Chad Gaudin

[Raptorsrock]

Good work JP! Yet another stellar move.

Dec 5, 2005: Toronto Blue Jays traded Chad Gaudin to the Oakland Athletics for a player to be named later (Dec. 8th - Dustin Majewski).

Chad Gaudin:

2-1
2.40 ERA
41 IP
34 KO
14 BB
24 years old

[OldNo7]

Nice record, still walks quite a bit.

[aligator]

It's ok to trash such a move in hindsight as it obviously doesn't look good but to be fair Gaudin was awful while he was here, was out of options and there was no room for him on the staff at the time. Had anyone an inkling he would put it together so quickly, he would still be here. These things are next to impossible to predict. Oakland simply got lucky.

[Michael Bradley]

Like I said when that move happened, it was a lack of foresight by Ricciardi. He has no idea how to deal with players with no options left. He'd rather dump them for nothing than dump an expensive/inferior player.

At age 22, Gaudin put up very good numbers in AAA for the Jays (3.35 ERA, 150.1 IP, solid ratios). He struggled in the majors in 13 innings, but again, he was 22. He was out of options, so instead of trying to keep a talented young arm, the Jays decide to trade him and keep the likes of Pete Walker, Vinnie Chulk, etc. While a PLAYOFF team has enough foresight to keep him for a year, give him experience, and now reap the rewards.

Bad move at the time, in hindsight, etc.

[The_Hater]

I was just going to start a thread on this.

I was literally flabbergasted when JP gave him away so easily last winter. I saw him pitch the previous year as a 22 year old and thought that he had potential Dave Stieb like slider considering that he was still quite young. One game I saw when he had his control, he was near unhittable.

I'm just trying to figure out how such a young pitcher used up his options so quickly? So even if he couldn't keep him for this reason, that part also land on JP's lap. If he was running out of options when he got him, JP should have kept him in AAA instead of using up the rest.

[aligator]

I was just going to start a thread on this.

I was literally flabbergasted when JP gave him away so easily last winter. I saw him pitch the previous year as a 22 year old and thought that he had potential Dave Stieb like slider considering that he was still quite young. One game I saw when he had his control, he was near unhittable.

I'm just trying to figure out how such a young pitcher used up his options so quickly? So even if he couldn't keep him for this reason, that part also land on JP's lap. If he was running out of options when he got him, JP should have kept him in AAA instead of using up the rest.

That part I'll buy. It would not have hurt to leave him in AAA longer under the circumstances. The reason his options were used so quickly has nothing to do with JP or the Jays. It was Tampa who put him on the 40 man prematurely and used up the options. Don't think they could have used him now? Fortunately, for Gaudin he has overcome that abuse. Good for him. I still maintain that Oakland got lucky. This kind of thing happens all the time, particularly with pitchers. The Jays IMO may just get lucky in the acquisition of Jeremy Accardo who looks to me like he has way better than average stuff and can command it. He is closer material without doubt.

[Raptorsrock]

It's ok to trash such a move in hindsight as it obviously doesn't look good but to be fair Gaudin was awful while he was here, was out of options and there was no room for him on the staff at the time. Had anyone an inkling he would put it together so quickly, he would still be here. These things are next to impossible to predict. Oakland simply got lucky.

It's not hindsight. Lot's of posters on the old BlueJays thread questioned why JP would just give away Gaudin. The kid was only 22, put up decent minor league numbers and had a live arm.

[Raptorsrock]

I'm just trying to figure out how such a young pitcher used up his options so quickly? So even if he couldn't keep him for this reason, that part also land on JP's lap. If he was running out of options when he got him, JP should have kept him in AAA instead of using up the rest.

Wait to see what happens if McGowan starts to struggle. Isn't he now offically out of options?

[Michael Bradley]

The same thing would have happened to McGowan a few months ago if the Jays weren't granted an extra option year for him. If McGowan doesn't pitch well this season, he's very likely to be part of a package in a trade or "Gaudin'd" during spring training, just like Rosario was.

I don't buy the excuse that the A's "got lucky". Lucky with what? Gaudin had a very good arm and a great minor league track record at age 22. The A's knew exactly what type of player they were getting, and he's fulfilling his potential as we speak. That's not luck. That's good foresight and taking advantage of a team run by an impatient GM (in this case, Toronto).

It's not like this is new territory. In 2002, Ricciardi signed Jeff Tam and Doug Creek to GUARANTEED contracts (for what reason I don't know), while putting Brandon Lyon on waivers. Lyon has had a pretty decent career despite injuries, and he's still going strong at age 27. Who in their right mind lets a 23-year old with potential (Lyon at the time) go for two fringe 30-something MLB relievers who have no upside and don't even present a quantifiable upgrade? Ricciardi's been doing this for years, and teams continually get "lucky" in the process. While everyone points at Quiroz for not panning out (and he's still only 25), there are others who have. It's flushing an asset down the toilet.

[OldNo7]

Not only is it good foresight, but then you have to start questioning the calibre of coaches we have in the minor leagues, as well as our scouting staff (in addition to JP of course). People need to be held accountable.

[aligator]

This board is turning into a poor cousin of the much maligned Raptors board, known everywhere for its endless negativity. In my view most posters are only interested in pre-established negative agendas, most of which is ill conceived at best and in many cases devoid of knowledge of how the baseball world operates.

I don't have the inclination or the time to debate with uninsightful knowitalls so I'll simply take my business elsewhere.

Nice try in trying to introduce a new board but unfortunately modeling it after the Raptors Real GM has doomed it almost right from the gate.

I'm a bit late on this after being away for a few days recently, but please keep the hissy-fitting to a minimum. If you have an issue with the board, PM one of the mods. - STJ

[asif9t9]

This board is turning into a poor cousin of the much maligned Raptors board, known everywhere for its endless negativity. In my view most posters are only interested in pre-established negative agendas, most of which is ill conceived at best and in many cases devoid of knowledge of how the baseball world operates.

I don't have the inclination or the time to debate with uninsightful knowitalls so I'll simply take my business elsewhere.

Nice try in trying to introduce a new board but unfortunately modeling it after the Raptors Real GM has doomed it almost right from the gate.

*yawn*

I love the tactics guys use when they no longer have an argument.

Forget the Raps board. We're not being paid to GM the Blue Jays. JP needs to make the right decisions. When he doesn't, it needs to come back to haunt him....just like this. For people to bring up his mistakes. If he wants these to go away, he needs to hit some homeruns with his moves. Right now, the team is not doing so well, so we need to see why.

The same "hindsight" argument is used for Chris Carpenter. About how "nobody" would have signed him back then.... Ummm, it looks like St. Louis did.

Anyways, back to Gaudin. I don't claim to have known if he'd pan out at all. I didn't. Truth is, with all the losing the past decade, I'm becoming more and more apathetic. But I do remember him here. And looking at our current pitching situation, I have to wonder how this turned out.

And even if JP felt Gaudin had nowhere to go, who did he trade him for? Let's see how Dustin Majewski turns out.

[OldNo7]

IMO this board is much better than the Raps board because the Raps board complains when there is nothing to complain about. There are legit concerns about the teams depth, future, management, etc so negativity is a bit warranted to me.

[asif9t9]

And to think this season was supposed to be all happy in Jays Land. But by all accounts, in the best case scenario, the '07 season is already lost, when you consider how Boston is doing, and the record we'd need to just become a 90 win team. I'm so disappointed.