Cardenas is the kind of prospect the A's Latin-American scouting hasn't come up with in recent years, though Beane has been insistent in recent months that the organization is working at correcting that.

Cardenas was a supplemental 1st rd pick out of a Florida HS in 2006.

It's really difficult to find high school second basemen in Latin America.

As a Met fan, I'll be happy if this is the biggest move the Phillies make to improve their rotation. Blanton is a solid pitcher who eats innings up but I was afraid that the Phils were going to acquire Burnett or Bedard, someone with more upside. Perhaps that is still possible.

Maybe Dan just mean that the A's Latin American scouting department was supposed to signing guys in the mold of Cardenas but they haven't been.

Anyway, do the A's now have the 2 best 2nd base prospects in baseball with Cardenas and Weeks? Or at least 2 of the few best? Ellis, Patterson, Cardenas, and Weeks seems like pretty good depth at 2nd.

Maybe Dan just mean that the A's Latin American scouting department was supposed to signing guys in the mold of Cardenas but they haven't been.

No, I was just too reliant on memory.

only 9 projected HR in 89 IPs? Seems low.

Rotoworld seems to think Spencer is a candidate for a conversion to pitcher. Are they just pulling that out of their arse?

They might have gotten a better package for Blanton, though this is more than I expected, if they had traded him last winter, when you could glance at the stats and be excused for thinking he was some perfect #2 guy rather than a league-averagish starter with lots of ball in play, defense, and foul ground.

How do lots of balls in play, defense, and foul ground allow a league averagish pitcher to post a better-than-average FIP (4.02 career)?

Doesn't FIP use non-park adjusted HR rates?

I have no idea if he's any good, and a lot of people don't think he can stick at short, but I would have rather gotten Donald than another innings eater in Outman. But, all in all, yes I'm much happier with this deal than the Harden. I really wanted Felix Pie.

On reflection, it appears Donald is a WAAY better prospect than Outman, so of course, just remember I'm an idiot.

When you can get 3 prospects for a fat pitcher with a 5+ ERA, you should never complain.

Spencer was a two-way guy in high school and threw a few innings for UNC his freshman year.

7,
As Law said he did pitch in college (not just his freshman year, FWIW). Maybe as an amateur the A's scouting dept liked him on the mound a little better and picked him up with the thought of conversion but I don't know.
On the mound or as a position player you are going to be dealing with some of the same problems with Spencer. Hes got talent but can't really put it to use.
Pitching-wise he is a 6-4, 230 LHP with a low-90s fastball (always interesting, scouting-wise) but doesn't know how to pitch, which is understandable for a college two-way guy who has focused on hitting.
As a player he can draw walks, hit really long homers and is a good athlete for his size but he can't turn those skills into being a good defensive LF/RF/1b or into being a good hitter. He takes too big a cut sometimes and strikeouts are certainly part of the problem.

There is some Ryan Klesko in him, if he can tap into it but who knows. Hes a project.

Spencer's purely a throw-in, picked in the third-round last year by the Phillies, showing very little power for a solidly built guy.

I actually don't think Spencer's power output looks like a problem right now. The numbers are mediocre but it is the FSL and it looks like Clearwater, in particular, is hell to homerun hitters. The only guy at Clearwater with a isoSLG of over .200 is Clay Harris, a 25 year old in his third try at the FSL. In past years Clearwaters rosters have featured very few HRs, and I don't think that is a function of the talent sent there as some of the prospects sent there are college vets whose best tool is their power (Slayden, Costanzo). The highs in HRs and 2Bs were 14 and 27 in Clearwater last year and 05 and 06 saw just three hitters each year get 10+ homers.

It is true that he has more power than he is tapping into but considering how inconsistent he is in general I'd say he is tapping into his power more than some other areas of his potential.

How do lots of balls in play, defense, and foul ground allow a league averagish pitcher to post a better-than-average FIP (4.02 career)?

His career mark is suppressed by his 3.59 showing last year. The other three years ('05, '06, '08) he was 4.40, 4.21, 4.10.

His career mark is suppressed by his 3.59 showing last year. The other three years ('05, '06, '08) he was 4.40, 4.21, 4.10.


Weird that people always remove the best years from consideration if it's another team's player, and always find pretexts for not considering the worst years if it's their own team's player (HET, NO FAIR, HE WAS INJURED THAT YEAR!!!!).

You know what, Swedish Chef, I'm convinced that GMs do something similar all the time and its one of the biggest mistakes many of them consistently make. For example, why would the Tigers have gone into this year counting on Dontrelle Willis? If a (typical) GM trades for a guy, they always believe they are getting the peak guy, not the last few years guy if he's on the downside. On the other hand, they are very quick to give deals to guys with great second halves, or a year that is out of whack with everything else they've done.

To straight up steals for Oakland in a row from Chicago and Philadelphia. But it seems a bit early since The Athletics are still hanging around. Is Street next?

I saw this when I was in Italy but the DSL connection was too slow to compose a response. Do you trade your best position prospect for a league average starter with < a year and half of control? Seems like too much to give up to me.

FWIW, Blanton's not a free agent until after 2010.

Thanks, Danny. It mitigates a little...