Welcome to the League, Philly Cheesesteaks.
You walked into a dark cave and found a gold mine. Now, you're doing the Cheesesteak Shuffle.
And, boy, did he go all in. So much so that I just can't fathom what was going through his mind.
He traded Jose Bautista, Brian McCann and three top-notch prospects to move up seven slots in the first round.
"But I was going to drop them anyway," he says.
Yes, you were. I can agree there.
But why the hell are you moving back from the sixth pick in the second round to the 12th pick?
For the Cheesesteaks, he gets two veteran starters, three potential studs and he moves up seven spots in the second round. The price? He doesn't draft Masahiro Tanaka and he falls to No. 7 where he can draft a player that he — and all the rest of us — know more about.
Tanaka is a "What if?" kind of player. Admittedly, Philly Cheese said he would have liked to have had Tanaka, but right now, with Jorge Soler, Kyle Zimmer and Robert Stephenson, he has three chances to get the next big star, instead of one.
And sources say, the swap of second-round picks wasn't a demand from the Cheesesteaks. This was the original deal from the Gamblers.
Could this deal have gotten done without the odd swap of second-round picks?
The Slammers NSA Department has a wire tap of a conversation of a source who said he heard a friend tell him that the Cheesesteaks said, "Yes, it could have. ... But I'll take it."
If that's the case, man, this deal cost the Gamblers.
From the Gamblers' end, he gets Tanaka (early Slammer projection, and he can deny it all he wants, but he's drafting Tanaka). He also then gets to wait 23 picks before making his next selection. Enjoy that.
Tanaka is the next Yu Darvish.
Or he's the next Asian flop.
No one knows. There's a high-risk, high-reward with him, and I can't wait to see what he turns into, because honestly, I can't even try to predict it.
On the Cheesesteaks end, he gets a right fielder to plug into an outfield that was in need of help.
Brett Gardner and Dexter Fowler were, in my opinion, the best of his group, and right fielder Jose Bautista will help stabilize the outfield, for now.
He isn't the best option, but he'll drive in more runs than any other outfielder currently on the roster.
Parker would say that this is the best player in the deal, but he's not.
McCann is.
Right now, adding McCann, who has power and a Little League ballpark in the Bronx to call home, is the best part of the deal.
And quite frankly, I can't understand why Parker would give him up.
Yes, Joe Mauer, Joe Mauer. But Joe Mauer is a year or two away from losing catching eligibility. He only caught 75 games last year, and in his final 20 games of 2013, he only caught in 10 of them. And that was with Justin Morneau still on the team. With the first baseman gone, you can bet that Mauer will get more time at first base.
Which means the Gamblers will be looking for a catcher.
Yes, Mike Zunnino. We know. We know. The greatest thing since Sliced Choo Bread.
But, is he? We don't know. His .214 batting average in 52 games would suggest otherwise.
What we do know is that for the next five years, McCann will be the backstop in New York.
And you can bet in that lineup, he's going to have a lot of production — for the Cheesesteaks.
That's why, McCann is the biggest addition in 2014 for the Cheesesteaks.
However, in the long run, I think Soler could end up being the guy to tip the scale on this deal. I like his upside and in a projected 2015 Cubs lineup that could include several big-time young hitters, like Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Starln Castro, I like his chances.
Also coming in 2015 will be Stephenson and Zimmer, who are both ranked in the top 10 among right-handed pitchers. They may make an appearance in late 2014, but their impact, if they develop, will be made in 2015 for the Cheesesteaks roster.
Philly Cheese knows he has a rebuilding process to go through, and this is just the start. With the pitchers he currently has, he has a full year now to work on the offense.
And maybe his 2014 offseason isn't over? Perhaps he'll sure up a few other positions and work his way into the playoff hunt.
Imagine that. Philly Cheese over the Gamblers in the standings.
We could all look back to this edition of the Jargon and say, "Haha, Parker. You silly Gambler."
Comments