Matsuimania

So, Peter Abraham is reporting that the Yankees may be discussing a trade of Matsui to the Giants. Names being thrown around that we could get in return are some combination of Noah Lowry, Kevin Correia, and Rich Aurilia. Ok...wow. This is just stupid and I doubt that's all we'd get in return for Matsui. I think because of the way he presents himself, Hideki is often overlooked. He has a career OPS+ of 125 and posted a 123 mark this year. For those who don't realize it, that was 5 points higher than YOUR National League MVP Jimmy Rollins. Matsui is a great hitter plain and simple, and while he is not A-Rod, the effects of not having him in the lineup would be felt enough that we should be able to get back a lot for him. Let's look at some of those guys, shall we?

Lowry just recently turned 27, so he's not quite an aging vet, but is no longer a spring chicken. It's highly doubtful that he's going to get much better than he already is especially moving from the NL West to the AL East. Outside of 2005, he's never started more than 30 games or pitched more than 162 innings(ie: a full season for a starter). His ERA+ in 2007 was a respectable 113, but as Abraham notes, he had a perfect 1/1 K/BB ratio with 87 each in 156 innings. Top that with a delicious WHIP of 1.55 and it's safe to assume this guy would probably get ROCKED in the AL East. Bottom line: I don't like him and I don't want him.

Rich Aurilia went to my high school...and graduated in like 1925. Is he really considered a desirable commodity any more? I hope this was a joke. His .368 Slg% in 329 at bats, I think was actually a practical joke. No one would do that seriously on a major league team. Next.

Kevin Correia is only a few months older than Lowry, but I feel a reliever's age is a little less important than a starter's. He has a career ERA+ of 109, but a career WHIP of 1.41 which is pretty high for a reliever. His career K/BB ratio is a shade under 2:1, so while nothing awful, he's nothing to write home about. I doubt he'd blow hitters away if he came to the Yankees and don't think he'd much improve the bullpen.

More or less, in my opinion, each one mentioned as a potential return for Matsui is a replacement level player. Matsui has the ability to put up all-star numbers every year and grouping a bunch of mediocre players together does not equate one good player. I mean, if the Giants were willing to part with a Matt Cain type(which I understand they would not do...and wouldn't even entertain Lincecum), I might feel a little better. I just don't think they have the tools we need to make this work. We don't need young starters, especially not mediocre ones. They really don't have anyone who could be a 1B solution for us. They have some good relievers, but not really anyone who I think would improve our bullpen enough to warrant giving up Matsui. The only potential idea I could think of is if they were willing to do an A-Rod with Texas type deal and give us Zito while eating a large portion of his contract. Even then, I'd probably rather not have him locked for 6 years with a no-trade clause. I also don't think he's enough for Matsui straight up. While I'll go against the norm and say he's probably still a better pitcher than last season showed, he's definitely not nearly as good as his contract shows(and most know that). Our rotation is looking a bit inexperienced going into 2008, so having a 29 year old starter with a lot of experience(and who's decent at worst and pretty good at best) would not be the worst possible scenario.

On a final note, I just really like having Matsui on the team. He's a guy who shows up ready to play every game and just strikes me as the kind of guy you want on your team. The fact that he said he's willing to waive his NTC I think just shows the kind of guy he is. He's willing to cooperate and do what's best for the team, even if that means leaving it. I'd really prefer not to trade him unless we got an offer that was really enticing and I just don't see the Giants being able to pull something like that off.