For the past three years, Gotham Baseball Magazine has tracked,
reported and discussed every single trade rumor involving former No. 1
pick Lastings Milledge. So to say that his trade to he Nationals on
Friday was an unlooked for event would be incorrect. The return of
Ryan Church and Brian Schneider was even less shocking, as SI.com's Jon
Heyman – who's doubling these days as a WFAN reporter – told us that it
was going to happen a week ago.
“Omar is NUTS. Milledge is only 22 and a can't miss!”
“FIRE MINAYA”
“This deal makes the Kazmir trade look reasonable.”
These are just a few of the thousands of comments I've heard and read over the last several hours, and I have to say I neither understand the anger or the disbelief. Do people really think that Milledge's value across baseball was higher than a Gold Glove-caliber starting catcher AND a 29-year old corner outfielder with speed, a great arm and who hit 43 doubles in 2007?
It was not.
Plus, Minaya, who traded for Church once before (from Cleveland in 2004 for Scott Steward) and had Schneider when he was the Expos general manager from 2002-04, knew what he was getting back. He also knew what he was trading away; a once-promising CF prospect, miscast as a corner OF with little power projection, a poor baserunner with precious little baseball savvy, a smallish frame that has yet to make it through a season without a stay on the DL, and a Timo Perez-sized ego to boot.
This isn't to say that Minaya traded Milledge because he didn't like his game, or as some suggest, his off-the-field eccentricities. In fact, I know for a fact that Minaya has the greatest affection and respect for Milledge as both a person and a ballplayer. The reality is that Minaya didn't have room on his roster for a .280 hitter with limited power and a reputation for annoying his teammates and manager.
Furthermore, the baseball execs that Minaya tried to peddle Milledge to this past month didn't feel the need to create any space on their roster either. It' mot likely that he only regret in making this deal is that Minaya didn't deal him sooner.
In 2005, Minaya said Milledge was “untouchable” in the Manny Ramirez talks. Partly true, as Milledge would have certainly been dealt had the Bosox been willing to eat some of Manny's then-bloated contract.
Later that same year, talks with the A's regarding then-Oakland left-hander Barry Zito stalled because A's GM Billy Beane demanded that Milledge be part of the deal. Minaya again deemed Milledge untouchable. Again, if the A's had agreed to a 72-hour window with which the Mets could have negotiated with Zito, Milledge would have been dealt.
Last year, the Mets, according to several sources, could have acquired Oakland' Danny Haren or Joe Blanton in a deal for Milledge and Aaron Heilman. But as the Mes had declined to re-sign Chad Bradford, and were unsure of the Opening Day status of Duaner Sanchez, never pulled the trigger on that deal.
The Nationals? They tried to get Milledge last year as well, as GM Jim Bowden had called Minaya several times, trying to get the Mets to deal him Brian Bannister and Milledge for a package that included John Patterson, but the Mets said no.
Coulda, woulda, shoulda...but they didn't. Can't blame Minaya for trying to maximize the value of a player that he didn't draft (he chose closer Chad Cordero a few picks later for the Expos) and we sure as hell aren't ging to criticize for dealing him now.
Bad as the Kazmir deal? Are Mets fans serious? At the time of the ridiculous deal that brought back the dreadful Victor Zambrano, Kazmir was among the best prospects in all of baseball. Milledge? Not even the Royals, who are scouring baseball for a toolsy OF with pop, were even the slightest bit interested.
Milledge, under the tutelage of the friendly Manny Acta (who has always been a Lasting fan), should develop into a solid MLB player. Maybe 2-3 years from now, the Mets will look at this deal and say, “Wow, Milledge is a real nice player, too bad we traded him.”
I don't think so, though. Carlos Gomez' star burns far brighter, and along with Fernando Martinez, represent the true top class of the Mets' system that may or may not hve the chips that could reap the dream of a frontline starter.
For the past three years, Gotham Baseball Magazine has tracked,
reported and discussed every single trade rumor involving former No. 1
pick Lastings Milledge. So to say that his trade to he Nationals on
Friday was an unlooked for event would be incorrect. The return of
Ryan Church and Brian Schneider was even less shocking, as SI.com's Jon
Heyman – who's doubling these days as a WFAN reporter – told us that it
was going to happen a week ago.
These are just a few of the thousands of comments I've heard and read over the last several hours, and I have to say I neither understand the anger or the disbelief. Do people really think that Milledge's value across baseball was higher than a Gold Glove-caliber starting catcher AND a 29-year old corner outfielder with speed, a great arm and who hit 43 doubles in 2007?
