Trot Nixon for Johan Santana

by seton hall snake pit on Jun 15, 2008 12:53 PM EDT

Trot Nixon was traded in the this weekend to the Mets for a player to be named later (Johan?) OR cash. The Mets have had little to no corner outfield production this year and Trot was hitting .300+ in hitter friendly Tuscon. The Mets activated him right away and there's a good chance he'll be in the starting lineup today.

http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080613&content_id=2908275&vkey=news_ari&fext=.jsp&c_id=ari

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I do what I can, sometimes more, depends on the situation.

by srdmad on Jun 15, 2008 1:13 PM EDT reply actions

Living in hope, don't worry...

I suspect the odds are probably more in favor of some random dude from A-ball we’ve never heard of, who won’t amount to anything. Mind you, given Santana was plucked away in the Rule 5 draft and then traded to the Twins, you never know! I’m hoping for some kind of clerical error in the Mets front office, caused by another prospect called Santana. After all, baseball urban legend says that is what happened with the Zambrano deal. They thought they were getting Carlos and ended up with Victor…

by Jim McLennan on Jun 15, 2008 1:47 PM EDT reply actions

T-U-C-S-O-N

I just wanted to take this occasion to make the spelling of Tucson clear for all non-Tucsonans here on the board as it is frequently misspelled. I know they’re your kid brother and all, Feenix, but please spell it correctly. Thanks! ;)

I’m glad to see Trot getting a chance back in the bigs. I don’t understand why he didn’t get a chance instead of Burke (I know, I know, Burke has position flexibility!)... but good luck, Trot.

"There are only two seasons: winter and baseball"
-- Bill Veeck

by njjohn on Jun 15, 2008 1:48 PM EDT reply actions

Tusson?

Tooson? Tusun? Tusone?

"D'backs" means seatbelts! "D'backs" means crash positions!

by soco on Jun 15, 2008 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

E-V-A-N-S-V-I-L-L-E

I live in Indiana. I spent roughly 16 months in Scottsdale when I was 2. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever spelled the word Tucson. (I almost did it again) Sorry for giving offense. :-)

Baseball season, when everything becomes right in the world.

by seton hall snake pit on Jun 15, 2008 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions

No offense taken at all… you’re just one of many who has misspelled it.

"There are only two seasons: winter and baseball"
-- Bill Veeck

by njjohn on Jun 16, 2008 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s always easy for me to remember how to spell Tucson since the time, in high school, that one of my friends pronounced it “Tuk-son”.

Currently blaming the D-backs struggles on: the state of Oklahoma. The actual land and the people there, not, you know, in a "just look at the state of this room" sort of way.

by kishi on Jun 15, 2008 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Well it comes from the O'odham

“chuk-son”, meaning black rocks.

Have the Dodgers lost yet?

by DbacksSkins on Jun 15, 2008 9:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I love it

when he brings the “chuks”.

by Diamondhacks on Jun 16, 2008 5:23 AM EDT up reply actions

::groan::

Have the Dodgers lost yet?

by DbacksSkins on Jun 16, 2008 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions

+1

Have the Dodgers lost yet?

by DbacksSkins on Jun 15, 2008 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions

By the sounds of the guys that the Twins get in return for Santana,

we could have topped the Mets deal.

I do what I can, sometimes more, depends on the situation.

by srdmad on Jun 15, 2008 7:27 PM EDT reply actions

But we couldn't have hoped to match the

$137.5M, 6-year contract to which he agreed with the Mets. As a result, if he’d come here, he would have been a free agent after the 2008 season anyway. [Compare Haren, who isn’t a free agent until 2011] That is why the deal for Santana involved fewer, lesser prospects [since it was for only one year of control] and much, much more money as an extension.

by Jim McLennan on Jun 15, 2008 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions

If we had a salary of over 100 million in 2002 why can't we have one now?

I do what I can, sometimes more, depends on the situation.

by srdmad on Jun 16, 2008 9:12 PM EDT reply actions

Because, I believe, we still paying some of that 2002 salary now. Jim touched on that in his pre-season review of the team salary here, but the short version is we’re paying $20 million dollars this season in deferred salaries to people like Matt Williams, Jay Bell, and Steve Finley.

Currently blaming the D-backs struggles on: the Order of the Blackened Denarius.

by kishi on Jun 16, 2008 9:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Not sustainable

Even the boom years of the Diamondbacks, attendance-wise, wasn’t sufficient to balance the books when we were paying out that much. The result was the spectacular crash, culminating in the nightmare which was 2004. And, don’t forget, we also have to find extension money for Brandon Webb – who is getting only $5.5m this year. Then, what about the rest of the roster? They will all be requiring more money in the coming seasons too.

Sure, be nice to have Santana, but I’d rather have a model which gives us a good chance of competing for a prolonged period rather than another quarter-billion dollars in debt, as rung up during the Colangelo era.

by Jim McLennan on Jun 16, 2008 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions

You had all this explained to you before

Remember the Johan Santana discussions on the MLB board?

http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ml-diamondbacks&tid=33431

by shoewizard on Jun 16, 2008 9:58 PM EDT up reply actions

So what you're telling me is that we are an expensive form of the A's.

I do what I can, sometimes more, depends on the situation.

by srdmad on Jun 16, 2008 10:41 PM EDT reply actions

I’m afraid I’ll need a bit more explanation on what you mean before I can agree or disagree.

Currently blaming the D-backs struggles on: the Order of the Blackened Denarius.

by kishi on Jun 16, 2008 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Basically, yes

Good way to put it. We don’t sign free agents, relying on our farm system and well-crafted trades to fill most of our positions. We have slightly more payroll flexibility, since we operate in a larger market and have a monopoly on the product, but our efforts are limited because most of the potential fans still have other loyalties.

And there are far worse things to be, considering that they A’s have made the playoffs five times in the past nine seasons.

by Jim McLennan on Jun 16, 2008 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Good comparison

I think that is an excellent comparison.

Long term…the D backs should enjoy a bit better economic climate than the A’s, although they are getting a new stadium in Freemont. So maybe not.

This year’s payroll is 75 million, but as mentioned, that includes 8 million to donutboy.

Next year it goes to 80 and 2010 it goes to 85…...unless there is such is huge economic downturn that forces a freeze.

After that…..by 2011, almost all of the debt from the 2000-2003 teams will be paid off, and the organization will probably jump the payroll up to 95-100 million for 2011…...just in time to start paying the expensive portions of Webb and Haren’s salary extensions and of course whichever players the choose or are able to extend through their arbitration years.

by shoewizard on Jun 16, 2008 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs