Why so serious?
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see much of the game last night. Fortunately, it was because I was at the movie theater waiting in line to see arguably the BEST BATMAN MOVIE EVER. It was the first time I've ever pulled a stunt like this, watching the premier of a movie at midnight, but last night I saw the best movie of the summer. It's that good.
Like its name suggests, The Dark Night is truly dark. Not in the comic book-y fashion of Tim Burton, Michael Keaton, and Jack Nicholson in the original Batman, though; no, this movie could happen in New York tomorrow, which makes it so horrifying and real. The part of the joker could not have been played any better, as I am convinced that this was Heath Ledger's finest work in his short acting career. Deranged, sociopathic, terrifying, and inhuman, the joker was everything you'd expect him to be if you saw him on the news this morning. I certainly don't want to spoil anything for you, but know that you will love this movie if you are a Batman fan, even a casual one like me. One of the best aspects of the movie? Very little CGI. Everything you see is real. And believable.
I'm wondering if this is high-time to sell high on Kyle Lohse. The A's traded struggling starter Joe Blanton to the Phillies yesterday, netting two of the Phillies top 5 prospects at the beginning of the season - Adrian Cardenas and Josh Outman. Cardenas is a second base prospect who would fit in perfectly with our farm system, posting good on-base percentages with some pop. Lohse is having a career season so far - 12 wins, 3.35 ERA, 3.72 FIP - despite having a career low K/9 (4.49) and a BABIP that he's been able to replicate only once in his career (.287). With Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright set to start making rehab starts soon, why not sell Kyle at his ultimate high point of value? Signing Lohse long-term is going to be pricey and risky, considering he's never been this good and is approaching 30-years-old. Think of who the Yankees would be willing to give up to get Lohse. Or the Mets. Or even the Dodgers, who have a stocked system.
As much as I like Lohse, the Cardinals are going to be crunched going into next year, having Carpenter, Wainwright, Todd Wellemeyer, and Joel Pineiro already set in the rotation. Not to mention Mitch Boggs, Mike Parisi, Anthony Reyes (for now), Clayton Mortensen, Jaime Garcia, and Kyle McClellan all capable of filling the 5th starter role. We're not going to give Lohse the money he's likely to command, and he probably won't be more than a Type-B free agent. If we capitalize now, we can get a better haul for a team desperate for pitching. Matt Kemp, anyone? Ok, maybe that might be a little much to expect.
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4 comments:
In order for Reyes to be with the Cards next year, he HAS to be on the active roster. If he is placed on the 40 man roster but NOT on the active roster he has to clear waivers first--that probably won't happen. I don't see a scenario with Reyes wearing the birds on the bat next year so you can scratch him from the apparent logjam at 1. As for dealing Lohse...I like the way you think.
I'm content with building up Anthony's value in Triple-A for now and spinning him off at the deadline. If Anthony can get in two more solid starts before the trade deadline, he could be dealt before July 31st. For now, though, I expect him to remain with the team until the winter hot stove season.
And yet Lohse is alive, healthy. You have only front office theatrics to suggest that Carpenter has a future at all. Wainwright is an ambulance case himself.
That's true, and a very valid point. Lohse's dependability rivals that of Jeff Suppan, his most similar comp. Trading Lohse would mean you've weighed the health of Carp and Wainwright and deemed them capable of contributing.
By July 31st, hopefully we will have a better read on what we can expect from our two recovering starters. Only then can we truly entertain the possibility of trading Kyle.
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