I Think There is a Winner in the Volquez/Hamilton Swap

[TheBigLebowski]

And it is the Texas Rangers.

No question whatsoever.

EV started off nails but has returned to Earth in a BIG way. He's still a good pitcher and will likely be a #3-type starter for us for a long time but he simply does not appear to be an ace.

Josh Hamilton stroked his 27th HR of the year tonight and drove in his 108th run. That's right - 108 runs. 7 steals, 73 runs scored and a staggering .922 OPS. He put on a record-breaking show at the Home Run Derby that none of us are likely to forget. Meanwhile, Volquez is continuing his descent towards reality tonight by getting beaten about the field by the Brew Crew.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not second-guessing Krivsky or the trade. It was the right deal to make at the time and Volquez certainly isn't a bust. Just sayin'...if I could take it back at this point, I would.

[LouisvilleCARDS]

And Hamilton won't fall back to earth at some point? Probably next year? Give me a break. Volquez hasn't pitched well tonight, but that doesn't prove a damn thing. I'm doubting Hamilton will EVER match the numbers he put up this year, PERIOD.

I'm so sick of these "OMG I have to declare an official trade winner" threads. Really, hasn't 2006 tought anything?

[kpresidente]

Uhhh, not quite.....


Volquez is 9th in the ML in ERA and 6th in wins on this lousy team. Hamilton is only 17th in OPS and 14th in RC/27.

Add to that the fact that Volquez pitches in a hitters park and Hamilton hits in a hitters park (Rangers Ballpark is even more a hitters park than GABP.)

Add to that Volquez is younger. Hamilton is in the middle of his prime. Volquez is still a couple years away.

Add to that that pitchers are more important than hitters.


All in all, you couldn't be more wrong. To this point, the Reds have unequivocally won the trade, although I doubt the Rangers are complaining.

[HeatherC1212]

It also helps Josh that his teammates are getting on base around him so he has had tons of opportunities for RBIs. I don't think he has as many if he's on just about any other team. Aren't the Rangers one of the top offensive teams this year?

I think the trade was a win for both sides. We got a strong pitcher that we desperately needed and they got someone to help their offense. What's so wrong with simply saying both teams got a great deal in this trade?

[Griffey012]

And it is the Texas Rangers.

No question whatsoever.

EV started off nails but has returned to Earth in a BIG way. He's still a good pitcher and will likely be a #3-type starter for us for a long time but he simply does not appear to be an ace.

Josh Hamilton stroked his 27th HR of the year tonight and drove in his 108th run. That's right - 108 runs. 7 steals, 73 runs scored and a staggering .922 OPS. He put on a record-breaking show at the Home Run Derby that none of us are likely to forget. Meanwhile, Volquez is continuing his descent towards reality tonight by getting beaten about the field by the Brew Crew.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not second-guessing Krivsky or the trade. It was the right deal to make at the time and Volquez certainly isn't a bust. Just sayin'...if I could take it back at this point, I would.

Sorry EV didnt have the best first full season in major league history. He is running into the dog days of summer. It gets to be a long big league grind in your first full season at the ML level. His stuff is nasty, hard moving fastball, nasty change, solid breaker. What else does he have to do. And as far as being a solid #3 for us, who are our 1 and 2. Are we signing CC in the off season? Cueto will be a solid 3 for us for a long time, with EV and Harang in front.

[demas863]

It's clear that as EV makes the rounds and has been seen two, three or four times by each team, hitters are adjusting and Volquez isn't. Did he throw a breaking ball tonite? Don't remember seeing one although I didn't watch the game from start to finish. Granted the slider is not his best pitch but you just can't go with a fastball and changeup. He should throw the slider once in a while even if not for a strike, perhaps when ahead in the count. Otherwise hitters will just sit on the fastball and adjust to the changeup - and that fellow Zoners is what they're doing. If one were to run the stats for his last dozen games or so (and I haven't) I think you'd find his stats to be mediocre at best. Does anyone know of a successful starter with but two pitches?

[Ghosts of 1990]

I'd rather have Hamilton but its just my opinion

[Red in Atl]

Take the Griffey money and sign Halladay...

Halladay
Harang
Volquez
Arroyo
Cueto

Texas can have Hamilton, pitching wins...

[goreds2]

I'd rather have Hamilton but its just my opinion

I am fine with the trade either way.

His bat is obvious but if we still had Hamilton, I would have appreciated his glove and throwing arm more than anything.

[Jr's Boy]

And Volquez doesn't need someone to hold his hand every where he goes either.

[killuminati35]

The Reds' problem for most of this decade has been a severe lack of pitching. They were going to have to give up somebody decent to get somebody decent in return. This team will never win coveting power hitting outfielders over pitching.

I still love this trade.

[mroby85]

I loved Josh Hamilton, and hated to see him go, I didn't think they should trade him at the time, however the return has turned out better than I expected it to, so i'm not going to complain a ton. I'd probably prefer Hamilton over Volquez, but it's close enough that i'm not going to make a big deal out of it. Depends on what you need most, and i think the reds need both.

[Oxilon]

Hilirious. What, the guy didn't go 7 innings allowing only one run and K'g 10? That's all he did the first half, and as is the case with all young pitchers, they seem to hit a bump in the road in the latter half (a little one at that).

And a #3? If he's only a #3 whose a #1 than? Sorry but Sandy Koufax and mid 90's Randy Johnson aren't available anymore. Volquez and Cueto are going to be the next '01 Schilling-Johnson in a few years -- they're that good.

[laxtonto]

I stated this a month ago and Im going to say the same thing again. EV's main problem is that our expectations now will never meet up to the hype of his early parts on the season.

Some of his early success was due to a low BABIP and a non existant HR rate.

Add that to a new league, good luck on his choice of opposition, a jump in his gb rate and a drop in his walk rate. Combine those things together you get great results.

The league adjusted, lady luck got fickle and EV has regressed back toward some of his career numbers and EV is starting to reach the max (144) in his career IP total.

Hamilton will put up great number in Texas. There is no better place or environment for him right now. My true fear is not that EV will regress further which i still expect, but that Hamilton continues to get better just with more plate appearances and actually getting time to play baseball after his long layoff.

[NarrowStairs]

Don't forget that the best player in this trade may be in Louisville right now.