- Cabrera, Rleal Optioned; Loewen, Rodriguez Recalled
I have to admit, it never occurred to me that Daniel Cabrera might get sent to Ottawa. But Adam Loewen has shown that he has little to learn in the minors, even if the results have yet to be there in the majors. Plus, recalling him will have no substantive effect on his service clock, since he’s up for good next year anyway. And Cabrera has regressed quite a bit this year. Rich Lederer wrote a blurb on this topic that prety much sums up how a lot of people feel about Cabrera’s performance this year. He’s still a big part of what this rotation could be, but there is no masking how disappointing his season has been. Finally, I have to admit that I am impressed that the organzation followed through with their decision Whether or not you deem the move necessary or not, it is encouraging to see an Orioles administration with the fortitude to make potentially unpopular decisions because they believe them to be correct.
As for Rleal getting sent down, it’s about time. He’s a flyball pitcher who walks a lot of batters and doesn’t miss bats. I’ll admit being a staunch spporter of his in the past but, lets face it, I was wrong. Eddy Rodriguez, on the other hand, has been lights out in Ottawa this season. He’s striking out over a man an inning, has a newfound respect for the strike zone, and has yet to allow a home run in over 36 frames. He’s held righties to a .307 OPS and has excelled in close and late situations. He finally appears poised to shed his perennial project label.
- Jim Bowden the Genius
I’m sure you’ve read about how Wayne Krivsky is an idiot and how Jim Bowden actually ripped someone else off for a change, so I won’t bore you with any self-evident analysis. But my friend text messaged me the other day with Why don’t we have Austin Kearns? and it got me thinking. Kearns’ value had never been lower than after last season. He was jerked around from the minors to the majors and back again and ended up posting career lows across the board. Yet, statheads looked at his excessively low batting average, consistent batted ball data and sustained secondary hitting skills and remained united in their optimistic outlook for his future. Thus far this season, he’s justified that faith and what happens? He gets traded for some middle relievers, a good relief prospect, and one present and one future utility player. Oh, and he was only part of a package that included the 26 year old reigning silver slugger at shortstop and a 23 year old pitcher that took about a week to reach the majors. Quite simply, a lot of things would have to go wrong for the Nats to not get the best of this deal now and later.
I’m not trying to insinuate that the O’s are any more guilty of any other non-Bowden team, but Kearns would be a pretty tasty fit on a club so devoid of OBP as this generation of birds. And if seemingly all it would have taken was some combination of LaTroy Hawkins and/or Kurt Birkins… then doesn’t it make you whince just a little bit that someone else beat them to the punch?