http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4429766

 

What a fall from grace. This contract looked like a "steal" a year ago.

This is such a bizarre move for Tampa. I mean, I know Kazmir isn't having the geatest of years and he's making around $6 M, but he's been pitching pretty well of late. Of his previous 9 starts, 6 of them have been quality starts. I've honestly never heard of either of the prospects they are getting in return, and I follow prospects fairly well, at least more than the average fan does. Tampa is only 3.5 games out of the wildcard, and this move certainly won't increase their chances. Sounds to me like they are giving up and looking toward next year with this move. Why, I have no idea...

How about the fact that he cleared waivers? Quite surprising to me.

This is a really weird trade to make right now, when Tampa is still certainly in the playoff hunt. Something like this could really kill a team's chances so late in the year. It sends the signal to the players that they don't expect them to make the playoffs, honestly.

 

Matthew Sweeney is a good prospect, but I don't know much about Torres. Tampa might regret this trade in the future.

This is a really weird trade to make right now, when Tampa is still certainly in the playoff hunt. Something like this could really kill a team's chances so late in the year. It sends the signal to the players that they don't expect them to make the playoffs, honestly.

 

Matthew Sweeney is a good prospect, but I don't know much about Torres. Tampa might regret this trade in the future.

 

 

Torres will be real good if he learns control (how many people can you say that for? lol)

 

Both are probably B, B- prospects. If Kazmir turns back into kazmir it'll be a horrible trade but if Kazmir can't than it'd have been good to dump him while he still had enough value to get a couple useful guys. We'll see what happens. Also really gotta remember the financial limitations that Tampa is under so they really couldn't wait to see if Kazmir can become old Kazmir again.

This is really weird. Kazmir was also starting to put it together again (pitching much better, at least) in the 2nd half. Why would the Rays do this? They've got a legit shot at the AL WildCard.

It's probably not a huge loss for Tampa long-term when they have so many pitching prospects on the verge of the majors (Jake McGee, Wade Davis, a few others I can't remember offhand). But I think morale-wise it's not that smart to remove a key piece of the team when you are battling for the wild-card, at least not when you aren't getting any MLB ready talent in return.

This is really weird. Kazmir was also starting to put it together again (pitching much better, at least) in the 2nd half. Why would the Rays do this? They've got a legit shot at the AL WildCard.

 

 

While he is pitching better and I'm not arguing against that

 

His K rates are still just as low post asb. 7.5 K/9 compared to 7.3 pre-ASB. I assume that's what they're worried about.

 

And honestly you look at his other peripherals

 

Career BB/9: 4.12

This season: 4.05

 

Career HR/FB: 9.0%

This season: 9.4%

 

The thing that has changed his his K rates and his FB%. And nothing has changed regarding his K rates as shown above and his FB%, it was actually higher last season, so it's certainly possible that he is now a FB pitcher.

Yay, a shirt I bought a year ago is outdated!

This is a weird move for a team still in contention to make, but it's a sure sign that the Rays know what a lot of us have known for a awhile- despite the fact that he is well known around the league and that he consistently posts good ERAs, Kazmir is a little over-rated. His efficiency has been about as good as old Rick Vanden Hurk over the years- he'll throw some nice looking pitches, get some strikeouts, but in the end just really struggle to go as deep into games a frontline pitcher should be able to do consistently. And that's really been the key to everything, as he has been pretty effective every year but just never took that step towards having the command and efficiency of an ace- which Shields and Garza (although he has been prone to have bad games) show every now and then. Even Jeff Niemann has shown it. Price hasn't really, but he is an erratic and electric rookie while Kazmir is pitching the same way after five years in the league.

 

Looking from Tampa Bay's point of view, it's just not an efficient use of their limited dollars to keep Kazmir around when he has stagnated and even regressed. And that's especially true when you consider that they have a talented crop of pitching prospects waiting in the wings.

 

For some teams, Kazmir's contract is pocket change and he is probably better than their current options. So it makes sense for those teams as well.

Hurray!! The move hurts the Rays, helps the Angels a good deal all around. Also lookng forward to seeing Wade Davis a central Florida product make his MLB debut.

Yay, a shirt I bought a year ago is outdated!

 

 

Well, that's what you get for buying a Rays shirt!

Yay, a shirt I bought a year ago is outdated!

 

 

Well, that's what you get for buying a Rays shirt!

It's not like that's a real rivalry. Plus, I buy a shirt at every stadium I go to (that's not a division rival).

this is a good move by the rays (although i didn't think so at first, and the way they did it wasn't smart). even though they are 4.5 games out of a playoff spot, i couldn't see them making the playoffs. the team is very streaky, and just when they get hot, it's back down with them, plus they have the toughest remaining schedule in the league in terms of winning %, and they had to get really hot fast to make the playoffs, something i can't see with this team. they are missing something from last year, and that will cost them the playoffs. it was good to have a bit of a salary dump in trading kazmir (although he should be in queens), so they can keep cc and aki (his contract is up at the end of the year) for the future and get some better pitching in the farm system (pitching has hurt them the most this year). unless kazmir becomes a super-ace, this is the right move for this team.

Could B.J Upton be next?

Could B.J Upton be next?

 

There were multiple rumors that TB was shopping Upton (according to ESPN). My understanding is that there were no takers.

Yay, a shirt I bought a year ago is outdated!

 

 

Well, that's what you get for buying a Rays shirt!

It's not like that's a real rivalry. Plus, I buy a shirt at every stadium I go to (that's not a division rival).

 

I even buy ones from rivals, though I try to get former marlins on them. I only wear the Marlins and Reds stuff.

Yay, a shirt I bought a year ago is outdated!

 

 

Well, that's what you get for buying a Rays shirt!

 

I recently got a blue Longoria shirt and also one of the t-shirts with Shields on the back.

Just for an update, Miami native 24-year-old Sean Rodriguez was the player to be named later in the deal. Rodriguez went to my alma mater high school, G. Holmes Braddock. So a hardy D-O-G D-D-O-G and a good luck to him with his new team.

Kazmir makes his debut for the Angels today against Felix Hernandez at SAFECO

Sure took me a while to post here but even with how well Kazmir is doing in LA, I LOVE this trade. Not only can we pay someone else to stay now but Davis has been a damn STUD and Sean Rodriguez was a great pickup. He should be super sub in 2010 (like Zobrist was until Aki got hurt and BenZo played incredible)

Sean Rodriguez is more than a sub, me thinks. But me bias, so me shut up now.