Washington Nationals Trade Joe Beimel To The Rockies.

by Ed Chigliak on Jul 31, 2009 3:43 PM EDT Comment 13 comments

More photos » by Manuel Balce Ceneta - AP

According to Washington Post writer Chico Harlan, the Washington Nationals have shipped late-inning left-hander Joe Beimel to the Colorado Rockies. No word yet on what the Nationals will receive in return. Beimel, a 32-year-old reliever who recently expressed a desire to return to the LA Dodgers, was (1-5) with a 3.40 ERA in 39.2 IP in which he allowed 38 hits, 17 R, 15 ER, 3 HR and 14 BB, while collecting 24 K's.

LINKS:

• Joe Beimel longs to make his home in L.A. - Los Angeles Times - Ben Bolch

The Washington Nationals pitcher says he likes the way his new team uses him, but he hopes to one day be a Dodger again.

• Instant Analysis: Beimel Trade - Purple Row - Jabberwocky Reporting...

Instant Analysis: Beimel Trade: "Indications are that Ryan Mattheus is involved, a player that wasn't even graded by Sickels--basically meaning that he has very little major league value, plus another minor league pitcher likely in a similar situation."

• Jon Heyman (SI_JonHeyman) on Twitter:

"hey, nats did something! traded joe beimel to the rockies for 2 minor leaguers. nats gm rizzo goes for job push."

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We get 2 minor leaguers, according to MLB Network

No names though.

by vanatsfan on Jul 31, 2009 3:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Purple Row reporting (via Troy Renck of the Denver Post)

That one of the prospects back in the Beimel deal is 25-year-old RHP Ryan Mattheus.

Mattheus is 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA and a 20:8 strikeout to walk ratio in 16.2 innings (13 appearances) at AAA Colorado Springs. Former starting prospect, converted to a reliever and was the closer in AA last season, notching 17 saves with a 3.28 ERA and a 56:27 strikeout to walk ratio in 57.2 innings at AA in 2008. It looks like he was hurt for part of the season, as he’s pitched at A+, AA, and AAA this season, having made just 19 appearances between them.

by bluelineswinger on Jul 31, 2009 4:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Haven't seen anything on the other arm back

I imagine it’s probably in the same range, but hopefully it’s a little better.

by bluelineswinger on Jul 31, 2009 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Saw him pitch in Tulsa last year

Big dude, maybe 6’5" or 6’6" fastball decent, other stuff average. He was a 1st rounder maybe 2 or 3 years ago. Could have done worse.

by rubberneck on Jul 31, 2009 4:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Actually

Mattheus was drafted in the 19th round by the Rockies in 2003. Listed at 6’3, 215.

by bluelineswinger on Jul 31, 2009 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Great, they trade a healthy Nick Johnson and Dirty Joe for injured and no MLB value minor league pitchers....

Way to go, Rizzo……

We couldn't buy a AA pitcher for $2 million? Really?
by vanatsfan on Jul 31, 2009

by cat daddy3000 on Jul 31, 2009 5:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That's what happens

When you have a half dozen tradeable commodities, but you try to wait until the last minute and have to panic a little.

I like the NJ-Thompson deal. I’m sure the Cubs gave up more for Grabow than we got for Beimel, though.

Am I glad the Nats made the deals? Yes. Am I thrilled with the returns? Not really, but it’s better than the nothing we were probably looking at without dealing them. The fact of the matter is that it seems Rizzo felt like he was going to crap his pants all ~~day~~ summer rather than pull the trigger, and he left himself with teams bidding against themselves and knowing that they wouldn’t have to pay much.

by bluelineswinger on Jul 31, 2009 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My point (as it has been all summer)

Is that the Nats have clearly been sellers all season long, and yet there were no sales until the last minute. We watched one lesser bat than Johnson at first base traded twice (Laroche) and another dealt last week (Garko). We watched three shortstops (Betancourt, Wilson, Cabrera) traded this summer instead of Guzman, when Guzman’s perceived value around the league might fall below only Cabrera (who, subsequently, watched the A’s pull a similar situation as Rizzo did and traded him below value and picked up the cost). We watched Sherrill (probably slightly better) and Grabow (certainly not better, but pretty close to equal) traded for good packages of prospects yesterday only to have to deal Beimel with less than an hour before the deadline for minor league depth.

What
Took
So
Long
??????

by bluelineswinger on Jul 31, 2009 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

NatsTown: Paralyzed with Indecision 2009......

We couldn't buy a AA pitcher for $2 million? Really?
by vanatsfan on Jul 31, 2009

by cat daddy3000 on Jul 31, 2009 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

the players (organizational filler) the Nats got for Beimel:

From the Press Release:

The Washington Nationals today acquired right-handed pitcher Ryan Mattheus and right-handed pitcher Robinson Fabian from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for left-handed pitcher Joe Beimel and cash considerations. Nationals Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Mattheus was 1-3 with a 3.81 ERA in 19 appearances for Colorado’s top three affiliates this season before having "Tommy John" ligament-replacement surgery performed in early July. In 26.0 innings prior the surgery, Mattheus struck out 27—or 9.3 per 9.0 innings pitched—en route to recording a .250 (24-for-96) batting average against.

In five-plus minor league seasons in the Rockies’ high-altitude system, Mattheus is 29-40 with 17 saves and a 5.17 ERA en route to a nearly 2.0/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 2003, he was drafted by Colorado in the 19th round out of Sacramento City College as a draft-and-follow. Thus, he did not sign with the Rockies and begin his professional career until May 30, 2004.

Mattheus, currently 25 years-old, shifted to the bullpen for the first time in 2008 and his efforts were rewarded, as he represented the Rockies in both the 2008 Futures Game and the Double-A Texas League All-Star Game. He earned both citations by not only posting a 3.28 ERA in the Texas League, but also by leading Tulsa with 17 saves, striking out 8.7 batters per 9.0 innings and recording a heavy 2.4/1 ground ball-to-fly ball ratio.

Fabian was 3-6 with a 6.24 ERA in 24 games (12 starts) with Asheville of the Single-A South Atlantic League at the time of the trade. In 83.2 innings, he fanned 54 and walked just 21, good for a 2.6/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

In 2007, Fabian ranked among the Northwest League leaders in starts (first, 15), innings (fourth, 77.1) and a ERA (ninth, 3.96) while pitching for Single-A Tri-City. He has been assigned by the Nationals to Hagerstown of the Single-A South Atlantic League.

The 23 year-old is 20-30 with a 5.08 ERA in 101 games (67 starts) in seven professional seasons. Fabian—a native of La Victoria, Dominican Republic—was originally signed by Colorado as a non-drafted free agent, July 10, 2003.

Your voice of doom and gloom. Read more at natsnewsnetwork.blogspot.com

by Dave at Nats News Network on Jul 31, 2009 5:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Organizational filler sounds about right

Don’t know much about Fabian, though what’s said in that article doesn’t excite me much. Considering Mattheus just underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month, he may not pitch until 2011.

Again, bear in mind that yesterday the Pirates got Kevin Hart (who started and won in the big leagues yesterday, and is under club control for five more years), Jose Asciano (solid young middle reliever in the majors), and Josh Harrison (not a stud IF prospect, but having a good year) for Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny.

The Nats went from asking for Eric Young, Jr. to taking a pair of guys who look like filler in this deal.

by bluelineswinger on Jul 31, 2009 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

At least

rizzo isn’t buying, this Trade didn’t get us top notch prospects but we are restocking the farm so that’s good. These 2 guys are mostly organizational fillers, but hey, it’s a start

Carlos Guillen, the Latino Nick Punto

by The_Fan on Aug 1, 2009 2:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Back to Phil Wood

Like him or not, he brings the information. We all know the Mattheus kid had Tommy John surgery 3 weeks ago. Apparently the Nats had been scouting him for a while and liked his mid-90s fast ball. So they took a shot on him. Wood said that they other kid was probably a throw-in just so the Nats could get at least one healthy kid in the deal.

If you can’t convince them, confuse them. - President Harry S Truman

by ROSCOEtheNATSfan on Aug 1, 2009 1:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs