Just saw this come across the ESPN website. It’s just happening, so I’ll have more to say later.
Power ball: Lee headed to Rangers
The Brewers are trading Carlos Lee to the Rangers as part of a multi-player deal, ESPN’s Keith Law has learned. Texas also will get Nelson Cruz and a player to be named for Francisco Cordero, Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix.
Update: ESPN has a story on it now. Link.
Update #2: It’s now on MLB.com as well. Link.
Update #3: Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports weighs in on the trade, calling it one that can “impact both leagues”. Link.
Update #4: Aaron Gleeman from Rotoworld weighs in on the trade, calling the inclusion of Nelson Cruz “the most surprising part of this deal.” Link.
Update #5: Scott Miller of CBS Sportsline has an article with a similar slant to Ken Rosenthal’s. Link.
Update #6: TR Sullivan has a lot more to say in this story on the Rangers site. In it, talks about Cruz as a key to the deal, even so far as to having JD call him “our right fielder for some time”. This same link now has a 10 minute audio interview with TR Sullivan with the guys from MLB Radio, so check that out, too.
You can discuss this subject on this thread on our forums here.
Here’s a few thoughts by me on the outgoing Rangers players (other than the minor league pitcher Julian Cordero, who I don’t know anything about):
Mench: I always liked Kevin, the goofy fun attitude worked for me. However, we all know it never rubbed well with Showalter. Also, Mench developed into a rather streaky hitter, with more trips on the slump side than the hot side. Probably fell out of favor due to a combination of both of those.
Nix: Even moreso than Mench. Definitely tried hard enough, but always seemed to not get much above the Mendoza line when he had a chance to grasp the CF job. Could really power a home run. Nix was the only guy I ever recall (besides Carlos Delgado) who hit a home run to right field that went OVER section 251 (last in upper home run porch) and into the walkway back there.
Cordero: We all know what happened to him and his closer’s job. Looks like Otsuka is set now, we’ll probably sign him to at least 2007, I would imagine. Cordero was the final link to the big Juan Gonzalez Tigers trade some years ago. All the players from that are out of the system now.
As far Carlos Lee, he’s (in my opinion) a more reliable stick than any of the current outfield options we have at the moment, so that will be an upgrade. He’s only under contract for 2006, he had an $8.5 Million 2006 option excersized by the Brewers in the last offseason, so he can be a free agent after this year. Be curious to see if we try and keep him especially if we try and make a run at Vernon Wells in the offseason. I also don’t know much about the other inbound player, Nelson Cruz, so I don’t have anything to add there, either.
Anyone know if Lee will be in uniform tonight in Texas?
As I said in one of the updates, TR Sullivan has some good stuff to say. Read this article over at the Rangers site. This article also says that Josh Rupe is being called up to take Cordero’s empty roster spot, but how the actual bullpen jobs break down is as of yet unknown. This same link now has a 10 minute audio interview with TR Sullivan with the guys from MLB Radio, so check that out, too.