Apparently not wanting the name Giants to take first page in Denver Sports news (NY Giants that is), the Rockies made a move this morning that proved they have one more trick up their sleeves. The organization decided to swap starting pitcher Jason Hammel and reliever Matt Lindstrom for Baltimore’s Ace, Jeremy Guthrie. Many Rockies faithful have been praising the off-season moves so far, but have also lamented the lack of a veteran starter needed in the rotation. Whether or not Guthrie will be that needed piece, with his 32 years of experience and last years 4.33 ERA over 208 innings, will be seen.
Guthrie was projected to arbitrate around $8 – $9 million. After hearing of the trade he decided to “make a showing of good faith and agreed to a deal within the Rockies payroll structure.” Guthrie tweeted, “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Baltimore anymore” upon hearing the news of the trade.
He then went on to tweet the following picture, showing his good nature and apparent love of all things Denver as he tweets:
X-Factor in this trade: my new strikeout celebration is suddenly more appropriate! @TimTebow
This gent went 9-17 last year…and counted as the “Ace” of the Orials? Granting that playing for a lousy team in the AL East will distort your numbers, but still. I hope Mr O’D knows what he’s doing. We had enough guys who knew how to go 4 and a third and fold last year; I hope we’ve not just acquired another.
Great move. Bottom line: from a sabermetric perspective, Guthrie adds 1 to 1.5 wins over Hammel. Lindstrom is easily replaceable — he doesn’t give you anything more than many of the other candidates for his job. I imagine this was about getting a younger/cheaper starter from the O’s perspective. Lindstrom going probably made the financial aspect work for the Rockies since you lose his contract too. Ideally I would’ve liked to have kept Hammel AND acquired Guthrie, but maybe that… Read more »
Rox dealt from strength, sending mediocre Hammels and sub-mediocre Lindstrom away for Orioles’ opening day starter. Oriole fans unhappy, which is one way to measure the deal at the outset. Both Lindstrom and Hammels eminently replaceable. You can probably throw out Guthrie’s 2011 W-L record and don’t forget he pitched in bat-heavy AL w/DH, further skewing his numbers. I say solid acquisition for Rox. I don’t even mind the fact that Guthrie will be FA after 2012. Try and sign… Read more »
Looks like a good trade to me, maybe the best trade of the season. My only concern is that he is a fly ball pitcher. But he would be a much better and younger version of Kevin Millwood. He had his ERA in the low 4s and threw over 200 innings the past three season. Throw in the fact that he was Opening Day starter last year. It appears that Guthrie is excited to be coming over here because he… Read more »
I know we have to “wait and see” about all these trades, however, I think this one will not be what we are looking for. Some of the trades that have been made seem like they are just trades for trades sake. Except for the very long contract guys everyone else is pretty much gone. Not a good club house atmosphere, so all those guys were bummed and did not have a “hip hooray we will win” mentality. Does no… Read more »
Someone help me out here. I know Guthrie is being called an “innings eater” because he has thrown over 200 innings each of the last 3 years. However, with the DH he is able to go far deeper in a lot of games than he otherwise would in the NL. Anyone have anything on comparing an AL “innings eater” with one in the NL? Of course, an argument in the other direction is that he has been playing in a… Read more »
Rockies interest in Guthrie was not a surprise. If you remember back to winter meetings I posted about the Rockies trying to make a play for Guthrie. I think he may be a good addition. I am kind of surprised they traded both Hammel and Lindstrom. I wonder how they will handle Guthrie’s contract? A 1 year rental type player doesn’t seem like the Rockies M.O. So with Guthrie’s projected additional 1 – 1.5 wins and Cuddyer’s projected 1 additional… Read more »
Love the deal…some veteran leadership never hurts…I think the change of scenery will serve him well…O’Dowd is quietly putting together a nice off-season…as if I wasn’t excited for the season to start, now I really can’t wait…
Does no one blame Tracy? I’m with you all the way, Liz. I’d much rather have a manager that demands and rewards excellence and effort from his players rather than one who thinks his own brilliant moves are the difference between winning and losing. All these old guys should fit right in with JT’s movable parts chess-game strategy, so it will be interesting to see how things work out. I’d say DOD has set the table and now the onus… Read more »
Awesome – DOD continues to clean the clubhouse of marginal players whose numbers do not show their actual ineffectiveness. Hammel does not show up in April, is lights out in May and June, and then develops “dead arm” in late July and August. Tracy and DOD both have mentioned needing the abiltity of pitchers to go both longer into games and into the “Dog Days of Summer”. Maybe a 200 innings pitcher in Guthrie can do both. Lindstrom was usually… Read more »
Glad we pulled this one off. While I thought Hammel was always about to turn the corner, he never got there. Lindstrom was the add in for the deal and I have no concerns the bullpen will be in trouble without him. I know we all have had reservations about JT but I remember just a few years back when he walked on water after CLint left. I think he has to utilize all the cards he has been dealt… Read more »
I do like the deal……. BUT….. This seems to be putting an aweful lot of confiendence in Betancourt as a closer. A position that he lacks experience and has not been too successful. Glad to see Hammel go and I think Guthrie could be a De La Rosa type in a new environment. Stinks to see Lindstrom go though.
The Rockies have Rex Brothers to close which explains why they have the flexibility to move Bettancourt back to 8th inning if closing role doesn’t work out for him.
Agreed, RMH…the closer role should be Brothers’ soon enough…
GREAT point Pooter! I hope RMH is right about Brothers picking up the slack.
Been reading and not posting much as I’m trying to “get my mind right” as ST approaches. This Guthrie deal, I predict, will be looked back on as one of the best moves by DOD this offseason. Throw out his W-L record. This is an above average innings-eating starter that throws strikes. Just what we “doctors” ordered. This roster, and probable starting lineup of pitching, defense and offense, conjures up visions of exciting, fundamentally sound, tradition-rich baseball onfield execution and… Read more »
I’m really excited about this Ed – i’ll be getting the final details to you and others soon!
WOO HOO!!
Ed, if I have my information correct, full team workouts start on the 27th?? Do we know what time of day?
I’ll be there-told the boss I’m taking the day off (my office is about 15 mins from SRF).
Anyone else able be there?
Counting the days!!
It’s good to get a guy who appears to be a real starter. Hammel appeared to be a fill in until the arrival of DLR and Nicasio.
Lindstrom often made me nervous, so I’m not sad to see him go. I assume that we have enough bullpen depth to replace him.
I like this trade as it sounds like Jeremy will be a good addition to the club. My only reservation is that I believe, correct me if I’m wrong, Hammel’s improved performance late in the season immediately followed the birth of his first child. There may have been a growing-up life moment there that got his focus on track and will lead to better performance in the future. We shall see!
it seemed to me that he “immediately improved” based on his being demoted in August…if you are right then we for sure will see a monster year out of Cuddy since he just welcomed twins to his household – nothing makes you mature faster than 2 bundles of joy!!!
Not sure how well he will pitch at Coors, but i already LOVE this guy for how he is approaching this trade…you have to check out his tweeted picture of how his “new strikeout celebration is suddenly more appropriate”:
http://www.whosay.com/jeremyguthrie/photos/126236
Great pic, Jaredean!
I like the trade. I saw Guthire pitch enough on TV to see he knows how to pitch and I think he will improve alot at Coors and in the NL West rather than in Baltimore and in the very tough AL East. Also seems like a classy guy by thanking the O’s fans for their support. Not many players do that. One of the articles said that one of the reasons why Guthrie was happy was that he was… Read more »
This must be a good trade if it meets Agbayani’s approval. Seriously, I do think this is a very good trade for the Rox. Forget his record last season-he was playing for a lousy team in the AL East. Pitchers coming from the AL East over to the NL always seem to do well. He’s a good addition to this staff. I still don’t think DOD is done dealing. Look for something to happen at the end of ST as… Read more »
Just another “if he can…” player to add to the other 40 or so. 1. Be more consistent. 2. Learn to be patient. 3. Get ahead of hitters. 4. Mature like we expect. 5. Make a step up to the next level. 6. Not swing at bad pitches. 7. Run the bases with more situational awareness. 8. Put the ball in play. 9. Let the game come to him. 10. Stay healthy. …you pick the cliche. Who are we hoping… Read more »
Joe, I personally believe that on the budget the Monforts have setup for this team that we can’t afford to pick up those 15+ starters in the off-season. There is a premium on Ace pitchers out there (15+ wins is an Ace in many a rotation) and if they are free agents then they don’t like the idea of coming to Colorado, so the price is even more steep. I think that the team has done well with the budget… Read more »
I really like this move. Guthrie was lights out at the end of 2010 (when Showalter first took over). Hopefully 2011 was just an off year, and he thrives in a Division where his team is not KO’d by Memorial Day.
Some good comments here. Joe in Monument, you pretty much summed up what I’ve been saying for a while here. It’s about getting better players, not about things like getting more fiery guys or being more patient at the plate or being more aggressive at the plate, etc. etc. Liz, great point about Tracy as the teflon man. If ever there was a laid back, anti-Ozzie Guillen (or Earl Weaver for those who remember him) managerial type, it’s Jim Tracy.… Read more »
More sabermetrics I picked up from Twitter: Hammel ranked 86th out of 94 qualified SPs in the K rate and Lindstrom ranked 110th out of 129 qualified relievers in the K rate. So another reason it could be a great trade. Also picked up bits in the cyberworld that at least three or four teams that played in the post season last year tried to trade for Guthrie at the 2011 trade deadline. Thought it was ironic with the picture… Read more »
I’m late to the party as usual,but agree with all the great comments above.Agbayani,in your first post you mention Helton as laid back non fiery type.I know you well enough from the past 3 years here,to know you were in no way denigrating Todd,or “dissing” him in any way.I believe the fire in Helton’s belly burns hotter than anyones except maybe Tulo.As a fan,I think getting Todd a ring would equal the joy all Denver sports fans felt when Elway… Read more »
I’m waiting for a future picture showing Helton’s moment that will top that Helton image of fist pumping at 1B with the final out of the 2007 NLCS with Eric Byrnes’ head buried in the dirt behind him.
still one of my favorite Rockies images from the past…
Gary, you’re right about what I meant. Helton isn’t your classic rah-rah guy. But there was nothing wrong with his quieter lead-by-example style when we were winning …
I never knew Guthrie was a Mormon. As is Lindstrom. So that’s even-up on the Mormon thing.
I said that very thing to someone today here at work…
Probably over simplifying this trade, however I look at it like 1 minus 2 still equals a -1. Say what you want to about both Hammels and Lindstrom, but I thought they were solid pitchers that really helped fill out the Rockies staff that’s short both a legit ace and a lock down closer. I like Guthrie too, but not at that price – so sorry DanO I don’t like this one.
What I definitely like is we dealt quantity for quality, and that it was pitchers for a pitcher rather than thinning out OF for yet another P. What I don’t like is the guy’s sorta peaked age wise AND he’s at the end of his contract. This means he might be a 1 year and gone player. Can we afford to lock him up maybe 2 more years? We’re adding several older players. My fear is we play these old… Read more »
It feels to me like they are bringing him in to the rotation the way they brought Blake in at 3rd – 1 year to give our younger guys some time to get experience…that is why I’m not too worried having him for 1 year…better than locking him up for 3 or more years when he is an unknown here…get one good year out of him and then negotiate…
I’ll miss Hammel but not Lindstrom. At first this seemed like a lit to give for a SP with a 9-17 record, but you all make some good points about his pitching in the AL East and for a team knocked out of contention early.
The Baltimore Sun has nice coverage of the trade. Apparently the Rockies offered EY, but the Orioles didn’t want him.
Here is a link to that article…thanks Julian: http://tinyurl.com/7qd8cqg
He’s from Utah, signed for less than he was asking Baltimore, and his Rockies hat looks like it has some wear. A closet Rockies fan, maybe?
I have us at 39 on the 40 man roster, so there’s room to add someone else if there’s someone else who the team wants to add. I’m curious who the guys think will be in the Rockies’ bullpen now that Street and Lindstrom are gone. Betancourt, Brothers, Belisle and Matt Reynolds seem like locks (although Renynolds didn’t have a great season last year). I could see Esmil Rogers being the long reliever/spot starter if he doesn’t make the starting… Read more »
Hard to find much to add after reading the excellent comments above, but I would like to piggyback on the discussion. I’m not worried about fly ball pitchers at Coors anymore. Since the humidor’s arrival, the ball doesn’t carry like a Superball (or rock off an aluminum bat) anymore. The reasons that Coors is still such a great hitters park are twofold: the huge outfield and the fact that it’s difficult to get the same action on a pitch that… Read more »
ST will sort out the pitching staff, that is for sure. MLB Network had a segment about the Rockies off season. They put up the graphics of what they think the rotation will be: Guthrie, Chacin, Pomeranz, White, and Chatwood. My guts tell me that will be close to to being accurate with Nicasio having a shot at displacing Chatwood or White. Cowboy reported that Nicasio threw intasquad scrimmage without any protection and that his fastballs were sitting 95. He’s… Read more »
Been on the road all day – but heard about this deal on Twitter this AM. One thought not mentioned above – The Kevin Slowey for Zach Putnam deal is loomong larger and larger. It freed up $$$$ for Scutaro, and gave the Rox a RH power BP arm that allows Lindstrom to be dealt. Also probably bodes well for Esmil Rogers. I have to wonder if Putnam was discussed in the Ubaldo trade last July????? The Rox have become… Read more »
One additional thought – if the Rox are out of contention in July, Guthrie (with a club friendly, 1 year deal) will be very attractive on the trade market. Moreso than Hammel would be,,,,,and probably Linstrom as well.
Also, if he signs elsewhere as a FA after the season, the Rox will be compensated with a draft pick (although the specifics of this have changed in the new CBA).
My friend said that the Red Sox were looking at Guthrie as a pickup, so that could be a possibility. Not one I like thinking about, of course.
On Sandy Klueff’s show tonight some caller called in a quoted John Wooden saying “never confuse action with improvement…” or something along those lines. To that, I counter with Winston Churchill: “I never worry about action, but only inaction.” While all the action this off-season can be criticized on a mirco-level with saber-metrics and all of the other Moneyball stuff that flies way over my head, the bottom line is that the teams the Rox fielded the past two seasons… Read more »
Matt G, I think the Wooden quote is “Never confuse activity with achievement.” Very true. In the Rockies case, while I’m often critical of O’Dowd I have to say this is interesting. He made the Rockies both older and younger in the same offseason — a much older starting lineup for 2012, but an infusion of younger talent hoping to turn over a whole lot of the roster in 2013-14. Most interestingly, he didn’t give up any of our own… Read more »
good points Agbayani….I see the additions of some of the older players as experienced performers who can tow if the Rox find out the younger talent will require some additional “seasoning”. I’m hoping several of the younger players (Arendao, Blackmon,Wheeler, Rosario) make the impact in ST that they are ready to get significant playing time and remain in Denver instead of the minors. Either way I see the club positioning themselves to open with a competitive lineup. Once last thought… Read more »
Tracy R. was on KOA this afternoon and he said he thought the Rockies starting 5 in April will be Guthrie, Chacin, Nicasio (!), one of the Oakland guys (I think it was Moscano) and Pomeranz. That won’t be horrible at least to start and if De La Rosa can come back in anything resembling his 2009 and 2010 it could be better than ok. If Rogers is one of our 5 starters I think we are in trouble. Much… Read more »
Bill, that sounds about right for the starting rotation at this point. I agree that Rogers is at best the long reliever/spot starter.
Did Tracy talk about the bullpen? I’m curious who steps up with the trades of Street and Lindstrom.