CBJ Coaching Update: Blue Jackets Have Targeted Their Man – UPDATED – And Their Man Says NO – UPDATED AGAIN – And They’ve Targeted Their Second Man…
June 7, 2010Hello Victor, My Old Friend
June 7, 2010
Per the Tribe Insider Twitter, 1B/3B Andy Marte has been activated off of the DL and 1B/OF Matt LaPorta has been optioned to AAA Columbus. That’s right, the guy who we all heard was going to be “playing somewhere, every day,” has been shipped out while the Shelley Duncan and Marte stay.
The move can be explained by the brass with ease; they will tell you they want to get regular at bats for LaPorta. I’m sure that is true, but the depressing thing is the kid is supposed to be the middle of the order, right-handed power stick the Indians sorely lack. He was the integral piece in the CC Sabathia trade two years ago. Thus far, he has shown little to prove that his minor league numbers were ready to translate to the bigs.
In the meantime, the Sabathia trade was supposed to be a heist for the Indians who were sellers of their free-agent-to-be Cy Young winner (the first one, that is) in 2008. They received LaPorta, the supposed best hitter in the Brewers deep farm system, as well as Michael Brantley, a future leadoff man in the mold of Kenny Lofton. Here we are, almost two years from the trade, and neither of the two keys to the trade are on the Indians major league roster.
That, my friends, is not good. LaPorta lost at bats to Austin Kearns early and recently to Duncan and Russ Branyan. These are not exactly long-term guys here. On a rebuilding team, LaPorta has failed to assert himself as a mainstay. His stats tell the story of why he is going down to Columbus:
119 ABs/.218 BA/1 HR/7 RBI/..567 OPS/25 K’s/12 BB’s
Compare to the 4A Journeyman Duncan who in 21 AB’s has 6 RBIs. It’s very possible that the Gator has never fully recovered from the offseason hip surgery. Who knows, but he just hasn’t looked very comfortable at the plate all year. It also hasn’t helped that he again has been shuffled between first base and the outfield.
It has been said that LaPorta won’t be down there for long, the same goes for Brantley, but you look up today and you see that the only players currently on the major league roster that were acquired for two Cy Young Award winners (Sabathia and Cliff Lee) and a three-time all-star Catcher (Victor Martinez) are Justin Masterson, Lou Marson (oops my bad) and Jason Donald.
Ouch.
AP photo Duane Burleson
10 Comments
Here’s hoping this is just done to get the vets more face-time to pump up their trade value.
History of this organization would tell us otherwise, but we can still hold out hope.
Its time to clean house in the tribe front office. Dolan needs to take a clue from gilbert of the cavs. Gilbert shuffles things up meanwhile the Dolans sit by and watch this franchise go into the toliet. One is proactive the other is reactive. It’s sad to see the Indians like this.
“the only players currently on the major league roster that were acquired for two Cy Young Award winners (Sabathia and Cliff Lee) and a three-time all-star Catcher (Victor Martinez) are Justin Masterson and Jason Donald.”
Isn’t Sweet Lou Marson still n the club or did I miss something?
Is that Eric Wedge I hear laughing?
Even Slider is damn ashamed to be associated with this team.
/my first and last post on the Indians in 2010
@4/Pat18970: you beat me to it.
Not to worry, tribe will rip off something like 15 of 21 in August and we’ll be talking about the cause for optimism and how Acta’s principles are taking hold.
(Will attempt self-imposed moratorium on tribe, no one needs to read a steady stream of p and v)
Actually Duncan could potentially be a member of the Tribe going forward if he can show value in a corner outfield spot. He was the International League player of the year last year and has very little service time in the bigs.
Maybe LaPorta heals his hip in Columbus while Duncan shows his value in left. Kearns can get some time in center, further adding to his trade value… then when Branyan and Kearns are unloaded at the deadline, we will have Brantley in center, Duncan in left and LaPorta at first, not to mention Santana at catcher. Then we can evaluate if we can enter into next season with these guys as starters.
i enjoy hearing people say how much the indians stink. always makes me giggle.
baseball is baseball. its flawed. get over it and find some positives if youre able to. its still entertainment.
if anyone thinks they can pick a kid out of a minor league system that is a sure-fire 100% major leaguer, you wouldnt be posting on here. trading for young guys is a crapshoot.
Bryce Harper may end up being a bust. who knows. who cares. its still baseball.
MARTE, MARTE, MARTE, MARTE!
Can he PLEASE get some at bats.
Marte is my homie!
[…] a much-deserved call-up to Cleveland… sadly, without a firmly in-place nickname. Sigh. Finally, as TD reported yesterday, OF Matt LaPorta is making another trip back to Columbus. Finally, 3B Jared Goedert made his way up […]