The Pros and Cons of the George Sherrill Trade
Written by Nicholas McMillan on March 14, 2010 – 6:12 am -Upon first hearing the news about the Baltimore Orioles and the fact that they traded their closer for two minor league baseball players, I was very surprised to hear the news. It really seemed like they gave him away for nothing in return. I knew nothing of Bell and Johnson, and wasn’t happy about it.
Fortunately, my mindset has shifted a bit since looking more into the players they received in return. Of course it would have been nice to have received players who can make an immediate impact, but Bell and Johnson both look like pretty promising prospects.
There was no point in trying to contend for a 2009 playoff run. Way too many teams stand in the Orioles’ way, especially the Red Sox and the Yankees, both over 15 games ahead of Baltimore.
It makes sense to build some more toward the future. The team certainly has some pieces in place (i.e. Adam Jones and Nick Markakis) to build around.
The Orioles will most likely lose 36-year-old Melvin Mora to free agency after season’s end. If they don’t lose him, he’s aging anyway and he’ll soon need a replacement.
Josh Bell, one of the players the Orioles received for Sherrill, has played solid baseball all season for the Chattanooga minor league team. In 94 games, he’s posted a .296 average, with 11 HRs and 52 runs batted in. Johnson, the other player received in the deal, is a starting pitcher with a 9-5 win loss record and a 3.61 earned run average.
These 2 players are just two more pieces of the Orioles’ game plan. Their rookies this year have been outstanding so here’s to hoping that Bell and Johnson can contribute to a future winning club. I, for one, think they will.
Let’s go Orioles!
Nicholas McMillan is an eternal MLB zealot, and is pleased to see signs of improvement on the Baltimore baseball scene. He often contributes his input at this Baltimore Orioles forum, and posts at their sports forum whenever he needs a break from baseball.
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