Breaking News: Per Balt. Sun, O's, Texas Agree to Deal to swap Millwood, cash for Ray

[Hank Scorpio]

Irony is such a special word sometimes.

So much for all that Jon Garland talk...

[Ruzious]

I would have preferred the strategery of paying the full 12 mil and gotten a young player who can help us... but it's a decent move - I'm neither happy nor unhappy with it.

[Sports Guy]

BTW, this just goes back to what I originally said when we first heard Millwood's name.

AM looked at him because he represents a 1 year guy that could be had cheaply, in terms of players.

If the Orioles pull off anymore trades, you better believe it will be for the same type of player UNLESS he goes out to get a long term solution at SS or first.

[DrungoHazewood]

$9M reasons to not like this deal. Look at what is on the market that could be had for $9M or less, that is not 35 and barely mid-rotation. Then, you add Chris Ray to this preposterous and almost comical move.

$9M for a guy worth, probably, about $9M, and you throw in a reliever who was probably about 11th on the depth chart once you start considering guys like DH relievers.

Sign Garland and he's likely just as expensive, maybe more if you have to sweeten the deal to get him to come to Baltimore. Might have to throw in another year. And, his strikeout rate makes him a decent candidate for an implosion.

What's the downside? I guess Millwood could give us 150 innings of a 5.50, and Ray is lights out as a setup guy. But even there it's not a terrible deal. The O's have tons of relievers with potential, many moreso than Ray, so no matter what some of them had to go somewhere else.

[Sports Guy]

So much for all that Jon Garland talk...

The talk existed...But he like, much like Blalock, wanted too much from us apparently...Doesn't mean the talk wasn't there and it doesn't mean that Garland wasn't at the top of their FA list of pitchers.

[laxtonto]

UPDATE: Scott Boras, who represents Millwood, just told a throng of media members that there is no deal done between the Rangers and Orioles. Millwood has limited no-trade protection, but I don't have the full list of teams he can be traded to (I don't believe it's a no-trade clause as much as it is a list of teams to which he will accept a deal).

Lobby sources expect the Rangers would have to pay about $3 million of Millwood's salary, which in addition to the raise Ray is likely to receive, would create a net gain of about $5-7 million. In addition to the grand total of maybe $5 million the Rangers have to spend, this would give them the ability to pay somebody a more attractive salary.

It is interesting that no one in the Dallas media has anything else on the topic.

Link

On a side note, I recommend you to read the comments... Worth a major chuckle or two

[byrdz]

Also maybe at the time he listed the 10 teams Mazzone was the Orioles pitching coach. Mazzone taught him alot.

Pretty good guess, could be.

[Pedro Cerrano]

This is interesting from Roch:

I believe Millwood is from North Carolina FWIW.

[jdouble777]

I am actually very curious about this and I don't want everyone ganging up on you so I won't ask it on the message board. What makes you like Vazquez so much better than Millwood? In fact, a Matusz amount more than Millwood?

BedardisAce (Andrew)

Javier Vasquez:

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=801&position=P

33, 10 straight seasons of 200 innings without injury, last year posting a 2.87 at 9.77 K/9, FIP even better at 2.77, Cy Young candidate

Kevin Millwood:

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=106&position=P

35, was injured during both of the last two seasons, post a 3.67 thanks to a 78% LOB with a more realistic FIP of 4.80, 5.57 K/9

[Lucky Jim]

Yeah, making that statement loses any credibility he might have had.

That exited a long, long, long time ago.

[hoosiers]

This deal has a lot of upside if Millwood performs.

We will pay $9M for Millwood, but the overall payroll reduction of this move is likely greater depending on what Ray is paid - assuming we now put a minimum salary in the bp like Mickolio.

Does anyone have an updated w-l projection based on inserting Millwood into the rotation?

[WietersOvechkin]

He is from North Carolina so maybe he wants to be closer to home.

Because this puts him closer to his homestate, North Carolina, don't read to much into it.

He's from Gastonia, NC.

Not horribly far away.

I believe Millwood is from North Carolina FWIW.

Where is Millwood from?

[waroriole]

I believe Millwood is from North Carolina FWIW.

Hadn't heard.

He is from North Carolina so maybe he wants to be closer to home.

Because this puts him closer to his homestate, North Carolina, don't read to much into it.

He's from Gastonia, NC.

Not horribly far away.

[Mackus]

Javier Vasquez:

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=801&position=P

33, 10 straight seasons of 200 innings without injury, last year posting a 2.87 at 9.77 K/9, FIP even better at 2.77, Cy Young candidate

Kevin Millwood:

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=106&position=P

35, was injured during both of the last two seasons, post a 3.67 thanks to a 78% LOB with a more realistic FIP of 4.80, 5.57 K/9

Nobody is arguing that Millwood is better than Vasquez.

But suggesting we give up Matusz or Tillman for one year of Vasquez is just utterly incomprehensible.

[Maverick2143]

Does anyone know if Millwood is from North Carolina??

Millwood sounds like a Gastonia name.