Matt Riley from Baltimore for Ramon Nivar. While Riley is a little older he has a lot of potential.



"The Aggies and Coach Fran are OWNED by the Texas Longhorns and Coach Mack Brown!"
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Matt's line this spring

7 IP
13 Hits
9 ER
11.57 ERA
2.85 WHiP

Last Year
64 IP
60 Hits
40 ER
60 SO
44 BB
5.63 ERA
1.62 WHiP



"The Aggies and Coach Fran are OWNED by the Texas Longhorns and Coach Mack Brown!"
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not exactly tearing it up this spring is he?

Then he should fit right in with the other pitchers on that staff

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Matt Riley from Baltimore for Ramon Nivar. While Riley is a little older he has a lot of potential

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He had a lot of potential when he started with the Orioles in '99. I didn't really realize that the Rangers pitching staff was bad enough to get excited about this guy.

Would you have preferred to keep Nivar and have basically a useless utility man with speed that is blocked from advancing in this organization at every spot?

We essentially traded a player we would eventually have to let go for an former 1st round draft pick and highly touted prospect that can still hit the mid 90's.

Is a player who's been up and down from the minors for five years a higly touted prospect. I don't believe that O's have had much of a pitching staff lately and I don't see much reason to get excited over a guy who couldn't make it that far.

Give Riley a few months with Orel and let him teach him to throw a 2 seamer with more sinking action and his Ground Ball/Fall Ball Ratio will improve over his .85 from last year. I'd prefer him over Chan Ho every day of the week



"The Aggies and Coach Fran are OWNED by the Texas Longhorns and Coach Mack Brown!"
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Are you guys seriously complaining about the trade? He's a power lefty that dominated AAA last year and was still better than a John Wasdin in the majors last year. He's only 25, he can be figured out.

Just remember the power pitching prospect busts that Orel and the organizational staff figured out last year. Ryan Drese, Carlos Almanzar, and Frank Francisco. Each guy was a power pitcher that struggled coming into the year. Each one left as a completely different pitcher.

What would you rather have, a 25 year old pitcher with upside or a 25 year old outfielder who was roadblocked in every way imaginable?

I'll take my chances with the pitcher. Orel has resurrected some arms, especially by teaching the sinker, so we'll see. This organization gave up on Nivar a long time ago. He's a guy with speed but no power, strikes out a ton, and almost never walks. The K's and lack of walks more than negates the value of his speed offensively, and while that speed could be best used in CF, he just doesn't have the instincts for the position.

Rangers may have found another gem in the rough and to be honest he has never been with another team maybe the change will help.

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quote:

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The list of Riley's misdeeds is far more extensive than his accomplishments. He's been late for practice, ignored his coaches, and in 2000 was arrested for participating in a bar fight. As recently as last July, he betrayed the trust of the team by driving home to Baltimore after being sent to Philadelphia early to rest up for a starting assignment.

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He sounds like a real winner. Hopefully the Rangers can get him and his game straightened out and have another lefty in the rotation besides Kenny Rogers.

this is the first good move the Rangers have made, its about time they realize that all the good hitting prospects have no where to go with the youth on the team right now.

If they would have dangled Navar out their last year they could have gotten a lot more, but I wouldnt expect anything less from the Rangers front office.

If Riley can cut down on his Walks he could be a soild 3rd or 4th starter for the Rangers.

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If they would have dangled Navar out their last year they could have gotten a lot more, but I wouldnt expect anything less from the Rangers front office.

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If they had done it this time last year, then they could have gotten more. But after a terrible season with a >.300 OBP in AAA last year, they're lucky to get this much for him.

I know that the Rangers tried to get Loaiza for him and someone else last year, but the Yankees declined.

Supposedly, Chan Ho's sinker is actually sinking this spring, and his cutter is becoming more than the usual BP-type fastball, so maybe we'll start getting some sort of production out of him.


And yes, I'm being a huge optomist here.

Any pitcher that doesn't have to walk around with his arm in a sling is a positive addition to the Rangers pitching staff.

I used to live next door to Ramon and I'm sad to see him leave the Rangers organization, but like mhayden said he didn't really have much chance for advancement to the big team. It did sound like this spring that he finally learned to settle that bat down and draw a few walks. Pitch selection was something of a weak point.

I hope he does well in Baltimore. The guy is faster than hell and has incredibly quick reflexes. His first season in Frisco he hit a double off of a ball that bounced in front of the plate. Like I said, his pitch selection could use some work.

And I'm always alright with the Rangers bringing in new arms.

good trade - he has a big arm, so maybe orel can get him to meet his potential. let's not forget that drese was a spare before orel got a hold of him.

Drese was a spare until Dom Chiti chewed his ass.

A few years back there was a young lefty power pitcher who worked mostly out of the bullpen and posted the following numbers:

86.0 IP, 102 hits allowed, 62 earned runs, 11 homers allowed, 54 walks, 64 K's, 6.49 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, .302 opponents batting average.

He turned out to be a good one and I bet not many were giving him much of a chance...Johan Santana.

Though Riley has a way to go, he is a power arm who happens to be a lefty. You don't see that very much and you can't teach power pitching. If he learns to complement that power with a solid sinker and some good offspeed stuff he has a chance to be a nice pickup for Texas. All I am saying is that Nivar was a long way off from making an impact and now we have another young arm in the system. Orel has done a great job and I am looking forward to seeing what he can do with Riley.

I fully expect him to be the next Johan Santana. Just kidding. Anything better than Chan Ho would be a good start.

Developing pitching within is all about quantity. Load up on as many as you can and hope that a few will learn how to pitch and also stay healthy. I think the upside of this one is far greater than the downside.

Nivar couldn't play much defense either. This is a good deal for us. Good job, gulp, John Hart.