Cubs Trade Walker to Padres
The Chicago Cubs announced that they traded Todd Walker and cash to the San Diego Padres for 19 right-handed pitcher Jose Ceda. Ceda has a 5.09 ERA in 23 innings for San Diego's rookie ball team this year. According to the press release, however, "Ceda has gone 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA (4 ER/18.0 IP) over his last six games (three starts) while holding opponents to a .200 average." He has a 31/13 overall K/BB ratio in his 23 innings.
It would be interesting to know how much of Walker's remaining $2.5M salary the Cubs are paying.
It's quite possible that the Cubs could have gotten a better prospect by offering Walker arbitration in the offseason and letting him sign as a free agent with someone else, giving the Cubs an extra draft pick in the 2007 draft. That said, the Cubs no doubt did not want to risk that Walker would accept an offer of arbitration.
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Walker's Year
It's been a slightly disappointing year for Walker, as he has not supplied the power we would have expected (.390 Slg. compared to .474 and .468 the two previous seasons), but he's continued to get on base well above the team average clip, and his patience will be missed.
Walker to play third base?
According to the AP, the Padres acquired Walker "to help out at third base." That's interesting. He hasn't played third since 1997.
Related poll question
Related poll question here.
Derek Smart is going . . .
. . . to miss Walker, too.
Cubs Paying $350K on Walker's Remaining Contract
According to the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs picked up "about $350,000 of the remaining $850,000 on Walker's contract."
Walker: a Quality Ballplayer
San Diego is a beautiful place to be traded to. I am sure that Todd Walker has a sense of a new beginning and some sense of relief to leave Chicago, where I fear he was over-platooned and under-appreciated. Hopefully the pitcher can pitch in the majors soon.
Respectfully,
FEARLESS BEAR