On the Money........

I was looking at consensus rankings yesterday and for some reason I was fixated on the fact that Nelson Cruz led all outfielders. Not because he was there, he certainly deserves at or near the top based on his performance, but because of how he got there.

I was thinking about it all day and I couldn’t put my finger on it. But then it hit me. I ran to my computer and searched my e-mails from when I was an active scout and this is what I found.

This is an e-mail I sent to my boss in 2006.

“July, 29 2006

Jerry:

I see the Rangers traded Coco Cordero, Julian Cordero, Kevin Mench, and Laynce Nix to the Brewers for Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz today. This has to rank as one of the worst (or best depending on how you look at it) trades in MLB history!

People talk all the time about how the Mets traded Nolan Ryan and got back Jim Fergosi. Ten years from now, this one will be talked about as much if not more than that.

The Rangers traded a group of journeyman talent at best and didn’t even have to include a bag of meatballs! Carlos Lee may not end up being a Hall-of Famer but he will be one of the quality sluggers in the game for quite a few years to some and will get 100 million from someone this off season.

Ok, so they did the salary dump thing because they couldn’t sign Lee. But what the heck are the Brewers doing giving up Nelson Cruz as a throw in? We have him rated as the third best minor league prospect in all of baseball!

I don’t know how long it’s going to take for this one to show up as a big boo-boo, but this is the type of thing that ends front office careers.

I’ll call you later after I pick myself up off the floor.”

I was right on the money. – Blake Kearny

Blake Kearny is a retired baseball scout from Los Angeles, California. He currently runs a baseball school for children in Los Angeles.