ive only been hearing good things about this kid for a few years

Is it that serious of a blow?

Adding to the rotation that is in need of a starting pitcher and one of quality is a huge bonus for the team this year and next. Losing out on a player that is out with a bad wing (arm) for the last 6+ weeks is not such a awful thing.

Of course Maddon is going to say they are excited about the players they have aquired. Of course he has never seen any of them play but being a good company man he has told the fans what they need and want to hear.

if I hadnt assumed for years we were gonna trade him.

Vaya con dios, Jordan.

I’ve been tough on Reagins for standing pat at the trading deadline, therefore I’m not going lament trading players that might someday be something.

Potential is very fickle, and the reality is that Kazmir is a proven major league commodity, while Torres, Sweeney and Walden (if it really is Walden as the PTBNL) have made it to “A” and “AA” ball only, and might never make it to the major leagues. Also, none of the three (Torres, Sweeney, and Walden) are considered “can’t miss” prospects. You have to give to get, and on the surface – even with the inclusion of a player with the potential of Walden – I think it’s a good trade for both organizations.

Kid. has the most violent arm action I’ve ever seen and in IMHO is gonna be disabled list material for a long time.

About how long before draft picks can be traded. Could it be a current year draft pick who can’t be traded for 6 months?

If is IS Walden, that is disappointing. This trade no longer looks as good. It still improves the team this year, but Walden is a legitimate prospect. I’ll have to change my ranking of this trade from “fairly excited” to a solid “meh.”

at least his AA stats are God-awful.

W6G

It was a given that Walden wouldn’t play again this season, so the Travs moved him off the roster to clear up room.

It’s possible that Walden was the one traded, but I doubt it. I’m sensing some of Maddon’s trademark dry wit in that comment. We’ll have to see though.

…which means its a GREAT trade for the Angels!!!!!

..well, then, this was dumb. I agree that we’ve reached (probably) our last season of being the likely AL West champions for a couple years, so we’re in win-now mode, but I mean, we have like 3 total pitching prospects worth anything in the minors, and Walden’s one. If Walden’s gone, it means we’ve lost 3 of our top ten pitching prospects in a single season. (Nick, Torres, Walden)

You gotta give up something to get something. I think Kazmir is going to be awesome with the Halos. All this talk about his arm falling off is hope on the side of the Rays. But I think Butcher will bring him back to form. And we got him for 3 more years. That’s of a proven quality pitcher.

We didn’t give up Wood, or SRod, so I’m happy. We didn’t give up anyone on the current roster. This makes the Angels better now, provides insurance if Lackey leaves next year, and there’s still a butt load of money coming off the books at the end of this year.

Maybe I’m overly optimistic but I think the Angels will win now and still compete for the years to come. I’m trusting in Ninja and Arte to make it happen.

He’s a good prospect, but hardly a can’t-miss guy. He probably won’t be ready for the majors until 2012, and who knows whether the Angels would need him then. At this point, he’s not as close as Bell, O’Sullivan or Reckling. In the meantime, the Angels will have the services of Kazmir, who has made it to the majors, obviously.

In other words, he was expendable, especially given the return.

We’ve got one damn solid rotation through 2011. By then we’ll have prospects just as good, if not better then Walden.

And who knows? He may not recover well from the injury. I’m not worried at all about this, we’ll be just fine.

Though, it does suck to give up a somewhat hyped prospect.

The “player to be named later” is exactly that: not even the Rays have decided who it will be yet. The two teams have only agreed on a list of candidates. This gives them more time to scout the Angels’ system or to make room in their own system (or both). They may even decide to just exchange cash instead of a player. Read the Wikipedia entry or the MLBTR glossary before getting too excited.

PTBNLs are usually “farm hands,” not top prospects. Walden would have been the centerpiece of the trade. The fact that he’s injured doesn’t matter. But even if he ultimately is the PTBNL, and even if the Rays have already decided who they want, there’s no way milb.com would change to reflect this before an announcement, since it would contradict the “to be named later” part. If you look here, you will see that Jordan Walden was actually removed from the Travs’ roster on July 13th.

i mean I hope.

I don’t care either way, all I know is that we are getting a guy who owns the red sox and has better second half numbers than weaver, saunders, santana, and any of the 5th starter options.

1) The Angels have given the Rays a list of guys they are willing to give up
2) The PTBNL is injured or has not played enough this year to have been scouted adequately by the Jays
3) If it was MLB talent like Willits he would have been named, so dismiss that possibility
4) They might take cash instead of PTBNL
5) I think it’s position players they’re after … so more likely a player like Sean Rodriguez who can play multiple positions.
6) It won’t be Trevor Reckling
7) I highly doubt it will be Jordan Walden
8) I think it’s more likely to be a guy like Trevor Bell, whom the Jays might want to watch a bit more in AAA before deciding which guy to pick off the list.

At any rate, I think it’s still a great deal for the Angels. This moves Palmer into the bullpen where he is very effective, and he can always spot start if needed.

And Brandon (Second Coming Of Jesus) Wood is still an Angel farmhand. We think.

When he got injured Bane was quoted as saying the Angels thought he would be a difference maker out of the pen as soon as this year. I am not seeing the Angels move this guy.

They absorbed all of the cash in the deal and the quality of the prospects moved are always affected by the amount of cash exchanged.

That is my guess. They clearly qualify as “interesting” and “exciting”. I hope I am wrong, this would be a terrible trade if dealt one of those two in addition to Torres and Sweeney.

I’m sure the PTBNL is Brian Downing. The delay with the announcement is due to his election to the Angels Hall of Fame. The Ray’s want him to go in the Angels Hall of Fame wearing a Rays uniform, and the negotiations are ongoing.