Hamilton Traded To Rangers For Edinson Volquez

[Brian]

Rangers: Texas continues to troll for a center fielder, a search that currently winds from free agent Mike Cameron through Los Angeles and Cincinnati. The Rangers apparently like the outfielder the Dodgers are trying to move -- Juan Pierre -- but only if he brings along a significant portion of the $26.5 million remaining on his contract. Discussions with the Reds involve Josh Hamilton, but include a price (Edinson Volquez) the Rangers may not want to meet.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...2007&fext=.jsp

I'm not sure if I'd have a problem with that trade, even though Volquez is a little older at 27.

[TheBigLebowski]

blech

[hippie07]

what?! I hope that's not true... Edison Volquez is a biq ?????? I hope we only trade Hamilton for a "for sure" pitching improvement.

I'd give them Hopper for Volquez.... Hopper & Stubbs, etc... maybe... not Hammy!

[TheBigLebowski]

You'd have to pry Norris Hopper from my cold, dead hands.

[Brian]

Thing is though, it's a little tough to tell what Hamilton is since he's still terribly raw. Plays hard though, gotta love that about the guy.

[thatcoolguy_22]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...2007&fext=.jsp

I'm not sure if I'd have a problem with that trade, even though Volquez is a little older at 27.

volquez is 23

Year	Team	Lg	Age	Org	Level	 	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SH	GF	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WP	BK 	H9	HR9	BB9	K9	WHIP	GB%
2003	Az Rangers	Ariz	19	Tex	Rk	 	2	1	4.00	10	4	0	0	1	1	27.0	24	14	12	1	11	28	4	 	8.00	0.33	3.67	9.33	1.30	--
2004	Clinton	Midw	20	Tex	A	 	4	4	4.21	21	15	0	0	3	3	87.2	82	49	41	8	27	74	4	 	8.42	0.82	2.77	7.60	1.24	--
 	Stockton	Calif	20	Tex	A+	 	4	1	2.95	8	8	0	0	0	0	39.2	31	16	13	6	14	34	2	 	7.03	1.36	3.18	7.71	1.13	--
2005	Az Rangers	Ariz	21	Tex	Rk	 	0	0	0.00	1	1	0	0		0	2.0	2	0	0	0	0	2	1	0 	9.00	0.00	0.00	9.00	1.00	--
 	Bkrsfld	Calif	21	Tex	A+	 	5	4	4.18	11	11	1	0		0	66.2	64	34	31	9	12	77	3	0 	8.64	1.21	1.62	10.39	1.14	--
 	Frisco	Tex	21	Tex	AA	 	1	5	4.14	10	10	1	1		0	58.2	58	29	27	6	17	49	1	0 	8.90	0.92	2.61	7.52	1.28	--
 	Texas	AL	21	Tex	MLB	log	0	4	14.21	6	3	0	0	0	0	12.2	25	22	20	3	10	11	0	0 	17.76	2.13	7.11	7.82	2.76	31%
2006	Oklahoma	PCL	22	Tex	AAA	 	6	6	3.21	21	21	0	0	0	0	120.2	86	51	43	9	72	130	3	0 	6.41	0.67	5.37	9.70	1.31	--
 	Texas	AL	22	Tex	MLB	log	1	6	7.29	8	8	0	0	0	0	33.1	52	28	27	7	17	15	0	0 	14.04	1.89	4.59	4.05	2.07	40%
2007	Bkrsfld	Calif	23	Tex	A+	 	0	4	7.13	7	7	0	0	0	0	35.1	27	28	28	4	20	38	5	0 	6.88	1.02	5.09	9.68	1.33	--
 	Frisco	Tex	23	Tex	AA	 	8	1	3.55	11	11	0	0	0	0	58.1	46	23	23	9	19	62	1	0 	7.10	1.39	2.93	9.57	1.11	--
 	Okla City	PCL	23	Tex	AAA	 	6	1	1.41	8	8	0	0	0	0	51.0	25	8	8	0	21	66	3	0 	4.41	0.00	3.71	11.65	0.90	--
 	Texas	AL	23	Tex	MLB	 	2	1	4.50	6	6	0	0	0	0	34.0	34	18	17	4	15	29	0	0 	9.00	1.06	3.97	7.68	1.44	--
Major League Totals - 3 Season(s)	3	11	7.20	20	17	0	0	0	0	80.0	111	68	64	14	42	55	0	0 	12.49	1.58	4.73	6.19	1.91	37%
Minor League Totals - 5 Season(s)	36	27	3.72	108	96	2	1		4	547.0	445	252	226	52	213	560	27	 	7.32	0.86	3.50	9.21	1.20

here are his major/minor league numbers.

Notice the improvement as he advances through the minors. Small sample size in AAA but he was dominant and deserving of his call to Texas with his 3 to 1 K to BB ratio, 0.90 Whip and 11.65 K/9. He has very good periphs but is still working out control issues (with a near 4 BB/9 in AAA and in the majors). Also in AAA he started 8 games and had 8 COMPLETE GAMES


Scouting report

Scouting Report
Assets
Shocks hitters with a change-up that cuts 20 mph off his mid-90s fastball. Works hard.
Flaws
His curveball needs a lot of work and he seriously needs to refine his command.
Career potential
Has No. 2-starter potential.

according to http://www2.sportsnet.ca/baseball/ml...inson_Volquez/

Baseball America says he is a Pedro Martinez clone and projects as a #2 type pitcher.







I still need to do some more research before I offer my full opinion but, I do like the fact that WK has gotten word out that there are other pitchers besides Bedard that he is looking at...


Hope this helps

[hippie07]

There is no doubt that I'd like to have Volquez... He would be a great asset in AAA and someone to add to Bailey and Cueto as pitching prospects w/ excellent potential, but I don't think trading our #1 trade chip for another pitching prospect who WONT fix the pitching problem that we have going into 08 is the best idea.

If this move is paired w/ a 1yr. signing of Livan or Colon... then I don't guess it's that bad of a move, but it would pretty much just be dumping Hamilton... I feel that this is a mistake because I love the guy, but w/ the pampering he required in 07... supposedly it led to bad team chemisty (at least BP was vocal about it) and I suppose he's something of an injury/relapse risk... If I was a gambling woman - I'd bet on Hamilton, but it seems to me that the Reds aren't planning on it.. and I look for him to be traded before the season starts.

That being said... I wish we could package him w/ others and get back more of a sure thing - I've kinda given up on Bedard, but Snell, Shield, Cain... If those guys are available.. sign me up... if they're not though... I guess I can live w/ a Volquez for Hamilton trade as long as its paired w/ a signing that would give us an "innings eater" that we need in 08 - of which Volquez, Bailey, Cueto (maybe even Belisle) won't be because of their young, fragile, and valuable arms.

An 08 rotation of:
Harang
Arroyo
Livan/Colon
Belisle
Bailey/Volquez/Cueto

and in 09- we'll know more of what Belisle, Bailey, Cueto, and Volquez can do - if they're all or at least 3 of them are studs - then we'll have our rotation, but if not .. then we swoop in and land Derek Lowe in the FA market as our #2/3.

Anyway, in conclusion.... my guess is Hamilton is gone.... I hope if that's the case that WK gets as much as he can for him, at least.

[Grande Donkey]

http://www.newbergreport.com/article.asp

[Grande Donkey]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont....3b085d1a.html

Dont know if its true or not so take it FWIW.

[Elam]

It's on mlb.com
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...2007&fext=.jsp

[Grande Donkey]

Could this have been to get someone to put in the Bedard deal?

[HokieRed]

Sounds like it's done. Really strange trade after the potential Hamilton showed. Only good thing I can think about it is that maybe it means the Bedard nonsense is over.

[gobucks106]

Just heard on WLW, Seg says 6:30 press conference to announce Hamilton to the Rangers.

[Grande Donkey]

What kind of stuff does Herrera have?

[TheBigLebowski]

Darnit darnit darnit darnit!