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Wednesday, July 19, 2006 |
A Brief Word About Hillenbrand
I know that the Blue Jays have designated Shea Hillenbrand for assignment, and there was talk last year following Dallas McPherson's disappearance of acquiring him in a trade, and again back in May of this year, for Adam Kennedy when AK's worth was rather higher. My caveats would be that
- Hillenbrand's production has historically trailed off in the second half.
- He was kind of a whiner. Bill Stoneman shies away from guys like that.
- He's expensive for what he brings to the table. The Angels would have to cough up about $2.9M to have his .822-and-falling OPS at third.
- He blocks Dallas McPherson, who's due back within a matter of days. McPherson's got a .772 OPS, is cheap, and has a good chance at getting better. Hillenbrand we know will get worse.
Comments:
As a DFA, aren't the Blue Jays responsible for all but the major league minimum of his remaining salary?
That's all the Cardinals are paying Jeff Weaver
That's all the Cardinals are paying Jeff Weaver
# posted by 
: 7/19/2006 10:12:00 PM
: 7/19/2006 10:12:00 PM
I'm not sure what the situation is with a DFA. If he's traded, there might still be some wiggle room.
I think that its more up to the trade terms (which almost always include the former team paying the entire salary, since the new team could conceivably pick him up in a few days for the league minimum). Hillenbrand makes a lot of sense for the Angels (assuming this is the last year on his contract). He can play first and third, which should make him at least an upgrade over Kendry Morales and/or Ztu for the rest of the season (although, no guarantee). Also, he would probably be dealt straight up for AK, which would open 2nd entirely to Howie. As a matter of fact, I would say that if that trade happens, Howie and Maicer will split time at 2nd; Hillenbrand, Kenmore and Quins at 1st; Hillenbrand, Quins, and Ztu at 3rd. That gives Ztu a lot of opportunities to prove that the last couple of weeks can continue, and gets Hillenbrand and Howie in the lineup at the expense of Kenmore and AK.
Oh yeah, the major problem against Hillenbrand is the spectacular way he got himself run out of Toronto. It may have been just a situational thing or it could end up being Guillen-esque, and that's a pretty big risk to take.
DFA is a holding tank - "We need a roster spot NOW, we're not sure what we want to do with you, but we have ten days to decide"...trade, release, waive, or outright, depending on the player's rights.
In the case of the Cardinals, it ended up simply being a good, old fashioned trade. To make the deal more attractive, the Angels agreed to send cash to cover some, but not all, of his salary.
In the case of Yan, the Angels sent cash to cover some of his salary, too.
Here's a link:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/1999/0908/46397.html
In the case of the Cardinals, it ended up simply being a good, old fashioned trade. To make the deal more attractive, the Angels agreed to send cash to cover some, but not all, of his salary.
In the case of Yan, the Angels sent cash to cover some of his salary, too.
Here's a link:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/1999/0908/46397.html
# posted by : 7/19/2006 11:52:00 PM
: 7/19/2006 11:52:00 PM
But no mention anywhere of Shea's defense at third? It is ghastly, you know. Career zone rating of .737, which would place him as the worst in the league this year. And his stats this year have been significantly worse, not that Maicer or Chone have been models of excellence.
Why not consider him an alternative at first instead? After all, the Hardball Times has just hung a #5 around Morales' neck in its annual Carl Everett awards for who's most likely to sink the ship. Notice dishonorable mentions go to AK and GA. I guess this might address two of the three in a single trade. Anderson is left to keep Carlos Lee or Bobby Abreu from warming our LF or DH slots.
Why not consider him an alternative at first instead? After all, the Hardball Times has just hung a #5 around Morales' neck in its annual Carl Everett awards for who's most likely to sink the ship. Notice dishonorable mentions go to AK and GA. I guess this might address two of the three in a single trade. Anderson is left to keep Carlos Lee or Bobby Abreu from warming our LF or DH slots.
# posted by : 7/20/2006 01:34:00 AM
: 7/20/2006 01:34:00 AM
Maxwell -- Morales should be kept in the fray because he's required around 200 AB before establishing himself at almost every level, and he didn't even get that in AAA. While it comes with a small sample size warning, he's hitting .311 this month. I, for one, would like to see him stick around to see if he can keep up this level of production.
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