Braves trade Millwood for a minor league catcher??

I thought the same thing when I heard.

Dumb trade Millwood is a horse. Maybe he's damaged goods and they want to get something for him while they still can.

Yeah baby we now got Thome, Bell, and Millwood...

Estrada was an up and comer though, so the Braves dindt get totally shafted. We just didnt have much use for him now with Lieberthal and Pratt.

Almost as odd as when the Spurs traded Dennis Rodman for the amzing Will Perdue

This is a track board, but I will prove that I know more about baseball than you!!! You can only start so many starting pitchers! Schuerholz knows what he is doing. He has a great pitching staff and I am rooting for the Braves to win it all!!!!! (Paul Byrd fan, here)

This trade does NOT make sense. The Braves were reportedly asking for 2 starting major leaguers from other teams for Millwood. I don't care how many pitchers the Braves have, they did not have to give Millwood away. I'm pretty sure the Red Sox are looking for another starter and they would have given much more in return. I could understand Estrada and a mediocre major leaguer in return for Millwood. But not just Estrada... Unless Millwood is damaged goods.

what was the fastest way to dump salary ?? millwood was probably going to get around $10 mil. they just dealt moss and got 3 new guys in case maddox bolted. then he comes back (probably for $15-18 mil) so ... whatcha gonna do ?? can't really dump the new guys and marquis' salary wouldn't help much. baseball economics 101.

Well, I guess I find it strange that they "dumped" Millwood to another improving team in their own division. Maybe since I'm a Red Sox fan, I was kinda bummed that my team couldn't give up Mirabelli or Shoppach (minor league catcher) or somebody to get Millwood. Atlanta should have been able to get more for a pitcher with numbers like his.

DougC,

I am amazed and impressed to see you discuss things other than running! No offense meant, but I had pegged you as a running-only kind of guy.

Seems to me that the Braves have decided to go into money-saving mode and rebuilding mode. They lost Glavine too of course. The Phillies just might be something to watch. Of course Millwood doesn't always have a good season, so we'll see.

The real damaged goods in the National League seems to be Ken Griffey Jr. Man has that guy's stock fallen. He would be in San Diego right now if it weren't for that guy there (his name escapes me) nixing the deal. Griffey needs to put up one or two more stellar years if he wants to make the Hall of Fame.

Flagpole Willy wrote:

Seems to me that the Braves have decided to go into money-saving mode and rebuilding mode. They lost Glavine too of course. The Phillies just might be something to watch. Of course Millwood doesn't always have a good season, so we'll see.

I think John Schuerholz got snagged by Maddox. I don't think he expected him to accept arbitration and he was forced to dump quickly.

Since he dumped him to a division rival this is pretty stupid unless he knows Millwood's arm is falling off.

Braves didn't expect Maddux to take arbitration, he did so they had to dump someone to get some $$. Nobody could take Milwood's salary except the Phills, who knew they had the braves bent over.

~mike

Mike

There are about 4 or 5 teams in the AL that would have taken Millwood in a heartbeat. Yanks, Red Sox, Orioles are 3 that come to mind immediately that can take on the salary.

There has to be more to it than just a complete salary dump, especially within the division. I think Millwood may have some health issues and his ERA was not great this past year. He also stumbled 2 years ago after being annointed the next great thing.

I think the Braves know pitching. Usually if they are trading a guy they know what they are doing with few exceptions.

BF

eh suck my dick

Fullem - it does indeed sound like something that's too good to be true for the Phills, but read what the Atlanta GM has to say. 10mil a year isn't exactly chump change, especially for a guy who was hurt last season.

Oh, and I didn't make that last post.

~mike

http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2002/1220/1480130.html

"With Kevin's arbitration number projected to be $10 million this season and with Greg Maddux accepting arbitration we were $15 million over budget," Schuerholz told ESPN

"I tried. No one was willing to take the $10 million this season," Schuerholz told Ravech. "Only one team (wanted to), and it was the team he was ultimately traded to. As late as 15 minutes before the deal was finalized, I was on the phone and not one team was willing to move."

Good quote Peds, that is suprising. I don't know why the Braves were in such a hurry, when does the luxury tax deadline kick in?

If Millwood is healthy then this is a steal. I don't think you can evaluate trades until at least a few years later. I am sure the Tigers were thrilled with Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz in 1984, they win the world series and Alexander goes something like 12- 0 for them. Think Detroit wishes that had that one back now? How about the Red Sox and Jeff Bagwell for Larry Anderson? A bullpen guy for the stretch run and the Sox get swept by Oakland in the playoffs. Maybe Estrada turns into the next Mike Piazza.

BF

The Red Sox and Yankees were ready to trade 2 starting major leaguers for Bartolo Colon who is not any better than Millwood, so I think the Braves blew it. Check out the link below for the real reason for the trade.

bfullem wrote:

Good quote Peds, that is suprising. I don't know why the Braves were in such a hurry, when does the luxury tax deadline kick in?

If Millwood is healthy then this is a steal. I don't think you can evaluate trades until at least a few years later. I am sure the Tigers were thrilled with Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz in 1984, they win the world series and Alexander goes something like 12- 0 for them. Think Detroit wishes that had that one back now? How about the Red Sox and Jeff Bagwell for Larry Anderson? A bullpen guy for the stretch run and the Sox get swept by Oakland in the playoffs. Maybe Estrada turns into the next Mike Piazza.

BF

Difference is Bagwell and Smoltz were well regarded prospects.

Estrada is, I think, 26 years old and guys like that don't usually turn around and have big careers. As a matter of fact - the only reason Estrada was likely in the deal is that MLB would not approve a deal which was an outright giveaway.

The Phillies were the only team that could afford to pick up Millwood's likely arbitration award and will likely sign him to a longer term contract prior to his hearing.