Jason Marquis always figured to be the most-tradeable veteran on the Nationals' roster, a designation that led to plenty of speculation as the clock ticked down toward Sunday's non-waiver deadline.
When the move finally came Saturday, though, it was both expected and surprising. Not because Marquis was traded (to the Diamondbacks for minor-league shortstop Zach Walters) but because he was traded only two hours before he was scheduled to start at Nationals Park against the Mets.Actually, Marquis didn't get official confirmation of the deal until 6 p.m., just one hour before scheduled first pitch. Still wearing a Nationals T-shirt and shorts at his locker when he was summoned by team officials, Marquis watched as right-hander Yunesky Maya (who had been flown in from Syracuse earlier in the day to serve as emergency starter) entered the clubhouse and was handed his jersey for the night.
"Obviously, the rumors were swirling around here, but you've got to focus on what you do," Marquis said. "But ultimately, when they came and got me and people started saying I might be traded, I've still got
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34 comments:
Zach Walters? What, couldn't the D-Backs throw in some batting practice baseballs and a couple of fungoes along with a guy whose name we won't ever hear again after this weekend?
A low ninth round pick? I know Marquis isn't a stud, but wow. I thought we had a few prospects in the pipeline at SS too, so that it wasn't a need area.
Don't think we could expect much more than salary relief and a flyer on some low prospect...
He wasn't in the long term plan and would not have even been a Type B free agent, so we would have gotten nothing anyway...
Thanks and good luck to Jason. Tim, you need some practice on the knee-jerk reaction front. That's too reasoned a response for the interwebz. ;-)
We got less then we could have IMO because we were not willing to pick up any of Marquis salary. We were salary dumping and you do not get value when you are doing that.
From the last thread, his value was never as a Type B even if he were at that level as clubs would not risk offering him arb and him taking it at $8M. His value, his considerable value, is as an extreme groundball SP innings eater with playoff chops. Hard for me to think that they could not have gotten much more if they ate some money in the deal.
Now we can wait for Rizzo to move an electric arm (a la Hanrahan) and a solid prospect for a midling CF later today in Span. yay!
dfh21
natsfan1a said...
Thanks and good luck to Jason. Tim, you need some practice on the knee-jerk reaction front. That's too reasoned a response for the interwebz. ;-)
--------------------------------
Ok 1a...
So are YOU the pot and I'M the kettle...
Or is it the other way around....
:)
Something like that, Tim. ;-)
Walters is still a prospect; he is not mere organizational filler. But he doesn't look like a top prospect. But you can't tell. Two years ago, who would have thought Lombardozzi would look a lot better than Kobernus?
The deal isn't nearly as good as the Hairston deal, but it is still better than not making the deal. They dump $2.5 million salary, can get Marquis back if they want him, pick up a prospect, and don't lose a draft pick. The cost? Maybe 2 extra games lost, tops. I don't know what else was being offered for Marquis, but something is better than nothing.
And besides, I don't really think the Nats need Marquis any more. They now have some credibility as an organization (the original reason for getting Marquis), and don't need a solid #4 starter in 2012. Heck, with Rosenbaum still a prospect, they haven't even foresworn Jewish pitchers.
Also, I like Marquis, but I'm not sure about the postseason chops part, as his record there seems rather inconsistent and he was left off of postseason rosters more than once, I believe:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/marquja01.shtml
Way to go Rizzo........you are a joke.....The fine baseball fans in this city deserve better
Okay, now the Gomes trade really doesn't make any sense. If we are just going to dump our veterans and wave the white flag, why the heck did we need to add spare part outfielder?
Just guessing this is a pretty decent approximation. Zack Walter is roughly Blake Kelso (but better it would seem).
They are both the best position players on a low-A team. Blake a 10th rounder pick in 2010 out of college, Zack a 9th round pick out of college in the same draft. Both roughly the same age.
Because Blake is ours, Nat's fans tend to think of him as a real prospect. And since Zach is not, he's just some organization filler.
I'm completely fine with trading Marquis, and completely fine with getting Zach Walters in return.
Zach, .302 / .377 / .485 OPS .861
Blake, .295 / .363 / .352 OPS .716
Marquis is a rental player, so this trade seems fine to me. Nats could sign Marquis again this winter. However, the fact that Maya is starting tonight has caused me immense pain.
Thanks to Sunderland, Tim and 1a for some of the more reasoned reactions.
Like everybody else, I don't know much about Walters; what I've heard doesn't make him seem like an unreasonable return for 10-12 more starts from a pitcher notorious for fading down the stretch.
As for those complaining this and the Hairston move are a salary dump: seems a bit premature to decide that before we see what elso Rizzo does in the next 23 hours or so. For all we know, he's clearing a little salary with plans to add more.
Get Some Players - Ya. Hoping that clearing Marquis and Hairston off the 40 man means Peacock and Malone will soon be outfitted in Curly-W's
Span has a concussion. Concussions are almost as bad as terminal cancer these days. Just ask Justin Morneau who has had his wonderful career ruined by a couple of concussions. After the Laroche and Marquis experiences, the absolute last thing Rizzo needs to do is bring in more high profile damaged goods.
@Sunderland-
I think you are right, just because people haven't heard of him, people are assuming he doesn't have value. But as you said his numbers are far better than Kelso's who is someone that most Nats fans are excited about.
Maya is another in a long list of worthless acquisitions Rizzo has brought here so we have to suffer through another painful evening just like last night. Riggleman must be laughing his ass off!
Anon
s is another in a long list of worthless post hehas brought here so we have to suffer through another painful evening just like last night. Riggleman, whom he used to hate, must be laughing his ass off!
Making a trade for the sake of making a trade is another Rizzo fail. This guy will only see a MLB clubhouse if he buys a ticket for the stadium tour.
I for one am well in favor of this trade. I was maybe hoping for a bit more from Marquis, and wouldn't have minded seeing them take some of the cost (say a million) to get a better return, but this isn't a bad deal.
Walters is a solid prospect who is tearing it up in Low-A right now. While that is far from a guarantee of him having future value, it is worth noting that his OPS would be 2nd on the Suns right now.
I'd love to see the Nats promote him to High-A for the rest of the year and see if he can get started on a faster track, but right now he is projecting well.
Today the Nationals traded away 2 months of Hariston Jr. and 2 months of Jason Marquis, for control of two solid prospects, Komatsu who will be 24 in a couple months, and Walters who will be 22 soon. While neither is a 'top prospect', both ranked in their organizations top 30 according to BA before the season (Komatsu 14 in a weaker system, and Walters 29). And both will rank even higher in the Nationals after the good years that they are having.
The Nats added two quality young prospects to their system today and saved just over $3 million. Which while some call a salary dump, in reality it will go to signing draft picks and next year's payroll.
The reason why the Phillies have been able to make 4 major trades in the past 2 years (Cliff Lee, Halladay {yes trading away Lee for less}, Oswalt and Pence), is because they have had really good prospect depth. Now the Phillies got that depth mainly b/c of drafting as they haven't 'sold' anyone with the exception of that odd trade of Lee, but that isn't the only way you acquire prospect depth. The Nats got two prospects that they didn't have before and they got them for a pair of players who aren't stars or superstars and who would walk away with nothing to show for them in 2 months.
@ Steveospeak:
Good point on the farm system depth. Nats should have been able to trade for Pence but their farm system is still playing catchup.
Maybe next year!!!!
Gooooooooooooooooooooooooo Nats!
I think a key part of this trade was the salary pickup by the d'backs. I'm almost certian the money saved will go towards signing their high draft picks. If this now means the Nats can offer more to Purke and get him signed, then we win this trade.
It's funny that at last year's trade deadline, people complained that no moves were made. Now, Rizzo is making moves and still people complain. In addition, many were upset when Jerry was signed, now suddenly he was given away for nothin'. Come on people.
Some moves pan out; others don't. It's the nature of the gamble.
I would suspect, although he's perhaps not perfect, Rizzo knows a bit more about this game than us fans. So let's sit back and enjoy the ride.
1994 Expos. Say no more. Takes time, I think you'll be happy when all is said and done.
Rizzo better be saying no, no and no.
6:08pm: The Twins are insisting on acquiring Storen with Bernadina and minor league infielder Stephen Lombardozzi for Span, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Am watching from NY, listening to Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez call the game. Wow.
I remember the day I heard we'd signed Marquis, and how it felt like such a grown up move. I wish him all the best. I'm surprised we didn't get more for him, and wondering why we need more infielders in the system. But whatever.
And kudos for Maya for getting it done. And to Davey for yanking him when he did.
JaneB, why would you expect more when all the D'backs are getting is about 12 starts? That's all they get.
Pence is in Phllly next year too.
Marquis is a free agent come the end of season.
I should have known not to comment on the family Lombardozzi connection to Minnesota. Rizzo...take a look at Baltimore - they just got a strong power hitter and a competent starter from Texas for JUST a middle reliever. You don't have to mortgage the farm for a guy with a concussion!
I guess, Sparkster, because they need him and there aren't many for real guys out there for sale.
It's going to make the DBacks rematch a lot less full of fireworks, to have Marquis play for them instead of us.
In 2011, the deadline that still matters to the Nats is August 15th. IF they are able to sign the top five unsigned players then what happened yesterday does not matter. Still, the Nats have such a low payroll that money should not matter here; they should have eaten the remainder of the contract and gotten a better player.
This trade is a win for the Nats. In August, we'll get to see what Peacock and Milone can do, then come September Strasburg will be back. We didn't need Marquis' starts anyway. And if the $2mil+ we saved on him can go towards signing Meyer and Goodwin (which is probably what it will cost, and maybe leave some extra for Purke), all the better!
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