The Athletics acquired outfielder Seth Smith from the Rockies for righty Guillermo Moscoso and lefty Josh Outman, according to the Rockies' Twitter feed. The A's are a somewhat surprising match for Smith, but they did need corner outfield help after losing Josh Willingham and David DeJesus to free agency. Josh Reddick and Coco Crisp round out Oakland's outfield.
Smith, a 29-year-old left-handed hitter, batted .284/.347/.483 with 15 home runs in a career-high 533 plate appearances for the Rockies last year. The corner outfielder has struggled against southpaws in his career. Smith (pictured) is under team control through 2014, and MLBTR reported last night that he'll earn $2.415MM in 2012. The Rays, Mariners, Braves, and Mets are among the other teams that showed interested in Smith this winter. He became expendable after the Rockies signed Michael Cuddyer for $31.5MM in December.
Moscoso, 28, had his first prolonged big league exposure last year for the A's. He posted a 3.38 ERA, 5.2 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 0.98 HR/9, and 26.8% groundball rate in 128 innings. His flyball/pitch-to-contact approach might not play well at Coors Field. Originally signed by the Tigers, Moscoso was traded to the Rangers in December of '08 for Gerald Laird and then to the A's a year ago for Ryan Kelly. Prior to the 2010 season, Baseball America wrote, "Moscoso is ready for a big league role, either as a back-of-the-rotation starter, a long reliever, or a swingman."
Outman, 27, tossed 58 1/3 big league innings last year and another 78 1/3 at Triple-A. He's been a useful starter in the Majors, with a chunk of missed time due to June 2009 Tommy John surgery. Outman was drafted by the Phillies in 2005 and traded to Oakland in '08 as part of the Joe Blanton deal. Prior to that season, BA said Outman profiled as a number three starter. Now, he'll join Moscoso in what Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd called a "raging competition" for rotation spots. The Rockies are actually close to adding a veteran starter to the mix for more depth, tweets Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
wow
Decent pickup for the A’s I think.
I feel terrible for Seth Smith
haha as do I. I should correct myself. Decent pickup for the A’s, awful pickup for Seth Smith
Outman and moscasco are great pick ups for the rocks.
You want to put Moscoso in Coors Field.
Even the Giants and Padres will hit homeruns off him.
Didn’t you see Moneyball??? He is the missing piece! Now the A’s will win as many games as the Yankees!
I agree his numbers will take a nose dive
Since when do the A’s need a QB?
OOH, OOH! I KNOW THIS ONE! He used to be Eli’s backup QB!
Yep…the Rockies were a great football team, between he and Helton…
smith backed up eli manning and peyton manning backed up helton until he was hurt with a knee injury
They almost even got Russell Wilson
Matt Holliday, Dexter Fowler were highly recruited HS Football players, the Rocks also drafted Michael Vick and Kyle Parker
Like this for the Rockies pitching depth at the major league level and only give up an expendable OF who is mediocre at best anyway.
Great sign for the A’s
just my opinion btw don’t kill me.
Stockpiling pitchers apparently is the Rox MO this year. I like this trade. 2 Decent Arms for a player that we gave up on seems fine to me. Good luck Seth (vs righties)
Always loved Josh’s name. Straight and to the point…
And Helton was Paytons backup…now this bit of Trivia is gone
Did Vin tell you too? That’s how I knew.
I think they mentioned it via the Rox announcers.
Aren’t those the guys that rub each others heads?
Seth is a good player but can’t hit Lefties…not sure what your needs are on the A’s…I do like this trade from the Rockies side. We have depth in pitching apparently now
I’m not exactly sure how this is good for the A’s…? Quick, someone name the A’s rotation on opening day. Remember, Anderson is stil rehabbing, Braden may not be ready. The A’s needed SP depth, now they don’t have it. Bartolo Colon is the opening day starter? Ugh.
oh man colon the opening day starter…..
brett anderson
not back until July.
I’d say it’s McCarthy at this point
Great trade for the Rockies. Everyone knew they wanted to trade Seth Smith and they still got a nice return. What is the A’s rotation projected to be now? Moscoso was going to be in and Outman was depth. I think of McCarthy – Colon – Park – ? – ?
anderson, mccarthy, colon, then probably 2 guys they got from arizona… i can only assume taylor is going to be in AAA again this year… i guess there’s no reason to rush him since they arent doing anything til the move to SJ
McCarthy, Colon, Braden, Milone, Ross (if healthy) and if they sign another FA starter
I know it’s Six players, Milone, Ross, and Godfrey would be competing the 5th spot
Is everyone assuming that Peacock starts the year in AAA? Or maybe someone with the A’s has already stated that will be the case…
He doesn’t have a fully refined changeup, and he didn’t spend much time in AAA last year before being a september call up
Oh just realized that Moscoso’s BABIP was .212 last year…thats not good. Also he’s a fly ball pitcher
isnt chatwood also a flyball pitcher? and then Moscoso is too….wouldnt the Rockies want people that dont let the ball get in the air frequently?
Yea thats what I don’t get…Although its a HUGE outfield. The ball doesn’t carry like it used to but it falls in to alot of space. Not sure I get this trade considering Moscoso is an extreme FB pitcher.
Moscoso will fall apart in Colorado. He does not handle hitters parks well at all.
Braves fans everywhere celebrate.
whew tht was a closeone. go braves
Thank god that all this braves trading prado for smith crap is finally done for good
cue in the A’s flipping smith for prado
Going to have to be a 3-team trade to get Tim Wheeler from COL…and that ain’t happening.
wow I guess no Martin Prado for the Rockies then. Not a bad trade for the Rockies either.
Your 2012 A’s rotation:
1. Brandon McCarthy until he’s traded
2. Bartolo Colon
3. Dallas Braden (if healthy)
4. Jarrod Parker
5. Brad Peacock
Tom Milone on deck, Tyson Ross in the hole (unless he’s a full-time reliever now?), and maybe Brett Anderson in July.
I have a feeling the ROX will be trading away some of these pitchers they’ve acquired. They have too many now don’t they?
Good trade for the Rockies, but I can’t understand this from Oakland’s view. He doesn’t fit the Oakland mold as a high OBP guy (although .347 isn’t terrible) and he’s 29. This sounds like the Matt Holliday situation all over again. Come July, he’ll be dealt to a team desperate for a left-handed bat.
Matt Holliday would probably hit you for comparing him to SS.
Wrong comparrison.
Also, Seth Smith isn’t likely to bring much back as a deadline deal. OFs with pop but only against RHP are nice to have, but only a contender with a gaping whole is going to give up much of anything to acquire one. A’s will be fortunate to get equal back what they paid for him.
Can somebody explain to me where I compared Seth Smith to Matt Holliday at all? I said it sounds like that situation, not that Seth Smith was equal to Matt Holliday in any way, shape, or form.
Rox got a steal…Moscoso can be lights out when he’s “on”
BREAKING NEWS: A’S AND BRAVES IN DEEP TALKS WITH SETH SMITH GOING TO ATLANTA FOR MARTIN PRADO.
lol, shut up
LOL…go away!
now the braves can finally get someone worthwhile
It’s over…it’s finally over!!! No more Seth Smith for Martin Prado rumors!!! YAY!!!!!!
What happened to Michael Taylor?
i’m guessing he stays in AAA another season. not like they’ll compete anyways
him and cowgill will compete for the 4th outfilder spot
Thank you OAK, now the Reds won’t go after Seth Smith! He isn’t even that good, why all the fuss?
Do NOT approve, let the youngsters play!
One of those trades that makes no sense for either side. Moscoso in Coors Field is a disaster waiting to happen. You just put a flyball pitcher who strikes nobody out in Coors Field. Outman’s also meh.
Seth Smith blocks an outfield prospect, AND the A’s need rotation filler for until its time for the young guys to be in the rotation.
Unless its McCarthy-Braden-Colon-Ross-5th guy.
Don’t forget about Brett Anderson.
I know setbacks are common but he started throwing on Nov.14 and plans for a July return. Perhaps Beane will plug one of his heralded pitching prospects into the back end of the rotation for 3 months and see what happens. I mean heck, what does he have to lose at this point…
I see a couple others beat me to this lol.
Why is Seth Smith a ‘surprising’ match for the A’s? They needed OF help and it seems like a reasonable trade. Smith had to compete for ABs in 2010 with Dexter Fowler, Brad Hawpe and Ryan Spilborghs. Otherwise I think his historical stats and present perceived value would be higher.
And a pitcher named Outman going to Coors… shows Billy Beane has a great sense of humor.
For a rebuilding team, the A’s already had all the OF they needed with Cowgill-Crisp-Reddick-Taylor. What they were already thin on is pitchers ready to be in the starting rotaion. That number just decreased by 1-2. This trade all but assures that Milone, Parker, Peacock, and Ross will all be getting significant starts this year while the A’s lack a bullpen or closer.
He will platoon with Cowgill, Reddick will play RF, Crisp CF, Taylor DH
It’s gonna be Carter and Allen at DH probably
I don’t know about Smith to Atlanta but I think it’s entirely possible that Smith was acquired just to be flipped elsewhere. He could be a decent lefty dh/fourth outfielder for the Yankees,for example
Granted, Outman is most likely a bullpen arm now, though he might gedt it turned around, and Moscoso is currently a #3-4 in the rotatioin pitcher with a ceiling of a solid #2 if he ever realizes it, so it’s not huge, but trading them both away for yet another OF bat really doesn’t make much sense to me.
Moscoso was pretty much a lock to be in the opening day rotation with Outman at least competeing for the 5th spot during ST. Now they need noth a 4 and a 5 starter, and by the end of the deadline will need a 1 and a 2 as well. Granted, they have a lot of pitching talent waiting in the wings, but a rotation comprised of 4/5 prospects, along with a mediocre bullpen and no closer usually would not be considered a recipe for success/positive development.
Yes, Smith can crush some RHP. He’s also horrible against LHP. Cowgill-Crisp-Reddick-Taylor would have been fine for the OF with Crisp being trade bait.
Sometimes Beane’s moves just baffle me.
No way Moscoso was ever going to be a #2.
well Angels have albert..texas has prince ( assuming he signs there) and the M’s have montero..and the A’s have smith.. have fun at the bottom Oak
I guess you didn’t hear that the A’s were rebuilding…
Thre’s very little rebuilding in this trade. What there is, is throwing a whole bunch of prospects straight into the fire without any sort of safety net. There has to be something else still in the works.
They traded two guys, who weren’t even prospects, for someone who fills a void in their outfield and could potentially serve as trade bait at the deadline. Outman is a lefty who had potential before getting TJ Surgery in the middle of the 2009 season and was vying for a spot for their rotation. Moscoso had a pretty nice rookie year, but advanced stats showed that he did get a bit lucky last year and, given he is a flyball pitcher, will probably struggle in Coors Field. I think Beane got good value for two guys who didn’t have much of a ceiling long term for someone who adds to their offense and is more established in the big leagues then those two. Smith is someone who, even though he’ll probably regress in the Colosseum, will serve as someone who will provide depth in the outfield until the trading deadline where he can then be flipped for prospects.
I think what you meant to say was “I guess you didn’t hear that the A’s ARE ALWAYS rebuilding.”
Sry there isn’t an extra $10 mill sittin around to waste on guys like rowand and Cody Ross. Must be nice though right gmen?
Yes, even with the Giants obvious flaws, its nice to have been a relevant team within the last decade if that’s what you are asking.
Listen, I don’t dislike the A’s but it seems like the front office is a doomsday ship with a lunatic at the helm. One day, the A’s are rebuilding – trading away all of their young, but getting expensive talent for a load of prospects. The next they are stocking up – signing ancient starting pitching and trading prospects for younger players who are starting to get expensive. I just seems like they are stuck in their odd baseball purgatory is all.
that was already assumed
wow wasnt expecting this
When billy beane woke up this morning he thought to himself man I havent made a trade in 2 full weeks time to trade somebody.
Two starters in your rotation for a mediocre outfielder who will not be part of your long term plans.
Good job billy
smith is a good player and is probly the best hitter on the A’s rite now
Are u kidding me, the A’s still have a ton of quality arms fighting for rotation spots. Josh had upside but moscoso has average stuff. Seth is the first offensive pickup this year that has a track record
For some reason this thread made me think of the game I went to last year to watch Alex White pitch and dude let up 6 home runs. I’m not sure I’m trusting O’Dowd anymore (never did anyways)
Lets see what White can do now with the ligament in his middle finger completely healed before we start ripping him. He’s a sinkerball pitcher so that middle finger has a lot of pressure on it. He said it was never 100% down the stretch last season.
It’s not like FA pitchers are dying to come and pitcher in Denver so what’s the next best thing to do? IMO, create competition which will push these young kids to put forth the effort to get better and help the Rockies compete. More the merrier if you ask me especially if it’s for a platoon player who is doesn’t really have a spot on the club in 2012.
a “raging competition”
i see this as the opening day outfielder and pitching lineup
smith-crisp-reddick with cowgill as the utility outfielder
mccarthey-colon-braden-milone-ross with anderson pushing ross out of the rotation when he comes back or when ross gets another injury peacock or parker will come in
wow just got off work i have been calling this trade for a couple of weeks good trade for both teams we got colon yesterday i knew we were trading a pitcher
The RockA’s have more former A’s than any other team haha
I still think that’s the Diamondbacks. The Nats may also be in the run.
That’s definitely a race that I’d like to be last in.
Don’t worry the giants don’t trade for any good players. They just pick up washed out guys and hope they relearn the game. Enjoy being last there
Folks are getting punchy around here.
I thought the A’s were rebuilding.
Good move by both teams to deal surplus players.
Lots of insistence re: ‘delaying arby clock’ for A’s newly acquired pitchers is somewhat off base. This attitude is self-defeating for any organization.
While it’s true gray won’t be rushed, Milone, Peacock and Parker all pitched in the major league’s last season. The A’s aren’t going to simply stash/waste them at AAA until 2014. (See Cahill/Anderson and Mazzaro, who were all rushed into into the majors).
It’s not the arby clock that is the problem, so much as affording to keep them in years 4-6, which won’t be a problem by 2015. Gray, on the other hand, is still working his way through the system and will most likely reach AAA this year and the majors no later thatn 2014.
Milone should make the opening day roster and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Parker by June, if not sooner. Neither Braden nor Anderson will be on the opening day 25-man roster. Outman and Moscuso are gone. Ross is an injury waiting to happen and McCarthy may yet be traded. Do we really think Bean is going to make the Ben Sheets mistake twice re: Oswalt?
“This attitude is self-defeating for any organization.”
Except when Evan Longoria or David Price is involved?
I feel bad for Seth. rumors had it he was going to boston, atlanta, cincinnati….. and they send him to oakland. poor guy.
With Josh Reddick, the re-signing of Crisp, and now the pick up of Smith defensively at least the A’s are better. Billy Beane isn’t sitting around lamenting the upcoming season.
Speaking of lamenting I wonder how Balfour feels, he might be the next pitcher traded away from the A’s. I think he signed with the A’s because he thought he had a chance of winning in ’11.
PS You know I always gotta mention the O’s, but currently as both teams stands if they both got together to play each other exclusively. I am not sure if the O’s win 81 games! Grant it Beane had more trade chips, but I think Beane did more with his shoe string budget than Duquette has. If I get a chance to rip on Duquette, I do!
I wouldn’t say that Seth Smith makes the A’s defensively better.
i wouldnt say outman/moscoso makes the rockies pitching better
never said it did
Right. That’s why you’re posting here.
The only reason the a’s signed coco and traded for smith is for temporary depth that they need in the outfield. non of them were thought to be a longterm solution. it is to help some of their prospects (green, mitchel, taylor) groom in the minors. when some of them are ready coco and/or smith will be dealt for prospects at the deadline. coco may be dealt maybe not depending on the offer but if he does as good as he did last year id imagine seeing him being traded
Wow, more mediocre starters for Colorado. Its nice to know they can afford to lose their 4-5 starters twice over to injury and not skip a beat. That also means that 9 of their 11 starting candidates are pretty unspectacular.
They desperately need to package some of these back end guys for a front end guy. How many 4/5 guys are worth a solid 2/3? Maybe 3 of these guys? Chatwood, White and Hammel for Wandy or Anebel Sanchez for example?
i dont think 3 bottom of the rotation guys is worth 1 middle..whats the point?
Full Circle?
Willingham leaves A’s, signs with Twins
Since Twins have Willingham, they let Cuddyer go
Cuddyer signs with Rockies making Seth Smith available
Rockies trade Smith to A’s
Michael Taylor also in OF.
Maybe i am wrong. But if everyone is wanting the A’s to somewhat compete in 2013….and 2012 is a wash year wouldnt this be the year to test different options to see who belongs in the big picture? why not put peacock and Parker out there. No pressure to sculpt the mechanics and get a grasp at the MLB level. Then after this full year of tuning and bettering themselves, They are ready for the 2013 season where Oakland could try to compete a little. I mean these prospects are “MLB-Ready” so why not let them work it and grow so they can compete in the upcoming years
This is my thinking on the subject. It may also be a necessity because of the injuries to Anderson and braden and the absence of Gio/Cahill. Parker, Peacock and Milone in Oakland by mid season, with Gray in Sacramento and Cook at AA.
The Rockies are having a really, really bad offseason.
I don’t see how. We didn’t grossly overpay for anyone and made some trades for players in positions of need.
Cuddyer is a MARGINAL upgrade over Seth Smith…and he costs 5x as much…and us much older.
Tyler Chatwood, Kevin Slowey and these two pitchers are all pitch-to-contact/flyball pitchers. The opposite of what you want, ESPECIALLY in Coors Field.
Chatwood is a groundball pitcher. Last year he posted a 59.1% groundball rate. He’s got a high velocity fastball and is 23, under control for years to come. That was a good trade for the Rox, coming from a Halos fan.
GB rate = 49% according to fangraphs…good, not great. Anyway, what I really meant is that Chatwood is a ‘pitch-to-contact’ pitcher. I’m not impressed by anyone with a 4.69 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.
whew tht was a closeone. go braves