I had my doubts about Rizzo becoming a Padres star, but it scares me that I'm pretty sure he will have great success in the Friendly Confines. The Padres haven't even seen Yonder Alonso play in Petco Park yet and they are trading away the player that was touted as heir apparent to Adrian Gonzalez. Was Rizzo's trade value dropping that rapidly that he had to be traded now? What was the rush?
As for Andrew Cashner, I don't know much about him yet, but anybody that throws over 100 MPH has to be an injury risk, not just to himself but possibly a fan when Cashner's arm goes flying into the stands.
I remain hopeful but this trade has made me a nervous wreck.
Right now the trade is getting pretty rotten reviews from media, bloggers and critics. It's sitting at 33% in my initial sweep for links.
To give you a better idea of this trade's freshness I've decided to start comparing it to its counterpart on the silver screen. This trade is most comparable to Terminator Salvation and Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides, two movies that received 33% from RottenTomatoes.com.
I haven't seen either because of their terrible reviews. Dex mentioned that they are both bad sequels to good action movies. I wondered if this trade is a bad sequel to the positively reviewed Mat Latos and Carlos Quentin trades.
I'll be updating this trades freshness as I find more links. Feel free bring them to my attention in the comments section along with your own opinion.
UPDATE:
Added 5 new links, 3 fresh and 2 rotten. The trade now sits at 43% fresh. I thought the older it got the more it would spoil, but apparently it's getting fresher. Now the trade is on par with Russell Crowe's Robin Hood, another movie I didn't see.
Apologies to RottenTomatoes.com
MLB -- Anthony Rizzo for Andrew Cashner deal breakdown - Keith Law -ESPN
So the deal really boils down to a good everyday player (Rizzo) for a high-ceiling reliever (Cashner), which favors the Cubs overall.
Twitter / @jimcallisBA
Like both sides. Cashner VG if healthy. Like Rizzo too. Like Cates a lot more than Na.
Padres acquire Andrew Cashner for Anthony Rizzo :: Friar Forecast :: A San Diego Padres blogThis move may help the Padres in 2012, but it won’t help them much long-term. A late-inning reliever, even one as potentially dominant as Cashner, isn’t what they should be shopping for right now, especially if it involves dealing away an everyday player as potentially valuable as Rizzo.
Cubs Land Anthony Rizzo from Padres for Andrew Cashner " MLB Dirt
This deal, at current face value, is an easy win for Theo Epstein and the Cubs and it leaves me wondering what the Padres were thinking and why they could not get more from a team like the Rays for a potential star in Rizzo.
Padres Trade Anthony Rizzo to the Cubs - Chicken Friars - A San Diego Padres Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More
However, Cashner has enough upside to overcome the limited time he has seen in the Majors. If he can earn a starting job with the Padres, it’s a huge win for the club. If he becomes a reliable bullpen arm, the trade still ends in a plus for San Diego. Cashner is not arbitration eligible until 2014. That give San Diego some time to truly evaluate his ability before having to commit very much money to him.
Padres Ready To Tango With Cash(ner) | FanGraphs Baseball
If he can maintain the form he flashed in 2010 and ever, ever so briefly last September, the Padres will have added a nice chip to the back of their bullpen while better aligning their roster for the 2012 season, all while enabling their young guns to get more seasoning on the farm. Add it all up and you have an exchange that looks more worthwhile than the headline "Padres trade first baseman for relief pitcher" would lead you to believe.
Cubs Acquire Anthony Rizzo, Trade Andrew Cashner To Padres - Grant Bisbee - Baseball Nation
If you really love Cashner's potential as a starter, there's a way to explain this trade, but at first glance it seems like an underwhelming return for one of the Padres' best trade chips.
Twitter / @RJsFro
I love the Rizzo deal!!!.....is what I'd be saying if I was a Cubs fan.
Twitter / @thesacbunt
Is this trade as terrible as it looks on paper? Because it looks really awful.
Padres chat with U-T beat writer Bill Center | UTSanDiego.com
Like I've said here earlier thoday, this could turn out to be a bad trade. But it might have been the best the Padres could do having backed themselves into a corner with two first base prospects. I'm not going to go off and say something stinks just to have an attitiude
Anthony Rizzo: Chicago Cubs trade high risk, high reward - chicagotribune.com
Quick take here is advantage, Cubs. But this is only true because Cashner is a significant physical risk, thanks mostly to his 2011 shoulder issues.
Padres add a power arm in Cashner and move Rizzo to Cubs
Kudos to Josh Byrnes for being willing to make bold trades, holding no sacred cows, and for recognizing the need to bring a tougher edge to the clubhouse makeup in reshaping the organization.
Padres trade Rizzo to Cubs for power-arm prospect | Through The Fence Baseball
I think both teams win in this trade, but I believe the Padres fan base loses because of how management builds its roster due to the extremities of PETCO.
Padres send Anthony Rizzo to Chicago for Andrew Cashner | Padres Prospects
At this point it’s tough to rate this trade too highly. While the Padres dealt from an area of relative strength, they still traded away one of their top prospects for a recently injured pitcher and a relatively low-ceiling secondary piece. If Cashner becomes a lights-out reliever – or Rizzo becomes more of Adam LaRoche than Ryan Howard – this trade will lean towards the Padres favor, until then the upside of this deal feels like a lateral move at best.