Self-fellation.

Of this:

First of all, I think the Rangers are pretty well committed to moving Michael Young to third base this offseason.

if our goal is to start seriously competing for the playoffs is 2010, why not just wait and let Andrus take over then and keep the prospects for something else, like say…starting pitching?

Is a quality starting pitcher, and the SS-A kids are too far away, what prospects would you assign, if you could? Sure Hardy would fit nicely in the scenario given, but doesn’t that train pull up short at the pitchers only station?

Are you suggesting Salty or Max, plus a young arm like Font or NeRa, for J.J. Hardy?

With the ridiculous glut of middle infield prospects in our farm system, I just cannot see the justification of using a bullet as valuable as Salty or Max, PLUS an intriguing young arm, for two years of J.J. Hardy. I read on yesterday’s minor league fanpost that a scout believed Andrus could be major league ready by next year’s all-star break. Granted, he will most likely struggle at first, but still. I think our young catchers have to be leveraged for pitching. I hate to be closed minded, but this team will NEVER SERIOUSLY COMPETE until our pitching is fixed.

I’d rather they just get a stopgap at SS and leverage their catcher situation for an upgrade to the rotation if possible. It could work, though, if they manage to sign a Sabathia or Sheets first. I like it from a standpoint of making the infield better. It makes you better at bat and in the field on the left side.

There are risks though in signing a free agent pitcher, in dollars, the number of years it would take to close the deal, declining skills, and health concerns…

What is the big deal with Young at SS. Is he that terrible? This is stupid, we have an all star SS who can get by there for the next 2-3 years and we have a top prospect who is 2-3 years away.

Hey but I have a GOOD idea, How about put that package together for a PITCHER

Just because the Rangers want Michael Young to move to 3B, doesn’t mean he will.

Him accepting moving to 3B will mean he is accepting that he is not good enough…....and MY will never admit that.

That allows the Rangers to significantly upgrade their infield defense without really taking a hit offensively, and without mortgaging the future.

Umm… if you’re trading them one of our top young catchers plus an arm for a guy you don’t plan on having here past 2010… yeah, that is kind of mortgaging your future just a little bit.

This is an intersting idea, but I’m just not willing to give up any high-quality young players for a 2-year rental shortstop. Maybe if they wanted to swap some major league players, like Maybe Millwood + Laird for Hardy though.

What I’m really having trouble with though, is why the Brewers would do this. What exactly are they doing as an organization, anyway? They’re about to trade off their #1 prospect for CC Sabathia, yet they’re willing to give up their starting shortstop? Something doesn’t add up there.

I think you sign a stopgap until Andrus is ready. While I understand Hardy’s allure, it just doesn’t make sense to me to trade big pieces of the farm system to fill a position that is essentially already filled. Or, at worst, you keep Young at SS and a Vazquez/Metcalf platoon at 3B. I just don’t think trading for a shortstop is the move.

Can you share the source for your defensive metrics? I’ve never found active +/- available online.

Unspoken in your stop-gap formula is what can be acquired for Hardy when he exits the season. Are you assuming getting back similar value to Salty/NeRa in a 2010 trade of Hardy?

if he’s approached about it in the right way. Even Ripken moved to 3B for the good of his team. It’s not like Texas is asking him to do something unheard of.

I’ll pass on Hardy…I’d rather sign a similar player as a free agent without giving up any prospects.

I don’t even get the thought process, overpaying for something overpriced and underneeded.

In the lunchroom, you’d be trying to acquire stale Twinkies with a bag of raisins, when they’re asking turkey sandwich from Whole Foods.

Our catching is all underperforming anyway, so we should be sitting on it and meditating for positive vibes.

Also, Adam: cipher. (Great word!)

I think it’s a better option than most, if the goal is to transition MY next year. I’m not sure the Rangers need to do that next year, but it probably wouldn’t hurt. Milwaukee could use a 3B as well. Hardy for Blalock+mid-level prospect?

If CC and Sheets walk after this year, the Brewers have a lot of picks, but need pitching. So, Blalock+Harrison for Hardy? I feel like Harrison might be a little better than a mid-level prospect, though.

I’m OK with trading away a catcher and maybe a low A pitcher but not a good prospect. To me, if the Rangers can fill a hole and the Brewers can fill a hole, that should be enough especially since the Brewers will have their player longer.

maybe this works out. The problem is that Hardy is too good a trade chip for the Brewers to settle on Teagarden+Poveda or something like that. Lots of teams need a good SS (just look at LSJ’s post about the Dodgers possibly offering someone like Kemp for a SS over there), and will trade better players than we’ll put out there. Sure we may match up with the BrewCrew, but someone else will offer to overpay for Hardy, and I don’t think we should try to outbid them.

seems like buying high, or paying a high price for a premium player. This is something a team who doesn’t have a future SS in their organization would do. If you think Andrus is anything, than you don’t waste prospects going after essentially a stopgap SS.

also:

Okay…first of all, let’s forget about the trading a quality young starting pitcher for Hardy part.

That’s a big part to forget about. I think the only reason they even consider trading someone like Hardy is because they think they can get a quality SP prospect in return. I realize they have Escobar in the pipeline but it seems to me that they would much rather wait and see if their SS prospect pans out before they deal someone like Hardy – unless they got bowled over with SP’s. This assumption that the Brewers would just settle for the Rangers offer seems a bit strange.

I’d like the top prospects that we trade to bring back pitching, especially pitching that we can control long-term, however this isn’t a bad idea either.

Hardy was hitting .259, but he’s gone 22 for his last 43.

That will fall back down soon and I’m sure he’ll end up abobut where he did last year 277/323/463.

I don’t think he’s a better hitter than Young, more power though…

Prediction: he’s the starting shortstop next year. At the beginning of the year.

If he keeps up his pace since coming off the DL, he’ll probably see AAA before year’s end. If nothing else, he’ll have shot down a lot of doubters.

And this guy is ML-ready defensively, so the story goes…

Hopefully Blalok will grow some balls and man third next year. If that happens then you dont need a stop gap like Hardy and Young won’t have to be moved until Elvis is ready.

Makes sense AJM so get these silly trade thoughts out your head!

This was linked in the trade deadline thread.

Telling article, if true. Boston was heavily in on Saltalamacchia before the Teixeira deal.

And they’re sick of Lugo.

If they eat a lot of his salary, do you send them Bradley, Saltalamacchia, and say Lemon and any arm below AA (or Padilla) for Bucholz, Lugo +/- a couple other prospects?

Do they really slam the phone down?

It’s a long ways from a 500 team to a contender. The rotation is in a mess, how is it going to be better in two years? If this team is no more then a 500 team in 2010, has Daniels failed? I assume Millwood and Padilla may both be gone, maybe they find some other free agent? That’s a big if for this club?

and by 2012 he’ll be third base coach.

But why is everyone jumping the gun on Ramon Vasquez? He is hiiting well at the big leage level, and has played very well and made good throws from 3B. He was even mentioned in an article i read this morning (either espn or mlb.com, can’t remember) about being deserving of the All-Star Game.

I don’t trade any of our major prospects for a temporary fill in at SS for a year or two.

If the Brewers want a C that’s fine. I’d say OMFT plus a couple of other low end prospects would be as high as I go here. I wouldn’t deal Salty, MaxRam, TT, or any pitching prospects for a SS right now. I know MY sucks defensively, but I still don’t see it as a huge position of need with Andrus coming up. I’d rather leave MY there ‘til 2010 and just suffer through another year.

MY:
2008 Win Shares – Offensive 6.7, Defensive 3.5, WSAB 4

Hardy:
2008 Win Shares – Offensive 2.8, Defensive 3.0, WSAB 1