Tavarez wants to be traded

[riverside sluggers]

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/red_sox/index.php/2007/12/05/sox-shop-tavarez-wait-on-twins/

 

Tavarez is hoping to be traded to an NL team that will give him the chance to start. They may be looking for a bench player in return

[Jayhawk Bill]

The only NL team I can find as interested in Julian Tavarez is Philadelphia. There's an oblique reference to Julian Tavarez by a writer for the Inquirer:

 

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20071204_Phillies_still_hoping_for_help_on_the_mound.html

 

The trouble might be that Philly has little to offer. They've made four prospects potentially available for pitching help now, according to the Wilmington News Journal: Carlos Carrasco, Joe Savery, Josh Outman or Adrian Cardenas.

 

http://www.delawareonline.com/blogs/2007/12/dec-4-day-2-final-thoughts.html

 

There's some good buzz about Carlos Carrasco: he's reputed to have been Philly's best prospect entering 2007. Sadly, he struggled with control at AA, hitting or walking 15.9% of his batters faced, over 6.5 free passes per nine innings. Carrasco does have an excellent fastball. Adrian Cardenas was the Baseball America High School Player of the Year, but he's already been switched from SS to 2B after a disappointing first season defensively. Cardenas projects for excellent batting average in MLB, but average IsoP and IsoD.

 

Julian Tavarez was a very useful pitcher for the 2007 World Champion Red Sox. Versatile enough to switch quickly from starting to relief roles and back again, he was a positive influence on the team spirit and camaraderie. Either of the two Phillies prospects I mentioned would likely be a fair return for Tavarez, but I'd be sad--and a little reluctant--to see him go.

[Thumper]

Considering his stats, I don't think we'd get much for him. Granted he did better than expected this season in the rotation while Lester was out, but let's face the facts, he's no Ace in the cards, or even a consistant pitcher. If anything we'd get some back-up infielder or some .240 hitting schmo. Still, would it be worth the trade?

[Jayhawk Bill]

Considering his stats' date=' I don't think we'd get much for him. Granted he did better than expected this season in the rotation while Lester was out, but let's face the facts, he's no Ace in the cards, or even a consistant pitcher. If anything we'd get some back-up infielder or some .240 hitting schmo. Still, would it be worth the trade?[/quote']

 

Why would you discount Julian Tavarez this way?

 

He's a guy who can start games in the very tough American League East and win a few of them. He only got 4.83 runs in support, far below Boston's norm. The team was 4-2 in starts where he didn't earn a decision, 10-13 overall in his 23 starts. Fourteen of his 77 ER (18%) came in exactly two starts with significant winds blowing out to left field. Discounting those two starts he had a 4.60 ERA; as a relief pitcher, he had a 4.50 ERA. His xFIP was 4.85, suggesting a bit of bad luck with defense and home runs--that fits with the two bad games with the wind blowing out.

 

Julian Tavarez is a very reasonable, well-established, cost-controlled veteran, National League fourth starter. His value exceeds that of a utility infielder or a "schmo." He's not a star--but I keep reading that a year of established MLB talent is worth pretty significant returns in minor league talent. I'd consider him worth a great prospect who couldn't field his position or another who couldn't throw strikes in AA.

 

Of course, YMMV.

[Mr Crunchy]

tavares ate up some huge innings for us last year

i like the guy

he has a tendency to blow his top,nobody can really dig in on him because hes a bad inning away from some serious observation at bridgewater state hospital...

i cant help but like that guy on my team