Monday, March 20, 2006

Bronson Arroyo traded

This is not good if you ask me. Maybe there's something going on that I'm not aware of (such as Bronson asked to be traded), but for the Red Sox to trade away Bronson Arroyo to the Reds for Pena is just terrible if you ask me. Trade away that big bellyache of a pitcher Wells with the rubber arm. He's the one who asked to be traded.

Bronson basically took a home town discount to stay here. His agent told him not to take the trade, but he talked to the Red Sox and they assured him he wouldn't be traded. And here he is, not even out of spring training and he's gone. Terrible.

As for Pena, the 24 year old is expected to platoon with Nixon. But the oft injured Trot may not be in the long term planning for the Sox.

6 comments:

R&BMommy said...

I'm good with this trade. The Sox never promised him they would not trade him. Yeah it was cool of him to take the discount and cool that he wants to play in Boston, but the facts are there was no room for him on this roster. Everyone on the Boston websites that is complaining keeps saying we losst a great young pitcher, but let's face facts, Bronson was neither of those things. He was very likable, very dependable and very average. He is now 29, that is not young anymore. I think we have seen the best of him, which was ok, not great. Wily Mo could be huge, and if they only use him against lefties while grooming him, he could be a great fit for now.

By the way, hear anything or believe anything about this being the start of us losing Manny?

Unknown said...

He took the discount because he wanted to play in Boston and because he believed they had promised not to trade him. That was his impression.

What this is going to do in future negotiations is straightforward. No one will take the home town discount in the future in the fear of being immediate trade bait.

I have no problem with this trade otherwise. Arroyo has shown what he is and what he can do and that is a good 3 or 4 (on a good team) pitcher. On the Reds, he may be their ace(?). Acquiring a young power hitter who can hit lefties and can hopefully develop into something more is worth the price.


I haven't heard about this trade being linked to Manny. I don't see how?

R&BMommy said...

I wouldn't worry about the home town discount too much. The reason it is such an issue with Bronson is because it is soooo rare. Name one other player on the Sox who did it(or anywhere else in the league for that matter). I also remember reading when Bronson signed that he knew the Sox made no such promises when he signed, he just hoped they wouldn't.

Unknown said...

That's easy. Ortiz did.

R&BMommy said...

Ortiz did no such thing. He signed here when no one else wanted him. When he first signed no one in Boston even cared. He was going to be Jeremy Giambi's backup/maybe platoon. He later exploded. He may be playing for less money than he is worth now, but he signed the best deal he could get back then. I don't think he has resigned since then, but if he has, this whole thing is wrong.

Unknown said...

Ortiz signed an extension in 2004, after his numbers started exploding:
His extension will pay him $5.25 million in 2005 and $6.5 million in 2006. If you remember, his good friend Pedro told him to.

"I just told my agent that I don't want to be into it at all," he said. "I just want to be playing ball. All I'm worried about right now is winning some games."