be like Bigbie for Byrnes a few years ago. Pointless.

Only because we cut him.

[RShack]

I can see why some people may want to keep Sherrill because he is cheap and so far, effective but you have to believe Roberts is at his peak right now.

A great deal of trade talk is based on the assumption that it's smart and good to trade guys at their peak, or maybe just a little bit past their peak. Personally, I think that is a very flawed assumption. It is certainly not the basis for how good teams get built and maintained. Teams who get good and stay good don't act that way.

[RLB29]

I agree with this. I think in general closer is an over-rated position. If someone wants to over pay for a close, let them. I also think it's easier to fill the closer position, than it is to find an everyday player.

If what you say is true, and closers are over-rated and it's easy to find a replacement, then why would any team want to trade for Sherrill, or give you anyone of value for him?

[Sports Guy]

If what you say is true, and closers are over-rated and it's easy to find a replacement, then why would any team want to trade for Sherrill, or give you anyone of value for him?

Because teams overvalue closers.

Closers/late inning relievers are important for playoff teams.

[Ven6]

Because teams overvalue closers.

Closers/late inning relievers are important for playoff teams.

Thus, Sherrill will be valuable to us in 2010. Keep him.

[BillySmith]

DCab is a FA after '10. If he continues to pitch like he has so far this year, he will command one of these mega-contracts by that time. I'm buying into this idea that spending big on pitching is not a preferred way to go. And with Spoone, Arrieta and all the other guys waiting in the wings, I would think this winter could be an excellent time to get rid of DCab.

Sherrill, not so much. He will be a real solid, cheap BP arm to have around for awhile.

Roberts - just trade him if the return is good. We should be able to bring in a young 2B from some type of trade somewhere.

[Sports Guy]

Thus, Sherrill will be valuable to us in 2010. Keep him.

No guarantee we are a contender then...I think we have a better chance at contending in 2010 trading him then we do if we keep him.