Angels acquire Tommy Hanson

[PrinceEatMeat]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/11/angels-acquire-tommy-hanson.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

Woah. Didn't see this coming. Gotta imagine the Braves got a nice haul for him.

[torts]

so Angels not counting on Greinke?

[torts]

wow, for Jordan Walden

[PrinceEatMeat]

Yeah just saw that now, wow. That's an interesting trade. Walden is a great pickup for the Braves, but surprised they gave up Hanson for him.

[torts]

Hansons only 26, I thought he was a lot older. 1st yr arb eligible, too.

[Warning Track Power]

Wow...I drastically undervalued Walden. That is a crazy haul for Walden who is probably their 7th inning guy (Kimbrel, Venters, O'Flaherty)!! That is a GREAT bullpen.

[brewmann04]

Braves are adding some nice pieces.

[Tedaldtada]

I mean, Hanson must be not quite right, right?

[trwi7]

Hanson's shoulder must be completely messed up if they traded him for Walden and if it is I can't see why the Angels would take him.

[dlk9s]

Yup. No way Hansen's arm is any good. Plus, I think people are overrating him, anyway. He hasn't been very good the past couple seasons and his velocity has been falling.

[Funketown]

Hanson was pretty much average last season, and his velocities all dipped by 1-2 MPH.

 

Walden's a worthwhile back of the bullpen guy, but the Braves must know something's wrong with Hanson. Still could be worth the risk for the Angels though.

[Tedaldtada]

I'd say 50:50 Hanson does not pass the physical.

[Warning Track Power]

Braves and Nationals are really starting to look like the class of the NL.

[umphrey]

If they had to, couldn't they just move Hanson to the bullpen and have everything Walden is anyway?

[Bnowell4evr]

If they had to, couldn't they just move Hanson to the bullpen and have everything Walden is anyway?

 

The Braves save about $4 mill with the trade. Hanson is entering his first year of arbitration and Walden is still pre arb for 2013.

[Ennder]

Hanson has lost 2.5 MPH from his fastball in the past few years and obviously isn't the same guy he used to be. The Angels wanted 2 starters so they are still in on Greinke.

[stoutdude04]

Ender is spot on. His fastball averaged 92.5 or something 2 years ago. 91.something one year ago and only 89.7 last year. Or something like that. Not a good trend.

[RockCoCougars]

I don't think that Hanson is anything to get excited about. I think that the Braves made out well again. Looks like they are trying to recreate the Nasty Boys pen down there in Atlanta.

[danzig6767]

I don't think that Hanson is anything to get excited about. I think that the Braves made out well again. Looks like they are trying to recreate the Nasty Boys pen down there in Atlanta.

 

Hey, in today's baseball where starters don't go beyond 7 innings that often anymore, even if they are throwing well, the back end of bullpens have never been more important. Those guy have a big impact on which teams win close games late.

 

Of course any team needs a good rotation to be able to compete for a playoff berth, but it's also very hard to compete for a playoff berth in today's baseball if a team lacks a productive back end of the pen.

 

Look at last year. Cincinnati/Oakland/Baltimore all finished top 5 in bullpen ERA. Washington was 7th. San Fran was only 15th, but their main late inning guys were very reliable. Those teams didn't blow games that they lead or were tied late. That's so huge when playoff berths can often be decided by only 1-3 games.

[Ennder]

Look at last year. Cincinnati/Oakland/Baltimore all finished top 5 in bullpen ERA. Washington was 7th. San Fran was only 15th, but their main late inning guys were very reliable. Those teams didn't blow games that they lead or were tied late. That's so huge when playoff berths can often be decided by only 1-3 games.

 

The real issue with this is it isn't consistent. The top 5 bullpens in baseball can bring back all the same guys and suddenly be below average bullpens the next year. Everyone but the absolutely stud RPs just vary way too much year to year to rely on.

[SRB]

The real issue with this is it isn't consistent. The top 5 bullpens in baseball can bring back all the same guys and suddenly be below average bullpens the next year. Everyone but the absolutely stud RPs just vary way too much year to year to rely on.

See, e.g., the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen

 

2011: Top 3 in MLB for FIP/xFIP

2012: Worst in MLB for ERA

[danzig6767]

Look at last year. Cincinnati/Oakland/Baltimore all finished top 5 in bullpen ERA. Washington was 7th. San Fran was only 15th, but their main late inning guys were very reliable. Those teams didn't blow games that they lead or were tied late. That's so huge when playoff berths can often be decided by only 1-3 games.

 

The real issue with this is it isn't consistent. The top 5 bullpens in baseball can bring back all the same guys and suddenly be below average bullpens the next year. Everyone but the absolutely stud RPs just vary way too much year to year to rely on.

 

I definitely get that, i was more just pointing out that i think GM's today place more importance on bullpens than in the past given how so many teams now handle their pitching staffs with the later innings of close games almost always in the hands of certain relief pitchers, not starters. That's partly why you see a still young starter getting traded for a someone to pitch as a setup guy. Of course Hanson's health and drop in velocity also was a sizable factor.