July
23 rd
Breaking News: Rafael Betancourt Traded to Colorado
Written By: Scott | Category: Cleveland Indians | Comments: 32
Per Anthony Castrovince:
The Indians have traded Betancourt, a fixture in their ‘pen since 2003, to the Rockies in exchange for Class A right-hander Connor Graham. It was the second swap of the summer for an Indians team that dealt Mark DeRosa to the Cardinals last month, and it could be a sign that the remaining week before the non-waiver Trade Deadline will be an active one.
Graham was a fifth-round selection in 2007. He’s an Ohio guy, out of Bowling Green, and has solid peripherals when compared to his peers. As AC hinted, this could only be the beginning…
Author: Scott
Scott is a co-founder/editor of Waiting For Next Year who resides in Cleveland, Ohio. Feel free to follow him on Twitter or email him at scott@waitingfornextyear.com.Scott has written 1701 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
I think this is the first in a long line of sad days for tribe fans. I for one love “The Realtor.” Dude was a rock of the pen since 2004 and gave us a ton. I’ll be rooting for him in Colorado….
Yay!!?
Nothing like gutting a roster to boost revenue! Dolan should teach business classes at clown college.
Also in breaking news out of the SEC media days, Tim Tebow is a virgin.
DP Indonesian Boys NK.
I have no problem with this traded.
Granted, he was a steady influence for a long time, but this year showed for certain that his best days are behind him.
Good luck in the rarefied air.
Unbelievable…. not so much that they traded Betancourt… but that they traded him for a Class A pitcher ! How long will we have to wait for that guy to develop if he even does ???
I think Shapiro makes deals WAY too early and gets crap in return.
This is going to be a disturbing week to go along with a disgusting season.
CLESportsFan – youre probably one of the ones who said the same thing about the bartolo colon trade. or the eduardo perez trade. or the ben broussard trade. or the einar diaz trade. or the chuck finley trade.
Fire Sale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This trade was a necessary evil. I will look back fondly on Raffy Right’s contributions to the this team, especially in 2007, but he had a contract next year for $5mil. and there’s no way the Indians were paying him that. Better to get something now for him I guess.
And Mark Buerhle just threw a perfect game.
/slow clap
Shapetti is crankining it up!!
Vic and Cliff……….pack your bags, Shapetti desperation mode is in process.
Larry/Paulie Dolan have a firm grip on things, don’t they?
No Tim, I’m not one of the people that said that. I understand trading Betancourt, but I don’t understand why we can’t get players who are a little more proven.
How many Class A guys actually make it to the majors ? Not many.
I’m tired of supporting the team and players only to see them traded away for prospects that never develop or by chance they do develop, they then get traded away when we can’t afford them anymore.
It’s a viscious cycle.
Well, every Major Leauger was probably a single A ballplayer at one point…
The trade itself is fine. The guy’s stats look promising. The problem is Dolan’s logic.
he’s losing revenue because of a lack of attendance. So, in order to same money, he’s gonna end up trading two of our best players, including the team’s only leader and a fan favorite. So, while this may save 10 mil or so, it’s going to end up costing him much more, because now even fewer people will go to the games resulting in even less revenue. Now we have future players, in minor league ball, who the fans don’t identify with and have no interest in right now.
How does this make sense? You have to spend money to make money. I wouldn’t hire Dolan to run a lemonade stand.
Its a complete salary dump – I can’t wait for these guys to cut $31 million in salaries and then see a greater drop in ticket sales.
Also, I would anticipate either Jenny Lew or Raffy left getting the call…
i hope this means that they are going to dump others and just let the kids play…
wow…guy from the rockies is 6-foot-7…
Ah, now this brings back memories of the 70’s. The acrid smell of a pacing, sweating owner, scared he can’t make payroll. The bean counters with their spectacles and green visors in the back office, pounding on their adding machines, trying to calculate, “when exactly will we have to pay a single-A pitcher?” Shapiro whispering into his cellie, “Honey, I said forget the kitchen remodel. We’re out of here in 3 months.”
Is it true that the Rockies are converting Raffie into a shortstop?
how much do you expect to get for a guy like rafael who had 1 really good year a few years ago, was nothing special before that and has been at best mediocre and hurt ever since? plus he’s 34 years old, has already had arm surgery and will be a free agent after the season? its safe to say his best years are behind him. thats about the best they could get for him.
the problem here isnt dolan per se. its unfair to compare him to jacobs – their respective circumstances are apples and oranges. the problem is baseball’s salary set-up. until that changes, a team like the indians in cleveland is going to struggle. in reality, the indians have been middle of the pack in terms of team payroll the past few years which is about where i would expect them to be. they simply cant generate the revenue of NY, Bos or LA to pay for unlimited salaries.
@13: The issue is not logic for the Dolans. It’s money. As in, “the source of our current wealth is the team. Not Domino’s Pizza, Quicken Loans, or Microsoft.” As in, you can’t spend what you don’t have.
Wait, WAIT, I got it!!
Dolan cares a lot about his team but needs revenue sharing.
Lerner doesn’t care a bit, but just mindlessly dumps endless millions because someone tells him to.
Ready …. Switch!
I fear this is only the beginning, unfortunately.
Connor Graham is not a bad pick up … I’ve seen him pitch a few times at Miami when I went there … I think we will get something out of him even if it takes a few years
Looks like he’s big, throws hard, and has control issues. From the couple articles I’ve been able to dig up about him, it looks like some folks think his stuff may play better out of the bullpen.
I can’t believe people have any problem with this trade. He’s an aging relief pitcher with a $5+ million option for next year. We’re lucky we got anything for him. This kid’s got nice peripherals, a durable body. He may not make it anywhere, but please don’t suggest we’re not getting enough. As far as I’m concerned, this is much more than I thought we’d get.
(And if you guys think the take from Betancourt is small, wait til you see what we get for Jamey Carroll; we’ll probably have to pay part of his salary to whoever we trade him to…)
It’s never easy to see your team in what feels like a never-ending state of rebuild. (I know it hasn’t really been that way, but 2007 feels so long ago…). It was time to part ways with Raffy Right, but I too would have liked to get a little more in exchange. That, and I cringe at the thought of who will next take their turn on Dolan’s auctioneer stand…
The Indians need a regime change. Shappy can stay for another year, but Wedge and Dolan gotta go.
No problem with this trade, we probably couldn’t get much more. Good luck to raffy right in the thin mile high air. Not to change subject, but did anybody else notice that Toronto designated David Dellucci after the game? I was SHOCKED!
I’m 50/50 on this one. I liked Raffy’s steady performance, but he isn’t getting any younger and the Tribe does need to clean house in the pen..wait..everwhere. The remainder of the 2009 season will be bleak for the Fighting Braves of the Cuyahoga.
all i gotta say is go falcons! (as in the flattened land of bowling green variety, not the down south ATL version)
and just think of all the extra sleep we’ll get with out raffy dragging games on an extra 4 hours!
Maybe you guys could hire Dellucci as a beat writer?
He has the inside scoop on sucking in the major leagues.
Andy Marte went 4-4 today with a dinger….let’s trade him to the Reds and watch him Blossom to an all star infielder…for a change
Betancourt is ajourned.