Balfour DFA'd, Traded to Tampa for RHP Seth McClung

[BREWCREW5]

Im not going to lie, I cant believe we got this guy for ballfour. Sounds like some help from maddux, he will be helping out soon...

[dadofandrew]

Sounds like he was one of TB's top prospects, so he had a long leash. I doubt if he sees MIL until at least next year, but for a DFA, that's a nice coup.

[pogokat]

he's just depth, but he does have the potential to be very good...kinda like sarfate actually, if you look at the numbers...

[Braminano]

I was kidding about the Cordero trade, I'm not a fan of the blue font. Impressive trade, though, considering the DFA of Balfour.

[Jim Goulart]

This was his 9th year in the Tampa system -- just escaping that alone may help him.

[And That]

McClung has a decent, good-velocity fastball, good curve, no third real pitch. Command problems. TJ surgery about 3 years ago. Was a top 10 prospect as a starter in the TB system as recently as 3 years ago. Profiles strictly as a reliever now.

[Never Outhustled]

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His stats looks like Grant Balfour three years younger without the surgeries. Great in AAA, horrible in the show.

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I think he had Tommy John Surgury in 2004. He is a hard thrower, and I think he was there opening day starter once. He is a guy with a chance. Change of scenary was probably a good idea for him.

[SoCalBrewfan]

He's a big feller. The Sarfate comp occurred to me as well...hard thrower but.

 

Also, it looks like McClung did have Tommy John surgery in 2003.

[SoCalBrewfan]

Anyone know if McClung has had Tommy John surgery? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[AdvantageSchneider]

He may have had TJ surgery. I didn't look that far back. In which case he is Balfour, just 3 years younger.

 

Altought Balfour had 2 surgeries didn't he?

[weeks22]

drezdn any inside information on Seth McClung trade

[patrickgpe]

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Seth McClung?

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nice call drezden, not sure how you knew. I think this trade is good for us. It gives a good AAA option, which is much better than just outright releasing balfour. He was TB's closer next season for some point, so he has value.

[mls4]

"most importantly, he can go to the minors"

 

He must be in his last option year. He spent 2003 with the Rays, spent all of 2004 on the DL, spent parts of 2005 and 2006 with the Rays but was optioned for a month or two each year. This year he has been optioned for the whole year so far.

[JoeHova]

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His stats looks like Grant Balfour three years younger without the surgeries.

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He has had TJ surgery though. Still, not a bad move.

[Ennder]

I like this deal, McClung has a bit more upside in my opinion and pitching for Tampa Bay is just about the worst possible situation you can be in so I'll give him a slight mulligan. Pitching in the AL east on a poor defensive team that has bad starters and an overworked bullpen is just not a good place to succeed at.

[Never Outhustled]

McClung entered spring training this year competing for the closer job, but showed up overweight and was sent to AAA. Dumb move, he is lucky to be getting a 2nd chance. Lets hope he makes the most of it.

[jaybird2001wi]

How come the js hasn't picked this story up. On tonight's sportscast on WTMJ, they said Balfour was sent to AAA Nashville. No note of the transaction on espn.com

[BillScottCanRake]

www.jsonline.com/story/in...?id=639225

[crewcrazy]

Good fastball and curveball with some control issues? Sounds like another Derrick Turnbow...maybe with some help from Maddux, McClung could have some success in Milwaukee like Turnbow has. Of course, I wouldn't be opposed to stashing him in AAA for the rest of the year and bringing him up next year to step into a pen role.

[molitor fan]

Turnbow is a pretty decent comparison, as McClung can hit 98 and has an excellent curve, but has awful control, and a questionable brain.

 

In a Sports Illustrated article on Boston I think two years ago, the Red Sox were saying that he had the best stuff they had seen all year. He looks like Pete Ladd too, for all the old-timers.

[drezdn]

I saw it mentioned on Brewcrewball (early in their gameday thread for today) but couldn't find anything to back it up.

[JoeHova]

sorry about the above post, I see several people mentioned the thing about the surgery. Didn't mean to pile on.

 

Anyway, McClung's major league numbers are just ugly. That's even more true of his numbers as a reliever though. It's a relatively small sample but here are his ML career relief numbers:

 

55 2/3 innings

41 earned runs

53 hits

49 walks

45 strikeouts

1.83 WHIP

6.63 ERA

 

McClung is a serious reclamation project. There can't be that many guys who have been that bad and then later become good. Let's hope he can get it turned around, but judging from his minor league walk numbers, I'm very skeptical that he can. That's the biggest adjustment to the majors from AAA, guys won't swing at stuff they'll strike out on in AAA. We saw that with Balfour (extremely small sample, but it was true when he was with the Twins too).

[And That]

Basically, the Brewers got him so Maddux can slap him on the back of the head and tell him pitch. And bullpen depth next year.

[SeriesFinale]

The real question is, what obvious dumb nickname will the LCD fans stick him with after he has a couple bad outings.

 

To my discredit, I think I know.

 

At any rate, I'm just happy they got even a reclamation project for a guy about to be shown the door. I just hope they don't decide that a pennant race is a good time to try and reclaim him.

[aracko]

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Good fastball and curveball with some control issues?

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Great (upper 90s with movement) fastball and real good Curve - Struggles mightily vs left handed hitters. A good addition.

 

Balfour and Inman for Linebrink and McClung?

 

To me thats a good trade for a team starving for immediate BP help.