Joey Gathright Traded to the Royals

[reds44]

The Kansas City Royals (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/clubhouse?team=kan) have traded left-handed pitcher J.P. Howell (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7572) to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/clubhouse?team=tam) for center fielder Joey Gathright (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7348), ESPN.com has learned.

The Rays also sent minor league second baseman Fernando Cortez (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7592) to the Royals in that deal. Cortez, 24, appeared in eight games for Tampa Bay last year, going 1-for-13. For Triple-A Durham in 2006, he was hitting .222 with a .265 on-base percentage and a .271 slugging percentage in 203 at bats.

Howell has spent the 2006 season with the Royals' Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, where he was 3-2 with a 4.75 ERA, 33 strikeouts, and 14 walks allowed in 36 innings. He also missed several weeks with shoulder soreness. Howell made 15 starts for Kansas City last year, going 3-5 with a 6.19 ERA, and was originally selected by the Royals with the first pick in the supplemental round of the 2004 amateur draft.

Gathright was sent down to Triple-A by Tampa Bay after hitting .201 with a .305 on-base percentage and .240 slugging percentage in 154 at bats while filling in for the injured Rocco Baldelli (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7025). He made his major league debut in 2004 and was originally drafted by the Devil Rays in the 32nd round of the 2001 amateur Draft.



http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2493010

[VI_RedsFan]

Good trade for the D-Rays. They need more young pitching and Howell is just that.

Gathright may have crazy speed, but to use that speed, you need to actually get on base and he can't do that.

[cincyinco]

Howell had a quick rise to MLB last year after being drafted, but he's a finnese lefty... with shoulder issues. I'm not sure if either guy is a difference maker of any degree at the ML level.

[Johnny Footstool]

Howell's fastball hits about 92, or at least it did last season. That's pretty good for a lefty. He'll be a fine player once he gets out of the Royals' murky stew.

Gathright is Brian Hunter in disguise. The D-Rays made out well with this trade.

[cincyinco]

Howell's fastball hits about 92, or at least it did last season. That's pretty good for a lefty. He'll be a fine player once he gets out of the Royals' murky stew.

Gathright is Brian Hunter in disguise. The D-Rays made out well with this trade.

Ugh, I'm not sure if going from the Royals to the Drays is a big step up in your career... heh. Both teams are terrible. That said, I do like Howell more than Joey G.

[Heath]

Wow - I think I'd have Joey Gathright a little higher along with everyone else. The other names tossed around for Gathright - wow - shocked they didn't get more - or the rumours were bad.

Hey, another live young arm in Tampa. Good for them.

[KronoRed]

Bummer, I'd love to have gotten Joey, sure he can't hit..but he's fast :D

[mole44]

Must suck to get traded from the D-Rays TO the Royals or vice versa

[Royals Fan]

I have seen howell couple of times last year and he has been hurt at Omaha this season and he reminds me of an young John Smiley good and but hurting.I will be a the K tonight watching the Bucs and Royals play. I give some Sean Casey thoughts tonight after the game.

[Team Clark]

Howell's fastball hits about 92, or at least it did last season. That's pretty good for a lefty. He'll be a fine player once he gets out of the Royals' murky stew.

Gathright is Brian Hunter in disguise. The D-Rays made out well with this trade.

Joey needs to play and get 400 AB's the rest of the season. He'll either pull through or he won't. He just wasn't going to do it here. We need bullpen help just like everyone else.

[Heath]

Joey needs to play and get 400 AB's the rest of the season. He'll either pull through or he won't. He just wasn't going to do it here. We need bullpen help just like everyone else.


Santa's list this offseason for baseball team is going to be pretty much the same for 30 baseball teams. Bullpen.

Until someone makes a bionic arm for starters, or Cinderella's wand generates AAA pitchers into serviceable reliever, bullpen help is going to be pretty hard to come by.

Wouldn't Howell be projected as a starter at somepoint?

[Mario-Rijo]

Wow - I think I'd have Joey Gathright a little higher along with everyone else. The other names tossed around for Gathright - wow - shocked they didn't get more - or the rumours were bad.

Hey, another live young arm in Tampa. Good for them.

I think the rumors were about Carl Crawford, if we are thinking about the same rumors!

[Patrick Bateman]

Nm

[gm]

Wasn't Gathright the guy I was told the Reds should acquire to "replace" Junior in CF, this past offseason?

[guttle11]

Joey Gathright is now a trivia answer.

Who was the only guy to be traded downward from Tampa Bay?

[RedLegSuperStar]

Wow.. I think Gathright has more upside then really given. I look at him much like I look at Wily Mo. If given the chance to play everyday, I think his numbers would improve.

But the D-Rays I think got a good arm and talent in JP.

[Team Clark]

Really was not fair to have Joey sit around in AAA. We really needed an arm. Rocco is back on track, Crawford is in good shape, Delmon is not suspended and Gomes is having a great year.

Our bench is horrible. Too many guys hitting .230, .200 or worse. That is just flat out unacceptable. I made a push to sign Jacob Cruz some time ago but we have a lot of believers in the .194 hitting Russell Branyan.

[WMR]

I like Gathright; I think he will hit eventually and wow can he play some defense.

[Heath]

Our bench is horrible. Too many guys hitting .230, .200 or worse. That is just flat out unacceptable. I made a push to sign Jacob Cruz some time ago but we have a lot of believers in the .194 hitting Russell Branyan.

That's because Ol' Russ brings the John Wayne-stature and swagger with the rose-colored outta-sight home run shot potential.

Take off the window dressing and you have a strike out machine with that long, loopy undercut.

Not only does your bench hit .200, so does your starting first baseman. Can't you just plug in Huff at 1b, pencil him in there and go with it, or does Huff get his gloves from AK Steel?

[Team Clark]

That's because Ol' Russ brings the John Wayne-stature and swagger with the rose-colored outta-sight home run shot potential.

Take off the window dressing and you have a strike out machine with that long, loopy undercut.

Not only does your bench hit .200, so does your starting first baseman. Can't you just plug in Huff at 1b, pencil him in there and go with it, or does Huff get his gloves from AK Steel?

Aubrey has been hurt most of the season. I know he has played in less than 50 games. He can rake, he just has to get some consistent AB's. He'll finish up strong, if he even finishes with us. I know he went 4 for 5 tonight.

Our roster is really a piece meal. Wigginton is in RF and he should be playing 3B. Lee, I'm not sure why we have Lee, has been playing 1B while Aubrey plays 3B. Hmmmm.... Our OF is set and our catching is status quo (O'Brien reference) Lugo is a good SS and Cantu is a serviceable 2B who hits pretty well. There is talk of Cantu being moved for some pretty good pitching.

Personally, I would do the Crawford for Wainright and Duncan trade. I'd release Lee and let Duncan play every day. I'd go ahead and move Aubrey to pick up a decent starter and one prospect.

We'd line up with Kazmir, Wainright, Hendrickson, Shields and whoever we acquired in the trade for Huff.

Wigg at 3B, Lugo at SS, Cantu at 2b and Duncan at 1B. Young in RF, Baldelli in CF and Gomes in LF. I can live with that. Bench is still kaput but we may have a little money to fix that.

[Johnny Footstool]

Ugh, I'm not sure if going from the Royals to the Drays is a big step up in your career... heh. Both teams are terrible. That said, I do like Howell more than Joey G.

The Northern League is a step up from the Royals.

My co-rec softball team is a small step down. Very small.

[jmcclain19]

I guess I don't understand everyone in baseball's rabid fascination with guys who run fast.

This is a guy who once he got past A ball, immediately forgot how to take a walk, meaning if his streaky bat isn't hot, he's worthless at the plate. Three years, with plenty of scouting reports out now, show that he hasn't yet proven how to hit major league pitching.

And no, he really can't play defense. He's fast, so he makes it look like he does. He has too weak an arm to play CF regularly, so he destined to be a LF.

The scouting report on him has been the same for years.

"He's really, really fast. So he can run really fast to balls deep in the OF. But, he can't really throw. And we are keeping our fingers crossed that one day, we hope he'll learn how to hit."

[Johnny Footstool]

Because "you can't teach speed." :rolleyes:

[NYMoose]

Because "you can't teach speed." :rolleyes:

By looking at the way the Reds are hitting lately, doesn't look like you can teach hitting either. ;)

[Red Leader]

We'd line up with Kazmir, Wainright, Hendrickson, Shields and whoever we acquired in the trade for Huff.

Wigg at 3B, Lugo at SS, Cantu at 2b and Duncan at 1B. Young in RF, Baldelli in CF and Gomes in LF. I can live with that. Bench is still kaput but we may have a little money to fix that.

That'd be a good plan, except for the fact that Gomes can't play the field because of his shoulder...that kind of limits him to DH probably until next year.

[Team Clark]

That'd be a good plan, except for the fact that Gomes can't play the field because of his shoulder...that kind of limits him to DH probably until next year.

True.... Obviously I was speaking of hypotheticals but it would be a good start.

[Redsnake]

Didn't some team offer TB and better deal for Gathright in spring training? I thought it was like Boston before they landed Coco? Am I wrong??

[Red Leader]

Didn't some team offer TB and better deal for Gathright in spring training? I thought it was like Boston before they landed Coco? Am I wrong??

IIRC, both Boston and Florida were said to have made offers or at least had talks about Gathright.

I think TB was pushing for one of FLA's better pitching prospects and talks broke down between the two because TB wouldn't budge. Not sure what BOS offered, if anything. This is all off of memory from spring training, so I may have some of this wrong, but that's what I thought I remembered.

[westofyou]

I guess I don't understand everyone in baseball's rabid fascination with guys who run fast. Branch Rickey baby, when he would do his scouting combines across the country it was the very first thing he would do. Run the boys and knock off the slow ones, eventually you'd have a guy that could run but not do the rest, or even anything... but he could run.

This was specifically valuable when the OF was a cow pasture, Crosley, Forbes, Braves Field and again in the 70's. The Reds reaped some good picks with that theory over the years, Harry Craft, Curt Flood, Geronimo, Milner.

[blumj]

I think the Red Sox were probably trying to get both Gathright and Lugo in the same deal. I don't see them trading a lot of value just for Gathright, and winding up with mostly glove guys at both positions.