New York Nine

I'm going to attempt to make up for not blogging yesterday, but I'm at work so I still have to at least put up a front that I'm putting some effort here. Interesting deal went down yesterday that probably won't make a whole lot of difference this year, but I forsee it being one in the years to come. The Cubs traded the once top prospect Felix Pie (he ranked 1 overall in their system for 06' and 07' by Baseball America) for LHP Garrett Olson and RHP Henry Williamson and to be honest I can't believe Baltimore got away with this. I won't go into Williamson, a 14th round pick last year in single A because he's so far off from the majors its impossible to project him, but as someone who watches a lot of AL east baseball i can tell you that there is positively nothing impressive about garrett olson aside from the fact he throws with his left hand. His numbers aren't indicitive of any discernable talent as last year at 25, he was 9-10 with a 6.65 ERA in 26 starts for Baltimore last season., and in 33 career starts for the Orioles, Olson was 10-13 with a 6.87 ERA. Now he is still young, 25 and sometimes lefties take longer to get it together but there's nothing really to indiciate he'll be better than a 5th starter for them, with a pedestrian 83K's in 132 innings with 62 walks. He'll probably serve as a bullpen arm or possibly as a back end of the rotation, certianly not worthless, but its painful to consider what they gave up to get that in Pie. While in sporadic playing time he has not exactly impressed, I believe this is a result of a lack of consist playing time rather than any lack of talent. His numbers in the minors suggest a great deal of potential posting a career line of 299BA .353OBP .470SLG with over a 100 stolen bases over the course of 5 seasons indicates a true talent hitting for power and average, showing good to average plate disicpline as well as speed on the basepaths. As I said he was their top prospect considered untouchable for a time, so what happened? I for one credit Sweet Lou Pinella on this one, refusing to give the kid a shot or at least a legitmate one, maybe he didn't like the cut of his jib or something, but there seems to be no real reason for it and I find it puzzling. Indeed, Pie could have potentially filled the gaping hold in center field for the cubs, possibly giving them a powerful left handed bat (something they are very clearly lacking as last years NLDS indicated) as well as speed on the basepaths in the range to play an execellent center for the cubbies. Who knows, maybe there is something seriously wrong with Pie, after all Pinella through his years of success in baseball as a player and manager has proven himself to be a sharp baseball mind, and I wouldn't doubt that he knows more about the game than I do, but from what I can tell this is a short sighted move that is a direct result of impatience on the part of the cubs. On the other side, it seems as though Baltimore has set themselves up nicely in the outfield for years to come. I mean seriously, Markakis in right, Adam Jones in center and Pie in left, I dare you to find an outfield filled with better young talent, thats crazy. Of course young talent is no guarantee but I like what Baltimore is doing a lot, biding their time and quietly collecting a great deal of young cheap talent to compete in the future. Now in the short term this deal could be benefical for the cubs, olson has decent stuff and could very well succeed in a bullpen role, but the impact that has in compared to a power hitting center fielder is pretty small. Not like the cubs fans dont have enough to hang their head about, I fear they will rue the day Pie became a Oriole.