Huh. Christmas Eve, 2006, DVD gets broken up, with John Danks going to the ChiSox.
362 days later, the V gets dealt. Obviously, the Rangers front office doesn't shut down early for the holidays.
I was involved in a discussion earlier today on the NMLR board, in a thread where a poster suggested a Volquez and Teagarden for Hamilton trade, which I was against. It led to an email exchange, where I was asked if I'd do Volquez for Hamilton straight up.
My response:
If I thought there was a 0% chance (or close to that) of him falling off the wagon, I'd probably do Hamilton for Volquez.
This is, like the D-Rays swap of Delmon Young for Matt Garza, a classic need for need trade...the Reds have lots of nice outfielders, particularly with Jay Bruce on the cusp, and need arms. The Rangers have lots of quality young arms, but desperately need quality in the outfield, particularly centerfield.
I have to think that Hamilton will be the Rangers' regular centerfielder. Hamilton was awful against lefties in 2007, but you don't give up Volquez to pick up a 26 year old centerfielder who is going to platoon.
Milton Bradley will be playing everyday (when he's healthy), presumably at right field, although he may have to start at DH.
That leaves left field, and either DH or RF (depending on how quickly Milton Bradley comes back from the ACL tear), to be divvied up. You've got five candidates -- Marlon Byrd, Frank Catalanotto, Jason Botts, David Murphy, and Nelson Cruz -- and presumably only three roster spots, since Chris Shelton, Ramon Vazquez, and Gerald Laird will be filling three bench roles.
I'd be fine with a Byrd/Cat platoon in left field, Botts at DH, and Murphy in AAA until someone gets hurt, although I have a sneaking suspicion that this move may spell the end of Jason Botts' time with the Rangers, which would disappoint me.
If the Rangers don't think Bradley will be ready to play RF to start the year, you end up with Murphy in RF, a Cat/Byrd platoon in LF, and Bradley DHing, although you could send Murphy down, keep Botts and platoon him in LF with Cat, and have Byrd play regularly in RF until Bradley is ready.
But I wouldn't be surprised if, at some point over the next few days, we see that Botts or Cruz has been DFA'd, with the Rangers trying to run them through waivers, or else dealt.
I saw a suggestion elsewhere that this is the Rangers "giving up" on Edinson Volquez, which reminds me of the claims last winter that the Rangers "gave up" on John Danks. I didn't buy that argument then, and I don't buy it now. I think this is the Rangers giving up someone they really like to get someone else they really like, that fills an immediate need.
I also think that you're going to see one of the broken pitchers picked up on a one year, incentive laden deal, at some point in the next month. Bartolo Colon, Jason Jennings, Fat Freddy Garcia...someone like that, on a one year deal, picked up to fill out the rotation and to give Eric Hurley a little more time before he has to step into the rotation.