Bavasi traded Shin-Soo Choo/Astrubal Cabrera because...

"We were on strict orders when I got there that we were not going to tolerate any five-year plans," said Bavasi, now a special assistant with the Cincinnati Reds. "They felt that five-year plans usually turn into seven- or eight-year plans, and it’s true. That made sense — just keep getting better — but that also brought with it different pressures."

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"We just didn’t have a chance for him to play at that time," Bavasi said. "We looked at his tools and makeup and thought he would be a pretty good player. But every number he’s put up is a little bit better than what we anticipated."

almost 2 years ago ThundaPC 28 comments 0 recs |

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For all their work to prevent it, Judgment Day still came.

by Janic on May 28, 2010 1:30 AM PDT reply actions

Well thankfully the measures taken to avoid seven years of rebuilding have led to at least seven years of rebuilding.

FUCK THE MARINERS!

by Fuckmikereilly on May 28, 2010 1:39 AM PDT reply actions 3 recs

5 year plans suck.

One year brain-dead-monkey-esque improvisations work so much better.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on May 28, 2010 3:41 AM PDT reply actions

Oh, so THAT's why we got Horacio Ramirez

Because high-ceiling prospects who haven’t reached their potential are worth far less than overrated, washed-up nobodies. I get it now.

It all makes sense.

Why get guys who are going INTO their prime, when you can get guys who have already HIT their prime and are quickly declining?

by HititHere on May 28, 2010 9:48 AM PDT reply actions

Shin-Soo Choo?

No, Shin-Soo You Bill Bavasi!

by Janic on May 28, 2010 10:51 AM PDT reply actions

"My name is Bill Bavasi and I can't evaluate talent"

by chaney on May 28, 2010 11:53 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Weren't people generally fans of this trade at the time?

I forget.

by Fett42 on May 28, 2010 1:14 PM PDT reply actions

I didn't know any better if that's what you're asking

It was stupid.

by Jeff Sullivan on May 28, 2010 2:27 PM PDT up reply actions

Also, I don't think anybody thought Choo was going to be nearly this good. Cabrera also probably is a better hitter than people thought.

by Edgar for Pres on May 28, 2010 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions

I did >:(

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett Mariners Minors

by JY on May 28, 2010 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions

I kind of don't believe you

by Edgar for Pres on May 28, 2010 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

Here's what I said at the time...

There wasn’t really a whole lot of room for Choo with us any time soon. Ichiro is pretty well entrenched in right, Jones has greater potential all around, and Ibanez is doing just fine in left, and health willing, that could be Snelling’s spot too. Choo does have incredible minor league translations and plays a solid game, defense aside, but he loses the power game to all of the above and isn’t the most instinctual player in the world for how physically talented he is. He could be a lot more than he’s shown, but he has played like an average to slightly better five-tooler or, arguably, a fourth outfielder, and has done so for a few years. He’s not really the right fit for the roster, and would be wasted as the fourth guy out there, so the M’s shipped him off to Cleveland for a guy who is having a strong, potential breakout season at the major league level.

It’s funny that I ever thought that Snelling was going to be healthy.

So, basically, I thought that he was going to be a starter and didn’t think that he was going to hit for this kind of power.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett Mariners Minors

by JY on Jun 1, 2010 5:24 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm not calling anyone out

I just don’t recall much negativity at the time

by Fett42 on May 28, 2010 3:48 PM PDT up reply actions

Kind of.

We rationalized it because AsCab was goin to be blocked by our amazing and youg infield duo of Betancourt and Lopez, and Choo had previously been blocked by Ibanez and started off the year slow. As he started to hit better, we traded him, and he tore it up for Cleveland because, hey, he wasn’t blocked…

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett Mariners Minors

by JY on May 28, 2010 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Was he really blocked in Seattle?

In 2006, the outfield consisted Ibanez, Ichiro, and a mishmash of Willie, Jeremy Reed, Matt Lawton, Chris Snelling, and Adam Jones. All six of those players did nothing with the playing time they were given. Meanwhile, despite tearing up AAA, Choo received all of 12 plate appearances before somehow being deemed expendable. Then in 2007 Bavasi turned around and signed Jose Guillen to upgrade the outfield. Guillen ended up having a good year, but long-term Seatle gave up a player with a fairly high ceiling making the league minimum and under club control for several years for half of a 1B platoon and the right to sign Jose Guillen. God I hate Bill Bavasi!

by schismatix on May 28, 2010 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions

Adam Jones was an infinitely better prospect than Choo

by Edgar for Pres on May 28, 2010 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions

I completely agree with that.

It’s not like Choo was a crappy prospect, though; he put up decent numbers all the way through the minors. I think I’m just angry at how short-sighted the whole thing seemed. Carl Everett was a black hole as “DH”, and Raul wasn’t getting any younger at 34. It seemed like they could’ve utilized Choo in some DH/OF role to give him an adequate amount of time to adjust to big league pitching.

by schismatix on May 28, 2010 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions

We did think we had a chance to contend

You make short-sighted moves when you have a chance at the playoffs because the payoff is so big.

On the list of Bavasi’s moves, these two trades were not bad ones. I’d say they were average moves that looked ok at the time. At least the reasoning behind trading Choo was reasonably sound at the time. I don’t think anybody thought he’d turn out to be so good and Broussard would be so bad.

by Edgar for Pres on May 28, 2010 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions