Dan Haren traded to the Angels

[SoxAce]

What did the Angels do wrong? It's not their fault this Dipoto character seemingly has the baseball I.Q. of Rodney Dangerfield.

 

I think he was saying that cause Dan Haren got injured in his Angels debut.

[Ozzie Ball]

I think he was saying that cause Dan Haren got injured in his Angels debut.

Of course he was, but the Angels still would have needed to do something wrong to be deserving of this "bad karma".

[caulfield12]

For the White Sox to have acquired Haren, we would have had to give up more than Hudson.

 

It would have been Floyd...undoubtedly, after DiPoto asking for Danks and getting shot down summarily.

 

The other package of players at the back end of the deal wouldn't have mattered as much (for 2010) as losing Floyd from the rotation, and POSSIBLY getting better results from Haren, but also an even more bloated payroll with less flexibility.

 

 

 

From the DiamondBacks' beat writer, AZ Republic

With about a half hour before my connecting flight to Philadelphia departs, I figured I should weigh in on the collective online bashing interim GM Jerry Dipoto is receiving for using LHP Joe Saunders’ winning percentage as justification for acquiring him in yesterday’s Dan Haren deal.

 

I’m not going to defend it, exactly, but I think I know where he was coming from and what he was trying to express.

 

First, if I were sitting up at that podium yesterday, that’s not the approach I would have taken. Dipoto could have focused on Saunders being an innings eater, durable, proven, talked about his left-handedness and how that helps match up with some of the division’s better hitters, like Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier.

 

He could have talked about Saunders being two years away from free agency, about the Diamondbacks getting him out of the American League and into the National League, where they believe he will have a chance to post better numbers.

 

He said some of those things, but the thing he seemed to keep coming back to was winning games, something he mentioned again when talking about LHP Pat Corbin, who he said leads the minors in wins.

 

Having known Dipoto for several years now and having talked to him a lot recently about the state of the organization, I can tell you he seems focused on trying to create a winning atmosphere with this team. He talks about getting winning players, guys who hate to lose.

 

I take it as being his way of indirectly indicting the current group of players and/or of a general malaise that he believes has set in around this club.

 

I don’t think Dipoto needs anyone to explain to him that winning percentage maybe isn’t the best way to statistically evaluate a pitcher’s performance.

 

What Dipoto wants to do is create a culture around this club that’s similar to that of consistently strong organizations like, say, the Los Angeles Angels. He wants everyone to feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves, like they’re all building something together, like winning is expected when they arrive to the ballpark, etc.

 

Say what you want about that mind-set and whether it matters as much as just simply getting better players. That’s a whole ‘nother debate.

 

But I’m pretty sure Dipoto knows a pitcher who goes 7-13 with a 3.00 ERA on a losing team is probably pitching better than the one who goes 15-5 with a 5.00 ERA for a winning team.

 

Again, not a great tack to take at the press conference yesterday, but, for what it’s worth, that’s what I think he thinks.

Edited July 27, 2010 by caulfield12

[Balta1701]

That's the thing about this deal, though. It looks like a pretty mediocre package of players so either Dipoto panicked, lost his f***ing mind or is in love with some of the guys he picked up. If I had to guess I'd say it's the 3rd option, Dipoto and the D-Backs brass/scouts see something in these players that they love and couldn't pass up, especially given that the trade got made a week before the deadline. If that's the case then it would have been difficult for any team to swoop and top the offer.

I think you're missing the old "getting major league talent back for the guy" and "adding a left hander to a group of 12 right handed pitcher" options.

 

I think they really, really wanted a major league piece and were willing to take less from the minors to make sure that happened.

[chw42]

For those of you who were wondering of Jerry Dipoto is an idiot... yeah, he's an idiot. This is his measuring stick of what a great pitcher is: “We achieved by maintaining major league quality with a 2008 All-Star in Joe Saunders and a guy who quite frankly has been one of the winners in Major League Baseball,” Dipoto said. “I think he trails only Roy Halladay(notes) among major leaguers in total wins. He’s won 63 percent of his games since coming to the major leagues… “ http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_leagu...?urn=mlb-258239

 

That just might be him trying to justify why he traded their best pitcher away for a mediocre 4th starter and no can't-miss prospects.

 

You know, to the average baseball folk, wins are important. Just ask what Hawk and Stone think of Saunders.

[chw42]

For the White Sox to have acquired Haren, we would have had to give up more than Hudson.

 

It would have been Floyd...undoubtedly, after DiPoto asking for Danks and getting shot down summarily.

 

The other package of players at the back end of the deal wouldn't have mattered as much (for 2010) as losing Floyd from the rotation, and POSSIBLY getting better results from Haren, but also an even more bloated payroll with less flexibility.

 

 

 

From the DiamondBacks' beat writer, AZ Republic

With about a half hour before my connecting flight to Philadelphia departs, I figured I should weigh in on the collective online bashing interim GM Jerry Dipoto is receiving for using LHP Joe Saunders’ winning percentage as justification for acquiring him in yesterday’s Dan Haren deal.

 

I’m not going to defend it, exactly, but I think I know where he was coming from and what he was trying to express.

 

First, if I were sitting up at that podium yesterday, that’s not the approach I would have taken. Dipoto could have focused on Saunders being an innings eater, durable, proven, talked about his left-handedness and how that helps match up with some of the division’s better hitters, like Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier.

 

He could have talked about Saunders being two years away from free agency, about the Diamondbacks getting him out of the American League and into the National League, where they believe he will have a chance to post better numbers.

 

He said some of those things, but the thing he seemed to keep coming back to was winning games, something he mentioned again when talking about LHP Pat Corbin, who he said leads the minors in wins.

 

Having known Dipoto for several years now and having talked to him a lot recently about the state of the organization, I can tell you he seems focused on trying to create a winning atmosphere with this team. He talks about getting winning players, guys who hate to lose.

 

I take it as being his way of indirectly indicting the current group of players and/or of a general malaise that he believes has set in around this club.

 

I don’t think Dipoto needs anyone to explain to him that winning percentage maybe isn’t the best way to statistically evaluate a pitcher’s performance.

 

What Dipoto wants to do is create a culture around this club that’s similar to that of consistently strong organizations like, say, the Los Angeles Angels. He wants everyone to feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves, like they’re all building something together, like winning is expected when they arrive to the ballpark, etc.

 

Say what you want about that mind-set and whether it matters as much as just simply getting better players. That’s a whole ‘nother debate.

 

But I’m pretty sure Dipoto knows a pitcher who goes 7-13 with a 3.00 ERA on a losing team is probably pitching better than the one who goes 15-5 with a 5.00 ERA for a winning team.

 

Again, not a great tack to take at the press conference yesterday, but, for what it’s worth, that’s what I think he thinks.

 

Danks is twice, if not thrice the pitcher that Saunders is. God I wish some teams would have better player evaluation and people in charge who knew who is good and who isn't.

Edited July 27, 2010 by chw42

[NorthSideSox72]

That just might be him trying to justify why he traded their best pitcher away for a mediocre 4th starter and no can't-miss prospects.

 

You know, to the average baseball folk, wins are important. Just ask what Hawk and Stone think of Saunders.

No such animal.

 

[chw42]

No such animal.

 

You know what I meant. None of the prospects they got were Major-League ready impact prospects, like Jesus Montero, Mike Trout, Desmond Jennings, etc.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

You know what I meant. None of the prospects they got were Major-League ready impact prospects, like Jesus Montero, Mike Trout, Desmond Jennings, etc.

I know, I just really hate that term, because some people really do think that certain prospects are 100% chances to be stars. That just isn't the case. Same goes for saying lower level prospects are never ever going to make it.

 

[caulfield12]

The Brewers' GM was actually complaining that nobody was interested in acquiring Dave Bush when he was as "serviceable" as many of the other starters available out there.

 

Somewhere, Danny Wright and James Baldwin are warming up.