I second that open request on lighting up that guy. What a smug, assuming little twit.

Did you guys read the comments after that article? Oh, he got lit up…royally!!

Aren’t we also forgetting the other pitcher we got in the Betancourt trade, Derrick Saito? Sounds like he has promise as well. Z has restocked the system pretty well, actually…and with better arms it would seem.

Since Lorin, Adcock and Pribanic were all 3 or 4 years away it seems, that would put them roughly on track to need to be added to the 40-man roster around the same time (or within a year of) the time that players from this year’s draft would need to be added.

Typically a team doesn’t add much more than 6 or 7 guys in any one season (and it’s usually less). Just another reason why Jack Z might have willing to overpay (in addition to having the Pirates pay everything but the minimum on Snell and Wilson for ’09).

His last name isn’t in my good graces, either.

Then I stumble onto this article. Hoo boy, how on earth does this guy have privileges to author blog posts?

Dave, an open request — please light this guy up like a christmas tree.

The key to this deal on our side is Ian Snell. If he pitches up to the quality of his stuff, I’d say he can be a legitimate #3 or #4 starter…in other words, a potential first-rate stabilizer of the rotation’s back-end. I love the fact he’s 27, and under club control for years.

But I worry about a guy who made it very clear that he’d given up on his major-league club, had no interest in playing for them.

You can’t do that without quitting on your teammates, too.

And as a side-question, how does Jack Wilson feel about playing with this guy now?

Say what you will about Wilson’s well-documented flaws offensively, but the guy will get his shirt dirty and dirtier for you as a teammate.

I don’t know what Snell’s beef with Pittsburgh was (although it must be said the general atmosphere there probably lent to a number of grievances), but it seemed his exile in Indy was a largely self-imposed one.

What kind of teammate are the M’s getting who takes his ball and goes home when things with the club aren’t going his way?

If we struggle the rest of this year and much of 2010…does Ian Snell quit on us, too?

Pittsburgh is still the major leagues, I have to wonder about a player who openly says he wants to remain in AAA rather than do what he can to help his admittedly bad major-league team out.

Jack Wilson, we know what we’re getting with him.
And I figure he’s got to be the happiest guy involved in this trade.

I personally like the idea of him getting flipped for a younger, cheaper guy in another trade…but the bottom line is that we’ve made an upgrade at shortstop, no matter what- that everybody in the whole free world knew we needed.

As for what we gave up? To borrow someone’s catch-word: Meh. I think the price tag may not be quite so high as what some may think.

Clement’s lack of future with us was as much a non-secret as Snell’s lack of future with the Buccos. In order to make room for the shot you want to give Adam Moore, Clement had to go.

I think Cedeno’s a born reserve middle-infielder with an oh-so-light stick and a good attitude. As for Lorin, he’s the piece I’ll miss the most- and the piece I predict we’ll miss the most.

But I had no more than “wait and see if he does something” feelings about both Pribanic and Adcock.

As for the depletion of arms to watch in A-ball, there are plenty of 2009 draftees that will get ample opportunity to fill those slots.

And Brandon Morrow, Danny Cortes, Josh Fields, Phillippe Aumont and Nick Hill remain untouched in the higher minors (for now, anyway).

And still in A-ball are JC Ramirez and Michael Pineda. Both of whom probably have better ceilings than Adcock and Pribanic. Add in the likes of Maikel Cleto (not sure where he is, I’d have to look up his MiLB page)and I’d say the system isn’t completely stripped.

Annnnnnnnnnnnd you still have a chance to replenish the arms you lost (to some degree) by trading Jarrod Washburn, Russ Branyan, David Aardsma.

Bottom line to me: if Snell becomes the mid-rotation starter I believe he can be, then we win this trade.

If not, then it’s basically a wash of some parts we had to part with, anyway.

Have you guys seen Jack Wilson play?

What a fantastic trade. DC is way off the mark, according to Dave, we lost a guy who may, MAY be a 5 starter, a tall guy, and an an “interesting” arm???

For the best infielder in baseball and Ian Snell, who is the ultimate change of scenery guy. Ian Snell does not have an “interesting” arm, he has a major league, top of the rotation arm… and off field problems, ever hear of a guy called Zach Grienke? Same story….

Last week I got ripped here for saying I reserve judgement on Jack Z., but this is a steal for the Ms. Count me in on the Jack Z bandwagon!!!

The hit rate for low minors arms is very very low, if Pribanic and Adcock are wining games for the Bucs in two years, great, but thats a crap shoot.