Tribe acquires Kevin Slowey for Zach Putnam
According to Jon Morosi's twitter feed. Looks like we have our new 5th starter.
4 months ago
APV
143 comments
0 recs |
Email
PrintComments
Fausto story was broken 24hrs ago, seems too fast to be a reaction to that. I guess he was coming in any case
by Aussie Wahoo on Jan 20, 2012 4:13 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I don’t know. Slowey’s in his second year of arbitration eligibility this year and is signed for $2.7M for 2012. Not pocket change for Cleveland.
Seems like Colorado needed to trade a starter after acquiring Outman and Morosco especially one making above the league minimum.
Baseball fans are junkies, and their heroin is the statistic. - Robert S. Wieder
They needed to trade a starter? Why couldn’t we pick up that Pomeranz kid. I hear he’s pretty good.
by Matt in LA on Jan 20, 2012 6:50 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Not according to Bastian:
Antonetti noted that the Indians had been trying to acquire Slowey for some time — that this wasn’t a kneejerk move due to Fausto.
at most, Roberto Hernandez just hastened the deal.
I teach good life choices. That's why I almost didn't graduate high school.
Follow @BRoss2013
I’m not sure he’s the new 5th starter, I certainly don’t think the job will be handed to him.
IP:
2011 – 59
2010 – 155
2009 – 90
2008 – 160
2007 – 66
by millionairesrow on Jan 20, 2012 4:23 PM EST reply actions
Yeah, I don’t even like the trade. Supposedly he’s a bad clubhouse guy, and doesn’t pitch particularly well. I’d rather have Putnam.
But anyways, I think Antonetti has clearly shown he doesn’t have a high opinion of minor league relievers.
I’m not saying it will be given to him, but I think he might show up in Goodyear in the poll position. As for Antonetti’s valuation of minor league relievers…the more we can turn them into guys on the 25-man roster the better. If Burns or Judy or Putnam or Popham or Chris Jones turn into the next dynamite closer…well, that will suck. But we still have a stacked deck of relievers on the table.
I agree, altho of those relievers, Putnam has the best tools and the most market value. He could very conceivably help out in a major league pen next year.
Since Slowey’s recent injuries were not arm- related, I’m hoping they actually have some solid medical reports that indicate there’s no reason he can’t make his 25 plus starts.
I’m guessing this move was Fausto related? The extent of his 2012 tenure with the Tribe seems pretty much up in the air, seems they’d want a potential replacement that they know will be there when pitchers and catchers report.
I also think Putnam’s pitches are more likely to play well in Coors. He’s got a heavy fastball that gives him a decent GB%, but has really helped him limit his HR totals in the minors. But I’m fine with this move. The bench of relievers in Columbus is thinning, but the system is still thick with them. Take advantage of the opportunities you have to get value out of it.
Great, now I have to find a new “Boring White Mediocre Pitcher I Hate for No Good Reason.” Now taking suggestions.
Those two are alarmingly similar. Nearly identical career stats, unassuming faces (though Blackburn has nice sideburns… which are black).
I think we need a poll of least favorite players of the last 15 years. Indians players can and should be included. I think I would vote for Scott Elarton.
by millionairesrow on Jan 20, 2012 4:54 PM EST up reply actions
AJ Pierzynski and Torii Hunter would still probably beat out any Indian
by NatiTribeFan on Jan 20, 2012 4:57 PM EST up reply actions
AJ shouldn’t be a part of this conversation, he’s in a class by himself.
by millionairesrow on Jan 20, 2012 5:17 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
wow i forgot how bad he was
I like ex-Phillies prospects.
by Gradyforpresident on Jan 20, 2012 10:55 PM EST up reply actions
dude elarton was money down the stretch in 05
I like ex-Phillies prospects.
by Gradyforpresident on Jan 20, 2012 10:54 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed. If we are going to be scornful of one of those pitchers, Jason Johnson is the obvious candidate.
This again?
Johnson had a FIP of 4.94 with the Indians and an xFIP of 4.49.
Those numbers put him at 10% below league average and almost exactly league average, respectively.
To the ignorant fan’s eye, however, Johnson had a 5.96 ERA and was “blocking” the great Jeremy Sowers, who of course replaced him on the roster and had a very fine 2006 campaign. Never mind the fact that after 2006, Sowers posted a 5.63 ERA over parts of three seasons. Even in 2006, his xFIP of 4.53 was very slightly worse than Johnson’s, and his FIP of 4.57 wasn’t remarkably better.
“Least favorite” Johnson may be, but it’s based on the perspective of ill informed fans and a narrative that never fit the facts. Don’t be one of those people.
It’s an anti-diabetic conspiracy. Although, let’s be honest, those people just bring it upon themselves.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Jan 21, 2012 6:31 PM EST up reply actions
I know you’re intelligent so expect that this was sarcasm, but just in case it wasn’t: Johnson has type 1 diabetes, not type 2 which can in many cases be prevented through dietary measures.
Haha yes, it was sarcastic. I actually meant they bring the conspiracy theories on themselves, not the disease. It was a bit ham-handed either way.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Jan 23, 2012 6:59 PM EST up reply actions
I had a stretch in either 04 or 05 where I had tickets to about 4 straight Elarton starts, a bunch landed on the country music night promotion, and the games were miserable. It kinda snowballed from there.
by millionairesrow on Jan 21, 2012 3:39 PM EST up reply actions
So I guess we just doubled down on Josh Tomlin? I suppose the drastic batted ball switch from Carmona to Slowey makes a Carrera-Brantley-Choo OF marginally more palatable for defensive reasons.
Perhaps Lowe will benefit pitching in between those guys.
Uh-oh. Apparently Zach was Vinnie P’s best friend. This changes everything.
by APV on Jan 20, 2012 4:59 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
Guys, i don’t know much of Slowey, bit is this a good Trade or do I have to worry about it?
by Polemic on Jan 20, 2012 5:00 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Slowey seems to alternate good years with bad and last year he sucked and was injured.
Championship!
by NatiTribeFan on Jan 20, 2012 5:04 PM EST up reply actions
Good trade. They gave up a reliever who we probably will never miss. Prospect worship abounds though so the verdict may end up being that we gave up too much, around here at least.
I wouldn’t say good. Meh. Putnam isn’t much, but I’m not seeing how much Slowey really outperforms Gomez, McAllister, Huff. And it’s not like there’s a whole lot of upside he could reach. I’d rather have given up more to get a guy that looks like a genuine improvement over our current rotation depth. Of course, I’m not sure who that guy is or what team would be giving him away.
Rockies are sending $1.25M along with Slowey, who is under control for two years and has a minor league option left. This is looking more clearly like a good trade. Doesn’t mean we didn’t give anything up, but Slowey for $1.5M this season, with an option, and under control for another is not nothing.
This isn’t quite the slam dunk that Lowe for a single A reliever was, especially because there seems to be a much greater possibility that Putnam has major league value, but by the numbers, Slowey is our 4th best starter.
Not to mention:
Career FIP
Carmona – 4.48
Slowey – 4.24
Goldstein had moved Putnam to number 20 on the Indians prospect list and the write-up consisted of saying he was “solid” not “impact.” Using KG’s rankings, that means Putnam was, at best, a “two-star” prospect. Nothing to see here.
The more interesting thing here is that Putnam is almost certainly better than the player Slowey was dealt for earlier in the season, Daniel Turpen. Realistically, the difference between Turpen and Putnam is probably about the $1.25M.
One other thought: Slowey was considered mid-rotation material as recently as 2010 (look at his BP comments), and it’s obvious his relationship with Minnesota turned toxic. I’m not saying you can anticipate a whole new pitcher, but there’s a decent chance that he’s got more to offer than he did in Minnesota.
Slowey remains under team control for at least two seasons — three if he’s optioned to the minors for a couple months.
He has two options remaining, although he would have to clear revocable waivers, but that’s not usually an issue.
So there are a few ways he may turn into a more valuable asset than he first appears to be.
It’d be nice to get that third year out of him but it’s not as nice as it sounds since he’d spend “a couple months” in Buffalo. Still, 2.5 years in Cleveland is better than 2. Plus, if he got sent down that would mean all our starters were healthy and someone such as Gomez or Huff was throwing well.
Are we trading him to the Mets?
Hopefully we get R.A. Dickey!
by PBH on Jan 20, 2012 8:48 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I don’t think we look to keep him three years, but it’s kind of a two-for-one benefit. If we can get him through revocable waivers (probably) we get a depth starter stashed in the minors AND an extra year of club control.
Haven’t seen enough of Putnam to say if I like this trade or not.
Ohio's premier Russian fan.
by Heavysoviet on Jan 20, 2012 8:54 PM EST via mobile reply actions
My quick-and-dirty take:
I always kind of liked Slowey, probably because he pitched fairly well against the Tribe. But his lack of durability and recent success make you wonder if he’s any better than what they have with other depth options.
Saw Putnam a few times with the Tribe. Above-average split with a very hittable fastball. If he develops great fastball command, he could be a real asset, but if he doesn’t, he’s probably nothing special.
I think the upside in the trade is with the Tribe.
Going into 2010 I was pretty sure Slowey would turn into a Scott Baker clone. If healthy (If) I think he still might — age 24 season in 2008, 160.1 IP, 6.90 K/9, 1.35 BB/9, 3.91 FIP.
FIPs since:
2009: Age 25, 90.2 IP, 4.26 FIP.
2010: Age 26, 155.2 IP, 3.98 FIP.
Even last year his FIP was 4.47 (granted, in small sample size).
Career 4.70 K:BB … I personally think this is an excellent trade.
Throw in that we’re paying him $1.2 million, has an option (or two?) and another year of team control … yeah, maybe this isn’t a sexy Pineda-Montero trade, but throw some good luck around with Lowe and Slowey and maybe things start happening.
I like ex-Phillies prospects.
by Gradyforpresident on Jan 20, 2012 11:04 PM EST reply actions
I don’t really see much to dislike about this. What has been Slowey’s problem of late? It doesn’t look like he walks a ton of guys and his strikeout numbers are pretty good. That would imply that he’s a guy that has decent control and pretty good raw stuff. Is that a good assumption or am I way off base?
"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway
I think a lot of it had to do with his relationship with Twins management. They didn’t like Slowey because he was “too smart for his own good”. Obviously this is working very well for them.
Meanwhile, in the transaction thread, I’m being told Putnam has little value.
I give up. I can’t get my head around this trade.
What is there to complain about?
I like ex-Phillies prospects.
by Gradyforpresident on Jan 21, 2012 2:44 PM EST up reply actions
You’re right.
I’m gonna stop trying to understand the trade and let it play out.
Seriously, I give up.
I’m not criticizing you, I’m just perplexed why you think it’s a bad trade. It’s not like I called you stupid.
I like ex-Phillies prospects.
by Gradyforpresident on Jan 21, 2012 2:50 PM EST up reply actions
I feel stupid. I’ve tried to read everything on LGT and elsewhere (well, almost everything, I didn’t bother with the cle.com comments as I am not that desperate) about this swap and have a lot of trepidation about it. It feels like a mid-80s trade of futility.
Slowey looks like a bum to me. Many have pointed out his upsides, but all he’s done lately is display his flaws on and off the mound—and the Rockies are paying almost half his salary despite not having any time to burn any bridges in Denver as far as we know.
Part of my point in that other thread is that Putnams value to Cleveland is probably less than many other teams because of our bullpen depth. Slowey, meanwhile, is likely more valuable to us given the potential interchangeable ability of everyone after Justin and Ubaldo
by APV on Jan 21, 2012 2:59 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I’m not really comfortable claiming that our bullpen depth is a strength because of sheer volatility, not to mention the deeply unpleasant flip from 2005 to 2006. But I still feel this is a good trade on its own merits.
Guys we didn’t see much of (if at all) last year, that I suspect we’ll hear a lot more about this year: Chen Lee, Nick Hagadone, Tyler Sturdevant. Couple that with the fact that everyone from the bullpen last year is back, and there are still a slew of guys behind the three I mentioned who could get hot enough to make a difference at any point (plus potential starter conversions like Paolo Espino, Corey Kluber and Kelvin De La Cruz). I’m not saying our bullpen performance will be as good as last year, but I don’t think the reason for its struggles (if it does) will be a lack of depth.
Don’t forget the Tejeda/Ray/Accardo cohort. It wouldn’t surprise me if one of them strung 70 decent innings together.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Jan 22, 2012 4:30 PM EST up reply actions
Bullpens are always volatile, but I get what he is saying and I think it also refers to many of the Putnam level prospects we still have.
I teach good life choices. That's why I almost didn't graduate high school.
Follow @BRoss2013
So the real losers here are the Twins. I like it!
I teach good life choices. That's why I almost didn't graduate high school.
Follow @BRoss2013
One stat idea to consider is his BABIP. In the years when he has pitched well, his BABIP was ~ 300 which is more or less league average. The year’s he has sucked he had a BABIP of >340. Discounting injuries, it seems like he is a high FB:GB pitcher who is reliant on getting lucky with little room for error on his pitches..
He seems like he is Tomlin with 4 years of MLB xp
by NatiTribeFan on Jan 21, 2012 2:18 AM EST up reply actions
I really hope this doesn’t cost Barnes any innings. I think he’s ready to pop.
Most arguments are really about context.
by SheaWasBettor21 on Jan 21, 2012 12:07 AM EST reply actions
Slowey has an option left, and could also pitch out of the pen as a long relief guy. Whoever is bringing it in Goodyear is going to make the roster, and whoever does not is going to be in Columbus. Just about all of the usual suspects have an option left.
by woodsmeister on Jan 21, 2012 10:05 AM EST up reply actions
Very good signature.
I really liked Barnes until the prospect lists rolled out. His stuff is apparently really underwhelming.
That’s news to me. I thought he had some zip on his fastball. Did I make that up?
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Jan 21, 2012 6:35 PM EST up reply actions
I remember this too.
"sometimes the internet is hard for me." - ClemsonGirl
by world dictator on Jan 22, 2012 12:39 AM EST up reply actions
I read this as well, and thought the added heat was the cause of the bump in Ks.
Most arguments are really about context.
by SheaWasBettor21 on Jan 22, 2012 12:55 AM EST up reply actions
Nobody has zip on his fastball? That doesn’t sound right.
by Jay on Jan 22, 2012 3:01 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
A couple things I’ve learned about Chris Antonetti this winter: he signs lots of players to minor league deals and he likes when other people pay guys to play for us.
I’ve got mixed reactions on the first part because there’s little downside the upside is usually minimal as well. The second part is a pretty good thing though.
The thing I learned about Chris Antonetti this winter:
He appears to have several deals sketched out to various levels of completion (not that all GM’s don’t do this) and strikes when he feels he needs to strike (Derek Lowe from Atlanta, Kevin Slowey from Colorado, and then the reported misses of Carlos Beltran and Carlos Pena). Gives me reassurances that he’ll look to find our first baseman one way or another.
This.
Most arguments are really about context.
by SheaWasBettor21 on Jan 22, 2012 12:56 AM EST up reply actions
He’s only got the cash for a few big contracts at a time, unless he wants a bunch of Martin Prados on the team.
Until Sizemore, Hafner, Ubaldo and Carmona are off the team, we won’t be seeing any big signings in Cleveland unless a very unusual opportunity comes along. (i.e. a bunch of guys vastly outperform creating an unexpected “window”, or a player is willing to sign below market value)
Most arguments are really about context.
by SheaWasBettor21 on Jan 22, 2012 12:59 AM EST up reply actions
Which is why I didn’t want any part of Beltran. When he’s going to give out a big one I’d like to play it a little more safe.
To get a player who is both safe and good is probably out of the Tribe’s price range at any point in time, right? I mean, Pujols, the A-Rod of his prime, et c. are players who were considered safe and sure to be good. If the Tribe wants to acquire a very good player – or a player with the potential to be very good – by those means, they’re always going to have to take some risk.
I think.
by Joel D on Jan 22, 2012 6:06 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
To be fair to Antonetti, he acquired a minor league system practically devoid of impact players at the higher levels, outside of the bullpen. Acquiring former top prospects to fill out the Columbus roster seems like pretty much his only choice outside of just ignoring it. I don’t think this approach is anything to expect beyond this year.
Never liked slowey. But could be confusing him with blackburn or scott baker or brian duensing,
In the new Geico commercial, Marte sings "Let me be myself" on Wedge's front lawn (with the cavemen).
scott baker does not belong in the same sentence as those two twins dunces (well he’s a twin but he’s good)
I like ex-Phillies prospects.
by Gradyforpresident on Jan 22, 2012 7:57 AM EST up reply actions
I think Duensing is going to become a pretty good pitcher.
Most arguments are really about context.
by SheaWasBettor21 on Jan 22, 2012 5:57 PM EST up reply actions
Going to become? Duensing turns 29 next month.
I like ex-Phillies prospects.
by Gradyforpresident on Jan 23, 2012 10:38 PM EST up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Featured Stories
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- The Juice: Nelson Cruz matches career high eight RBIs, Pujols stays hot in Seattle
- Benches clear at Fenway as Red Sox-Rays rivalry heats up
- Keeping good company: Albert Pujols becomes fourth-youngest player to hit 450 home runs
- Giancarlo Stanton misses cutoff man, and Logan Morrison is thankful he did (Video)
- Snoop Dogg delivers memorable first pitch at U.S. Cellular Field
