I was concerned about Hillenbrand, more that the acquisition took us out of the running for Casey. I'm hoping some other team rents him and then we sign him to a multi-year deal this winter. But Hillenbrand isn't a complete failure (yet) so he's not yet on my list. And Accardo is making the trade look like a winner by being pretty awful in Toronto.

I had high hopes for Martis. Call me crazy for getting excited about a teenage pitcher, but I was really rooting for him to suceed as a Giant. Fuck you, Brian Sabean, for taking that away from me.

Slight fly ball tendency this year
7.75 K/9, 2.47 BB/9, .35 HR/9
Batters are hitting 257/313/351
He's 19 years old

Stanton barely helps us, if at all. Does this kid have a live arm? What the hell is going on, here?

DON'T YOU KNOW YOU TRADE A MEDIOCRE TOOLS GUY WITH SUPERFICIALLY GOOD STATS BEFORE YOU TRADE THE LIVE-ARMED KID?

I'm more with mxmob33 on this one, but I still don't get the move. The only thing Stanton provides over Taschner is moxie, and I certainly don't think the moxie upgrade is worth a raffle ticket like Martis.

Less Liriano, more Fontenot is likely, but it's unnecessary to even give up a chance at a Hensley for such a modest upgrade.

But just because we lost Liriano does not make every 19 year old prospect we have the equivalent of him, particularly since, as Steve noted, he was not even good enough to make the team's top 15 prospect list.  Whereas Liriano was good enough to rank in the Top 10 (for BA) when he was traded.

Martis' numbers scream average at low-A ball:

Martis:
Overall:  .257/.313/.351/.664 2.5 W/9 6.5 K/9 0.4 HR/9, 2.6 k/bb
On road:  .298/.355/.381/.736 2.8 W/9 8.8 K/9 0.2 HR/9, 3.1 k/bb

League:
Overall:  .255/.332/.377/.708 3.5 W/9 7.7 K/9 0.7 HR/9, 2.2 k/bb
On road:  .262/.340/.387/.727 3.6 W/9 7.6 K/9 0.7 HR/9, 2.1 k/bb

The only numbers that stick out is his W/9 and HR/9 rate is much lower than average and his k/bb is pretty good.  But his K/9 rate is not that far off from average, either way, and the batter's hitting line against him is not far off from the league despite his very low HR/9 rate.  This suggests that he's been giving up a lot of 2B's to make up for that low HR/9 rate, which could mean his SLG could explode if the hitters figure out how to make those 2B into HR's, which, if they are good prospects, they should do eventually.

Martis' numbers above does not inspire confidence.  As young as he is, he is at the level he should be, Ron Shandler's book says that ideally top prospects of his age should be at low A-ball.  And he is rated as, at best, a middle of the rotation starter by Shandler's companion prospect book.  He is averarge or slightly above average compared to the league across a number of key stats, it is not like he is a top pitcher in the Sally League at the moment and yet all this angst over losing him?

As much as people want to denigrate Stanton, he has been an OK reliever during his career.  3.82 lifetime ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 7.3 K/9, 3.4 W/9, 2.1 K/BB, 0.7 HR/9.  His 3 year (2003-5) stats are not that far off:  3.93 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 3.6 W/9, 1.8 K/BB, 0.8 HR/9.  And one can make the argument that his recent stats have been very depressed by pitching at RFK, though obviously small samples:  in 39.1 IP at RFK, 5.49 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 5.0 K/9, 2.7 W/9, 1.8 K/BB, 0.7 HR/9.

Stanton is the old relief war horse, the one that Worrell was suppose to be but then had his injury.  The classic veteran ballplayer that Sabean covets for his playoff battling teams.  While I will miss the enjoyment that a prospect like Martis might become, there have been other prospects at higher levels who have been more exciting this season.

Don't know who gets dropped off 40 man, perhaps another trade is in the works (Wright?  With Hennessey or Correia taking over?).  If it is someone off the 25 man roster, then Sanchez does not necessarily go down with Stanton coming on.

5. Jason Schmidt dealt to Boston for Tim Wakefield, Doug Mirabelli. S.F. gets a knuckleballer and reacquires the defensive-minded catcher for its luckless ace.

Where do they get these ideas?  How does that make the Giants better?  Mirabelli is so good that they mainly only play him when Wakefield pitches.  And Wakefield?  Bleh!  

Now if it was for two of their young pitchers, like Lester and Hansen, then it might be different.  

Or better, Schmidt and Benitez for Lester, Hansen, and Papelbon, plus a position prospect, now that would be a blockbuster trade.

I don't know why Sabean wants Mike Stanton so much. It's true, he is an upgrade, but not a big one.

*Vitriol Over Replacement Post