Jamie Mottram's Sports Blog - www.misterirrelevant.com

Washington sent Livan Hernandez to Arizona yesterday with the intention of building towards their future and affecting the playoff picture in the NL West. While this is only the seventh headline on AOL Sports' MLB index and Hernandez's ERA is 5.34, this is probably the most significant starting pitcher move made this summer for a few reasons...

1. Livan pitches every fifth day. A lot. Averaging 34 starts per year and seven innings per start since 2000 is no joke.

2. Seven of his last 10 starts have been of the quality variety, at least six innings while allowing three runs or fewer.

3. He's 6-2 lifetime in the postseason with NLCS and World Series MVP awards under his formidable belt.

Sounds like a guy that Boston could really, really use right now.

Anyway, as a Nats fan, it's sad to Livan go but I understand the deal for two decent pitching prospects nonetheless. Hernandez won the first game at RFK in 30+ years. He contended for the NL Cy Young through much of that magical first season. And it was a joy watching him get guys out with guts and guile (a.k.a. a 86-mph fastball and 68-mph curve). Now he's Arizona's guy and I wish him and his enormous belly all the best.

In other news, that much-maligned move the Reds made with the Nats to acquire middle relief is not looking so good now that Gary Majewski is on the DL and Cincy GM Wayne Krivsky is making accusations.

Related: Banks of the Anacostia gives the deal a B+.

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• #4 Comment from stphgran 
  8/12/06 8:34 PM | Permalink

  It was a terrible idea to trade Hernandez to the D-Backs. The Nationals really needed his pitching. Also, this trade could really hurt their bullpen and WILL hurt their record. All I really have to say now is this: it was a bad trade, no matter whose point of view it's from.
• #3 Comment from rebelk9 
  8/8/06 11:56 AM | Permalink

  assasin, ask jim bowden. he acquired brian lawrence who had a bum rotator cuff. his excuse, mri's are expensive.
  
  i love livan but when a team throws 2 successful 23 year-old pitchers you have to take it (especially with the nats farm system in such disarray).
  
  the reds are better off with majewski on the sidelines. he's already blown multiple holds.
• #2 Comment from sportzassassin 
  8/8/06 11:46 AM | Permalink

  Yeah...the Reds got majorly screwed in that deal.   And even if we did get damaged goods, don't these guys have to pass physicals to make trades official???  That's the organization's fault.  Still, that's why no one like Jim Bowden anyways.
  
  Also, when I heard about the Livan to Arizona deal....I thought to myself "GEEZ, THE D-BACKS ARE IN THE RACE???  Uh, yep.  Right up the Reds tailpipe....which got reddened by St Louis yesterday.  
  
  -Sportz
  SportzAssassin.com
• #1 Comment from monponsett 
  8/8/06 10:02 AM | Permalink

  Noted Reds fan Mel Gibson was heard loudly blaming "Majewskis" for all the wars in the world.