Marlins get something for Lindstrom

Boy, if there isn’t anything in the world more inspiring than to have a high-90’s fastball. No matter how poorly you pitch, someone will still give you a chance, and they’ll pay something to do it. The Marlins were able to send Matt Lindstrom off to the Houston Astros for right hander Robert Bono and shortstop Luis Bryan. This courtesy of Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald and Twitter. Here’s my quick thoughts:

– Lindstrom was the same guy who put up a 3.14 ERA in 2008 after recovering from injury. Unfortunately, that guy wasn’t very good either, but he held the ball in the park. Last year, Lindstrom allowed a few less ground balls and a few more homers, and it made his FIP skyrocket.

– Neither of the players we got are contributing any time soon. They’re both younger than me, and I just graduated from college a few months ago. Byran was just being born as I was watching cartoons on Saturday morning with my face way too close to the television screen for my own good (this was late 1990, and I was two years old).

– Bono has spent three seasons in the Astros organization and just completed a full 2009 in high-A. He was an 11th round draft pick in 2007. The last two seasons, he’s shown a pattern of not missing bats (11.9% K% between 2008 and 2009, in low- and high-A) and an equally strong avoidance of the outer part of the zone (3.1% UIBB% during that same span). I don’t know what his stuff looks like, but it has the makings of a strike-throwing, high-80’s/low-90’s kind of guy, which does not usually bode well in the majors.

– Bryan was an international signing participating in his first season in pro ball. He had a hot rookie-ball season, batting .340/.345/.491, good for a .394 wOBA. Yes, that slash line is correct, Bryan had an OBP only .005 points higher than his batting average. In 111 PA in rookie-ball this year, Bryan managed to avoid walking entirely, not recording a single walk and only being hit twice by pitches. An honorable feat, but it doesn’t bode well for his skills.