Mets Trade Milledge to Nats for Schneider and Church

[AmarilloRed]

Mets Trade Milledge To Nats For Schneider And Church

According to SNY via Metsblog as well as WFAN, the Mets have traded Lastings Milledge to the Nationals for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church. More thoughts to come.

[HBP]

Another "5 tool" player for JimBo

[Bip Roberts]

Horrible trade for the mets imo

[AmarilloRed]

I remember when Lastings Milledge was a close to untouchable player a couple of years ago for the Mets. I checked out both Schneider and Church, and both of them seemed to be average players at best IMO. I would have thought the Mets would have tried to use Milledge in a trade to get starting pitching, but his trade value has really dropped.

[ChatterRed]

Kind of a wash, IMO. Although Mets get a catcher.

Milledge = Church. Same player basically, but Church has a little more experience and playing time in the majors.

[schmidty622]

That’s all it took to get Milledge? I would have thought he would have commanded a lot more. Just shows how quickly the market should change when it comes to young players.

Hopefully the Reds take note and make a move if they get a good offer for one of their young prospects.

[AdamDunn]

man... if Milledge was going for so low, we should have tried something!!! geez... Mets get ripped.

[roby]

man... if Milledge was going for so low, we should have tried something!!! geez... Mets get ripped.

No surprise, Bowden ALWAYS rips everybody off. :thumbdown

[Bigredfan#1]

I remember when Lastings Milledge was a close to untouchable player a couple of years ago for the Mets. I checked out both Schneider and Church, and both of them seemed to be average players at best IMO. I would have thought the Mets would have tried to use Milledge in a trade to get starting pitching, but his trade value has really dropped.

As many rumors about trading him and as little as they let him play when he did come up, I think they have soured on him. Just a feeling but have felt that way for a while.

[*BaseClogger*]

My take on the trade is that it is pretty even. The Mets get 2 veterans to help them now, while the Nats, who don't expect to contend this year, get a player that has a chance to develope.

This must not mean we can get as much as we think for Josh Hamilton, huh?

[dsmith421]

Just an atrocious, indefensible trade for the Mets. Awful.

[wojo1025]

So let me get this straight, the last two "prize possessions" of the Mets were Scott Kazmir and Lastings Milledge. For those two they got Schneider, Church, and Victor Zambrano?

Holy smokes that doesn't seem fair!!!

[*BaseClogger*]

omar minaya:thumbup:

and those of you that read moneyball and remember the part where billy beane talks with minaya probably arn't suprised...

[NorrisHopper30]

Church is very solid, I went to the game where he dropped 8rbi on our Redlegs, but I have no idea what was going on in the Met's mind on this one.

[757690]

Milledge was a time bomb in that clubhouse. Everyone, players, coaches, did not want to play with him. He has amazing talent, and a terrible attitude.
Church is a solid #4 outfielder with some pop. Schneider is one of the best handlers of a pitching staff.
In terms of talent, the Mets got ripped off, but in terms of who can help the team, they did just fine. While Milledge could turn into a star, I think the Nat's will miss Schneider behind the plate in terms of grooming their young pitching staff.

Milledge's lowered value was directly because of this attitude, so I think that it will have no effect on Hamilton's or Votto's trade value.

[*BaseClogger*]

Milledge's lowered value was directly because of this attitude, so I think that it will have no effect on Hamilton's or Votto's trade value.

good point

[dsmith421]

Milledge was a time bomb in that clubhouse. Everyone, players, coaches, did not want to play with him. He has amazing talent, and a terrible attitude.

I'd love to see the exhaustive survey of Mets' onfield staff that prompted that claim. Maybe Milledge is actually a cancer, but the stuff I've read so far indicates a generation gap between player and manager and a brash kid that pissed off a few overrated veterans (LoDuca for one). I certainly haven't seen any evidence of a Scott Olsen/Elijah Dukes/Delmon Young issue.

Talent-wise this isn't even a question. Milledge will likely be as good next year, at 23, as Church will ever be. Schneider is downright terrible.

Kazmir for Zambrano? Probably not, nothing matches that. But if Milledge turns into another noted clubhouse cancer like, say, Gary Sheffield, the Mets are gonna look downright stupid.

[*BaseClogger*]

I'd love to see the exhaustive survey of Mets' onfield staff that prompted that claim. Maybe Milledge is actually a cancer, but the stuff I've read so far indicates a generation gap between player and manager and a brash kid that pissed off a few overrated veterans (LoDuca for one). I certainly haven't seen any evidence of a Scott Olsen/Elijah Dukes/Delmon Young issue.

Talent-wise this isn't even a question. Milledge will likely be as good next year, at 23, as Church will ever be. Schneider is downright terrible.

Kazmir for Zambrano? Probably not, nothing matches that. But if Milledge turns into another noted clubhouse cancer like, say, Gary Sheffield, the Mets are gonna look downright stupid.

better point

[757690]

I'd love to see the exhaustive survey of Mets' onfield staff that prompted that claim. Maybe Milledge is actually a cancer, but the stuff I've read so far indicates a generation gap between player and manager and a brash kid that pissed off a few overrated veterans (LoDuca for one). I certainly haven't seen any evidence of a Scott Olsen/Elijah Dukes/Delmon Young issue.

Talent-wise this isn't even a question. Milledge will likely be as good next year, at 23, as Church will ever be. Schneider is downright terrible.

Kazmir for Zambrano? Probably not, nothing matches that. But if Milledge turns into another noted clubhouse cancer like, say, Gary Sheffield, the Mets are gonna look downright stupid.

"Still just 22, Milledge was the Mets' top prospect when he made his major league debut in May 2006. Right away, he showed why he was so highly rated on the field -- but also drew the ire of his team and teammates.

One of the most publicized episodes came in the town that will be his new home. In September 2006, a sign was posted in Milledge's locker in the visiting clubhouse at RFK Stadium that read: "Know your place, Rook. Your teammates."

Milledge earlier had been reprimanded for not running hard on the bases and had arrived late to the clubhouse for a game."

This is from the AP story.

Also, Schneider is terrible at the plate, but he is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, something that the Mets sorely need with their young pitching staff.

This is a case of the Mets more concerned with next year than of many years ahead. Milledge will probably be better than Church in the long run, but the Mets needed a fourth outfielder with pop, and Milledge is not that guy. And as stated above, they get one of the best defensive catchers in the game.

I saw Milledge play in a few games last year, and he did not look ready at all. He looked talented, but not a major league baseball player, at least not yet. The Mets want to win now, and this trade helps them with that.

This reminds a little of when the Reds traded Tracy Jones for Jeff Reed, Herm Winningham and Randy St. Claire. St. Claire was a bust, but Winningham was the strong defensive fourth outfielder the Reds needed and Reed was the strong defensive catcher the Reds needed. Both players were small but important parts of the Reds 1990 World Championship team.

[GaiusBallstar]

Trading an overpaid catcher who put up a line of 235/326/336 last year, and 256/320/329 the year before that and a fourth outfielder who can't hit lefties, for an extremely talented 22 year old who went 272/341/446 last year. Ya, you can sign me up for that.

So he has attitude problems, but look how many young guys are on the Mets roster. Milledge probably got treated like the lone pledge to a fraternity, he'll be fine. He'll also make Minaya look like an idiot, which as we all know has happened before.

[dsmith421]

"Still just 22, Milledge was the Mets' top prospect when he made his major league debut in May 2006. Right away, he showed why he was so highly rated on the field -- but also drew the ire of his team and teammates.

One of the most publicized episodes came in the town that will be his new home. In September 2006, a sign was posted in Milledge's locker in the visiting clubhouse at RFK Stadium that read: "Know your place, Rook. Your teammates."

Milledge earlier had been reprimanded for not running hard on the bases and had arrived late to the clubhouse for a game."


Given the mess of overpaid whiners and choke artists who inhabit the Mets clubhouse, I'm not sure that means much.

As far as I can tell, Milledge's crimes consist of: high-fiving some fans, producing a rap album, having sex while in high school (appalling!), and pissing off Paul LoDuca and Billy Wagner. They oughta lock him up.

EDIT: And Ryan "Jews are going to Hell" Church isn't exactly a flawless angel of a human being, either.

[DannyB]

No surprise, Bowden ALWAYS rips everybody off. :thumbdown

Soooooooooo Jimbo:evil: looking for a catcher?

[*BaseClogger*]

Soooooooooo Jimbo:evil: looking for a catcher?

So who will be the Nats next catcher, Eddie Taubensee, Corky Miller, or Dane Sardhina?:D

[Jay Bruce]

So who will be the Nats next catcher, Eddie Taubensee, Corky Miller, or Dane Sardhina?:D

He's trying to coax Dan Wilson out of retirement.

[schmidty622]

That whole thing with Milledge sounds an awful lot like the way Brandon Phillips acted in his first few seasons with the Indians, with the whole "The Franchise" thing. It sounds like he just needs some time to take his lumps and grow up and I bet that his talent will end up outshining any attitude problems that he has. A horrible move for the Mets.