Wednesday, July 29, 2015

I Feel Like My Best Friend Just Moved Away

If you've been living under a rock, you probably don't know that Cole Hamels was finally traded to the Rangers earlier tonight. I was pretty stoked to see it, but my excitement waned pretty quickly.

First, I heard that Jorge Alfaro was one of the main pieces, along with Nick Williams. That sucks...Alfaro was supposed to be our catcher of the future. I never want to see anyone traded with the nickname, "The Legend." Williams is also a stud, and I dreamed of an outfield featuring him and Nomar Mazara.

Then I heard Jake Thompson was part of the deal. Since acquiring him from the Tigers last year, I had grown fond of him, and I was getting excited to see him as a solid second starter in Arlington.

But then any excitement I may have had was completely wiped away when I heard that Matt Harrison was also included in the deal. My primary PC guy...gone. And I didn't even get to say goodbye.

I understand why he was included - his contract offsets some of the money owed to Hamels in the coming seasons - but that doesn't mean I have to like it. As a matter or fact, I hate this deal. Jon Daniels has been criticized recently for not caring about the chemistry of the team. He traded Michael Young without understanding how it would change the clubhouse dynamic. Then he sent off Ian Kinsler. I defended both of these moves, saying they were necessary for the betterment of the team. But I can't be a team player anymore. This is just too much for me. 

This is nothing against Hamels. On paper, this deal qualifies for "blockbuster" status, and as much as I love him, Harrison isn't Hamels. Cole should make our rotation pretty formidable in the future, assuming Darvish, Derek Holland and Martin Perez get healthy. Throw in Chi Chi Gonzalez (who is hopefully a bit more polished next year) and that starting five is one of the best in all of baseball. 

But it still hurts to think that my favorite player won't be on my favorite team anymore. 

6 comments:

  1. I thought of you when I saw that trade was made. It sucks when your favorite guy leaves town. It happened to me when Molitor left for Toronto.

    So, are you going to keep collecting Harrison, or?

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    1. Yeah, I can't see myself giving up on Harry. I really do feel like I've lost a friend, unlike in the past (when I just felt like players leaving were just players). So I'll keep it up.

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  2. I feel your pain. I still remember when Kurt Suzuki was shipped off to the Nationals. And many years before that, I was heartbroken when the A's shipped Rickey to the Yankees.

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  3. It always sucks when this happens. Jason Bay getting traded to the Red Sox was a tough pill to swallow for me.

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  4. I was anticipating having similar feelings the last couple days as the Phillies' scouts were spotted at the Astros' minor and major league games. I would have liked to see Hamels join the rotation, but I was worried that one of my favorites would get sent off in exchange. I have been lucky in that some of my favorite players have moved between teams that I like (i.e. Billy Butler to the A's and Josh Donaldson to the Blue Jays).

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  5. I felt the same way. I was looking forward to cheering on Matt as he recovered.

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