The Rockies ship Holliday to the A’s and get some no-names in return.
by Sam Thomas
photo by Manny Perez
On a chilly Colorado day, all-star Matt Holliday wasn’t unpacking his winter jacket, but instead unpacking his shorts and Hawaiian shirts. In a much-anticipated move, the Rockies traded three time All-Star Matt Holliday for some top-rated rookies and a crafty reliever. All in all was the trade the right move to make? The answer is simple, "…nope."
In the previous months tempers flared between Holliday and the owners of the Colorado Rockies. The whole situation started when Holliday told the Rocky Mountain News that it didn’t seem to him as if the Rockies’ general management was going to make the necessary moves to get some good starting pitching in Colorado. The tempers continued to rage when Holliday said he wants to be on a team where every year they are a true threat in the post season. He further insinuated that the run the Rockies made at the end of the 2007 season was a fluke, calling it “a perfect storm.”
With all the bad feelings between the Rockies and Matt Holliday, Holliday chose to work out with private trainers in California instead of the regular off-season workouts with the Rocks. The Rockies offered Holliday a four year, 72 million dollar deal with a club option of adding a fifth year worth 12 million. This would add to his two remaining years with the Rockies. While Holliday is still under arbitration (which means he cannot become a free agent until after his fifth year in the MLB) Holliday and his super agent Scott Boras saw it as a five year deal with a no trade clause, neither of which sat well with Holliday or Boras. They argued that players of Holliday’s stature have made well over 120 million for a five-year deal, including Alex Rodriguez who made twenty eight million dollars last year and Manny Ramirez who made nearly eighteen million. These are two of the few players in all of baseball who match up to Matt Holliday.
In the end, the Management decided to make the trade for three players: two pitchers and a younger outfielder.
First is a young and highly talented left fielder, Carlos Gonzalez. The rookie last year failed to perform at the Major League level, batting .242 with four home runs and 26 runs batted in (RBI) with 22 doubles. He only started 76 games for Oakland before being sent back down to Triple A. Last year he was the number one recruit for the As. He’s highly thought of because he is considered to be a five-tool player, who can hit for a high average, hit for power, plays great defense, has a very strong arm, and has lightning speed. Gonzalez has a better arm than Holliday, better speed, and better defensive skills. He’s just young. He needs at least one more year to get his confidence up and play at the high level of which he is capable.
Next is rookie Greg Smith. The left handed starting pitcher lead the A’s in innings pitched, games started, and complete games. He won seven games in the 2008 season, and lost 16. He had an earned run average (ERA) of 4.16 in his rookie season. His over all numbers match his wins and era, his strike out to walk ratio was less than stellar, walking eighty seven and striking out one hounded and eleven. This lack of control is not what the Rockies need; when pitchers work from behind, pitching at Coors Field bad things happen. With the altitude and the above average sized out field alleys, Colorado pitchers need to work ahead of batters throwing a lot of strikes and keeping the batter of balance. The left-hander is projected to be the fourth or fifth started for the Rockies bringing another left handed pitcher to the heavy right-handed rotation.
Finally is closer/middle reliever Houston Street. The reliever went 7 and 5 with a 3.73 ERA in 63 games. He lead the A’s in saves, racking up 18 saves in 24 attempts. In the last three years he’s lead his team in saves. The righty will battle with Manny Corpas for the new closer spot, formally held by Brian Fuentes who is also no longer a Rockie. Street had surgery during the off-season to remove bone chips from his elbow, so his health could be a factor in the upcoming season.
How do these players stack up against three time All-Star Matt Holliday? Holliday has a career batting average of .319 with 128 home runs and 4 83 runs batted in. He’s a three time All-Star, being selected to play in the 06,07,and 08 All Star games, including a solo home run to put the first run on the board in the 2008 All-Star game. He’s a two time Silver Slugger winner for left field in the 2006 and 2007 seasons (the Silver Slugger goes to the best all around hitter for each position). Holliday was also the National League Championship Series MVP and second runner up for National League Most Valuable Player. Along with an NL batting title in 2007 for the highest batting average in the National League, Matt Holliday is clearly a blue chip player.
The simple fact is there are only a few Matt Holliday caliber players in all of Major League Baseball. The players that the Rockies got in return just don’t match up. Holliday is hands down one of the best players in Baseball and we just shipped him off the Oakland. He’s one of the most dominating hitters in all of baseball, if not the best. Unlike most great hitters Holliday, was second on the team in stolen bases, stealing 28 bags in the 2007 season. Matt Holliday is Hall of Fame kind of player.
The trade was a horrible move on the Rockies part. The only trade that would make sense for Holliday is a twenty-game winning pitcher or another five tool All-Star player. The Rockies settled for three OK players who don’t add up to half of Matt Holliday. All in all a bad trade for the Rockies, an outstanding trade for the A’s. Congrats Oakland, you just got one of the best players in baseball; he’s going to be truly missed in Colorado.
