Milton to Yankees?

[Redlegs]

Some of you may have just heard a caller to Sunday Morning Sports Talk regarding Eric Milton. She mentioned how the Yanks are down three pitchers right now and a good outing by Milton may intrigue The Boss. Good call and good point.

She also asked, "What's worse, having 3 catchers on the roster or having 2 DH's in the outfield?" What a great call!

[Marc D]

Some of you may have just heard a caller to Sunday Morning Sports Talk regarding Eric Milton. She mentioned how the Yanks are down three pitchers right now and a good outing by Milton may intrigue The Boss. Good call and good point.

She also asked, "What's worse, having 3 catchers on the roster or having 2 DH's in the outfield?" What a great call!


He may intrigue The Boss but Cashman isn't that dumb. Milton has zero trade value.

[UC_Ken]

Milton doesn't have zero trade value, he has a negative trade value meaning to get anyone to take him we'd have to package him with someone good to get rid of him.

Considering this is the last year of his contract our only move to get rid of him would be to DFA him. I see Homer has given up one run in each of his first two starts, I don't see Milty making it past May.

[RedLegSuperStar]

I used to be a supporter of put Milton out there to up his value but now that I sit down and factor that he will never obtain even a PTBNL. I agree with UC_Ken.. Milton won't be a starter come May. Especially if Homer is putting up number like he is.

However.. I do noticed that Milton does throw a decent one to three innings. So when they think Bailey is ready and they can continue to skip Miltons start, I'd like to see them but the 9 million dollar man in the pen. Heck plug Saarloos in the rotation for now.

[cincy09]

It's funny because the Yankees wanted Milton, and we outbid them for his services.

I have to agree with the earlier posts, he has negative value and we would have to pay his entire salary just to get rid of him.

[KronoRed]

Pay his contract and accept nothing back and I still think we have trouble moving him.

[edabbs44]

It's funny because the Yankees wanted Milton, and we outbid them for his services.

I have to agree with the earlier posts, he has negative value and we would have to pay his entire salary just to get rid of him.

And the Yankees got Pavano as the booby prize.

[Matt700wlw]

If I were the Reds I would pay his salary and let him pitch for the Yankees.

[vaticanplum]

And the Yankees got Pavano as the booby prize.

Pavano signed with the Yankees before Milton signed with Cincinnati.

[sonny]

If I were the Reds I would pay his salary and let him pitch for the Yankees.

and give them Bubba Crosby and Chad Moeller

[TeamBoone]

She also asked, "What's worse, having 3 catchers on the roster or having 2 DH's in the outfield?" What a great call!

:confused: If the caller is referring to Adam Dunn, I beg to differ (especially this year so far) for reasons that have been hashed and rehashed.

[rotnoid]

If I were the Reds I would pay his salary and let him pitch for the Yankees.


If I were the Red Sox, I'd pay his salary and let him pitch for the Yankees.

[Unassisted]

If the Reds would be better off with a pitcher who's now in AAA on their roster than they would be with Milton, it seems to me like the Yankees would have a similar situation.

[vaticanplum]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=342kERaP2y0

[GOREDSGO32]

I'dd take some equal lame duck acquisition from the Yankees to get rid of Milton, like a player who will be on the DL most of the year getting paid a crapload - but less than Milton - or an overpaid againg player.

[jojo]

:confused: If the caller is referring to Adam Dunn, I beg to differ (especially this year so far) for reasons that have been hashed and rehashed.

Adam Dunn isn't a good defender and he never will be...

His value to RS/RA would absolutely be maximized as a DH.

[mth123]

I'dd take some equal lame duck acquisition from the Yankees to get rid of Milton, like a player who will be on the DL most of the year getting paid a crapload - but less than Milton - or an overpaid againg player.

Kyle Farnsworth?

1. He doesn't seem to be doing well in NY.
2. He throws hard and would provide a different look.
3. He's set to make about $5.5 Million per year in 2007 and 2008.
4. He could probably be traded in the offseason to get out from under his contract.
5. The Yankess actually save money overall and the Reds save money and get a different look for this year.
6. The Yankees get a starter who might benefit from NY. A LH flyball starter with that deep LCF wall.

The Yankees probably wouldn't go for it, but there is some logic there. Its pretty far fetched though.

[redsfan4445]

heck a Farnsworth for Milton would save the reds 5 million for use at the trading deadline for playoff hopes...

[mth123]

heck a Farnsworth for Milton would save the reds 5 million for use at the trading deadline for playoff hopes...

More like 3.5 (or less since we're into the season now) but yeah, that's the point.

[bearcatfan24]

The yankees will never do this no matter how desperate the boss gets, because they have phillip hughes just waiting in the wings. Granted he didnt have a good spring but milton being payed around 9 mil is stuck with us for this season no matter how good or bad he is.

[REDREAD]

Pay his contract and accept nothing back and I still think we have trouble moving him.


I wouldn't go that far.. :)

If the Reds pay enough of his contract (and that might be close to 100%), someone would take him.

I agree that Milton should be moved to the pen.

[DontCopyMe]

If I were the Red Sox, I'd pay his salary and let him pitch for the Yankees.

Post of the month! :D

[hebroncougar]

Kyle Farnsworth?

1. He doesn't seem to be doing well in NY.
2. He throws hard and would provide a different look.
3. He's set to make about $5.5 Million per year in 2007 and 2008.
4. He could probably be traded in the offseason to get out from under his contract.
5. The Yankess actually save money overall and the Reds save money and get a different look for this year.
6. The Yankees get a starter who might benefit from NY. A LH flyball starter with that deep LCF wall.

The Yankees probably wouldn't go for it, but there is some logic there. Its pretty far fetched though.

If the Yanks would do that, I'd take that deal immediately, as in yesterday wouldn't have been soon enough. Pavano AND Mussina went on the DL yesterday, so you never know. Too bad Cashman is the GM and he has the gall to stand up to the Boss, otherwise, if I were Krivsky, I'd be on the horn with the Boss.

[westofyou]

Farnsworth Again Fails to Set Up Strike Zone

By TYLER KEPNER
Published: April 15, 2007

OAKLAND, Calif., April 14 — When the Yankees lost Tom Gordon to free agency after the 2005 season, they turned to Kyle Farnsworth as his replacement. Seduced by his fastballs and his successful stint with the Atlanta Braves, the Yankees gave Farnsworth a contract for three years and $17 million.
Skip to next paragraph


It was a lot to pay for a setup man, but the eighth inning is an important one to the Yankees, who have Mariano Rivera for the ninth. More than a year into Farnsworth’s deal, they are still waiting for the dependable pitcher they thought they had signed.

He is not likely to arrive, though that has more to do with the limits the Yankees have placed on him. Manager Joe Torre will not use Farnsworth on consecutive days, and he does not trust him for more than an inning at a time.

“That’s why you carry 12 pitchers, for that reason,” Torre said after Friday’s 5-4 loss in 11 innings to the Oakland Athletics. “We certainly try to play to the pitchers’ strengths. He just seems to be better when he doesn’t. We’re certainly going to try to keep it to a minimum.”

Looking at Farnsworth, it would seem incongruous that he, of all pitchers, would be deemed so fragile. Farnsworth is 6 feet 4 inches and a chiseled 235 pounds, and when he is not on the field, he seems to be continually moving from one pregame workout to another.

But he was unavailable at least once every month last season because of back problems. When he did pitch, he was often erratic, with a 4-6 record and a 4.36 earned run average. He could be overpowering, with 75 strikeouts in 66 innings, but hitters often knew to expect the fastball.

That predictability was Farnsworth’s undoing Friday. Kei Igawa’s chance for his first major league victory disappeared when Farnsworth allowed a tying two-out home run to Nick Swisher in the seventh inning. Four innings later, the A’s beat the Yankees on a fielder’s choice grounder by Bobby Kielty.

Brian Bruney was pitching then, and he took the loss. But the game turned when Farnsworth entered and went to 2-0 on his first hitter and 3-0 on his second, but survived to get two outs. He did not have such luck against Swisher.

After falling behind, 2-0, Farnsworth fired a 96-mile-an-hour fastball. Swisher pounded it over the fence in right-center.

Farnsworth was the losing pitcher in Minnesota on Wednesday, when he walked the speedy Luis Castillo on four pitches in a tie game. Then he gave up four one-out hits that led to four runs. In five games, Farnsworth’s earned run average is 10.38.

It was telling on Friday that Torre summoned Farnsworth in the seventh inning with a one-run lead, not in the eighth. Torre said he was saving Luis Vizcaíno for the eighth inning, believing that, if the A’s tied the score, Vizcaíno would be better equipped to pitch multiple innings than Farnsworth. (Torre prefers not to use Rivera in tie road games.)

Torre said he spoke with Farnsworth and the pitching coach, Ron Guidry, before the game, telling Farnsworth that he needed to get ahead of hitters instead of trying to be too fine early in the count. He also mentioned the possibility of occasionally switching roles with Vizcaíno.

“The more you see him,” Torre said of Vizcaíno, “the more your confidence grows with him.”

General Manager Brian Cashman obtained Vizcaíno from Arizona in January in the deal for Randy Johnson. The prospects in that trade received more attention, but Vizcaíno has quietly been a solid reliever, ranking second to Boston’s Mike Timlin among right-handers in appearances over the last five years.

In seven and a third innings this season, Vizcaíno has allowed two hits and an earned run, for a 1.23 E.R.A. He does not strike out or walk many batters and keeps a low pitch count, helping him pitch longer and make more appearances than Farnsworth.

Farnsworth, who looked sharp in spring training, said he is struggling to stay on top of the ball when he releases it. “Obviously, I can’t find the strike zone,” Farnsworth said. “That’s the biggest problem.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/sports/baseball/15pins.html

[rotnoid]

Farnsworth, who looked sharp in spring training, said he is struggling to stay on top of the ball when he releases it. “Obviously, I can’t find the strike zone,” Farnsworth said. “That’s the biggest problem.”

And he's a scholar too. ;)

Unfortunately, this is the market for Milty at this point. Maybe his value goes up after his mediocre performance last night, but I'm sure I'm not the only one that sees that he's still having trouble with that injured knee.

Maybe the Majewski trade and the possible grievance have the Reds scared of dealing damaged goods. I know it's more likely that there are no takers, but it's worth exploring, IMO.