WHAT'S THE DEAL: The Rays are still talking about outfielder Joey Gathright with several interested teams, including the Marlins, though no deal appears imminent. Even with Rocco Baldelli 's availability to play centerfield unclear, the Rays appear willing to deal Gathright for one premium pitching prospect. Though earlier talks seemed to focus on left-hander Scott Olsen , the Rays are said to have been impressed this spring by right-hander Ricky Nolasco , one of three pitchers the Marlins acquired from the Cubs for outfielder Juan Pierre .

This is going to be unpopular, but I say do it for Nolasco. Abercrombie to LF, Aguila to 4th OFer.

I would still like to give it a few more weeks, until the rotation settles down after the off days, plus I take it you mean Gathright in the title thread.

Who wouldn't be impressed by Ricky Nolasco?

No, definitely not for Nolasco. The man is filthy.

I would still like to give it a few more weeks, until the rotation settles down after the off days, plus I take it you mean Gathright in the title thread.

 

 

Thanks Cambridge...I guess for Crawford we may give Olsen AND Nolasco

Was thinking a very similar thing.

for Nolasco It would be a good deal ... a PTBNL and its a done deal

All this talk stinks.. He hasnt been in Spring with us, GIVE REGGIE A SHOT! Has has chemistry with these players already... REGGIE REGGIE REGGIE

i say No for nolasco

Whoever said PTBNL was right. Gathright hasn't shown anything that makes him worth any upper level prospect.

 

A singles hitter that doesnt hit well that cant play defense. At least with Reed you get defense.

Whoever said PTBNL was right. Gathright hasn't shown anything that makes him worth any upper level prospect.

 

A singles hitter that doesnt hit well that cant play defense. At least with Reed you get defense.

 

Gathright's value and potential has been proven time and again to you, so it would be foolish for me to try again. That said we arn't in too much of a hurry to get any kind of deal done, but it does allow us to use Abercrombie/Aguila/Willy in LF while locking down CF for a long time.

 

Bringing Reed into any discussion as better or comparable to Gathright is ridiculous. JG is light years ahead of Reed offensively. I can't figure you out. Gathright doesn't even have a full season's worth of ABs under his belt and you know for a fact that he's going to be a pretty bad player not worthy of a starting job. Willingham is going to bat below 200 with 3 homers in 400 at bats? What the hell is wrong with you? Where did you learn about the game? Sometimes it seems like you're working with some lights off up there.

Sure Gathright has shown "potential", but at the same time he has been un-impressive in his MLB ab's so far, is a below average defender with a below average arm, and has been bad this spring. He doesn't get extra base hits which, for a guy of his speed, is just pathetic. Gathright has also, this spring, got thrown out at the same rate at which he has stolen.

 

He really has no great trade value IMO. That's why the Rays were stupid to set the asking price so high and then watch the value plummet with a bad Spring.

 

As for Reed, I was just saying Reed is a plus defender far superior to Gathright.

 

That all said, he is not worth a good prospect, espicially when this team is in no hurry. For what Gathright has shown thus far, he is not really worth that much at all.

Do it in a heartbeat and don't look back.

Let's see if we have something in Reggie Abercrombie first.

Let's see if we have something in Reggie Abercrombie first.

 

We can see that with Reggie in left.

 

Do it for Nolasco.

Nolasco is MLB ready it seems, and we'll need him when Mitre and Moehler inevitably starts sucking.

Nolasco is MLB ready it seems, and we'll need him when Mitre and Moehler inevitably starts sucking.

 

How is it that you know that this sucking is inevitable and that Gathright won't produce in the majors, oh great, wise, Drinkcus Alotticus Spikeus?

In the past: Mitre has consistently sucked and Gathright hasnt produced.

 

Albeit, Gathright hasn't had much of a chance, but Abercrombie has put Gathright to shame this spring.

 

I dont care if we trade for Gathright, but at this point he is not worth a MLB ready pitching prospect.

Let's see if we have something in Reggie Abercrombie first.

 

We can see that with Reggie in left.

 

Do it for Nolasco.

 

:thumbup

nolasco is too good to be traded for gathright. his stuff is electric and he has impeccable control. he posted the best numbers out of all our pitching prospects last year (except for petit).

In the past: Mitre has consistently sucked and Gathright hasnt produced.

 

Albeit, Gathright hasn't had much of a chance, but Abercrombie has put Gathright to shame this spring.

 

I dont care if we trade for Gathright, but at this point he is not worth a MLB ready pitching prospect.

 

Nolasco's only experience above AA came in 2004 at AAA, where he went 2-3 with a 9.30 ERA and a 2.07 WHIP. On that same team Sergio Mitre went 6-3 with a 2.98 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. The following year he was 5-6 with a respectable 4.33 ERA and 1.33 WHIP.

 

In Nolasco's minor league career he has a 3.48 era and a 1.27 WHIP. Mitre has a 3.23 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP.

 

Nolasco has more minor league career stats as follows: 8.59 h/9, 0.67 hr/9, 2.82 bb/9, and 8.92 k/9. Mitre has 9.17/0.50/2.38/6.90. So with essentially the same WHIP and a 25 point lower ERA, Mitre allowed rates of less home runs and fewer walks, while Nolasco struck out more and allowed fewer hits.

 

Yes, Mitre has been pretty bad in limited major league time but he has not had much time (36 games, 18 starts) and is still young (25). I fail to see how you could dismiss Mitre as bad and "consistently sucking" and argue that Nolasco is better than he is when statistics show that, in their minor league career, they're relatively similar. Had Nolasco gotten a taste of the big leagues I'm sure he wouldn't have been ready, either, and would have put up numbers similar to Mitre's. To say Mitre "consistently sucked" is impossible, since there is nothing consistent about his bad stats in the major leagues, as he has yet to spend a full year with the big club.

 

I'm not saying that Nolasco sucks, I really do like him. I'm just proving you wrong. It's just so God damn easy.

nolasco is too good to be traded for gathright. his stuff is electric and he has impeccable control. he posted the best numbers out of all our pitching prospects last year (except for petit).

 

 

But Nolasco had to repeat a level, did he not?

 

Numbers be damned (at least partially) Nolasco is behind Willis, Olsen, Petit, Sanchez, Volstad and even with Johnson and Vargas for that all important projectable future in the 2008 rotation.

 

Just saying that dealing a good player from a position of strength for a player needed to fill a weakness is a good idea.

 

It's better than dealing Olsen, Petit or Sanchez.

nolasco is too good to be traded for gathright. his stuff is electric and he has impeccable control. he posted the best numbers out of all our pitching prospects last year (except for petit).

 

Mitre's "control" has statistically been better in the major leagues: Nolasco 2.82 bb/9, Mitre 2.38 bb/9

I'm going by what we've seen in the majors. Mitre has shown that he can not pitch at the MLB level, Nolasco has not had that chance.

 

Now if we could swing a trade of someone that consistently sucked at the MLB level for someone with potential that he cant seem to live up to(Mitre for Gathright) that'd be just wonderful.