Hot Stove Report #4

We'll take a peek at how the free agent frenzy is going tomorrow, but one more trade of note was reported today when the Los Angeles Dodgers said goodbye to the old and hello to the new. The Dodgers sent SP Victor Saez to the Huntington Guyandottes in exchange for minor league SP Ernest Ward. Saez could not be reached by phone, but his agent issued a statement regarding the deal in which he said, "Saez would like to thank the Dodgers for the opportunity to play in L.A. these past two seasons, and looks forward to joining another playoff-caliber team in Huntington."

Saez had two 11-7 seasons in Los Angeles for a composite record of 22-14. Though he never reached the 200-innings in a season plateau, he was always effective in the innings he was able to eat up. Over 2 years he posted a 3.52 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. The Dodgers had just inked him to a new 3-year contract worth $15.6 million, but moved him nonetheless to provide themselves some breathing room under their budget.

The stickiest part of this deal is Saez' age. At 34 and under contract for 3 more seasons, he is going to be pitching until he is 36 for the Guyandottes. At $5.2 million a year, Huntington needs to hope he puts some of that money towards a personal trainer to stave off the effects of old age that plague us all. He has always been known for his work ethic though, and, at the time of his 3-year signing with the Dodgers, was quoted as saying, "I have little doubt I can perform at my best for the duration of this contract." Still, as a pitcher who is not an innings-eater to begin with, you wonder how much he'll have left in the tank at 36 years of age.

After winning 92 games last year, the Guyandottes may not be too worried about Season 5 at the moment. Instead, by trying to bolster their current roster to make another playoff run, they hope to win now. Even after moving SS Charles Tanaka earlier this offseason, they still look ready to be a contender again. In that sense, this move is perfect for Huntington.

To replace Saez, the Dodgers bring in a similarly thought-of player in Ward, of the Guyandottes AA affiliate. When asked, one scout said, "The only difference between Saez and Ward is 14 years and $5 million dollars." And he's not joking as much as it may seem: they even feature the same 4 pitches! So it's not at all difficult to see why the Dodgers were pleased to move an aging contract off their books in exchange for an unproven talent when that talent is virtually a mirror image of Saez.