Trade Analysis: Indians Acquire Young Arms in Chris Perez, Connor Graham and Jess Todd
July 28, 2009Big Ten Media Days – Surprise! Tressel doesn’t say much
July 28, 2009
The needle has barely moved with Tribe fans this morning in regards to first basemen Ryan Garko being traded to San Francisco for left-handed Class A pitcher Scott Barnes. While many of you may say that Garko was the hottest bat on the Indians during this mini-streak they are on, its the equivalent of being the best looking girl in the Omega Moo Sorority in “Revenge of the Nerds.” The reality is that Garko has been given three years to prove that he is the answer at first base for the long term here. Obviously, he hasn’t taken the bull by the horns.
Sure, Garks can be a nice hitter at times, but first base is a power position and he is more of a singles and doubles hitter. His career high in home runs came in 2006 when he hit 21 in 484 at bats. Last season, the number dropped to 14 in 495 at bats. The other issue I’ve had with Garko since 2007 is his lack of production when his team was struggling. In 2007, in a pennant race, he hit .234 in September. In 2008, Ryan stumbled out of the gate along with his team, hitting .224 in April and .232 in May. Yet in August and September with all of the pressure off, Garko batted .292 and .384 respectively. This season, he hit .226 in May while the Indians were falling flat for the second year in a row. Check his stats since the Indians have been circling the drain – .343 in July.
There is a reason that the Indians have former first-round pick Beau Mills and top prospect Matt LaPorta both playing more first base in Akron and Columbus.
To a man, everyone loves Ryan as a teammate. He is a stand-up guy with the media and has a fun-loving nature. Working against Garko is the fact that he becomes arbitration eligible at the end of the season and would command upwards of $2 million in salary. Right now, he makes $55ok. With Mills and LaPorta waiting in the wings at the league minimum salary and an attendance that is dropping by the series, trading Garko is a pre-emptive strike for the 2010 payroll. Had they hung on to him, odds are that he would be non-tendered, making Ryan a free agent, where the organization would receive nothing in return for him.
What they did get, was a pretty decent prospect in Barnes. In doing some research on the kid, I came across quite a bit of love for the left-hander. Some examples:
Aaron Gleeman of Rotoworld.com:
As a low-key pickup Garko makes sense for the Giants, but the problem is that Barnes is actually a legit prospect, posting a 2.85 ERA and 99/29 K/BB ratio in 98 innings at high Single-A as a 21-year-old.
Cleveland did well to pick him up for a 28-year-old first baseman with a mediocre .805 OPS and poor glove who’s about to get fairly expensive via arbitration. Matt LaPorta is the obvious choice to replace Garko and is hitting .306/.386/.541 in 73 games at Triple-A, but for some reason the Indians will keep holding him back in favor of giving Andy Marte one last chance to show that he’s not a total bust.
A tall, lanky, 6-foot-3, 190-pound lefty, Barnes has a quick arm that can get his fastball up to the 92-93 mph range with tail, and he can add and subtract velocity as needed. Like top Giants prospect Madison Bumgarner, he shows the ball a bit on the backside of his delivery, but then it disappears as his arm starts to come forward, and he throws it with a whippy, slingerlike arm action that makes it tough to pick up as he releases the ball. However, he can control and repeat his delivery, and there really isn’t anything that would raise a big red flag. The Giants did a good job cleaning up the delivery, and he doesn’t jerk his head at the end as much as he did in college.
His circle changeup has gone through marked development since he became a pro, as it’s now a low-80s pitch with excellent arm speed and a consistent slot. His third pitch is a mid-70s curve that still needs work. When I talked with him recently, he mentioned the usual things a pitcher at this level is focused on — locating, being consistent and refining the breaking ball. As a fly-ball pitcher, the California League will be a good test for Barnes. He’s a little ways off from reaching the big leagues but projects as a solid starter down the road.
Now on to the business of today. With Garko gone, the first base position is wide open for now and 2010. You would think LaPorta, hitting .301 BA/13 HR/49 RBI at AAA Columbus, would be the guy to come up and play everyday. Guess again. Instead Tribe fans, get ready for the return of Andy Marte! Before you all freak out, the former top prospect may finally be getting it. He is still just 25 years old and is enjoying a career renaissance in Columbus. Marte, who has never hit over .275 in above A ball, is posting a .327 batting average with 18 homers and 66 RBI, while playing rock solid defense at third. The long swing that plagued him for the last three years has started to shorten. He will play mostly first base with the big club.We made the trade for a number of reasons,” said Shapiro. “We want to give Andy Marte a chance to come up here and show us what he can do. We also want to continually add pitching.” Marte is a minor league free agent at the end of the year, so it behooves the Tribe brass to give him one last shot at redemption. It isn’t a bad move on Shapiro’s part. He’s got nothing to lose.
Will more moves happen? I think any veteran with a movable contract (i.e. Jamey Carroll, Jhonny Peralta, maybe Cliff Lee or Victor Martinez) will be shipped out before Friday’s trade deadline.
27 Comments
I don’t buy into that “power position” sh*t…if Ichiro played 1B would we be criticizing him for not hitting enough home runs? Why does the hitting have to be linked to a certain position? “more of a singles and doubles hitter” is a bad thing? All that matters is where they hit in the lineup. If we were hitting him 4th obviously a singles and doubles hitter isn’t the place to go but linking the position in the field to how they’re “supposed” to hit is a joke.
Good, realistic analysis of what’s going on…….that ok with you Eli?
I supposed TD could have said it’s all “spectacular”, and that would be good read for Eli………
I mean all in all I would rather have LaPorta here gaining big league experience, but at least with Marte he gets one last shot to see if he actually gets it and if he does good for the Tribe. If not… then LaPorta is up here next year or even in September and will be ready to go for the next 6 years or so.
Uh ohh….someone’s trying to goad me into an INTERNETS BATTLE!
Sorry, no dice.
God Bless garks.. but TD is right. Not a pressure guy at all. The organization has obviously been split on him for years, and it is time to move on and get younger. Plus, Ryan had a whopping 5 RBI in 9 playoff games in 2007 and we need more from 1b than that. I love Scott “Spencer” Barnes as a pickup. The Wahoos need more power arms.
Ryan Garko was one of my favorite Indians, but I have to agree with TD here. This was a move that unfortunately had to be made.
Good luck, Gark!
SO glad to see Garko go. His downfall was droppin all those ribbies early on. Such a let down ever since.
which 3 years are you going by for him “to prove that he is the answer at first…”? The guy has never even had more than 500 AB. In 2007 he split time at first with Victor, Hafner, and Blake. In 2008 it was split between Victor, Blake, (AWESOME) Aubrey. While I understand he got the majority of time at first he was by no means given a chance to prove that he’s the answer at 1st. If they put Marte in the lineup it meant Blake moved to 1st. If they had Shoppach catch it meant Victor moved to 1st. Garko was always at the bottom of Wedge’s list and if Wedge wanted someone to get more playing time it meant Garko was gonna sit. That said I think it was right to get rid of him. There’s no way to justify 2+ million on someone your coach isn’t willing to play on a daily basis.
Good guy. sad to see him go from that standpoint (sort of like I always like Big Ben and Wally). But it was the right move.
sounds like ihatenames has switched names…sounds very similar to someone else that defended Garko tooth and nail…but thats cool…everyone has their fav’s…he’s one of my fav’s to see leave…couldnt stand him…glad hes gone…good luck to him…he’s gonna need it…he was at the bottom of Wedge’s list because he was slow with no power…if he was an elite catcher, it wouldnt matter…much the same as how VMart is a great hitting catcher, but an average to above average hitting 1b…if he cant catch anymore, and its obvious that he cant throw anyone out, then i say move him for someone else, and get someone in that can throw people out AND hit…thought throwing people out was a mandatory thing as a catcher…
glad theyre stockpiling some pitching…and some power arms at that…i dont care how good your stuff is, unless youre pinpoint with mid 80s stuff, you need to be able to have the hitter have less time to decide to swing…and yes, milliseconds do matter…
[…] yesterday’s trade of Ryan Garko to the Giants, Andy Marte is getting what could be his final shot, as he was called up and is available to play […]
Where did I say he was my favorite? I didn’t “defend Garko tooth and nail” I simply stated he never got a real shot at being our first baseman. I even agreed with getting rid of him. You’re allowed to hate him for whatever reasons you want but thinking he had his shot and blew it is ridiculous.
I am kind of split on this deal. I liked Garko a lot. I agree somewhat with the thought that he never quite did get a fair shot over three years to prove himself. He was always splitting time. And that might be because he deserved it, but maybe not. Are we going to sit here and talk about how great a talent evaluator Wedge is and that if he benched Garks for someone else then it must be right? I am not willing to go there.
I would rather have Wedge gone than Garko. But I do agree with need more power arms. I just think the guy never did a full season of at bats to prove anything. It is hard to stay in a groove hitting if you are constantly yanked around the lineup and playing time. Hitting is a lot of timing and feeling. How can you develop those consistently if you aren’t allowed to play. I feel the same about LaPorta when he was called up and then barely played. Of course he didn’t light it up at first, how could he?
I just think Wedge has no idea what he is doing and he needs to go.
Garko was a nice piece but certainly a replaceable one. He was not a good defensive player which would become more of a liability as the years troll on. He has some pop but nothing so extraordinary that he should be retained for that. There are plenty of journeymen 1B that have a similar skill set.
As to the Ichiro comment — yes he would. Because he is a great defensive player with plus speed who got on base alot better then Garko ever did with only slightly less power.
I didn’t bring defense into it Dingo. Of course his plus speed makes him a better defensive player somewhere else. I simply said that a 1B NEEDING to have power because they play first is a bit ridiculous. If I use Todd Helton would that be better for you? He would be considered a singles or doubles hitter would he not? And is there something wrong with him being a singles or doubles hitter at first?
I think it’s funny how Garko got labeled “below average” as a defensive player… that was back in 2006 when he came up. His fielding percentage at first base this year is .993. That ties him for 15th in the majors and that’s even better than Pujols at .992, who is a gold glover. You can get into the whole range thing, but Garko really does make some nice diving plays at 1b that seem to extend his range pretty well. He still sucks in the outfield, but that’s expected.
With that said, I like this trade a lot. We weren’t going to get much by keeping Garko, and let’s face it, we need pitching options. Sowers is never going to be an MLB starter, Laffey is a fifth starter at best, Huff needs more time, but he certainly hasn’t impressed yet, Carmona is shaky, and Westbrook is always injured. Okay I guess that about does it.
man…ihatenames…just change your name to ihateeverything…such a depressing, mad tone…sheesh…
anyhow, i said you sounded like someone who defended him tooth and nail…if youre not the same person, thats fine and dandy…no harm no foul…no reason to get all upset and angry…
i would take Ichiro at 1b with his lack of power, because he gets 200 hits a year, plays gold glove caliber D, and steals bases…what did garko ever do at first other than look like a rhino and look lost? he doesnt really have “power” that you look for in a 1b…but SF will find that out shortly…and the first time he trips over a hoof as he rounds 1b too far or when he’s playin first, theyll just laugh…
and as for helton…thats not even a remotely close comparison…CAREER 328 hitter, in his prime (which garko SHOULD be in) he was hitting 30 HRs and driving in 120…not to mention around 45-50 doubles…
lol you sure you aren’t confusing me with Isis DK? Where did I get upset or angry? I never said anything about you other than you can hate Garko for whatever reasons you please. I wasn’t comparing Garko and Helton I was simply stating that just because someone plays first doesn’t mean they MUST have power and Helton is a perfect example of that.
seemed like you were gettin worked up about it…and I know isis is (wow thats a lot of is’s) a bit on the ornery side…although most cleveland sports fans are…lol…
as you said something to the effect that helton is a single and doubles guy…which helton hitting 40-50 hrs in his prime (even in COL its not too shabby) is not a single/double guy like Garko…no where near a perfect example…but thats just my opinion….
I think I just get tired of the “no power for a 1B” mentality. Sure, lots of big power hitters play 1B, but that doesn’t mean all 1B have to.
and I can tell you one thing Garko did not do while looking like a rhino at first and that is commit lots of errors. He’s no gold glove winner but he’s not a liability either.
I like the trade..Garko can be painful to watch even though we all know he is a great guy. I’d be happy to see Jhonny traded before the week is over, he is on an absolute tear right now he doesn’t want to be in Cleveland. Bring in the young pitching, the league minimums, and an un-Wedgey lineup.
What are the odds that before the year is over Laporta is playing first, Marte’s at third? Any chance that Santana is up next year? Maybe we’ll hear from Brantley?
I always like Garko, and he was always splitting time with other guys. He never complained about it, either. He was a good teammate, and he accepted his role (whether he liked it or not). I think the Giants are going to be happy to have him, and I hope he does well.
That said, I’m glad we traded him. He obviously wasn’t he future at 1B, and asking him to be an OF was unfair, due to his well documented sub-par athleticism. I’m not glad to see him go – but I’m glad that we can un-clog 1B a little and give Garks a chance to show himself somewhere else.
Lastly – Shapiro is not a genius GM, and Wedge is a joke of a coach. Trade them to SF and you’ll really have me jumping for joy. They created a lot of the messes that they’re trying to fix now.
in a write up from a guy from Scouts Inc.
Garko–
Garko is a below-average offensive first baseman and a poor defender who is probably best suited to DH and certainly can’t play anywhere but first base, Cleveland’s experiments with him in left field notwithstanding. Although he has recovered nicely from his time at Stanford, where the coaching staff does its best to ruin every swing it gets its hands on, he’s not particularly patient and his hard swing doesn’t produce enough power to make him an average or better bat at first. He’s also a much better hitter against left-handed pitchers and is probably worthy of a platoon-mate to sub for him against righties. In theory, the Giants could platoon Garko with the left-handed-hitting Travis Ishikawa, but Ishikawa isn’t all that good against right-handed pitching (and therefore, isn’t all that good, period). Nate Schierholtz and John Bowker have both struggled and neither sets up as a good platoon partner for Garko, meaning Giants fans are going to see a lot of mediocre Garko at-bats against right-handed pitching unless general manager Brian Sabean has another move up his sleeve; a tandem of Garko and a good left-handed hitter with platoon problems of his own could be a good, cheap solution to the Giants’ lack of offense at first base.
In exchange for Garko, who was getting expensive and blocking Matt LaPorta (whom manager Eric Wedge will probably refuse to play anyway), Cleveland gets left-hander Scott Barnes, an eighth-round pick from 2008 out of St. John’s. Barnes has an average fastball and changeup with a fringe-average slider with a lot of effort in his delivery. He’s thrown well in a good pitchers’ park this year in high-A, but that’s not surprising for a semipolished college product like Barnes. Given the lack of a plus pitch and the effort in his delivery, he’s much more likely to end up a reliever in the big leagues.
[…] Earlier that evening, Garko was dealt to San Francisco for A pitcher Scott Barnes. […]
[…] Acquired from the San Francisco Giants organization for 1B/OF Ryan Garko, Barnes was Akron’s #4 playoff starter and thus had the honor and pitching the clinching game against his former organization. He was one of the top pitching stars in the offensive-heavy California League, and the season-ending numbers are pretty solid. An ‘08 selection out of St. John’s, he should have time to develop with the Aeros next season and there is less pressure on him because of what Rondon/Gomez did this past year. […]