Anyone willing to punch Carlos Zambrano and/or A.J. Pierzynski is OK by me

Even though everyone has to deal with a-holes at work, most of us don't throw down with them.

i'm not saying it's a terrible move.  it's a KT move.  get a guy who's a quality starter somewhere else for cheap because of the circumstances.  i just don't know if he really fits in with this team, and i think i'd prefer Bard starting.

I need a rally fish.

- shane

LMFAO!!

This year's Padre catchers have a pitching staff with better numbers, and equally bad performance against base stealers, and nobody says jack about their pitch calling.  Maybe Barrett can throw a few more people out.  In any case, I predict we'll soon start to hear in interviews with Padres brass, he's a great presence behind the plate and calls a great game.

Kyler could end up being pretty good...but who the hell knows? He's rated as the Padres 9th best prospect. But he's 19 and in A ball. He could be a star or he could be serving anyone of us a fish taco at Rubio's in five years.

Now, let's concentrate on getting Adam Dunn!

In any case, our catching platoon is better now. I was wondering how KT was going to handle this since Bard's numbers are down from last year. I'm excited to see Barrett catch and hit for us.

Somewhere in between...

One interesting thing about Barrett, if you look at his history, is that he can play 3B and 1B (and SS in a pinch).

He isn't any better than Bowen at throwing out runners (18% for the last two years), but he's about as good as Jorge Posada, Jason Varitek, Johnny Estrada and Brian McCann. He's allowed the third-most passed balls in baseball this year, but in 2005 he was one of the best on passed balls allowed. (He played a lot of 1B last year after Lee got hurt.) I think he's just having a bad defensive year, an anomaly for a guy who's an average defensive catcher historically-speaking.

Anyway, he immediately becomes the second or third best hitter on the Padres, at a position where offensive production is usually scarce. We got him much in the same way we got Bard -- a big city team overreacted and shipped him out of town. Maybe he just needs to go surfing, take his clothes off, eat a fish taco and relax!

My favorite part of the article:

"Barrett is now an ex-Cub. He has been traded to the San Diego Padres for a pittance of what a starting catcher would normally be worth on the open market.

In one fell swoop, the Cubs have rid themselves of a lightning rod and have dramatically improved San Diego's chances of winning the National League pennant (thereby reducing the Cubs' chances of winning it, minuscule as they already are)."

Bowen was making $380k, while Barrett something like $4.5m. I would assume Pads would get some cash... but dunno.

- shane

Just saw this on Bleed Cubbie Blue:

"I've been reading reaction over at Gaslamp
I gotta say I have lost quite a bit of respect for the group of fans they have over there. Quite a few classless comments pointed our direction. Really dissapointing stuff."

Obviously they've never met Smooth Jazz Man. Classic.  

- shane

For what it's worth, I like the deal.  For a number of yrs, he was considered one of the best young catchers in the league.  Can hit and does a good job defensively.

Like any team in disarray, the Cubs were pointing fingers and most of them ended up pointing at Barrett because he was an easy target - understandable when the expectations in Chicago were high and they're struggling.  It's just part of the game.

But I think that in about a month, people are going to be wondering why they dumped him for nothing.  Not that it wasn't the right thing to do for Chicago and for Barrett - the relationship was over - but I think that in SD, we're going to see Barrett do well and get along with everyone and add a lot to the team and it's going to look like a great pick up for the Pads.

But still a solid trade, nonetheless.

That said:

I feel a little heart broken for Bowen.  Not that I was a fan.  I actually don't have any strong feelings toward Bowen one way or another.  He was a servicable player.  He didn't kill me; he didn't blow me away.  BUT, he must be feeling absolutely crushed.  I mean, not only is he being traded from the best team in the NL in the best city in the country, but he's going to a team that is imploding!  And a team that his team was just in a brawl with.  Poor Bowen.

Otherwise, anyone Maddux vouches for, I'm cool with.  I never got the feeling he was an instigator or trouble maker with the Zambrano thing (especially since he was the one that ended up with stitches).  It should be all good.

Also, does anyone know if Barrett has a nickname, or are we going to have to make one up for him, too?  I won't stand for M-Barr or some such nonsense!