If the Rays can't get the Marte deal done (and what's ridiculous is that it appears they're the ones holding things up) then Burroughs matching that projection would be fantastic for them. He would be the best third baseman the Rays have had since 1998 when Bobby Smith looked competent for a season. That says a lot more about Rays third basemen than about Burroughs but .290/.352/.377 with good defense is at least comfortably above replacement level.

Jim, I take it you're a D-Rays fan. There is no conceivable way the rays would turn down Marte for Lugo, is there? I know K-Ros has reported that, but I refuse to believe it.

don't forget Loretta/Hernandez to ??/Mirabelli if they let themselves get heisted by the Sox.

One can understand the frustration the Padres had with Burroughs' lack of progress, but going from Lawrence/Burroughs to Brazelton/Castilla was not the answer.

Put that way, it seems like an appalling pair of transactions for the Padres.

I guess Brazelton might learn how to throw strikes, but barring that miracle, it seems that the Padres actually downgraded this winter.

He would be the best third baseman the Rays have had since 1998

What about Huff? He was the starting 3B for most of '04.

As I mentioned in the other thread, Brazelton might have been a nice pickup for the Orioles...it would be interesting to see what Mazzone could do with him.

Jim, I take it you're a D-Rays fan. There is no conceivable way the rays would turn down Marte for Lugo, is there? I know K-Ros has reported that, but I refuse to believe it.

Marte doesn't pitch.

Damn madde(o)ning that this deal might not get done though.

I live in SD and root for the Padres, (and Reds--come from OH originally) and I agree with Szymborski.

Burroughs strikes me as being lazy and acting entitled, which, based on his background, is understandable if true. I will also be rooting hard for Brazelton to overcome his problems and move forward.

That said, I think the Padres quit on Burroughs too soon and trading Loretta for a 35 year-old backup catcher was silly. The Padres should have given Burroughs another 450 PAs in my opinion, particularly if the alternative is Vinny Castilla.

I think Loretta/Burroughs/Giles should have been the top of the 2006 batting order.

Well, maybe Towers is trying his best to get fired so that his former co-worker Theo Epstein can have a job in 2006.

What about Huff? He was the starting 3B for most of '04.

Sorta kinda. He was the primary third baseman but only played 87 games there. I would have considered him in my comment above but off the top of my head I thought he had only played around 60 there. Anyway, the point still stands that 3B has been a gaping hole for almost the entire history of the franchise and Burroughs might be an improvement and almost all of his predecessors.

Jim, I take it you're a D-Rays fan. There is no conceivable way the rays would turn down Marte for Lugo, is there? I know K-Ros has reported that, but I refuse to believe it.

I would never have believed it myself but Rosenthal, Gammons, and even the official Braves site have now said that the Rays were insisting on getting too much in the deal. It makes no sense whatsoever, I could care less that Marte doesn't pitch, his certainty and projected value are far greater than any pitcher the Rays could acquire through trade so that really doesn't matter, he'd be a major upgrade to the team's future. I'm just hoping that the new front office has a good reason for this or a great backup plan because right now it looks like they're on the verge of making a colossal blunder.

Actually, I shouldn't be quite so harsh at this point. Gammons and Rosenthal later reported that the Rays were back in the deal and though the official article makes it sound bad the MLB.com writers tend to be way behind with what they know, or at least what they're allowed to reveal. The break away from the Rays involvement the writer mentioned might very well be the one that happened early in the day but, according to Gammenthal, may be resolved now.

Time will tell I suppose.

Aw damn, I was hoping that the Loretta trade opened up a spot so Burroughs could stay and play.

Burroughs has never struck me as being lazy and never read/heard anything to that effect, never came into camp out of shape at least. To me he looked scared when he was in the batters box, and relived when ever he got a hit. Anyways I thought they should've kept him another year since they have no prospects at his postion.

Ah yb125, but they now have Vinny Castilla!