Indians Trade Cliff Lee, Ben Francisco to Phillies for Prospects

[Chris]

Wow this deal is the biggest piece of shit ever.

We could not even get Drabek...I'm not even familiar with these dudes and I'm reading up as fast as I can and they all scream mediocre prospects.

 

[BBurks4144]

I'll be a bit more happy of we can get Knapp:

Down on the farm: Jason Knapp growing up fast in Phillies system
Updated 4/30/2009 1:39 PM
By Paul White, USA TODAY
LAKEWOOD, N.J. — Jason Knapp has a few things the Philadelphia Phillies can't teach.
The right-hander's fastball, which has reached 97 mph in his first three games for Class A Lakewood (N.J.), is a good start. So is his 6-5, 215-pound frame, which provides much of the power behind the 30 strikeouts and just nine hits allowed in 18 1/3 innings for the 2008 second-round draft choice.

And then there's an aggressiveness that more than makes up for any concerns the Phillies might have about turning loose a kid who won't turn 19 until Aug. 31 in a full-season league.

"He's an animal," Phillies minor league pitching coordinator Gorman Heimueller says. "He believes he's good. That's something you've got to have, that cockiness in a good way."

Games like Knapp's team record-tying 14 strikeouts in seven innings in his third start can do wonders for the confidence of a teenager playing about 60 miles from his Annandale, N.J., home.

"I've never had an issue feeling like I didn't belong here," says Knapp, who made seven appearances (3-1, 2.61, with 38 strikeouts in 31 innings) last year in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. That time plus the instructional league that followed provided the incentive for Knapp to pitch his way onto a full-season league team this spring rather than spend another two months at the organization's Florida training facility waiting for a short-season league to start.

The Phillies didn't believe it was a stretch to jump Knapp into the South Atlantic League, where he gets to pitch in front of crowds and face the rigors of a 140-game season.

"If we can, we try to get them into this atmosphere," Heimueller says.

Knapp is thriving and anxious for more. The 14-strikeout game was his first with a 95-pitch limit, up from 85.

"I love going deep into games," says Knapp, who says he never pitched more than about 60 innings in a season in high school. He's also getting accustomed to the Phillies program of having their pitchers do some sort of throwing nearly every day, something Knapp says he never did in high school.

"We monitor them all summer," says Chuck LaMar, Phillies assistant general manager. "The number of innings, the number of pitches per innings. A lot of young pitchers get in trouble and have stressful innings. That's take more out of them. We watch that, too."

The stress when Knapp pitches, for now, belongs to the batters. Though he's walked just five this year, he gained a reputation in high school for being just wild enough to send a message. That might help explain why Knapp, though he walked just one in his 14-strikeout game, hit three batters.

"I've never had a problem throwing inside," Knapp says. "If they're in the box and they're too close, they've got to expect they're going to have to get out of the way."

That's something else that's not easy to teach these days.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2009-04-27-down-on-the-farm_N.htm

 

[Ajak0410]

Knapp is decent and Donald is a pretty good SS prospect but he was in a logjam with Utley and JRolls in the infield.

Scouting report on Knapp:

Jason Knapp | RHP | Age – 19 | Single-A Lakewood | Drafted – Round 2 (71), 2008

Knapp has cooled off after a blazing start in which he struck out over 40% of hitters faced in his first four starts. He’s been hittable recently and his control has deserted him as well.

As a prospect, Knapp is one of the highest upside pitchers in the Phillies farm system. At 19, he’s shown a quality three-pitch mix that starts with his mid-90’s fastball. The secondary offerings are inconsistent, however, in both command and quality.

Mechanics

Knapp’s mechanics make him more of an armsy thrower, but he’s cleaned up a few of his flaws since being drafted. On the left is Knapp during one of his April starts, while on the right is Knapp’s draft video. This isn’t the best comparison clip ever, but we’re still able to spot a couple things. First, the elbow doesn’t get as high in 2009 as it did in his draft video. I slow down the key frames where this occurs. His throwing arm is more a mirror of his glove-side arm in 2009. Knapp is slightly late with his throwing arm, which could add more stress to his shoulder, but it’s the tradeoff he makes for plus velocity.

A couple other differences I detect is a longer stride, better extension out in front at finish, and better overall timing. One question Knapp will have to answer is, can he consistently repeat his mechanics?

There are many that feel Knapp’s future will be in the bullpen, but that is far from certain. His future will really be dependent on the progress he makes with his secondary offerings and whether he can harness his control, but if everything breaks right, Knapp is a potential No. 2 starter.

So yeah, we made out like Jodie Foster in The Accused.

 

[Spectre]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

So wait...are these prospects any good?

According to Baseball America, going into this year they were ranked Philly's #2, #3, #4 and #10 prospects, so it's not like we're getting scraps here guys. Give Shapiro a little credit... the one thing he does very well is trade. It sucks to constantly trade off our best talent but there isn't much of a choice when we're sucking right now and we're not willing to give Cliff a new deal.

 

[mixman]

Thing that bugs me about Knapp is that even if he develops, he's still at least a couple years away. We're already ok at SS and C, so I don't know how they really help us, and Carrasco looks like he'll be a borderline #5 starter. I think we got shafted.

 

[Cavsfan89]

We are getting 3 AAA players and a A player....weren't you guy complaining earlier how we were getting A scrubs.

 

[MikeOC33]

So whats our rotation next year?

Rotation? ROTATION?? THEY DON'T NEED NO STINKIN ROTATION.

All they need is a bullpen damit. When are you people gonna wake up.

Man.... I am so glad I really stopped caring about the Tribe when Thome felt he need more money elsewhere, and the Tribe didn't think Omar was worth a few million. I know these aren't directly related to this situation, but those two situation turned me into a casual fan.

 

[Chris]

According to Baseball America, going into this year they were ranked Philly's #2, #3, #4 and #10 prospects, so it's not like we're getting scraps here guys. Give Shapiro a little credit... the one thing he does very well is trade. It sucks to constantly trade off our best talent but there isn't much of a choice when we're sucking right now and we're not willing to give Cliff a new deal.

I give Shapiro credit for his trades but this looks HORRIBLE on the surface. Cliff Lee is a Cy Young winner. You need to get Drabek for him.

 

[elcheato]

Knaap is only 18? If we got 3 AAA guys and an 18 year old who throws 97 mph, assuming he has a breaking pitch or two, its a good deal.

 

[MikeOC33]

Pathetic! PLease Dan Gilbert, when you have the money buy the cavs!!!!

Ummm.... don't you mean, buy the Tribe??? (I got your back bro)

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

Carrasco has control problems, Marson is a fucking catcher, which we don't need, Donald is a shortstop who cannot hit and Knapp has shoulder problems.

Great deal, you stupid fucking bastards.

 

[BBurks4144]

Knaap is only 18? If we got 3 AAA guys and an 18 year old who throws 97 mph, assuming he has a breaking pitch or two, its a good deal.

Ya my thinking too. Except they havent been super productive at AAA level, but it does make me feel better that they're rating so highly by Baseball America in terms of prospect ratings.

 

[MNCavsfan]

I give Shapiro credit for his trades but this looks HORRIBLE on the surface. Cliff Lee is a Cy Young winner. You need to get Drabek for him.

If they were willing to give up Drabek they would have gone to the Blue Jays for their cy young winner.

 

[elcheato]

Carrasco has control problems, Marson is a fucking catcher, which we don't need, Donald is a shortstop who cannot hit and Knapp has shoulder problems.

Great deal, you stupid fucking bastards.

If I recall older posts, you're not a fan anymore.

 

[-KingofKings23-]

Why isnt this on ESPN yet?