The Cincinnati Reds have traded outfielder Josh Hamilton to the Texas Rangers for right-hander Edinson Volquez and left-hander Danny Herrera. Hamilton was one of the bigger surprises of the 2007 season, but apparently the Reds deemed him expendable. Hamilton’s power will play anywhere, and if he can stay healthy (and clean), he should put up some sick numbers at Arlington. Like, 40 homers isn’t out of the question.
Volquez is a hard thrower who has been highly regarded for some time but who hasn’t been able to translate his stuff into results in limited chances at the big-league level. Ranked #3 …read more

{democracy:24}

You know the drill by now. The question before the court is, Who would get your vote for NL Rookie of the Year and why?
In my mind, this is a two-man race between Milwaukee “third baseman” Ryan Braun and Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Guys like Hunter Pence and Josh Hamilton would have merited serious consideration had they remained healthy all season. Actually, you could make a strong case for Pence anyway.
Similarly, right-handers Yovani Gallardo and Tim Lincecum might have been part of the conversation if they’d been called up a little sooner. Micah Owings? The crazy thing about him is …read more

With the season winding down, I thought it might be fun to look back at some of the bigger surprises this year. In no particular order, here are nine things that have blown my mind:

There are a lot of fun stories this year in baseball: Josh Hamilton, Jack Cust, Rick Ankiel. How about YALHH (yet another left-handed hitter), Carlos Pena?
Pena, in case you missed it, ranks second in the American League with 33 homers through September 1. This is a guy who hit 23 home runs all last year at Triple-A (plus one with the Red Sox). Hot prospect? Well, yeah, like in 2000 and 2001. Pena had his shot with the Tigers, did okay before fading away, and now has come back with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Somewhere along the line, Pena turned …read more

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Josh Hamilton received a standing ovation as he stepped to the plate in his first big-league at-bat. The former first pick overall came up against Cubs left-hander Will Ohman with one out in the bottom of the eighth and drove a ball to left-center. Left fielder Matt Murton charged hard and made a diving catch for the out. Hamilton received another standing ovation as he returned to the dugout.
Hamilton is a Rule V pick. I expect most Rule V draftees don’t get that kind of reception in their first at-bat.