3/25/2004 03:36:00 PM by Rob

My guy is gone

Looks like my guy Juan Cruz is gonna get the chance after all to pitch in a big league rotation.

He has been traded to Atlanta for an Andy Pratt, a AAA lefty with a 7-10 ERA last year, albeit with a decent ERA, and he also led the IL in strikeouts.

Yes, this Pratt IS a lefty, but he had a below average record in Triple A, whereas our guy dominated during his AAA stint. I realize that Hendry had his hands tied, waiting for Maddux and his fuckwad agent to come off of their high horse, and sign. Cruz would have brought in more at the start of ST, fresh off his stellar Winter League work, than he can bring now.

Frankly, in the here and now, Hendry made a nice trade. Cruz won't be around to bitch about being the long man in the pen, or about having to go back to Des Moines. A promising young lefty is about all we can hope to get out of him now.

Oh, but I wish he could have made the trade last month...we might have been able to get a Catching prospect, instead, which we don't have none of.

---