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Uehara: Japanese and loving it Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter -- two longtime rooting interests -- were sent to Baltimore for reliever Koji Uehara.
I have some reservations, but nothing I won't get over with time. Here they are:
1. The Rangers did overpay for Uehara. He's 36. He's not exactly under contract a long time and he's just in his second full year in the Majors. Meaning, he's old, he may not be here past 2012 and, even if he is, will Major-League hitters ever catch up with him. The Rangers gave up two Major-League players to get him. No, Hunter and Davis are not guys you build around. One is a back-of-the-rotation starter. The other a potential Quadruple A slugger. However, they are guys that can help you.
2. Hunter is an arm. A guy you knew could take the ball every fifth day and hold his own. I just get a little scary when the Rangers are giving away rotation-ready pitchers.
3. I have this feeling that Davis is going to figure things out. It's a gut feeling. No explanation. He's going to wind up hitting 40 homers a season and fans around this dump are going to ask, "Why did we get rid of this guy?"
In my heart, however, I know this is a good move.
Hunter was blocked. He could never get back into the rotation this year and with guys like Martin Perez, Neftali Feliz, Rob Erlin, Joe Wieland and others potentially breaking in the next two or three years, Hunter's prospects dwindled.
In addition, Derek Holland's performances the last three weeks probably put this trade over the top.
Davis was another guy that wasn't going to get the at-bats with the Rangers in order to get better. He was Jason Botts. Time had run out and he needs to find himself a new place to get going. I will always keep an eye on those guys and root for them. I just hope this doesn't bite the Rangers in the ass.
As for Uehara, he's been great the last two years out of the bullpen. In 86 appearances out of the bullpen, he's allowed 11 home runs and 13 walks. He gets everyone out -- lefties and righties -- on the road or at home. Plus, he's cut his teeth in the AL East, where ERAs go to die.
Also, it's nice that the Rangers addressed a huge need and didn't have to touch Erlin, Wieland or any other high-ceiling prospect.
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Evan Grant threw his hat in the trade rumor mill this afternoon. He said the Chicago White Sox and Rangers are kicking tires on some players. Apparently, the Rangers were looking at big 34-year-old lefty reliever Matt Thornton and lefty starter John Danks, who ... ah, well, we all know his story.
This odd considering the White Sox aren't exactly out of things. Thornton is expensive ($12 million salary) and he's not getting anyone out. And I don't know where Danks fits.
Grant wrote this story before Holland pitched his fourth complete game shutout this afternoon. Grant nonchalantly suggest Danks takes over Holland's spot in the rotation and possible Alexi Ogando's spot in the playoff rotation. As if Danks is God's gift to pitching.
He also paints Danks as a replacement for C.J. Wilson, who hits the open market after the season.
Grant is a little too cavalier with his language in my opinion.
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For what its worth, I honestly don't feel the Cleveland Indians gave away too much to acquire Ubaldo Jimenez. It makes me a little sad that the Rangers weren't at least in the running. Although, they might have had to give up more.
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