It Happens Every Spring

There are many rites of spring, including AMC showing the old Ray Milland movie "It Happens Every Spring" in which he's a chemistry professor and he invents by accident a substance that is "allergic" to wood. He becomes a baseball pitcher for the Cardinals and doctors the ball by wetting a small cloth which he puts in the palm of his glove underneath a small hole. You've got to love a 50+ year old movie that not only champions cheating (how timely!) but also has The Skipper (Alan Hale, Jr.) playing a college baseball player (catcher, naturally).

Yesterday we in BABI witnessed another classic rite of spring with the following email from the Doyle Cartel:

I have the following players available to trade for a closer, obviously it would be a multiple for one deal so would only suit a team that can give up a closer but needs keepers. I also have the first pick in the farm draft that I am willing to trade.

3B RBranyan Mil 7 06X
2B TWalker ChN 9 06
SS JWilson Pit 8 06
OF TRedman Pit 15 05X
P MHampton Atl 12 06X
P LHernandez Was 17 06
P JKennedy Col 5 06X
OF JStokes Fla 05 F
P CHamels Phi 5 F

What an enticing list! And all for just a closer!

As Bluto Brittain put it, "you know it's spring when you get the first ridiculous trade offer from Greg Doyle." Yes, this from the guy who had already offered him a $45 Billy Wagner, who he insists will go for at least that in the auction. I offered to take the under.

This year there is one bona fide closer (Wagner) plus whoever the Colorado guy is available. That's it, unless Adams isn't the answer in Milwaukee. Four teams in BABI have no closer going in, so there is bound to be a saves bidding war, and Mark says he'll be there to price enforce.

As for the Cartel, let's take a look at that list again. It's kind of a list mixed with unexciting guys at decent prices and unexciting guys at not so decent prices.

Branyan will probably go at 7, but he's going to hit .240 and the Brewers still have Wes Helms who sucked last year, but hit 23 dingers in 2003. We like Walker at 9, but he's not worth much more than that. Same thing with Jack Wilson at 8. Walker and Wilson both have the benefit of being middle infielders. Redman is in the last year of his contract, and he's worth just about 15, though he has the benefit of getting a few steals. Hamption pitched well at the end, but he won't go for more than 12 even in a high inflation league. Same with Hernandez at 17, who finished ugly last year. You've got to love a guy who will actually offer Joe Kennedy, a Colorado starter who won't go for more than a buck if he's drafted at all. And I'm not qualified to comment on those farm guys. The #1 draft slot is pretty nice, but not for a real closer.

Early last season, before he traded for Izzy, we told Ken that there weren't going to be any closers in this year's auction, and that you'd better make sure you have something going in. He credits us with this tidbit (he's given us a few over the years including Reitsma). I guess we should have mentioned it to Greg.

Hey, we're still thinking about keeping Valverde. We actually threw his name out to Greg. He wrote back:

Valverde is a good one but not tempting enough at this point for what I think you’d want for him. There may be other setup guys available.

We're not keeping him if he's a setup guy. But he's got a real possibility of being at least a half closer, which would make him worth 14. It'a a longshot, but we're going to wait to find out. Unless Greg wants to fork over that draft pick...