| Christopher Reina. 18th January, 2009 - 3:34 pm
 Felix Pie was supposed to be Chicago's center fielder for the next decade, but he struggled in his 260 at bats with the Cubs, ran out of options, and was dealt to Baltimore in a deal for Garrett Olson and Henry Williamson.
Pie displayed a very impressive combination of speed and power in the minors that made him one of the most highly touted outfield prospects in baseball, but he has been unable to translate that success in the big leagues. He has been utterly dreadful against lefties, hitting for an OPS of .299 compared to .685 against righties.
Pie was initially given a chance to play everyday in 2008, but Lou Piniella had a quick hook, and he spent the majority of the season in the minors. When he returned in September, Pie hit for an OPS of .841 in 20 at bats.
The Orioles are rebuilding and can, of course, afford a roster spot on Pie to see if he can finally deliver on that promise.
Grade for Orioles: B+
Pie was almost certain to not make the Cubs' team ,and without any options remaining, they would have lost him for nothing if they couldn't find a trading partner.
In Olson, they get a left-handed pitcher who can eat innings immediately while Williamson is a strikeout pitcher that is several years away.
Olson had a 6.65 ERA in 132.7 innings and 26 starts for Baltimore in 2008. He got progressively worse as the season went on, posting a 7.89 ERA in the second half. He struggled against lefties while he did improve against righties from 2007. Olson is still just 25 ,and the Cubs could get lucky by making him a fifth starter as his numbers, especially strikeout rate, has been good in the minors.
Williamson had 42 strikeouts in 29 innings in A ball in 2008 while displaying good command. While he clearly isn't Matt Wieters or even Jake Arrieta, he could become a hidden arm.
Even though the Cubs did well getting some value in dealing Pie, they really shouldn't have been put themselves in this situation in the first place by using up his options in this way.
Grade for Cubs: C+ |
