January 8, 2009

San Antonio Calzones of Laredo and the Tempe Knights

July 5th, 2009

San Antonio receives:
SS Heath Palmer (22, AA) - minor league contract
CF Jorge Rivas (19, SS-A) - minor league contract

Tempe receives:
SP Tetsu Takuda (27, ML) - $1.6/$1.8/$2.7
MR Rafael Pérez (25, ML) - $0.39/$0.47/$0.47/arbitration

Since Then:
Palmer struggled at San Antonio's AA affiliate after the trade. Aside from his above average gap power and infield arm, Palmer rates out as an average ballplayer all-around. He could develop into a big league bench or platoon player in the future.
Rivas had a poor '09 season while spending time both at SS-A and AA. His strengths include excellent speed, good outfield defense, and above average raw power. His lack of bat discipline and inability to consistently hit the ball will make it tough for him to transition to the big league level. He appears to be a career minor leaguer.

Takuda pitched serviceably for Tempe in '09. In 12 starts, he went 3-6 with a 4.73 ERA. His lack of pure stuff and endurance make him a good 5th starter or long reliever candidate.
Pérez had a solid '09 season with Tempe. In 33 relief appearances (45.2 IP), he went 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Overall, Pérez is an above average reliever. Possessing good movement and control on his pitches, Pérez can serve either as a primary middle reliever or setup man.

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