The Colorado Rockies announced today that the club has acquired infielder Charlie Culberson from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for infielder Marco Scutaro and cash considerations.
Culberson, 23, has split the 2012 season with Triple-A Fresno and in the Major Leagues with the Giants. Culberson made his Major League debut on 5/13 at ARI, and in six games with the Giants has hit .136 (3-for-22) with one RBI. In 90 games with Triple-A Fresno this season, he has batted .236 (83-for-351) with 14 doubles, 6 triples, 10 home runs, 53 RBI, 52 runs and 8 stolen bases.
It better be a TON of cash to take this guy off their hands.
They paid SF to take Scutaro off of their hands and got basically nothing in return.
Charlie Culberson, the next Ryne Sandberg!
You know, I was just thinking now that Josh Rutledge looks like a major leaguer how we desperately needed another AAAA second baseman.
They don’t appear to have gotten much for Scutaro, although it appears that Culberson has some pop for a 2B. Maybe they think that they can turn him around the way they did with Colvin. But, realistically, as Prog said, this guy looks like a AAA second baseman, which if the Rockies also trade Herrera, they might need. I would have hoped that the Rockies could have gotten more for Scutaro. Disappointing.
Sorry for the double post. Do Nelson, EY, and Herrera become minor league free agents after this year? Do we have control over LeMahieu or Culberson after this year, or do either of them also become minor league free agents?
Nelson is definitely out of options, so he either makes the club next year, gets dealt, or is let go. LeMahieu and Culberson should have options left, so there’s no rush with them. (Not positive about either one, though … it depends when they were added to their old teams’ 40-man rosters.) Herrera is out of options I think, so it’ll be decision time with him too.
According to RockiesRoster.com, Nelson and EYJ are out of options now so both must be on the 25 man roster or DL or must pass through waivers in order to be retained in the minor leagues.
LeMahieu has one option which is currently being used so he will join the out of options group next year.
Herrera has one option which has not been used this year so may well still have an option available next year.
They have not yet updated for the Scutaro/Culberson trade so they are not showing any information about Culberson at this time.
http://rockiesroster.com/rockies/40-man/
From the comments in the DP, Scutaro seemed to understand that this was a “business decision” and was looking forward to playing for a team with a chance to get to the playoffs. He also sounded interested in coming back to play for the Rox next year.
Maybe there is something to this improved clubhouse culture?? The team can’t win, but the guys enjoy each other’s company.
I was kind of amazed how emotional Marco seemed in the TV interview after he was traded. When he said he was interested in coming back, I was more amazed. Dude, you’re going to a first-place team! Which the Rockies will not be next year, I’ll bet.
Yep, apparently Scutaro has stated a couple of times now that he hopes that things can be worked out in the off season and he is back.
He looks very uncomfortable playing 3rd. Was he the best 3rd baseman available for the Giants to go after? Seriously?
I don’t understand all this “salary dump” business. I’m sure the Monforts understand it because it’s more cash in their pockets. But what do we the fans gain by trading away guys like Scutaro? Is the price of beer going down by a dollar? I realize Scutaro has not had the stellar year some of us expected, but he is still a big name fan draw – someone I would pay to go see play. I’m not getting out my wallet to go see Charlie Who?
Now the Rox could trade Scutaro for something they need, like as part of a deal to bring in some pitching talent, then I could see the trade. But to just move him out to avoid paying his salary is yet another slap in the face of we the fans.
Well that’s my opinion anyway. Obviously I don’t have BIBDOD’s savvy, so take it for what it’s worth.
Mike, you’re putting me in the awkward position of defending O’Dowd. Ideally you’d like to get a real prospect or two back in these deals. But Scutaro, Hernandez, whoever we’re planning to move aren’t really good enough to start any kind of bidding war. So you get what you can. And sometimes that’s better than nothing. Prime example: Larry Walker dealt to the Cards for Chris Narveson and salary savings back in 2004. Narveson was a very marginal pitching prospect, and he’s predictably kicked around a few teams as a 5th starter type. But according to the official line, the cash savings became very important for one big reason: it gave O’Dowd the money he needed to pay a signing bonus to Dexter Fowler, who otherwise was ready to go to college. So maybe we got Fowler — a really good young prospect — for Walker. So it all depends on what the Monforts and O’Dowd do with that couple million bucks (so far) that they’ve saved by moving Scutaro and Guthrie.
LOL – you’re correct, it’s a bit of a bitter pill defending DOD!
You get nothing for these guys once the season is done. You’re not going to resign him (regardless of what he says – someone will pony up more $$$$ than the Rox and he’ll take it). And most importantly to me, you have some prospects that need to be given a look at the ML level. So it becomes a bit of a no-brainer.
You can’t really judge the deal until after FA signings during the offseason. As Agbayanni notes – the money saved not paying guys like Scutaro and Guthrie the last 2 months may be the difference in landing a guy that will help us. We can only hope!
Ag and that’s the biggest reason I doubt we will see Scutaro back here as a Rockie, unless he takes a huge paycut. Tracy Ringolsby did a pretty good job of explaining how he will be a $12m man in the offseason.
The Rockies opted to move him for something, anything … and that is just what they got … anything.
Scutaro can pay his own salary and O’Dowd better still pass. Blocking Rutledge (or any of their upcoming prospects) is the last thing this team needs long term.
We won’t see Scutaro back, and we shouldn’t. The 2B job should be Ruttledge’s once Tulo returns. It would have been nice to get more for Scutaro, but Agbayani is probably right in his assessment of Scutaro’s trade value. Culberson sounds like nothing more than additional depth to cover the trade of Scutaro, the possible trade of Herrera, and the possible loss of the 2Bs who become minor league free agents after this year (none of you guys have had anything gret to say about him).
Did Mike Raysfan actually say Scutaro is a guy fans pay to see!! I guess that’s why they still have huge crowd going to see this sorry excuse for a team. Frankly once Tulo comes back we’ll see if Ruteledge can play 2nd. I don’t think he’s an everyday SS. Maybe I’m spoiled but the longer Tulo is gone, the more I miss his bat, his arm and his globe. Even in his bad year.
Our starting pitching, with the exception of Jeff Francis, is embarrassingly bad. I know all the pundits and baseball experts have come up a million reasons (or as I see them excuses) why pitching is so hard in Colorado but perhaps it’s a simple reason. Dan O’Dowd is a lousy evaluator of ML pitching. Over the winter he traded for and/or signed close to 10 starters. All have been sub-par (or worse). And he has released or not signed pitchers who have had some success here including Kevin Millwood and Aaron Cook. And he only signed Jeff Francis after he ignored him last winter.