Reds trade for A's pitcher Saarloos

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASAp...3/c1784694.jsp
Reds acquire Saarloos, sign Bellhorn
01/23/2007 3:36 PM ET
MLB.com

The Reds acquired RHP Kirk Saarloos (pronounced SAHR-lohs) and a player to be named in exchange for RHP David Shafer and a player to be named from the Oakland Athletics today.
Saarloos, 27, last season for the A's went 7-7, 4.75 with 2 saves in 16 starts and 19 relief appearances. In his 5-year Major League career he is 27-25, 4.79 with 3 complete games, 2 shutouts and 2 saves in 123 appearances, including 69 starts, for the Astros and the A's. Shafer, 24, last season at Class AA Chattanooga posted a 2.36era with 26 saves in 44 relief appearances. In November he was added to the Reds' 40-man roster.

Versatile veteran IF Mark Bellhorn has agreed to terms on a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training camp. Bellhorn, 32, spent last season with the National League West Division champion Padres. He has more than 200 career appearances at both 2B and 3B and also has played 1B (41g) and SS (31g). He was a member of the 2004 World Series champion Red Sox, and also has played for the Athletics, Cubs, Rockies, Yankees and Padres.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

He gives up a lot of hits. If he has a good defense behind him, that might not be bad. He doesn't K a lot of guys. 4.34 K/9 as a major leaguer.

His major league numbers say he is really no better than EZ... just older. Still not a bad acquisition. Might be a better one for the A's though.

On the plus side, Saarloos is an extreme groundball pitcher (2:1 GB/FB ratio) and has two sets of consecutive vowels in his name.

On the negative side, Saarloos' K/9 hovers around 4, he walks as many as he strikes out, and his HR rate is fairly high.

On the plus side (for the Reds), David Shafer is 24 and still in AA.

On the negative side (for the Reds), David Shafer's career K/9 is over 9 and his K/BB is well over 3 in the minors.

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Originally Posted by edabbs44

Where does that leave EZ?

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Louisville or traded.

I liked the idea of Shafer, young and semi sucessfull at Chatnooga

Great trade. Hat's off to Krivsky.

Why is it that anytime Wayne makes a move you have a feeling that another move is going to follow it almost immediately?

That's just odd to me. "Oh, he acquired X, that must mean that we'll trade Y." That's been my take on almost every move he's ever made. Weird.

I wonder what the corresponding 40-man roster move will be.

[Edit: Never mind - I see Shaffer was added to the 40 man roster in November, so no additional move is required.]

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Originally Posted by redsmetz

I wonder what the corresponding 40-man roster move will be.

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http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASAp...3/c1784694.jsp
Shafer was apparently on the 40 man so no move is needed.

A soft tosser who gives up a ton of hits and walks almost as many as he K's. Color me very unimpressed.

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Originally Posted by Puffy

A soft tosser who gives up a ton of hits and walks almost as many as he K's. Color me very unimpressed.

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I keep looking at his major league numbers. Unless EZ needs limb reattatchment surgery, I don't see him as an upgrade to either EZ or even Lohse.

Milton sure...

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Originally Posted by Johnny Footstool

On the plus side, Saarloos is an extreme groundball pitcher (2:1 GB/FB ratio) and has two sets of consecutive vowels in his name.

On the negative side, Saarloos' K/9 hovers around 4, he walks as many as he strikes out, and his HR rate is fairly high.

On the plus side (for the Reds), David Shafer is 24 and still in AA.

On the negative side (for the Reds), David Shafer's career K/9 is over 9 and his K/BB is well over 3 in the minors.

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Pretty much sums it up. I liked Shafer. But minor-league relievers without high-end stuff, even the ones who are getting good results, usually don't make you regret trading them too badly down the road. He'll probably help the A's, if not this year then soon. But we needed a viable rotation candidate more than we needed any relief pitcher that's not a lights-out closer, and if Saarloos gets any kind of AL-to-NL bounce that seems to be commonplace lately, he'll stick. Good deal for both clubs IMO.

I'm indifferent. I don't think it really improves the team nor does it make it any worse really.

Saarloos is a weird bird. His strikeout abilities have totally evaporated at the major league level. He's got a 8.17 K/9 in 218.2 minor league innings and a 4.34 K/9 in 440 major league innings. That major league number, almost miraculously, has gotten worse in recent years (3.70, 2.99 and 3.86).

If it stays that low Saarloos can't hope to be anything but back of the rotation fodder even in the most optimistic of scenarios. The next time he allows an .871 OPS against, Saarloos can expect disaster. He's got to get back to the .737 area where he was in 2005. Yet, because of his sinker, he doesn't need a high K rate to succeed. Saaloos could probably be a pretty good pitcher with a 5.25ish K/9. Hopefullly that will happen and he can be a reliable league average guy for a few years.

Interesting to see the A's pluck Shafer. He'll bear watching in the future.

I liked Shafer, but his continued tenure in Chattanooga in the face of overwhelming bullpen issues at the big league level seems now, in hindsight, like a clear indicator that the Reds wanted to move him.

Same situation as Zach Ward, I imagine -- a player destined as trade bait left to dominate a level in the hopes of improving his value.

Maybe I'm misreading things, though.

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Originally Posted by M2

Interesting to see the A's pluck Shafer. He'll bear watching in the future.

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I'd say he has a shot at this year's 'pen, and if he doesn't make it, it's off to AAA.

I'm also thinking that despite a stellar year at AAA, Brad Salmon is on the outside looking in. again.