From: ecaxron@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Ron Graham)
Subject: Re: RG's 1992 Tribe Front Office Report Card
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date:  6 Oct 1992 10:19 EST  

In article <1992Oct5.214925.15391@news.iastate.edu>, 
     sckelm@iastate.edu (Steven C Kelm) writes...

>In article <5OCT199215344050@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov> 
>     ecaxron@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Ron Graham) writes:

>>o	Trade of minor-league pitchers Oscar Munoz and Curtis Leskanic
>>	to Minnesota for 1B Paul Sorrento - A

>>This trade receives the highest grade available, for the following reasons:
>>(1) Kent Hrbek went on the DL within *hours* after the deal.

>What's your point?

Gaak!  I hate that question.  I see it in Usenet everywhere I go.  But you're
right: I could've been more clear about the situation.  With nagging injuries
to both 1B Reggie Jefferson and 3B Jim Thome, the Indians were hurting at
the corners.  Although Leskanic was one of our better pitching prospects at
the time, Sorrento was a 1B who was available, had some ability, and commanded
what was IMPO a reasonable price in trade.

The problem with Hrbek going on the DL is that the trade doesn't get made,
and we're back to the drawing board, if John Hart doesn't get in there and
close the deal.  It's not so much whether the Twins get screwed or not
(although if they were in the East, things might be different ;-)), it's
whether or not the Indians can close a deal that helps them.  And I Predict
[tm] that Sorrento will be protected from expansion, another measure that 
the deal did help them.

>>(2) The Tribe was looking at Brook Jacoby at 1B the entire season otherwise.
>>(3) Hrbek was injured much of the season and had one long slump.  The Twins,
>>    you can be sure, wished they had kept Sorrento more than once.  At one
>>    point, when the Indians approached Minnesota to inquire about SP David
>>    West, Sorrento's name was immediately brought up - which is why West is
>>    not on the Tribe now.

>	While I agree that the Tribe got a better short-term deal, the 
>long-term may be very different.  I'm not too sure of your reasoning above.
>Were the Indians telepathic or something to know Hrbek would go out?  What
>is the difference anyway?  I thought the idea of a trade was to improve your
>team.  

See above.  That is the general idea.

>Granted, Sorrento probably had a better season than Jacoby would have, 
>but that was only one of the reasons listed above as to why this was of such
>great magnitude.  You seem to think this was a great trade because of how
>much it hurt Minnesota.  Truthfully, I think any GM would have traded Sorrento
>for two young pitching prospects.

That may be true.  I must remember to be as clear as possible.  Hurting the
Twins in a deal is no good unless everybody else gets hurt too ;-).

>>o	Long-term signings of several players, including SP Charles Nagy,
>>	2B Carlos Baerga, and C Sandy Alomar - A
>>                              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>     The only way the long-term signing of Sandy Alomar Jr. can be looked at
>as positive is if he signed for next to nothing.  He always seems to be 
>injured, and doesn't hit for diddly.  

Actually, he hits decently when healthy.  The problem is, he's never healthy.
He's certainly not an "All-Star," but who can tell the fans?  But as a rookie,
he hit .282 with 9 HR (the fences were back, but he didn't take enough walks).
So he has the potential.  We shall see what we shall see.

Question: would anyone in this newsgroup, given the same situation, have
offered Alomar, let's say, three years at an average of $1.25M a year, if
he were on their favorite ballclub?  I would be very interested in the
answer to that question.

RG

"Mumble mumble fans in Cleveland mumble mumble baseball mumble 200 hits."
 -  Carlos Baerga, in a radio interview