The Astros have acquired right-handed reliever LaTroy Hawkins from the New York Yankees in exchange for Matt Cusick, the Astros announced minutes before the start of their game with the Reds on Wednesday night.
Hawkins, 35, was 1-1 with a 5.71 ERA over 33 relief appearances for the Yankees at the time of the trade. He allowed 26 earned runs over 41 innings pitched with 17 walks and 23 strikeouts.
Cusick, 22, was batting .285 with nine home runs and 38 RBIs in 94 games as a second baseman for Class A Lexington.
He was drafted in the 10th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of Southern California.
My first thought at hearing this is... WHY!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
I understand that we are looking for someone to help take some of the work from Brocail in the bullpen because he's being overused(and thus, showing it with his production)... but why are we giving up young talent for 35 year old LaTroy Hawkins.
I thought our goal was to rebuild the farm system, not continue to destroy it... I'm not saying that Matt Cusick is the next Craig Biggio or anything... but he's been a pretty decent player in Class A, and he's only 22 years old!!! It's not like we're trading away a 28 year old Class A guy. I don't like the trade. I think they could have given some more innings(in more meaningful situations) to someone like Sampson and eased some of the tension on Brocail. I don't see this as a move that needed to be made(even if they think they are going to try and make a run for the playoffs).
It also doesn't help that Hawkins was DFA'd by the Yankees who had 10 days to trade, release or assign him to the minors... so there is at least a chance the Astros could have gotten him for nothing...
Hawkins has been below average this season with the Yankee's and I just don't see him doing much for us. I just don't like the move. I also don't like that Hawkins has thrown at our old buddy Luke Scott!
0 recs | 16 comments
yankees sweep astros for the 2nd time this season...
Before the ‘07 draft, Baseball America listed Cusick as one of the five best pure hitters in the draft. They rated him as the 29th best prospect in our system.
what do we get in return?
LaTroy Hawkins had been designated for assignment by the Yankees.
Trei Brundrett - July 30, 2008
don't like it
only thing i might have liked would have been if LaTroy were signed for 2009, but he’s not. he was DFA’d by the Yankees on Saturday, so they obviously were ready to give up on him and his 5.71 ERA. i’ll confess to knowing nothing about Cusick, but the mere fact that he’s only 22 means to me that he’s not somebody the Astros should be unloading for a half season rental of a 35-year old journeyman reliever.
don’t like it one bit.
littlevisigoth - July 30, 2008
. . . and cash consideration
Yankees report says they gave up Hawkins and cash considerations for Cusick.
Ed Wade is quoted as saying Astros tried to sign Hawkins over the winter (same story we got on why Astros wanted Randy Wolf).
Joe in Birmingham - July 30, 2008
Stipid, stapid, stopid.
It’s so stupid you can’t even spell the word right when refering to this trade!
entropic soul - July 30, 2008
Cusick isn't top prospect, but..
he may be able to grow to a utility guy.
He has below average speed as 2B, not great range, but he has good hands. BA compare him as Johny Ash(the other Astros minor leagur) type guy.
He was doing great to start the season, but his number was falling down after Astros move him to 3B. He is a guy worth to follow up, because of his great eyes. He could draw more walks than SO and keep making contact.
I don’t like this trade at all. If Wade really wants Hawkins, there is some chance to pick him up after Yankees release him (I don’t think Hawkins will accept the assignment to minor).
HubertL - July 30, 2008
Ok, I'm looking at his stats here:
He does have a high ERA (5.71) but that is due to a bad start. His ERA has been (generally) declining ever since. For the month of July, his ERA is 4.05. Wade claims Hawkins has been working on his stuff so he’s getting better. He also hasn’t given up many home runs, which is a good thing for the Astros. He’s given up 3 this year in 41 innings. Another positive, is he kills right handers. They are batting only .227 against him and his ERA against them is only 2.42. As a double bonus, he’s given up no home runs against right handed batters. His WHIP? Only 0.96. He’s only given up 3 unintentional walks to right handers.
The downside to all this is that he’s terrible against left handers this year. Everything good I just had to say about his ability to pitch to right handers. Well, it’s exactly opposite for left handers.
Hawkin’s role to me is simple. Use him only when facing consecutive right handers in an inning. Or use him to get a big right hander out. I don’t know what his career splits look like, but this is what he’s done this year and I like to play trends. So that’s what I’d do with him.
entropic soul - July 30, 2008
It's a puzzling trade.
I’m not saying that the Astros can’t find some use for Hawkins in the pen, as entropic said. But why give up anything for him? Hawkins’ quotes indicate that he is ecstatic anyone wanted him. While I appreciate the fact he is happy to come to Houston, it also makes you wonder if he wouldn’t be signable after the waiver period ended. Perhaps some other teams were trying to trade for him…who knows. I’ll have to trust the Astros’ organization’s judgement on Cusick, I guess. At his level, the odds of becoming a ML player may be low. But if he becomes a good major league player (these things happen all the time), Astros’ fans will be unhappy and Wade will have ‘splainin’ to do.
clack - July 31, 2008
The biggest puzzle about this trade
is the the question as to whether the Astros will ever be able to find anything more stupid than this to do. I have confidence – I say they not only can, but will – if not now, later. But how to do so is truly puzzling.
I actually meant for this to have a humorous tone, but nothing about the trade is funny at all.
bwhite2323 - July 31, 2008
Maybe Pence
for a David Weathers?
Stros Bro - July 31, 2008
i read on another board
that a couple other clubs were interested in him and we beat out the Twins to get him.
littlevisigoth - July 31, 2008
That would be the same Twins
who figured Adam Everett would be a good acquisition.
bwhite2323 - July 31, 2008
Isn't the real question:
Would you rather have LaTroy Hawkins or Chad Paronto in the bullpen?
P.S. – Some Chronicle staffer said Astros were interested in David Weathers. I shivered.
Joe in Birmingham - July 31, 2008
Ask me that again
in a month ;)
Stros Bro - July 31, 2008
yes, but...
who cares? if we were to lose one or two more games because Paronto blew a lead, what difference does it make?
and why aren’t Geary, Wright, Byrdak, and Sampson enough to take pressure off of Brocail? i’d feel just as comfortable with Geary coming into the 8th to protect a lead as Brocail.
littlevisigoth - July 31, 2008
So I spent some time snorting Drano
To make myself feel better about this trade. The burning is sensational in my nose and the searing in my lungs is beyond words. It still feels better than reading about trades made by Ed Wade and is probably smarter than anything he has done.
Like Goth says…Who cares if Paronto blows a couple more leads? Or that Hawkins MIGHT be a slight bullpen upgrade? The Astros are still be a bad team and have a worse future now than they had 24 hours ago. Read the last half of the last line again. Want some Drano?
Ed Wade has hit bottom and started digging. He needs to be fired.
TBurford - July 31, 2008
Unfortunately, the owner
needs to be fired. Don’ hold your breath…..
bwhite2323 - July 31, 2008
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