A few random thoughts on a slow Thursday.
I don't understand Howie Clark. How can anybody have an OPS of .686 in Syracuse, and an OPS of 1.210 in Toronto? My guess is that a lot of pitchers are dumb, macho idiots: when they see a rookie come up, they try to throw their best fastball by him. And Howie Clark, presumably, has enough bat speed to catch up with someone's fastball. Why not throw the newbie breaking stuff first? After all, you don't normally reach the highest levels of pro ball unless you can hit a fastball: the minor leagues are full of pitchers with lots of heat but no command.
I'd rather not trade Shannon Stewart right now, unless the Jays get something really good in return (such as a top-rank pitching prospect, or an actual starting pitcher). Sure, Reed Johnson can do Stewart's job - the two men have remarkably similar skills - but the Jays need depth in the outfield. And Stewart is a good hitter, is well-liked, and likes playing in Toronto - he shouldn't be tossed aside like an old newspaper just because his replacement has had a good month. (Richard Griffin wants the Jays to dump him, so there's a good reason to keep him, right there.)
I dislike the very idea of Esteban Loaiza.
Juan Acevedo could become this generation's Doyle Alexander. Think of it: a successful pitcher with other teams signs with the Yanks, and is released in a fit of pique after a rough stretch. The Jays sign him and slowly bring him back to life, and he helps the team down the stretch and for a couple of years after that. (Let me pause while I adjust my rose-coloured spectacles.) I don't know whether Acevedo will help - thousands of Yankee fans have strong opinions on the subject - but he's a low-risk investment. When the alternatives are Jeff Tam and Tanyon Sturtze, there's really nothing to lose.
Anyone want to start an Aquilino Lopez Death Pool? I say his arm falls off on August 15. What do you think?
Y'know, Woodward and Hudson have a lot in common with Trammell and Whitaker (though they're not as good). Woody's a hard-working, non-controversial shortstop with some power; Hudson is a hard-working but slightly flakey second baseman with good speed and line-drive gap power. Woody and the O-Dog are roughly the same calibre of player, just as the Tiger duo were. They work well together, and I'm impressed that both have managed to keep from falling into sophomore slumps. This says something about their willingness to work hard and make adjustments.
I'm not so sure that Guillermo Quiroz is going to pass Kevin Cash. Quiroz's average is slowly sinking: he's down to .290, while Cash's average is up to .260. Quiroz is hitting for much more power, of course, but didn't Cash hit for more power in AA than he's showing now? Cash is a long way from being ready for the majors, but let's not give up on him just yet. It's not as though the Jays need catching help right now...
I've been lazy. I've only voted for Delgado about 12 times. Time for me to get back to punching those virtual ballots.
People are starting to notice that the Jays' schedule might be a factor in the pennant race. The Jays have 18 games remaining against Baltimore, a team that they traditionally beat like a gong, and have yet to play Cleveland or Detroit. The Yankees and Red Sox probably have suffered neck strains from spending so much time looking over their shoulders. Arrrrr!
So, who will the Yankees trade for, and how high will the team's payroll be when they're finished? Analysts point out, correctly, that the Yankees don't have many prospects to trade. But they still have their bottomless wallet: teams out of contention that are looking to save money will be willing to accept any warm body in trade in order to receive some payroll relief (as the Jays did last year when they dumped Mondesi). Look for the Marlins to offload a couple of good players in return for a couple of warm buckets of spit.
Happy Thursday, everyone!
I don't understand Howie Clark. How can anybody have an OPS of .686 in Syracuse, and an OPS of 1.210 in Toronto? My guess is that a lot of pitchers are dumb, macho idiots: when they see a rookie come up, they try to throw their best fastball by him. And Howie Clark, presumably, has enough bat speed to catch up with someone's fastball. Why not throw the newbie breaking stuff first? After all, you don't normally reach the highest levels of pro ball unless you can hit a fastball: the minor leagues are full of pitchers with lots of heat but no command.
I'd rather not trade Shannon Stewart right now, unless the Jays get something really good in return (such as a top-rank pitching prospect, or an actual starting pitcher). Sure, Reed Johnson can do Stewart's job - the two men have remarkably similar skills - but the Jays need depth in the outfield. And Stewart is a good hitter, is well-liked, and likes playing in Toronto - he shouldn't be tossed aside like an old newspaper just because his replacement has had a good month. (Richard Griffin wants the Jays to dump him, so there's a good reason to keep him, right there.)
I dislike the very idea of Esteban Loaiza.
Juan Acevedo could become this generation's Doyle Alexander. Think of it: a successful pitcher with other teams signs with the Yanks, and is released in a fit of pique after a rough stretch. The Jays sign him and slowly bring him back to life, and he helps the team down the stretch and for a couple of years after that. (Let me pause while I adjust my rose-coloured spectacles.) I don't know whether Acevedo will help - thousands of Yankee fans have strong opinions on the subject - but he's a low-risk investment. When the alternatives are Jeff Tam and Tanyon Sturtze, there's really nothing to lose.
Anyone want to start an Aquilino Lopez Death Pool? I say his arm falls off on August 15. What do you think?
Y'know, Woodward and Hudson have a lot in common with Trammell and Whitaker (though they're not as good). Woody's a hard-working, non-controversial shortstop with some power; Hudson is a hard-working but slightly flakey second baseman with good speed and line-drive gap power. Woody and the O-Dog are roughly the same calibre of player, just as the Tiger duo were. They work well together, and I'm impressed that both have managed to keep from falling into sophomore slumps. This says something about their willingness to work hard and make adjustments.
I'm not so sure that Guillermo Quiroz is going to pass Kevin Cash. Quiroz's average is slowly sinking: he's down to .290, while Cash's average is up to .260. Quiroz is hitting for much more power, of course, but didn't Cash hit for more power in AA than he's showing now? Cash is a long way from being ready for the majors, but let's not give up on him just yet. It's not as though the Jays need catching help right now...
I've been lazy. I've only voted for Delgado about 12 times. Time for me to get back to punching those virtual ballots.
People are starting to notice that the Jays' schedule might be a factor in the pennant race. The Jays have 18 games remaining against Baltimore, a team that they traditionally beat like a gong, and have yet to play Cleveland or Detroit. The Yankees and Red Sox probably have suffered neck strains from spending so much time looking over their shoulders. Arrrrr!
So, who will the Yankees trade for, and how high will the team's payroll be when they're finished? Analysts point out, correctly, that the Yankees don't have many prospects to trade. But they still have their bottomless wallet: teams out of contention that are looking to save money will be willing to accept any warm body in trade in order to receive some payroll relief (as the Jays did last year when they dumped Mondesi). Look for the Marlins to offload a couple of good players in return for a couple of warm buckets of spit.
Happy Thursday, everyone!
