December 5, 2007
YOU DON'T GET THAT BAD WITHOUT REALLY TRYING:
Pirates, Indians discuss five-player deal involving Bay (Dejan Kovacevic, 12/05/07, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
In a surprising twist, the Pirates and Cleveland Indians revived talks at the Opryland Hotel late last night and developed a framework for a five-player trade, Bay and catcher Ronny Paulino going to Cleveland for outfielder Franklin Gutierrez, catcher Kelly Shoppach and either starter Cliff Lee or a minor-league pitching prospect. [...]Most of yesterday, it seemed as if the Pirates and Indians were finished -- at least for the time being -- on the Bay front. But it is possible that Cleveland felt pressured to make a bold move when its American League Central Division rival, the Detroit Tigers, made the blockbuster acquisition of Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Florida Marlins earlier in the day.
Leave it to the Pirates to sell low on two of their most valuable properties. Posted by Orrin Judd at December 5, 2007 11:00 AM
Well, its's not surprising after what the Tigers did.
I don't see how this benefits the Indians.
Paulino and Shoppach's seem almost identical.
The Indians will solve their LF problem by creating a RF problem. Bay is almost 30 and is a slow white guy on the decline. Guttierez showed flashes last year and is only 24. He can also play center if Sizemore gets hurt.
Unless there is a second deal in the works, I don't get it.
Posted by: Bob at December 5, 2007 12:27 PMBay, before an off '07, had posted:
3-year Average PIT (527) 31 97 12 0.2922 0.3881 0.5446
A 3b would be more useful to the Tribe, but....
Yeah, but was 2007 a fluke or a harbinger?
Posted by: Bob at December 5, 2007 10:08 PMIt was the kind of year guys have when they have a nagging injury.
Posted by: oj at December 6, 2007 7:31 AM