From: hasch@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu (Bruce M Hasch)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Huge Rangers/Athletics trade
Date: 2 Sep 92 23:18:00 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: The Johns Hopkins University - HCF
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <randall.715358913@moose>, randall@informix.com (Randall Rhea) writes...
>s5170748@deimos.ucc.umass.edu (THAN LEE) writes:
> 
>>Just heard about the deal...Canseco to Texas for Sierra, Witt, and Russell.
>>At first I thought Texas gave up too much, but then I realized that Sierra
>>was gone at the end of the year anyway, and Russell has been (as always) a
>>spotty closer.  What will the A's do with Russell?  Use him as a set-up man?
>>Or possibly trade him to a needy team like Cleveland for some young talent?
>>Geez, what a TRADE!
> 
>IMHO, this is a great trade for the A's.    They needed another
>starting pitcher.   You can't win a pennant if you have Kelly Downs in
>your rotation. 

I'm not totally sure of that.  The A's had a rather large lead before the
trade, and were likely to hold off the slumping Twins.  In the playoffs, 
Downs would probably never have started anyway.  And I'm not sure
Mr. Inconsistency, Bobby Witt, is the guy you want on the mound in the ALCS.
It's unlikely that your fourth or fifth starter will determine anything in
the LCS. 

 Also, they needed another reliever, and Russell seems
>to fit the bill.  They will use him as a set-up man for Eck.
>That should make the A's bullpen pretty solid: Eck, Russell, Parrett,
>Honeycutt, Corsi.  Downs could also do some long relief if necessary.

It will do wonders for the A's bullpen.  For the six weeks or so left in the
season.  

>The rotation would be Stewart, Welch (if healthy), Witt, Moore, Darling.
>This is not a great rotation, but it is not bad.
> 
>The A's weren't going to sign Canseco anyway.  Why keep him around for
>one more month?   They needed pitching, and they got it- plus
>a very good outfielder in Sierra.


Your logic is backwards here...  The A's HAD Canseco signed, and his contract
isn't up for a few more years.  And at a rate (~$5,000,000) not out-of-line
with a player of his caliber, especially given that Jose is the type of player
who puts butts in the seats.

On the other hand, Sierra may be gone in another month.  He's a free agent at
the end of the season.  I still stand by my argument that Sierra is going
to be able to go into contract negotiations with an attitude of "Pay me what
I want--or I'll walk and make YOU (Alderson) look awful".  I think the A's
will let Russell go anyway (BTW, he's a free agent too at the end of the
year)--so if the A's can't sign Sierra, they traded Jose for Bobby Witt.
Yuck!

>What a great answer to Toronto's signing of Cone.   The A's seem to
>make the trades they need.  (e.g. the trade for Rickey in '89)

Remember, Toronto traded for Cone--they didn't (and most likely will not)
sign him.  And again, Toronto got Cone for a decent hitting prospect
(Kent) who can't field, and Ryan Thompson, who looks like a middling 
prospect.  The reason that Cone went to Toronto for so little was because
the Mets realized that getting ANYTHING for Cone was better than letting him
go as a free agent, and only getting draft picks in return.  Texas was not
going to be able to sign Sierra, were most likely not going to sign
Russell--and turned those two and the Permanent Enigma, Bobby Witt, into 
Jose Canseco.  I'm sorry, but while the trade immediately improves the A's
pitching staff, it does not markedly help (it may hurt) their offense, and it's 
going to take more money to sign Ruben than they had Canseco signed for. 

IMHO, I think Alderson blew it.  Bigtime.

Sierra has to resign AND play up to his ability, and Witt must discover
the consistency he's never had for this deal to work out.  If Sierra and
Russell walk, this is a disaster.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce 'Slower than Sam Horn' Hasch                hasch@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu
Brad Pennington Fan Club                          O's all the way in '92!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball