Sherrill is closing??

by madhatternalice on Feb 26, 2008 5:06 PM EST

I must have missed this somewhere, but in today's Spring Training Blog by the WWL, there's a bit about Ray, and the following line:

"George Sherrill, acquired from Seattle in the Erik Bedard trade, will take over for Ray as the club's closer this season."

Did we know this was happening? Honestly, guys...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=3265113&type=blogEntry

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Um, yes.

The fact that Sherrill was probably going to be the closer has been all over everything since his name first surfaced as a part of the Bedard package.

And he's not "taking over" so much as "filling in" since Ray is hurt.

by KenDixonFanClub on Feb 26, 2008 5:22 PM EST reply actions

erik bedard and miguel tejada have been traded??

what??

by dfleis on Feb 26, 2008 6:55 PM EST reply actions

Sherrill

It has been assumed he was closing the entire time as noted above. Trembley went to him last week when pitchers and catchers reported and asked him if he would be the closer.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-orioles214,0,556563.story

It's the 2nd story of the article.

by PWubbs on Feb 26, 2008 6:58 PM EST reply actions

I know he's obviously had some, um, difficulties, in the majors, but I'd love to see him get the chance to the closer. I think that makes a lot more sense if you can get a legit prospect for Sherrill.

Librarians are hiding something

by dfa on Feb 26, 2008 7:43 PM EST reply actions

Interesting take on the subject...

If the Orioles aren't doing so hot mid-summer (despite Millar's promise) - and Sherrill's been effective up til that point, he could be shipped off for a couple more prospects to a team needing relief pitching.

Trade em all, and let Andy sort em out.

by dfleis on Feb 26, 2008 7:48 PM EST up reply actions

honestly?

i can envision a situation where sherrill, bradfors and walker are gone by the end of the year.

i mean, i think that means sarfate and bierd holding up, maybe aquino sticking and probably liz, mccrory, doyne and/or fernando cabrera stepping up. i personally think burres is a waste of time and the mopup/long/swing role should go to albers.

So, I said, uh, lama: how about a little something for the effort?

by jq higgins on Feb 26, 2008 8:53 PM EST up reply actions

again, right on..

I'd hate to see walker go... but if everyone is expecting returns from the trade within 2 years - that is overly ambitious. True rebuilding takes place over several seasons - most of us are so desperate for a winner that we identify these two trades as the peak of our rebuilding process.

Again, real rebuilding means you develop some star prospects, and then trade them away for more prospects (Bedard: best example). This is how the Athletics work, and that's why they are usually able to produce good, cheap teams year after year. We don't have the pocketbook limit that they do which means we could probably compete a little earlier, but we still need several years of stocking up our farm teams to make up for the mismanagement of the organization for over 10 years.

So yes, I think you're right. It would make sense that a productive Bradford, Walker, and Sherrill would be traded away mid-season.

by dfleis on Feb 26, 2008 9:28 PM EST up reply actions

the bullpen

I definitely hope that Walker, Bradford and Sherrill are all traded by 7/31. I suppose if the team is confident that Sherrill can be an effective closer (and thus bring back more in trade value), then I can at least see the logic there.

I believe that Sarfate and Aquino are out of options, Bierd is a Rule 5 guy and Fernando Cabrera is out of options but if I recall injured.

From the Oriole system, we have Hoey, McCrory and Jim Miller (I think that's his name, one of the relievers acquired in the Rodrigo trade) not too far on the horizon. And we have the Mickolio fella.

My big fear is that Walker and/or Bradford will fall apart, which is highly plausible from my perspective.

Librarians are hiding something

by dfa on Feb 26, 2008 9:32 PM EST up reply actions

dang it all...

i'm trying to figure out the various permutations of how the cba works w/ various factors, but wasn't aquino signed to a minor league contract? if cabrera was traded b/c he was out of options in cleveland, does that carry over? i know sarfate is out of options and bierd is rule 5, but, w/ cabrera, b/c he was traded on account of waivers...i just wonder if that does something to re-jogger things.

So, I said, uh, lama: how about a little something for the effort?

by jq higgins on Feb 26, 2008 10:25 PM EST up reply actions

aquino and the CBA

Aquino was a waiver claim, so I believe he is still out of options. Looks like I was wrong about Fernando Cabrera, he was signed to a minor league deal, so I guess we have 3 options on him. On the notes on the page below, it looks like we have him under control through 2011.

I think I'm more confused then I was before. :)

Source:
CBA summation:
http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=690&Itemid=77

Aquino:
http://rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=3900

F. Cabrera:
http://rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=3944

Librarians are hiding something

by dfa on Feb 26, 2008 11:50 PM EST up reply actions

If we were trying to win this year

I would put him in a set up role like Joel Zumaya so he can save the game at any point. But we're not and we might as well let him rack up saves to increase his trade value.

"All I have to say is our partner is going to shock the world because he is none other than THE SHOCKMASTER!"-Sting

by jobe on Feb 27, 2008 12:52 AM EST up reply actions

re:

I really admire the guts of making Sherrill the closer, even though I have my doubts that he gets righties out the way he did last year, since he's never been close to doing it before. But the way he pitched last year for Seattle, he earned first crack at the job once that trade was made.

If he tanks, move him back to LOOGy and let Walker close it out for a while again.

Just no committee. It's a super idea in theory that fails so spectacularly that I think it's hard for anyone to justify trying it out anymore. "We're gonna ride the hot hand" doesn't work for a position where the occupant is deemed total shit if he has two straight bad innings.