Wow, talk about a blockbuster.

Actually, this is a nice little pickup for the Royals. I hardly knew we had St. Pierre. Hendrickson isn't great, but he has posted decent AAA numbers, and makes for a better rotation candidate in Omaha than Donovan Osborne or Ed Yarnall.

When you're considering Brandon Duckworth as your 5th starter, you should pick up as many Ben Hendricksons as you can.

When you're considering Brandon Duckworth as your 5th starter, you shouldn't be trading JP Howell for Joey Gathright or trading anything for Tony Pena Jr.

Remember this trade in October.

trading anything for Tony Pena Jr.

Yep, because an A-ball pitcher who's already out for all of 2007 is really gonna fix your 5th starter spot and lord knows better to punt your SS position every game than your 5th starter.

Won't defend the Gathright trade though.

Playing Pena still constitutes punting SS.

Nice pickup for Moore. I think that Hendrickson could really benefit from a change of scenery, and he has the stuff to be a good short reliever if he fails in another shot at the rotation.

MIL Journal-Sentinel blog entry:

Right-hander Ben Hendrickson, who was removed from the Brewers' roster earlier in camp and sent to Class AAA Nashville, was traded today to the Kansas City Royals for minor league catcher Maxim St. Pierre.

Hendrickson, 26, cleared waivers and was sent outright to Nashville on March 18, a clear signal that he had no place in the Brewers' plans. He pitched well in the minors but never made the transition to the big leagues, going 1-10 with a 7.41 ERA in 14 appearances, including 12 starts.

St. Pierre is a very good defender and, as Chris Dial could tell you, appears to be a nice guy.

I think that Hendrickson could really benefit from a change of scenery

Very much agreed. My understanding is that he has serious difficulties focusing the 2nd half of last year, as he felt frustrated by how he felt blocked in the Brewers' org (his splits seem to confirm this). Honestly, I think he could have been one of the better members of the Nats rotation, had they taken a flyer on him...

Hendrickson had his shot last year after Sheets and Ohka went down. A spot in the rotation was his for the keeping... but he was absolutely horrible. A number of his starts he got absolutely torched in the first inning.

I'd hoped they'd try him in the pen - his one relief appearance, where he had no time to prepare in advance and think about things (when Sheets went down with injury in the Astros game), he was firing 90-92 fastballs (usually 86-88 as a starter) and looked much better.

Maxim St. Pierre!!?!?!?!?!?!

You never trade someone with that cool/porn a name.

I saw Hendrickson a few times in the minors, and never could understand why he couldn't get major leaguers out. The games I saw he was dominant with his curveball. I'd like to see him in the #5 slot for a while and see what he can do; as a ground ball pitcher he should be helped a lot by the Royals infield defense.

Yep, because an A-ball pitcher who's already out for all of 2007 is really gonna fix your 5th starter spot and lord knows better to punt your SS position every game than your 5th starter.

Walt, do you really think Pena will offer anything besides a decent glove at short. The Royals would have been better off just going with Berroa and Blanco. As scary as that sounds.

I have a feeling neither of these players will make much of an impact in the majors. But if one does, I definitely think it will be Cordier. I guess for that reason alone, I don't see where is makes sense for KC. Why not just hold on to Cordier and see if he pans out in a few years when they may actually compete. It's not like Pena is going to make a difference this year or in the future - at least I don't think he will.

The Royals would have been better off just going with Berroa and Blanco. . . I guess for that reason alone, I don't see where is makes sense for KC. Why not just hold on to Cordier and see if he pans out in a few years when they may actually compete. It's not like Pena is going to make a difference this year or in the future

Yeah, because, like of course Primates know so much more about the Royals and their plan for the future than Dayton Moore and his staff. Why don't we just run the ####### club?

#######.

Then what is the point of talking about it...

Ohhh, it was certainly a great move by Moore and the Royals. Hey, they're baseball guys, they've got this stuff figured out. I'm sure Pena is ready to become that .300/.350/.480, slick fielding shortstop they've been looking for. I mean, the all-knowing Moore said his offense is improving. And I must agree with him...

Harvey's crackpot theory:

Hendrickson came up in 2004. I remember his first start. Against LA in Dodger Stadium. Ben is struggling a bit in the first but with 2 strikes on a batter he breaks off his patented wicked curve.

And the umpire calls it a ball.

Catcher is surprised but throws the ball back. Ben is stunned. Utterly and completely stunned. He breaks off another nasty curve.

Ball.

And so it went. For the rest of the season Ben would drop the hammer and the umpires would look at it blankly. So Bennie would fall behind and have to come in with that sorry 89 mph fastball that is straighter than a Baptist in church on Sunday.

Of course, the Crew didn't help by not scoring all that often with Ben on the mound but the majority of his starts he fumbled and bumbled his way out of the game. Getting no help from the boys in blue.

Ben does fine in the minors. He's confident, he's comfortable, and he gets the calls. He comes up to the majors, and it's Nervous Nellie time. A fresh start in KC might just be the ticket for him to start generating some pension time.

I know. Totally crackpot theory based on conjecture and guesswork. But Hendrickson is NOT a Quadruple A pitcher. He's better than 20% of the guys with jobs. At least.

Good luck Ben......

I have a feeling neither of these players will make much of an impact in the majors. But if one does, I definitely think it will be Cordier. I guess for that reason alone, I don't see where is makes sense for KC. Why not just hold on to Cordier and see if he pans out in a few years when they may actually compete. It's not like Pena is going to make a difference this year or in the future - at least I don't think he will.

What's Cordier's upside? When will he make it to AA ball? AAA ball? The majors? When will he have to be put on the 40 man roster? How is he doing on his rehab from Tommy John surgery? Has he gotten fat? Is is lazy and not working? Why doesn't he strike out A-ball hitters with that rumored 98 mph fastball of his? Are the two lost season to injuries due to an injury prone body or simply bad luck? Can his arm withstand the rigors of being a starter?

Lordy, the guy gets traded from KC and all of a sudden he turns into Nick Adenhart.

Well that makes me more optimistic. Thanks Harvey.

Cordier wasn't a stud, but he does have upside. Sure, lots of bad things can happen in between A ball and the big leagues, but you pretty much know what you have with Pena, and I'm pretty sure you could have acquired him or similar talent for a player with less upside than Cordier. And if not, what was wrong with starting Blanco?

Hey, they're baseball guys, they've got this stuff figured out.

No, but in the past week Moore has traded an injured A ball pitcher and minor league filler for a (supposed) big upgrade on defense at SS and a ML/AAAA pitcher.

I certainly don't think Pena will turn around the franchise or even not suck, but I'm pretty sure he won't suck as bad as Berrora and that the 2007 Royals have a better chance of not sucking as much as they did even 10 days ago. And if Pena does suck, Blanco is still around. The chanes of either being worth anything is pretty remote.

I don't think Moore is Jesus. I'm not a fan of the Gathright trade. Sisco may have value(although I did not mind that trade at all). The crapping of pants over Cordier/Pena by some (and the insinuating thought that we Primates are privvy to information and insight that others aren't) is pretty bewildering to me.

At least let Moore have HALF A SEASON as bad as Baird (or even Daniels) before we slap him around. If so, I'll happily jump on his case.

I don't think anyone is saying Dayton is a bad GM or should be fired, we're just criticizing some of his moves. We may be wrong, but I think we're entitled to criticize his moves if they don't make sense to us.

Cordier wasn't a stud, but he does have upside. Sure, lots of bad things can happen in between A ball and the big leagues, but you pretty much know what you have with Pena, and I'm pretty sure you could have acquired him or similar talent for a player with less upside than Cordier. And if not, what was wrong with starting Blanco?

Yea, that is kind of what I was saying right there. It isn't a horrible deal or anything because the players involved will likley never make an impact. So sure, there is a heck of a chance that Cordier never reaches the bigs, but at least there is some chance that if he does make, he becomes pretty good. With Pena, I just don't see the upside.

Cordier wasn't a stud, but he does have upside. Sure, lots of bad things can happen in between A ball and the big leagues, but you pretty much know what you have with Pena, and I'm pretty sure you could have acquired him or similar talent for a player with less upside than Cordier. And if not, what was wrong with starting Blanco?

Yea, that is kind of what I was saying right there. It isn't a horrible deal or anything because the players involved will likely never make an impact. So sure, there is a heck of a chance that Cordier never reaches the bigs, but at least there is some chance that if he does make, he becomes pretty good. With Pena, I just don't see the upside.

I'm pretty sure you could have acquired him or similar talent for a player with less upside than Cordier.

How about for a player with less value than Cordier?

Sorry for the double post.

I don't this Moore is terrible either, I guess. He's made some decent moves, too. But the trio of Meche, the Gathright trade, and this one, have been the one's that have bothered me.

With the Pena trade, it's not so much the actualy trade, it's the idea that this is the type of player Moore thinks can help his team win that I don't like. Same thing with Gathright.

Now, maybe he doesn't think this, and maybe he has other plans in the works. Of course, we don't really what they are so we can only criticise/praise the moves that he makes. We may very well end up being wrong. Or more likely, the Pena deal is forgotten in about two or three years.

With the Pena trade, it's not so much the actualy trade, it's the idea that this is the type of player Moore thinks can help his team win that I don't like. Same thing with Gathright.

FWIW, I dislike the Gathright trade MUCH more than the Pena deal and really don't have a problem with the Meche deal. And I agree we'll probably all forget about those first two deals within a year or so.

Apologies for the dick-ish post in 13.

I think the Royals' fans are overthinking the Pena trade. Cordier really has no value for atleast 3 years if any. Pena is not going to dramatically overhaul the franchise, but he is bringing one sure thing to the park, a sure glove.
They could have picked up some good fielding scrub earlier, but maybe they wanted to give Berroa one last chance in ST.
The Gathright trade, I didn't get then or now.
As for what Moore is doing, he is shoring up the defence. Defence and find some pitching in the draft and scrubs, cos the hitting is in place. Meche was a deal I liked. Is he going to be an ace? Probably not, but if he can eat innings for the next five years, he will save some arms, save the bullpen, and give the team something to build on.
They overpaid for Meche, but look at Detroit. They had to overpay lot of their FAs to come play with them. As long as the Meche contract doesn't get in the way of signing some key player, it is fine. Certainly better than sitting on the money and re-signing Redman. Give something for the fanbase to talk about!

FWIW, I dislike the Gathright trade MUCH more than the Pena deal and really don't have a problem with the Meche deal. And I agree we'll probably all forget about those first two deals within a year or so.

Yea, same with me. Only because Howell actually has a legit chance to be a pretty good starter for a few years. Gathright, like Pena, likely isn't going to help you too much.

With the Pena deal, it's more of a "what the heck does he possibly see in this guy" type of thing. It's not so much the deal that is awful, just the mindset...In my opinion, anyway.

I'm not a Gathright fan, but Howell doesn't do much for me either. KC traded a 5 cent Howell for a 3 cent Gathright; looking back not a good move but you still can't buy anything with either player.

Either way, Hendrickson in all likelihood will have a better, longer career than either Howell or Cordier. A good move by Moore, and more than makes up for the Gathright/Cordier trades even if one assumes Moore was robbed.

Harvey's crackpot theory:

We'll see. It's almost certainly partially true, but what if he can't throw the curve for strikes consistently in AAA either, and the hitters just don't lay off it? I wonder what his swinging/looking strikeout breakdown was the last couple years.

I mentioned this in another (double) post on a previous Royals thread, but it appears Eric Bruntlett won't make the Astros team. If KC can/could get him, I think he'd be a big upgrade from Berroa and even Pena. He's a good glove, has good speed, and some pop. And if they were to acquire a real SS some time, he could go back to being a good utility player. But I probably like Bruntlett for no rational reason other than watching him and comparing him to Adam Everett and Willy Taveras.

but what if he can't throw the curve for strikes consistently in AAA either, and the hitters just don't lay off it?

I think that's definitely part of it.

I don't think there'd be disagreement that Hendrickson's fastball is simply not a major league pitch (at least as a starter). He's a one-trick pony - with that big, slow breaking ball - and it would seem logical to me that major league hitters are more liable to spit at it, than swing at it, than minor league hitters would be.

I remember seeing Hendrickson's AAA numbers in 2004, and wondering why the heck the Brewers weren't calling him up - until he did get called up and I actually saw him pitch that first time (I can recall without looking it up; at Dodger Stadium, vs. Edwin Jackson - Pod led off the game with a HR).

I can buy into the mental issue to an extent - I mentioned the Houston game where he had to relieve in a hurry, and he was throwing much 'freer', I thought - and that's one reason I would have liked to see him tried in the pen, along with helping his fastball with a few extra MPH.

If Hendrickson was truly PO'd in the second half last year, it was his own damn fault. The Brewers were casting around for someone, ANYONE after Sheets and Ohka both went down, but those last two MLB starts of his were particularly brutal (particularly in the first inning): getting pounded in Petco and then the first-inning slaughter by the Twins where he didn't retire a batter.

Bruntlett has some decent numbers. He is 29 though. Still, what is he is NOW seems to be better than what Pena COULD become. Its a nice idea.

If Hendrickson was truly PO'd in the second half last year, it was his own damn fault.

From what I've read, he'd agree with you.

Bruntlett is probably better now than Pena - and certainly is more versatile, should you want a utility guy. Pena has a higher ceiling, but that's damning with faint praise.

I'm trying to figure out why the Brewers made this deal? They have plenty of catching...why dump Hendrickson for a Crash Davis type?

Hendrickson asked for a trade when he was sent down (he'd already passed through waivers, so no one wanted him for free + 40man roster spot).

The Brewers chose to accomodate his request.

Walt, do you really think Pena will offer anything besides a decent glove at short.

Well, his reputation is a very good to excellent glove. He's essentially a replacement level hitter for a SS. If he's 10+ runs above average with the glove, that puts him a win above replacement. Nothing special obviously but better than Berroa and probably Blanco. Cordier's just not anything special to give up.

The appropriate criticism of Moore, as pointed out by others and I agree, is that he didn't give up on Berroa at the end of last season and "fix" the SS problem during the offseason. And if Pena's still the starter next year, then he'll deserve criticism again.

But given the situation last week, Pena's about as good as you're going to do and Cordier isn't the type of player you let stand between you and a player that will help your team. Moore also clearly wants to send a message that contracts don't guarantee playing time and he's not going to abide by Baird's mistakes. I don't know that there's much point to delivering that message, but it was delivered. :-)

I wouldn't be surprised if Pena blows up in their face. I'm not sure the guy can break a 550 OPS (220/250/280?) and even with a great glove I don't think you can carry that. Still, take this trade as a sign as to just how bad Berroa is at this stage.

From brewerfan.net (quoting this), “Last year he just tightened up when he got up there,” Kremblas said of Hendrickson. “That’s probably the only reason he didn’t last.”

By the way, it looks like the Brew Crew just added UT Joe Dillon to Nashville - GREAT pick up (presuming he didn't get hurt in Japan last year)!

Royals make cuts today - gone are Alex Gonzalez, Jason Stanridge, Shane Costa, Zach Day, and Brian Bannister

They're down to 26 - I smell a trade.

C John Buck, Jason LaRue
1B Ryan Shealy
2B Mark Grudzielanek
3B Alex Gordon
SS Tony Pena
LF Ross Gload, Emil Brown
CF David DeJesus
RF Mark Teahen
DH Mike Sweeney
IF Esteban German
OF Joey Gathright
OF Reggie Sanders

SP Gil Meche
SP Odalis Perez
SP Zack Greinke
SP Jorge de la Rosa
SP Brandon Duckworth

RP Jimmy Gobble
RP Joakim Soria
RP Ryan Braun
RP Todd Wellemeyer
RP Joel Peralta
RP David Riske
RP Octavio Dotel

DL-Luke Hudson, Scott Elarton

Ryan Braun? Was he a throw-in along with Hendrickson?

I wish. Its his doppelganger, the hard throwing reliever of the same name.

Maybe the Royals can have Koskie for a song... or even better, Hochevar.

John Bale is also on the DL.

St. Pierre must have one hell of an arm. They ought to convert him.

Maxim "Rush" St. Pierre?

MSP! MSP!

<end of Mixed Martial Arts humour>