As has been discussed in the diaries, T.R. Sullivan is reporting that the Rangers and Marlins are discussing a major deal.
Apparently, Hank Blalock and either John Danks or Thomas Diamond would go to the Marlins for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell.
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this. My gut reaction is that I don't like it, though, for a few reasons.
#1...Lowell, who posted a .242 EQA last season, and who is owed $18 million over the next two years, has a major negative value right now. The Rangers, for all intents and purposes, would be giving the Rangers Danks or Diamond, plus Blalock, plus $18 million for Beckett.
#2...Beckett is eligible for free agency after the 2007 season. So unless you lock him up with a long-term deal, you are giving up a significant package for just two years from Beckett.
#3...Blalock is coming off a bad year, meaning you are selling him when his value is low.
#4...Blalock is my favorite player, and I simply don't want to see him traded.
That said, the difference between Blalock and Lowell last season wasn't huge. If the Rangers think that Lowell is primed to bounce back in 2006, and think that Blalock isn't going to be the superstar we thought he was going to be 3-4 years ago, then this deal makes a certain amount of sense.
Giving up Danks or Diamond in the package, though, is sweetening the pot too much. If that's really the hangup, it is understandable, and I'd much prefer to see this deal go down with Eric Hurley instead of Diamond or Danks included in the deal.
Either way, though, I don't think this is a deal that would make me real happy, although that's mostly for emotional reasons, not baseball reasons. And if the deal goes down, even though I don't think I'd really like it, I don't think I could be too critical of the organization for making the deal.