The Denver Post is reporting today that the Blue Jays are interested in Jeremy Guthrie. There is word that the Rockies are “agressively trying to trade him” according to the Troy Renck article The Blue Jays are hard up for a starter after losing three to the DL in the past week.
Word is that the team has been looking to trade Guthrie since his “odd behavior” of cap-tipping during the A’s series. He tipped his cap to the crowd on two different occasions, one after giving up six runs.
Espn and Fox Sports reported that Double-A first baseman Mike McDade is a possible player in the trade that would see the Jay’s take on most of Guthrie’s contract. McDade, a 23 year old, 6’1″ 250 lb first baseman is a power hitting player with 11 home runs, 12 doubles and a .304 average.
I’m sure there will be some more minor leaguers to add to a career .265 hitter in his second AA season. He has 70 dingers in 2162 minor league ABs w/549 Ks. He’s from Vegas so I’m sure this would suit him.
He’s played the all but 2 innings in the Blue Jay system as 1b with a .988 fielding mark.
A switch hitter, throws righty. He’s batting 249 with 1 HR in his last ten games at New Hampshire (EAS). Batting .343 v RHP, .197 v LHP.
I guess that would be slightly better than a bucket of balls and mouthful of gum.
It looks to me like the Guthrie doesn’t have much value at all. So getting something in trade less than we would like may be all we can. From what I have seen he definately needs a change in scenery. Of course, the best general manager in baseball might be able to arrange a Cy Young candidate:-)
And they are struggling to get this deal done. SAD. It is being alleged the Jays will only go McDade and the Rockies don’t want him. While I’m not a big Rosenthal fan, at all, I do agree with him about Guthrie’s contract probably the biggest reason this is the Jay’s offer.
Renck on twitter is pretty much the “source” the national guys are using.
Breaking news: Roger Clemens found innocent of all charges. Rockies wonder if he is ready for a come back attempt…. :>)
This cap tipping nonsense is the biggest bunch of hooey I’ve ever heard! His performance on the field is why the Rockies want to give him away. Who do they think they are fooling? On the other hand this organization is so screwed up, maybe they really do want him out of here for a reason that dumb.
I think we all know how this trade will turn out. Guthrie will go to Toronto and put up a terrific second half. Meanwhile McDade will be a total bust. And the Rox will run McDade out there every other day, turning the rest of 2012 into another September surrender. I say keep Guthrie, keep starting him, and look for the real problem with the team – its leadership – instead of scapegoating some cap-tipping attidude.
I agree Mike! It can only get better for him, it can’t get any worse. Then you have a chance to sign him back next year for a discount to hopefully compete for a 4th or 5th spot.
I think Guthrie could be a very good 4th or 5th slotted pitcher. If he was not on an horrible team, burdoned with ace duties when he does not have ace stuff. Instead if he was on a good team with a good rotation he could just worry about eating innings instead of stopping losing streaks.
If the Rockies signed Guthire back next year we could use him as a measuring stick on how the season is going to go. If he is slotted any higher than the 4th best pitcher in the rotation we would then know that it’s going to be another fun season in the sun.
Hmmmm. Odd behavior. Like Ubaldo? Unhappy with management/coaching staff? Frustrated by pitching at Coors? Or just not up to the task?
I agree, trading him for nothing makes no sense. This club seems bipolar — management falls in and out of love with players very quickly. Give him a chance to get used to his surroundings. If this is the guy you are sure was going to be an inning eater in April, why give up on him in June? The season is just about toast anyway. Why not give your original idea a chance to flourish?
Isn’t he a free agent at the end of the year? If that’s the case, of course, it’s a smart move to trade him. He’s not coming back, peeps. So why carry him along to pitch 4 innings a start? You guys don’t think this team is still in it?
I don’t think this team is still in it Prog, but that doesn’t mean you surrender and start planning for next year. There are over 90 games left in the season. Hey, I don’t care if there are only 15 games left and we are 50 games back, you still go out there and try to win every day, especially when you are playing a division leader.
We have Guthrie this year, and he has had a decent career. Not an ace, not a #1 in the rotation guy, but better than we have seen so far. It’s not smart to give him away IMHO, especially over some nonsense like tipping his cap if you believe that story. Let him finish the job.
Letting him complete the season, pitching 3-4 innings a start, giving up HR after HR. That doesn’t help you win games, Mike.
The body language issue is minimal to the reasons why he’s giving the body language. THE GUY HAS QUIT and is HORRIBLE. That’s why ypu dump him.
If you believe the management of this team has the ability to turn him around in time to close the season, bless you, but I don’t. Even if they could, he’s got at most about 15 starts left. He can win all 15 and I’d still rather have something to move forward with in 2013. Minor prospect even. Guthrie’s not coming back, so what’s the point in holding him? I don’t see it.
And perhaps the $3m saved to end the season can be added to next year’s roster.
I’ll agree to disagree with you on this one Prog. You are right about one thing: the current management of this team could f— up Cliff Lee and Roy Halliday. Unfortunately they are all the Best In Baseball so we are stuck with them.
$5m reasons (remaining amount of $8.0 contract) to dump him now – so this is gonna happen at some point.
I would like to point out that the Pirates are 3.5 games out of first. People like to point out former players accomplishments after leaving Colorado…. This is the second year that Hurdle has had his team in the thick of the playoff race with way less talent than Jim Tracy’s team. Sad!
Mark Kizla in today’s DP summarized our season and said DOD and Montforts don’t know baseball. He went so far as to say that if Guthrie doesn’t get traded, he hopes he continues to pitch so bad that it would expose the Montfort bros and DOD lacking their baseball accumen.
In a way I do agree with Kiz all the way except that I am still a DOD fan but he’s losing my support fast. He still hasn’t figured that you never ever trade for contact pitchers with high fly ball ratios.
You have to know which pitchers are a fit for Coors. They are those that throw with great command and decent velocity to go with sinking soft pitches. Must have the mental toughness too. Good examples are Dan Haren, Matt Cain, CC Sabathia, Jason Jennings, Bumgarner, Brandon Webb, Francis (in his prime), and even Jason Hammel. That was a major blunder giving up a Coors pitcher (Hammel) for a Coors brainlock pitcher (Guthrie). I don’t accept the argument that pitchers can’t pitch at Coors. We have seen some opposing pitchers come here and shut down the Rockies. If they can do that, then they can pitch for the Rockies.
It’s a lot easier to come here 2 or 3 times a year and pitch well than to do it 15 times a year.
As a visitor you can come here with the knowledge that your next start won’t be here, so go out and just try your best and often they do well.
For a lot of pitchers over the past few years you can tell that they knew that 2 of their next 3 starts will be in Coors and they would just have a deer in the headlights “kill me know” look in their eyes.
Your reply has some validity, but that doesn’t explain all the NL West pitchers that have come here five times a year for years and still dominate us time and time again. Dan Haren, Brandon Webb, Kershaw, Cain, Bumgarner, etc.
You just named some of the best pitchers in the last several years, I don’t think that says much. That’s like saying all the Padres have to do to improve their offense is to find 5 Adrien Gonzalez’ because he hit alright in Petco.
Kershaw has not pitched well at Coors field. His ERA at Coors is near 6. He usually manages to escape with a no decision but that is the Rockies pitching or in most cases bad management by JT in recent years. It is also due somewhat to the Rockies to be complacent once they get a lead instead of adding more runs.
I believe Guthrie psyched himself out on Coors from day one…remember his first game here? Timmy vs Guts and both were chased early…Guthrie was welcomed to Coors to the tune of six runs in 3.1 innings…After going seven and only giving up three on opening day he is tagged for twice that in barely enough time to get a Helton burger and get settled into your seat.
Having never pitched at Coors, all he knew was what he heard, read and through all of the questions right after signing. He was drilled by the media, through Spring Training, about how afraid he was of pitching at Coors. That had to get into his head. He said as much, that Coors was mostly mental, and the splits show that (ERA of 9.53 at home vs 4.70 on the road)…
I think he was psyched out from day one and never got over it…4.70 on the road isn’t great, but once you give up six runs in each of your first two home games you can’t expect your brain to be right after that. That is where someone like Dac needed to step in and get his mental game right – talk him off the ledge before he ever got out the window.
It’s Sad, because i really really like the kid as a person. I love how he is with the fans, in his tweets/interviews, etc…he seems like a great guy, but when you come in and don’t perform i want you to be a great guy somewhere else…
I’m not a fan of his interviews at all. I think he’s pretty arogrant and rude. Once this is over I’d love to hear Marc Stouts take on him, because Marc’s had some weird exchanges with him after games.
Post game interviews after you get killed on the mound would be awkward for anyone…I’m talking about his interviews away from the just finished game…
I’m mostly thinking of the interview’s he’s done on Intentional Talk (Kevin Millar was a teammate of his so he is on a lot)…i remember watching last year as he gave a tour of his shoe vault and thought he was a very cool person…i’ve seen him several times on Intentional Talk and loved each interview…he is very funny…
Sure, he lives just a few miles from my house and went to the school up the street…and yes, i really was rooting for him when we picked him up, hoping to have a “hometown” boy do good…
But, aside from all of that is the fact that he really isn’t doing well at all and I feel for the guy – but I don’t want to keep him around if he hasn’t figured it out by now…i’d rather he went somewhere else and did well – OR get a new pitching coach in here and see if that would help…
OR get a new pitching coach. Someone capable of helping with pitching in Coors. Developing within is great and Casper was reasonably close in elevation to Coors. Obviously the Springs is a little higher. Maybe there needs to be more effort in coaching pitchers in the Springs?