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Posted: **July 28 10, 3:29 pm**

Swirls wrote:Wasn't that one of Whitey's famous quotes?

Something along the lines of "It's better to trade a player when he's at his peak and risk him being an All-Star for someone else than it is to keep him on your team and risk him getting injured/sucking it up/being a waste of a roster spot."

"Better to trade a player a year too early than a year too late."
- Branch Rickey

Posted: **July 28 10, 4:05 pm**

skmsw wrote:
Swirls wrote:Wasn't that one of Whitey's famous quotes?

Something along the lines of "It's better to trade a player when he's at his peak and risk him being an All-Star for someone else than it is to keep him on your team and risk him getting injured/sucking it up/being a waste of a roster spot."
"Better to trade a player a year too early than a year too late."
- Branch Rickey

Bingo, I was thinking exactly the same thing. Branch was master at that. He traded Johnny Mize, and created a huge hubbub in St.Louis, but The Big Cat was on the downhill side of his career then. It also helps a great deal to have lots of young minor league troops to bring up to replace them. Then, we had the minor farm system before anyone else came to their senses. It's like calling the top of the stock market, you don't have to be perfect- just close.

Posted: **July 28 10, 4:18 pm**

Knot Hole Gang Vet wrote:
skmsw wrote:
Swirls wrote:Wasn't that one of Whitey's famous quotes?

He traded Johnny Mize, and created a huge hubbub in St.Louis, but The Big Cat was on the downhill side of his career then.

Actually, Mize is a poor example - he had several good seasons with the Giants, and a number of years as the Yankees' top pinch-hitter after that. It was Mize's 40 homers (along with Kiner's 40) in 1948, for instance, that stood in the way of Stan Musial's winning the Triple Crown that year (Stan wound up with 39 homers).

Chick Hafey might be a better example, or even Joe Medwick - two very good players who were never as good after Branch traded them away. Mort Cooper is another good example, although we probably should have kept his brother Walker a while longer.

You have to be careful with the whole "trade a player a year early" bit, though - the Reds, for instance, considered Frank Robinson to be an "old 30" when they dealt him to Baltimore after the 1965 season for Milt Pappas.

Posted: **July 28 10, 7:48 pm**

"I'd say it's about 60 percent that something could be done and 40 percent that Roy will be here next year," McLane told the Chronicle. The Cardinals have reportedly backed out of negotiations and the Phillies seem to be having trouble meeting the Astros' sky-high demands. Oswalt, 32, has a 3.42 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 120 strikeouts in 129 innings this season.

Posted: **July 28 10, 7:51 pm**

That quote seems a lot more optimistic than the news we've heard about Oswalt.

Posted: **July 28 10, 7:57 pm**

Fat Strat wrote:That quote seems a lot more optimistic than the news we've heard about Oswalt.

I think as Saturday approaches the price is dropping. I think you said it, he's at his peak value right now. They won't get near the prospects in the off-season, won't have the same market size and Oswalt likely won't have the same value.

I doubt they'd continue negotiations with Philly if Oswalt said he'd never accept the trade. I imagine they have a decent offer from the Cards on the table, Mo said they won't negotiate further and walked away. Friday late or early Saturday Wade'll realize he won't get what he's askin, realize he won't get a better deal in December and deal him somewhere.

In fact if I'm Mo, I'm working on a deal for Westbrook/anyone get things almost lined up and call Wade. I've got this offer inline for _______ if I acquire this pitcher you won't hear from me on Oswalt again, so is there something we can do?

Posted: **July 28 10, 8:03 pm**

I think as Saturday approaches the price is dropping.

I don't know. More teams have left the table in negotiations with the Astros than are in it. It's pretty much just the Phillies now as every other team has balked at the price and walked away. I don't think the price is dropping at all.

Posted: **July 28 10, 8:47 pm**

Fat Strat wrote:
I think as Saturday approaches the price is dropping.
I don't know. More teams have left the table in negotiations with the Astros than are in it. It's pretty much just the Phillies now as every other team has balked at the price and walked away. I don't think the price is dropping at all.

If the Phillies are the only ones at the table then the Stros have no leverage to ask for more.

Either their resigned to keeping him, or they'll have to drop the price as the dead line nears.

I'm clearly hoping for the latter, but the former is most likely.

Posted: **July 28 10, 8:59 pm**

We need a bat at the bottom of the lineup.

Posted: **July 28 10, 10:25 pm**

They're not gonna trade him. Not for pennies on the dollar.

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