The Baltimore Orioles traded their saves leader, Jim Johnson, to the Oakland Athletics for minor league infielder Jemile Weeks and a player to be named later.
Yes, you read the right.
They traded the American League saves leader the last 2 seasons, for a minor league back-up infielder and a PTBNL.
Okay, listen, I totally get it. Johnson was scheduled to make $10 million this year. They didn’t want to pay their 1-inning closer that much money, so they made a salary dump. But you can’t tell me that you could only get 2 minor leaguers for a guy who has saved 50 games each of the last 2 seasons???
Johnson is just 30-years-old and converted 50 of 59 saves in 2013 and had 51 saves in 2012. Weeks is 26 years-old and had just 9 at bats in 8 games in 2013 for the Athletics, and got just 1 hit. The player to be named later will not have any more major league experience than Weeks.
To me, this all goes back to Peter Angelos. The scrooge won’t fork out the money necessary to really make this team a winner. Yes, $10 million is a lot of money for a closer, but this trade makes the Orioles a weaker team.
Dan Duquette said Weeks could be a candidate for second base or as a utility infielder. Could this also mean the Orioles are not going to re-sign Brian Roberts, and go with Weeks at second base? Does this mean the Orioles think Jonathan Schoop is not ready yet? To me, either of those moves make the Orioles a weaker team.
But who now becomes the Orioles closer?
The O’s traded away Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop last season. K-Rod won’t be returning to this team. Tommy Hunter? He wants to be a starter and they didn’t want to use him in back-to-back games last season. Darren O’Day? Brian Matusz? I don’t think they are the answer. So you now have to look outside the current club for your closer… to replace a guy that has 101 saves the last 2 seasons.
Maybe this is setting up the O’s for making more moves this off-season, but I don’t see it. This free agent crop is just not great this year, and the Birds just don’t have the pieces to make a trade to bring in valuable starters.
I really thought the Orioles were going to keep Matt Wieters, but after this trade, I get the feeling there may be a lot of moves that Orioles fans don’t like this off-season.
Maybe I should just hibernate until Spring Training so I can get a sense of the full roster before judging this team anymore.
