Royals make another trade that makes no sense

by Adam J. Morris on Jul 10, 2009 3:59 PM CDT

The Royals got the shortstop they have coveted for so long, acquiring 27 year old shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt from the Seattle Mariners for minor league pitchers Dan Cortes and Derrick Saito. Betancourt was hitting .250/.278/.330 with 2 HR and 22 RBI in 63 games. His best offensive year was in 2007 when he hit .289/.308/.418 with 9 HR 67 RBI. He has a lifetime .302 on-base percentage.
His UZR last season was -12.7 and he has actually gotten worse this year, posting a -18. He is signed through 2011, and is owed $3 million in 2010, and $4 million in 2011. He has a $6 million club option for 2012, with a $2 million buyout.

Fangraphs has his value at $-3.6 million.

The only thing that would make this funnier is if Betancourt were hurt. Oh, wait...

Betancourt is currently on the disabled list with a hamstring injury and is on rehab assignment in the minor leagues.

So the Royals traded a couple of decent pitching prospects -- BA had Cortes as the #3 prospect in the system last year -- for an expensive, bad shortstop.

What in the hell are they doing over there?

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Comments

Couldn’t they have had Duran for free a couple weeks ago?

"[Font} doesn't turn 19 until the end of May and his heater can already hit 99 on the gun. That's baseball porn." - Jason Parks

by hightowersmith on Jul 10, 2009 4:01 PM CDT reply actions

Maybe they'll do something stupid with Greinke too

I’d offer Arias

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"-Wayne Gretzky"-Michael Scott

by ReallyCreativeScreenName on Jul 10, 2009 4:02 PM CDT reply actions

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

Cortes was arrested for urinating on a fence last week while drunk, but still…

I think Dayton Moore’s trying to build a baseball team by doing the exact opposite of what any competent GM would do.

by LiamP on Jul 10, 2009 4:03 PM CDT reply actions

The Bizarro Team?

"andruw jones hits 3 HRS at LA of Anaheim last nite after hitting zero at LA of LA as Dodger in all of '08. thats nuts." SI_JonHeyman

by WestTxAg06 on Jul 10, 2009 4:04 PM CDT up reply actions

Please tell me it was an electric fence

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"-Wayne Gretzky"-Michael Scott

by ReallyCreativeScreenName on Jul 10, 2009 4:04 PM CDT up reply actions

My favorite Ren and Stimpy episode of all time

by Inkara1 on Jul 10, 2009 4:27 PM CDT up reply actions

The only one that is memorable to me is the Happy Happy Joy Joy song

by Mark from OC on Jul 10, 2009 8:44 PM CDT up reply actions

From Royal's Review:

It’s all part of the plan

a full roster of bad middle infielders.

it’s coming guys.

DM is pulling a bernie madoff, but instead of our money, he’s doing it with our hopes and dreams.

"You'll meet them again on their long journey to the middle." -Lester Bangs

by BAC on Jul 10, 2009 5:05 PM CDT up reply actions

Does this remind anyone

of the old Ranger trade for Energetic Einar Diaz?

"I saw a soldier try to dig a foxhole with his bare hands. He didn't notice that he'd torn off all his fingernails. I got him out of there quickly; not for his sake, but for ours. Fear is poison in combat...destructive, contagious." - Band of Brothers

by DJCahill on Jul 10, 2009 4:04 PM CDT reply actions

Unfortunately...

…I don’t think either prospect is as good as Hafner was.

by Adam J. Morris on Jul 10, 2009 4:10 PM CDT up reply actions

Hafner of today maybe.

"BIg whoop, wanna fight about it?"

by lost in space on Jul 10, 2009 4:17 PM CDT up reply actions

i think you mean Ryan Drese

Greatest Inventions Ever? 1. TiVO, 2. Boobs, 3. Baseball

by willamos2 on Jul 10, 2009 4:51 PM CDT up reply actions

Bwwaahhhh!

I’ve needed something to laugh at all day long. Between this boner of a trade and the caption on that Trey Hillman picture, I’m set!

by Mister Naxal on Jul 10, 2009 4:06 PM CDT reply actions

Cortes recent drunk & disorderly arrest

Not excusing the deal, but think that may have played into it.

by JPenn on Jul 10, 2009 4:07 PM CDT reply actions

i don't like how the mariners benefitted in all of this

we had fringy MI prospects and vacancies in the bullpen.

"I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the [MLB] for guys to fall in love with [the Rangers’s] sloppy seconds." (thanks cstorm)

by ab03 on Jul 10, 2009 4:08 PM CDT reply actions

ok

after looking at all of the players involved, I don’t really care. Cortes might bounce back but I’m not too upset over it.

Good cost dumping move by the M’s. Who is their SS now?

"I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the [MLB] for guys to fall in love with [the Rangers’s] sloppy seconds." (thanks cstorm)

by ab03 on Jul 10, 2009 4:10 PM CDT up reply actions

x

Good cost dumping move by the M’s. Who is their SS now?

Cedeno until they work out a move for Wilson or Sanchez.

by LiamP on Jul 10, 2009 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions

Best part of it

“the shortstop they have coveted for so long”

"we’re a bunch of knee-jerking yahoos who like new and shiny things." -- FirebatM3 July 10, 2009

by Oddibee on Jul 10, 2009 4:10 PM CDT reply actions

the Royals bloggers are the funniest

which makes sense

"I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the [MLB] for guys to fall in love with [the Rangers’s] sloppy seconds." (thanks cstorm)

by ab03 on Jul 10, 2009 4:11 PM CDT up reply actions

All the comments on that article

are pretty good too…

"we’re a bunch of knee-jerking yahoos who like new and shiny things." -- FirebatM3 July 10, 2009

by Oddibee on Jul 10, 2009 4:15 PM CDT up reply actions

Clearly the owner wants to lose his/her way out of KC.

Do they happen to be owned by an ex-stripper?

by Trickman on Jul 10, 2009 4:14 PM CDT reply actions

Ok, I guess I need to carry the torch..

“The fighting Hillmans, being one of the best-run franchises around…”

The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano

by bking on Jul 10, 2009 4:37 PM CDT reply actions

Things just got feistier in KC

"We're One Nation Under a Groove"
- Ayjayem

by inactive lsb user on Jul 10, 2009 6:12 PM CDT up reply actions

Oh those Lil' Hillmans!

"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008

by Rodney on Jul 10, 2009 6:56 PM CDT up reply actions

Cackled.

"We're One Nation Under a Groove"
- Ayjayem

by inactive lsb user on Jul 10, 2009 7:23 PM CDT up reply actions

If only thaey had a Nolan Ryan to veto these stupid moves

by BEW on Jul 10, 2009 4:51 PM CDT reply actions

Yeah

JD the worst GM in baseball? My ass.

"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky

by RCCook on Jul 10, 2009 4:55 PM CDT up reply actions

Off topic, but did anyone see this article from today's NYT?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/sports/baseball/10cameras.html

Check out the video demo down the left-hand side. Looks awesome.

by Texas_Dawg on Jul 10, 2009 4:56 PM CDT reply actions

Jesus

Those poor bastards.

I’ve always felt a kinship to the Royals because they have so many good writers covering them and therefore I end up reading a lot of stuff about the Royals, but it’s getting too painful to even monitor from afar.

"You'll meet them again on their long journey to the middle." -Lester Bangs

by BAC on Jul 10, 2009 5:09 PM CDT reply actions

Are we witness Major Leauge in real life?

Maybe the owner is trying to make the team so bad that no one will come watch so he can move the team to another city. Then the players will find out about it, go on a massive tear, and win the AL pennant.

Kyle Farnsworth = Ricky Vaughn
John Buck = Jake Taylor
Jose Guillen = Pedro Cerano
Coco Crisp = Willy Mays Hayes

by texasbuckeye on Jul 10, 2009 5:18 PM CDT reply actions

i think joboo needs a refill

Nobody is perfect, i am nobody, therefore, i am perfect

by 34express on Jul 10, 2009 8:41 PM CDT up reply actions

jeff franceour for ryan church

Another head scratcher. for all the potential that jeff franceour had, it seems like a hard place to regain that stroke.

baseBALLIN!

by kevzta on Jul 10, 2009 5:18 PM CDT reply actions

3 more effing hours still?

ugghh I could use some built for fun baseball!!!! I can’t wait til this west coast thing is over…

"You're going to love my nuts"

Vince from slap chop

by BigGuns on Jul 10, 2009 5:55 PM CDT reply actions

by jonthefon on Jul 10, 2009 6:03 PM CDT reply actions

Kansas City Royals – Acquired Nothing from the Seattle Mariners for P Daniel Cortes, P Derrick Saito, and the right to not have IF Yuniesky Betancourt on the team.

Greatness

"A good start would be not giving up 900 runs again." -Jon Daniels

by Randy Richardson on Jul 11, 2009 12:14 PM CDT up reply actions