Evan Grant wonders if the Rangers might try to trade Milton Bradley if they fall even farther back in the standings and then try to resign him in the off-season when he is a free agent.
"Evan Grant wonders if the Rangers might try to trade Milton Bradley if they fall even farther back in the standings"
...They better do so quickly, he has already had a blow-up and seemingly hurt himself this past week. They risk their change to get something valuable in return with every day they wait...
The Tribe has to trade for Atkins, for the following reasons:
1. He is a great hitter.
2. It'd mean the end of Casey Blake being an every day player.
3. It would probably force the Indians to move Peralta away from short, because the combination of Atkins and Peralta on the left side of the infield would be horrible.
4. No more Casey Blake.
5. The Indians would be able to trade Marte, rather than waste a roster spot on him.
Krambo, why you so against blake? he's one of the few who's still hitting. and although his fielding isn't the best, i think the indians have more pressing issues than blake.
-People who hate Casey Blake or, at the very least, want him to be nothing more than a utility player.
-People who think Casey Blake is a superstar and the team would fall apart without him. These people should be locked up.
-People who haven't watched enough Tribe games to form a real opinion.
It is 100% impossible to change the mind of anybody in either of the first two groups. It can't be explained, really...if you watch enough games, either Casey does it for you or he doesn't. You see a guy who is hitting .250 (not great, by the way) with 41 RBI (yes, I realize that is one more than Atkins). I see a guy with skewed numbers because of two big games who can't ever get hits at the right time. Yes, he is doing fairly well with RISP this year, but a lot of those weren't exactly big at bats...and he never can be counted on to simply get on base. More often than not, this guy looks clueless at the plate. I'm sick of being told that this should-have-been career minor leaguer represents everything the Cleveland Indians are about.
Also, this is probably his last season in Cleveland (it had better be, anyway). He's not good enough to keep us from upgrading for the rest of this season and the future. We need a big bat in the lineup-that is supposed to come from the corner positions. I'm not crazy about the production we get from any of the corner positions, but 3rd is the one that makes the most sense to upgrade at, because of Blake's age/contract.
Blake is pretty bad, and was a key component of the Rally Killer B's (Blake, Boone, Belliard, Broussard) but in a season where Hafner and Martinez can't hit to save their life and are injured the Indians are kind of forced to stick with the only guy producing. Ideally that would be a UTIL role. But Marte can't cut it and Hodges (more than likely the Tribe's future at 3B) is still at Akron (though considering his numbers Buffalo should be really soon).
A lot of it (as eluded to by Grimace) is a lingering frustration over the teams illogical unwillingness to ever sit him the last 4 years despite certain periods of horrendous slumps or much better play by others. The team has seemingly been quicker to sit Martinez or Hafner during their peaks than to ever remove Blake from the starting lineup ~ even going as far as contemplating moving him to each and every position on the field (outside C and P) just to keep him in there daily. The loyalty is confusing, and at times his play has been the most annoying thing possible in rather crucial moments. Although not a horrible player overall, that’s why so many Tribe fans hate the chin with a passion…
Why would the Reds WANT King Griffey Junior back at ANY price?
He is old and injury prone. Since the 2007 All Star break, in almost 500 At Bats, he is hitting about .255 with 14 Home Runs and 65 RBI's.
If the Reds were STUPID and brought both Dunn and KGJ back for 2009 (which they SHOULDN'T do) it would cost them over $30 million dollars, combined, for them both just for 2009. That would mean the Reds would have NO MONEY to spend on PITCHING unless Ca$htellini is willing to push the team payroll to over $100 million dollars.
It would ALSO mean that KGJ and Dunn would HAVE to bat in the middle of the order and thus keep Jay Bruce and Joey Votto (two BETTER hitters) FROM the PRIME RBI's spots.
As long as the Rangers continue to swing their bats they'll do okay. Unfortunately their pitching is so bad that sometimes it doesn't compensate for their tremendous offense. Should Texas consider Sabathia?
Fair enough, I think you could do a lot worse than blake. Atkins would def. be an improvement, an all around good player. But I see blake as a guy who is like DeRosa, just not as good of a hitter; he is good enough to be an everyday player, but more importantly he is a guy every team needs to have, someone who can fairly convincingly play every position in a crunch or time of injury.
first of all, nobody has mentioned the reds keeping both dunn and griffey. second, griffey WILL be resigned, but not at 16.5...they will restructure his deal at around 10/year for 2 or 3 years.
"It would ALSO mean that KGJ and Dunn would HAVE to bat in the middle of the order and thus keep Jay Bruce and Joey Votto (two BETTER hitters) FROM the PRIME RBI's spots."
dunn has spent most of the year hitting 6 or 7...is that a prime RBI spot?
Yeah, most non-Tribe fans probably don’t realize the unusual love-fest that goes on between him and the Coaches/FO. I myself don’t mind Blake at all; his overall numbers have been respectable to pretty good the last 3-4 years (well, for a AAAA signing) ~ but I don’t want the team say bringing in Atkins and moving Blake to 2B because they think he can handle it (yeah, it has been thought about… ***sigh***). I would rather not have him then have him forced into positions where he might hurt more than he helps ~ if they use him in a super-sub role then I’m ecstatic; if they relentlessly force him into the lineup at the expense of better and more longterm options though, then I would rather he just be gone…
BTW, it is so refreshing to hear a WhiteSox fan that will hold a completely rational conversation as you have. Sadly, only GoGoPaleHose instantly comes to mind as another with this ability (around here atleast) ~ and it can be kinda hit and miss (hehehe, sorry buddy) Anyway, just wanted to thank you for it… (and I did want to say that I know there has to be others, so please don’t be offended if you are one and your name just escaped me for the moment)
"would be a UTIL role. But Marte can't cut it and Hodges (more than likely the Tribe's future at 3B) is still at Akron "
How would we know if Marte can play, he has never been given a chance to play.
I don't really like blake but i think there are bigger holes on this team right now more than him. I could live with him at third as long as he is hitting 8th or 9th in the lineup.
My first priority would be to get rid of peralta. he is terrible defensively, and is horrendous hitter with runners on base. I would then just cut delluci or trade him for a bag of balls and let the young guys play. If victor was healthy, I would consider trading him for a outfield bat or better shortstop. He is getting older, and except for last year has not been very consistent throughout his career. Because of the logjam at 1st base and DH, he doesn't have anywhere to move too once he gets too old to catch.
Dear Eric Wedge.. Please put your best hitter, sizemore, 3rd in the lineup.
Griffey doesn't have that kind of time.
Posted by: sweetswingingbw | June 18, 2008 at 12:10 PM
a ring would change his mind. besides, hes obligated to say that for about 100 reasons
Posted by: 04Forever | June 18, 2008 at 12:13 PM
"Ken Griffey Jr says that he wants to win a championship in Cincinnati."
What his point? I want to win the lottery...
Posted by: Aduncaroo | June 18, 2008 at 12:16 PM
"Evan Grant wonders if the Rangers might try to trade Milton Bradley if they fall even farther back in the standings"
...They better do so quickly, he has already had a blow-up and seemingly hurt himself this past week. They risk their change to get something valuable in return with every day they wait...
Posted by: darkstar1661 | June 18, 2008 at 12:23 PM
The Tribe has to trade for Atkins, for the following reasons:
1. He is a great hitter.
2. It'd mean the end of Casey Blake being an every day player.
3. It would probably force the Indians to move Peralta away from short, because the combination of Atkins and Peralta on the left side of the infield would be horrible.
4. No more Casey Blake.
5. The Indians would be able to trade Marte, rather than waste a roster spot on him.
6. No more Casey Blake.
Posted by: Krambo42 | June 18, 2008 at 12:32 PM
Krambo, why you so against blake? he's one of the few who's still hitting. and although his fielding isn't the best, i think the indians have more pressing issues than blake.
Posted by: whitesoxfan424 | June 18, 2008 at 12:51 PM
There are 3 kinds of people in this world:
-People who hate Casey Blake or, at the very least, want him to be nothing more than a utility player.
-People who think Casey Blake is a superstar and the team would fall apart without him. These people should be locked up.
-People who haven't watched enough Tribe games to form a real opinion.
It is 100% impossible to change the mind of anybody in either of the first two groups. It can't be explained, really...if you watch enough games, either Casey does it for you or he doesn't. You see a guy who is hitting .250 (not great, by the way) with 41 RBI (yes, I realize that is one more than Atkins). I see a guy with skewed numbers because of two big games who can't ever get hits at the right time. Yes, he is doing fairly well with RISP this year, but a lot of those weren't exactly big at bats...and he never can be counted on to simply get on base. More often than not, this guy looks clueless at the plate. I'm sick of being told that this should-have-been career minor leaguer represents everything the Cleveland Indians are about.
Also, this is probably his last season in Cleveland (it had better be, anyway). He's not good enough to keep us from upgrading for the rest of this season and the future. We need a big bat in the lineup-that is supposed to come from the corner positions. I'm not crazy about the production we get from any of the corner positions, but 3rd is the one that makes the most sense to upgrade at, because of Blake's age/contract.
Posted by: Krambo42 | June 18, 2008 at 01:11 PM
Blake is pretty bad, and was a key component of the Rally Killer B's (Blake, Boone, Belliard, Broussard) but in a season where Hafner and Martinez can't hit to save their life and are injured the Indians are kind of forced to stick with the only guy producing. Ideally that would be a UTIL role. But Marte can't cut it and Hodges (more than likely the Tribe's future at 3B) is still at Akron (though considering his numbers Buffalo should be really soon).
Posted by: grimace455 | June 18, 2008 at 01:24 PM
A lot of it (as eluded to by Grimace) is a lingering frustration over the teams illogical unwillingness to ever sit him the last 4 years despite certain periods of horrendous slumps or much better play by others. The team has seemingly been quicker to sit Martinez or Hafner during their peaks than to ever remove Blake from the starting lineup ~ even going as far as contemplating moving him to each and every position on the field (outside C and P) just to keep him in there daily. The loyalty is confusing, and at times his play has been the most annoying thing possible in rather crucial moments. Although not a horrible player overall, that’s why so many Tribe fans hate the chin with a passion…
Posted by: darkstar1661 | June 18, 2008 at 01:39 PM
As some reader on Cleveland.com pointed out, you can't spell Blake without a K and an E...and even then, it's just Bla.
Posted by: Krambo42 | June 18, 2008 at 01:45 PM
Why would the Reds WANT King Griffey Junior back at ANY price?
He is old and injury prone. Since the 2007 All Star break, in almost 500 At Bats, he is hitting about .255 with 14 Home Runs and 65 RBI's.
If the Reds were STUPID and brought both Dunn and KGJ back for 2009 (which they SHOULDN'T do) it would cost them over $30 million dollars, combined, for them both just for 2009. That would mean the Reds would have NO MONEY to spend on PITCHING unless Ca$htellini is willing to push the team payroll to over $100 million dollars.
It would ALSO mean that KGJ and Dunn would HAVE to bat in the middle of the order and thus keep Jay Bruce and Joey Votto (two BETTER hitters) FROM the PRIME RBI's spots.
Posted by: ctownboy | June 18, 2008 at 01:54 PM
As long as the Rangers continue to swing their bats they'll do okay. Unfortunately their pitching is so bad that sometimes it doesn't compensate for their tremendous offense. Should Texas consider Sabathia?
Posted by: fenderfanatic | June 18, 2008 at 02:00 PM
"As some reader on Cleveland.com pointed out, you can't spell Blake without a K and an E...and even then, it's just Bla."
...Not that is funny!
Posted by: darkstar1661 | June 18, 2008 at 02:23 PM
...errr *now* that is funny!
Posted by: darkstar1661 | June 18, 2008 at 02:26 PM
Fair enough, I think you could do a lot worse than blake. Atkins would def. be an improvement, an all around good player. But I see blake as a guy who is like DeRosa, just not as good of a hitter; he is good enough to be an everyday player, but more importantly he is a guy every team needs to have, someone who can fairly convincingly play every position in a crunch or time of injury.
Posted by: whitesoxfan424 | June 18, 2008 at 02:31 PM
ctownboy:
first of all, nobody has mentioned the reds keeping both dunn and griffey. second, griffey WILL be resigned, but not at 16.5...they will restructure his deal at around 10/year for 2 or 3 years.
"It would ALSO mean that KGJ and Dunn would HAVE to bat in the middle of the order and thus keep Jay Bruce and Joey Votto (two BETTER hitters) FROM the PRIME RBI's spots."
dunn has spent most of the year hitting 6 or 7...is that a prime RBI spot?
Posted by: coltholt | June 18, 2008 at 03:10 PM
WhiteSoxFan,
Yeah, most non-Tribe fans probably don’t realize the unusual love-fest that goes on between him and the Coaches/FO. I myself don’t mind Blake at all; his overall numbers have been respectable to pretty good the last 3-4 years (well, for a AAAA signing) ~ but I don’t want the team say bringing in Atkins and moving Blake to 2B because they think he can handle it (yeah, it has been thought about… ***sigh***). I would rather not have him then have him forced into positions where he might hurt more than he helps ~ if they use him in a super-sub role then I’m ecstatic; if they relentlessly force him into the lineup at the expense of better and more longterm options though, then I would rather he just be gone…
BTW, it is so refreshing to hear a WhiteSox fan that will hold a completely rational conversation as you have. Sadly, only GoGoPaleHose instantly comes to mind as another with this ability (around here atleast) ~ and it can be kinda hit and miss (hehehe, sorry buddy) Anyway, just wanted to thank you for it… (and I did want to say that I know there has to be others, so please don’t be offended if you are one and your name just escaped me for the moment)
Posted by: darkstar1661 | June 18, 2008 at 03:49 PM
"would be a UTIL role. But Marte can't cut it and Hodges (more than likely the Tribe's future at 3B) is still at Akron "
How would we know if Marte can play, he has never been given a chance to play.
I don't really like blake but i think there are bigger holes on this team right now more than him. I could live with him at third as long as he is hitting 8th or 9th in the lineup.
My first priority would be to get rid of peralta. he is terrible defensively, and is horrendous hitter with runners on base. I would then just cut delluci or trade him for a bag of balls and let the young guys play. If victor was healthy, I would consider trading him for a outfield bat or better shortstop. He is getting older, and except for last year has not been very consistent throughout his career. Because of the logjam at 1st base and DH, he doesn't have anywhere to move too once he gets too old to catch.
Dear Eric Wedge.. Please put your best hitter, sizemore, 3rd in the lineup.
Thank you,
Indians fans
Posted by: gocletribe | June 18, 2008 at 08:40 PM