Dodgers acquire LHP George Sherrill from the Orioles for 3B Josh Bell and RHP Steve Johnson
So much for the thought that the Orioles would have to be overwhelmed to move their closer.
Sherrill can't be considered an elite reliever when his career high for innings is 53 1/3, but he's as effective against lefties as anyone in the game and he holds his own against right-handed hitters. Now that he'll again be a matchup reliever, he should be even more effective. In theory, he'd also be a better bet to stay healthy. However, Joe Torre is going to have something to say about that. Sherrill might have been better off throwing an inning at a time as a closer than he will be when Torre decides to use him four times a week with the occasional warm-up, sit-back-down usage that he rarely had to deal with in his set role.
What figured to really help Sherrill's trade value -- and make him more attractive as a keeper for the Orioles -- is that he's under control through 2011. However, this isn't far off the kind of return he might have brought in as a free agent at season's end.
Bell isn't the problem. The switch-hitting 22-year-old was hitting .296/.386/.497 with 11 HR, 52 RBI, 70/50 K/BB and 3 SB in 334 AB for Double-A Chattanooga this season. I view him as a potential 25-homer-per-year regular for Baltimore. However, he's never going to be better than average defensively at third base and some think he'll require a move to first base or an outfield corner. Also, he's yet to show much power as a right-handed hitter. In fact, all of his homers this year had some left-handed. He's a top-50 prospect, but he's not a sure thing.
Johnson is the weak link here. The Orioles should have insisted on a better second prospect than the 21-year-old. It'd be very disturbing if they let the fact that his father, Dave, was a former Oriole influence their thinking here. Steve Johnson was 8-4 with a 3.82 ERA for Single-A Inland Empire this season. He just moved up to Double-A and posted a 1.69 ERA in his first two starts. Overall, he's allowed 55 runs -- 43 earned -- and 15 homers in 107 1/3 innings this season. The Cal League is a tough place to pitch, and he does have 117 strikeouts. However, he's a long shot to become a quality starter. The Dodgers had at least five better pitching prospects, and the Orioles have around 10.
So, I think the Dodgers did quite well here, though it's a pickup that could backfire easily. Sherrill's arm and Torre's tendency to overuse his setup men could be a bad match, and while Sherrill's contract status makes him more valuable, if things go badly enough, it's entirely possible that he'll be non-tendered this winter.
.
Leave a Comment:
Saving...
So who closes for the O's now? Johnson?...
That's my guess. At least, he should lead the committee.
I think it's gotta be JJ.
First dem O's have to get into postitions where games can be closed.
Who cares who the O's use for a closer? There aren't that many games to close! Around Charm City, the slogan is not "Wait 'til next year"; it's "Wait until the next decade (or 2)".
Yeah, give us another manager or gm and tell us its going to be another 3yr rebuilding plan. Its been the norm now for over 10 years and even the local media buys into it.
Anyway.. this trade was kind of odd and pretty one-sided. Yet again we are very weak in bullpen and this just creates another void for next year. Then again I guess it doesn't matter.. I think next year is suppose to still be another rebuilding year !
The Dodgers can use another arm in the bullpen since Kuo is not reliable from a physical perspective and they gave up very little. I guess everyone is resigned to the fact that Doc Halladay is untouchable, that is the Blue Jays want far too much in return for the Cy Young Winner. Watch the Cards rise to the top of the Central with their acquisitions. Holliday will bring them what Larry Walker brought them a few years ago. He and Albert will become terrors together and Lugo will be very helpful for the next 60+ days and then he will implode and wear out his welcome with Tony and Dave Duncan as he has done everywhere he has played.
The Orioles will never be a contender as long as they have mediocre managers and a front office that do not obviously care about winning. It's been a lot of rebuilding to average winning 68 to 75 games for the past 12 years. It doesn't seem practical to build an offense that score 5 or 6 runs a game when the other teams you play are scoring 7 and 8 against you. Until a completely new type of aggressive management takes over the franchise, this will probably be the norm for Baltimore.
Andy Macphail's trade history would suggest that he is very unlikely to think in such terms when it comes to player/prospect valuation.
Having three (possibly four, if you include Erbe) starting pitching prospects in the Top 50 Prospects in all of baseball reflects a front office with a lack of desire to win?
I'll miss George Sherrill; he was very well-liked by everybody in Baltimore. I hope he helps the Dodgers win a WS (especially if they face off against the Yanks or Sox). But as an O's fan, I really like the trade. I disagree that Sherrill could have yielded this type of return during the offseason.