Pgabs -- that's fair. kile was more highly thought of. i'd venture to say, though, that Backe has been more impressive, particularly given the pressure-cookers he performed in, than Kile was at the same stages of their careers. what's backe's "history??" he has only pitched about the equivalent of one full season now. as for what the reds could get. what CAN they get? how many other teams are gonna give up a pitcher to get Dunn? i think Dunn is overrated, frankly, so that clouds some of this conversation. but what sort of pitcher do you think they could get?? like names???
The other thing about Backe is that for a young kid, he showed he can perform on the big stage when he filled in for Clemens (on short rest if im not mistaken) on the last day of the season vs Colorado in a do or die game) and his one hitter vs St Louis in game 5. That alone could command a high price.
Backe's history as a pitcher is only since 2000. Do you not think that he still has a lot to learn? Right now he is set as a 4th starter. He has Roger Clemens helping him learn. He is only going to get better. You cannot assume that he has peaked when he hasn't even pitched as long as Koby Clemens has. If they are to trade him (which I am against), it certainly has to be for someone who is at least better offensively than Backe. Randy Winn is not nearly good enough to improve this team.
i totally agree. i think backe has a lot more value than most are giving him credit for. if rumors are to be believed, the guy could have netted soriano at the beginning of the season.
Just so we would have to worry about another big name free agent who reportedly has said he wants to return to New York?
If those were the rumors floating around Backe and now these current rumors are correct then that proves my point, this guy's stock is falling and there is a reason for that.
..... or so that we could put together a lineup that could put up runs. Just a thought though..... Didn't Soriano just resign for two more years prior to the season?
Not really since that rumored deal also included Burke. gunn, Any runs that Soriano would've given us I believe would've been offset by having Wandy and Astacio as our #4 and #5 pitchers. I'm pretty sure he can be a free agent after this year as well.
do not deal backe unless it nets us a full time major league caliber player along the lines of dunn. someone look up the stats but I bleieve that backe has been doing poorly since the catcher change from chavez to new guy with appendicitis and back to chavez. or was it ausmus. i've tuned out some but try to follow from afar. i recall that the appendicitis guy had a hard time calling what backe wanted and getting the signs right. backe has struggled since.