pan6467

Now who wants Blake and Broussard?

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

kutulu

Martinez is only 27, is he really breaking down already? Was he even arbitration eligible yet this offseason? His defensive stats are all above average, does he call a good game? IMO, it's such a boost to have a catcher that can put up an 850 OPS that it seems wastefull to convert him to a 1B before he needs to be put there. The tribe's 1Bs don't look good but there has to be something better that they can do.

Catching is a tough position. I don't think it would be all that wise to expect a rookie to be a starting catcher on a contending team. Martinez has caught too many games the last two years, they might be better off keeping Martinez there and letting Shoppach be his backup (let Martinez catch no more than 120 games).

pan6467

I agree, he's not going to be broken down for a few years, but I look at Sandy Alomar and have to ask what he could have done had they moved him to 1B or 3B before he broke down. Or moved Piazza to 1B earlier, would that have extended his greatness instead of having him fall apart relatively young?

Victor is a damn good catcher and game caller, everyone has said he handles the pitchers extremely well.

So you have Shoppach back him up for the next year or 2 and then convert him. I just think Victor has great potential and catching could hurt it. I can see Victor being a Manny Ramirez or better, but is catching hindering his potential? I think it will sooner than later.

Or maybe I'm wrong maybe as a catcher Victor is very valuable but in any other spot he would be average.

Look at Ryan Garko the Indians are working hard to convert him. Hopefully he can be converted.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

kutulu

I totally get what you are saying, Martinez is valuable no matter where you play him and it sucks that as a catcher, playing time has to be limited. Using hte last two year for him as an example, a move to 1B would place him a bit above average (about 7th-12th of 23*). Kind of an Overbay with a higher average. As a 3B, he'd be higher in the rankings (probably 5-8 of 23), similar to Lowell in his prime. But 3B is much more demanding defensively (compared to 1B) and in a different way than C, if he ends up like Glaus out there it isn't worth it.

Is Hafner a terrible fielding 1B? I checked his fielding stats and they seemed fine but he's played 4 years and almost never done anything besides 1b. What about moving Hafner to 1b and letting Martinez split time between DH and C? DH's are a lot easier to find, just pick up a LH guy to DH and Martinez can DH against all LHPs. With an occasional day off that would give him enough rest and give Shoppach some ABs as well.

Oh well, who knows what is happening now, Mota failed his physical. Mota was already an injury risk, did Boston get a full phyical as well or did they just rely on Florida's doctors?

Check out this tidbit in the article:
If O'Brien really passed on getting Clement for Kearns he really deserved to be fired. He'd do very well back in the NL. I can't believe Bos wants to trade Clement at all. I wish AZ had a descent CF or SS they could trade for Clement.

*Only a little more than 20 player have enough ABs to qualify each year

pan6467

The problem supposedly with Hafner is he has a bad elbow, and is our DH. At first they have Broussard and Perez and then Blake in RF.

Not a good 3some and while I believe Blake and maybe Broussard are talented and have futures for some reason the fans really don't like them. (Maybe because they have earned the "ralley killer" labels and they did suck at moving men last year.)

It is interesting about Mota.

The Bos - Reds - Tribe trade sounds killer. Clement on the Reds??????? Hell yeah, it's someone that can win and the team won't have to score 10 runs. (How many games when the Reds scored 10 runs did they lose. I think they led the majors in games where the team scored 10+ runs.)

Yeah, O'Brien is not a good GM and it is better for Cincy that he is gone. He needed to go after one of the many closers this season and didn't. He needed to pick up a true SP.... and by not allowing that trade (if true) well... there's just no excuse for that stupidity.

Trading Kearns for a Clement is a no brainer. You can get a decent OF to replace him, but good pitching is so hard to come by, you have to jump on it when you can.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

kutulu

Well he sure wouldn't give up 35 HR or whatever Milton gave up. Ground balls and K's are where it's at and Clement gets plenty of those. It sucks for Cincy that they waited until anything of value is gone. I wonder how much truth there was to the Clement trade and how much that had to do with his firing.

I'm still pissed that AZ spent as much money on Ortiz as Clement got from Boston. Granted, it's a lot easier for the defending WS Champs to woo a pitcher than a team coming off of a 111 loss season but I never heard about them even trying for him. It was Ortiz right from the start. Damn you Russ Ortiz! Oh well, I might as well look at the bright side of it, Ortiz can post a 5.00 ERA and it would be a huge improvement! At least Morrad and the ownership realized they have no business making personel decisions and got someone with a brain to be the GM.

dylanmarsh

Clement's motivation to go to Boston last year was Varitek. It's kinda low for the Sox to trade away someone who probably took less money to play for them. But, such is baseball. With the Sox trading Wells and possibly Clement that leaves them with Beckett, Schilling, Wakefield, Arroyo and Papelbon in the rotation? I'd rather keep Clement and ship Arroyo.

Not too sure on Kearns. He had a strong rookie year with an OPS of .907 but hasn't he been injured quite a bit since then???