Post by csc5782 on Feb 5, 2013 19:50:06 GMT -5
HOUSTON -
Still reeling from being dealt from the Dodgers, where he was a homegrown favorite, Mike Piazza finds himself on the move again, this time to Houston. Personally hand-picked by Dodger legend Tommy Lasorda, Piazza's godfather, in the 62nd round as a gesture of goodwill to the wealthy Piazza family, Piazza left behind routines and a family that he had been a part of for 9 seasons.
Despite the deep connections to the Dodger franchise, the move was imminent because of deterioating contract negotiations. Piazza is entering the last year of his original contract. He reportedly had complained about his situation to a beat reporter, so the Dodger franchise acted quickly to save face fearing they would not be able to resign him.
On May 9, 1997, that lucky team was the Toronto Blue Jays, a young team that had a slew of prospects enter the major league squad. Piazza was traded with 3B prospect Adrian Beltre to the Greater Toronto Area for Miguel Tejada, Shawn Green, Richie Sexson and Jim Leyritz.
The younger Canadian franchise, rebuilt after its' back-to-back championships just a few years prior, felt ready to unleash its young core built around super-prospect Todd Helton. However, the building blocks stumbled at the gate, as Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter struggled to make the transition from the minors to the majors, unlike superstar Todd Helton, who has excelled at an extremely high level. It had appeared that the window to possibly make a run for the wild card had quickly shut as soon as Piazza arrived north of the border.
Realizing that he was stuck in a organization still rebuilding despite being in the middle of his prime, Piazza, still burned by his departure from the Dodgers, refused to consider contract offers from the Blue Jays' brass.
This recent SI cover showing Piazza as a member of the Blue Jays is already old news.
Less than one month since being acquired by the Blue Jays, Piazza is packing his bags and moving back to the National League. The Blue Jays acquired top pitching prospect Freddy Garcia, who is arguably as talented as Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter, had struggled to take the next step in AAA for the past 2 seasons. The Astros also gave up a first round pick in hopes to close the deal.
The move is risky as the Astros gave up a key piece of their future rotation. As we are already aware, the Astros value their pitching, perhaps to a fault. However, Greg Swindell has hit another gear and appears ready to supplement Shane Reynolds as a co-No. 2 with Mike Hampton taking the reigns as the No. 1 starter.
The problem, will be how to handle the delicate personalities of Mike Hampton and Mike Piazza as they both are in the last year of their contracts. Given the close race in the weak NL Central, the Astros are poised to make a run for the division title again, so GM Chris Cosenza was forced to make a move to a loyal fan base.
"I believe that our fans," said Mr. Cosenza "expect nothing but the best from me. I failed during the free agency period and we have hovered at .500, but now I think we are ready to break out now. I love this trade."
And so do the fans. Fan interest is at an all-time high, and acquiring the best catcher in the game, all of 28 years in age, will give Mr. Cosenza a chance to resign both Piazza and Hampton.
"It won't be cheap," he continued, "but I will make it happen, these fans have been supporting this franchise since I came here and, as a result, the finances look good. I have to make this happen."
It is rumored that Piazza and Hampton will command 7 figure salaries, as a starting point.
Still reeling from being dealt from the Dodgers, where he was a homegrown favorite, Mike Piazza finds himself on the move again, this time to Houston. Personally hand-picked by Dodger legend Tommy Lasorda, Piazza's godfather, in the 62nd round as a gesture of goodwill to the wealthy Piazza family, Piazza left behind routines and a family that he had been a part of for 9 seasons.
Despite the deep connections to the Dodger franchise, the move was imminent because of deterioating contract negotiations. Piazza is entering the last year of his original contract. He reportedly had complained about his situation to a beat reporter, so the Dodger franchise acted quickly to save face fearing they would not be able to resign him.
On May 9, 1997, that lucky team was the Toronto Blue Jays, a young team that had a slew of prospects enter the major league squad. Piazza was traded with 3B prospect Adrian Beltre to the Greater Toronto Area for Miguel Tejada, Shawn Green, Richie Sexson and Jim Leyritz.
The younger Canadian franchise, rebuilt after its' back-to-back championships just a few years prior, felt ready to unleash its young core built around super-prospect Todd Helton. However, the building blocks stumbled at the gate, as Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter struggled to make the transition from the minors to the majors, unlike superstar Todd Helton, who has excelled at an extremely high level. It had appeared that the window to possibly make a run for the wild card had quickly shut as soon as Piazza arrived north of the border.
Realizing that he was stuck in a organization still rebuilding despite being in the middle of his prime, Piazza, still burned by his departure from the Dodgers, refused to consider contract offers from the Blue Jays' brass.
This recent SI cover showing Piazza as a member of the Blue Jays is already old news.
Less than one month since being acquired by the Blue Jays, Piazza is packing his bags and moving back to the National League. The Blue Jays acquired top pitching prospect Freddy Garcia, who is arguably as talented as Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter, had struggled to take the next step in AAA for the past 2 seasons. The Astros also gave up a first round pick in hopes to close the deal.
The move is risky as the Astros gave up a key piece of their future rotation. As we are already aware, the Astros value their pitching, perhaps to a fault. However, Greg Swindell has hit another gear and appears ready to supplement Shane Reynolds as a co-No. 2 with Mike Hampton taking the reigns as the No. 1 starter.
The problem, will be how to handle the delicate personalities of Mike Hampton and Mike Piazza as they both are in the last year of their contracts. Given the close race in the weak NL Central, the Astros are poised to make a run for the division title again, so GM Chris Cosenza was forced to make a move to a loyal fan base.
"I believe that our fans," said Mr. Cosenza "expect nothing but the best from me. I failed during the free agency period and we have hovered at .500, but now I think we are ready to break out now. I love this trade."
And so do the fans. Fan interest is at an all-time high, and acquiring the best catcher in the game, all of 28 years in age, will give Mr. Cosenza a chance to resign both Piazza and Hampton.
"It won't be cheap," he continued, "but I will make it happen, these fans have been supporting this franchise since I came here and, as a result, the finances look good. I have to make this happen."
It is rumored that Piazza and Hampton will command 7 figure salaries, as a starting point.
