Proteus
09-14-2008, 03:44 PM
They just do not have the talent which exposes another of Ricciardi's
mistakes--the trading away of Jason Werth, now a regular with the Phillies.
Ricciardi a few years ago decided to keep Reed Johnson and trade Werth. This
predated Ricciardi's later stupid move in re-signing Shannon Stewart, and
discarding Johnson,
even though the Jays had given up on Stewart several years earlier. He never
could throw well enough for a ML outfielder.
Of course, Johnson has shown with the Cubbies that he is a better fourth
outfielder than Wilkerson or Mench that the Jays are finishing the season
with. But
Jason Werth is better than any of the above. Look at his statistics for
2008: batting average .276, home runs 22 (more than any player on the 08
Jays' team,
61 rbis, and 17 stolen bases. Werth is a lower level five-tool outfielder, a
decent hitter with some power, has an excellent throwing arm (which Stewart
does not
have) and base-running speed.
Let's hope that if Ricciardi stays he does not go to the free-agent market
to acquire some expensive, over-the-hill power hitter like Manny Ramirez,
Jason Giambi
or Raul Ibanez. Any one of these older guys would be more subject to injury
just as Frank Thomas was. And past achievement is no guarantee of future
perfomance. The Jays have two good young hitters in Adam Lind and Travis
Snider to alternate as DH. Snider is only twenty but he can learn on the
Jays' team just as well as he could in the minors. Ricciardi should also go
with one of his young catching prospects like Arencibia or Jeroloman or
perhaps both.
The pitching and bull pen are pretty solid. But B.J. Ryan's best days are
probably over so he could be dealt away. Perhaps Downs,Camp and some others
from the bullpen could be replaced by some promising hard-throwing rookies
from the farm system. Aaron Hill, if and well he returns next year, is also
expendable as Joe Inglett has shown he can field and hit as well, and has
more speed on the base paths.
--
Beside economic rights, political rights are
unimportant unrealities. Changes in the
form of government amount to nothing
where economic life is not free and a laissez-
faire monarchy [or autocracy] is much better
than a socialistic democracy.--Herbert Spencer
"Ethics of Evolution of Society".
mistakes--the trading away of Jason Werth, now a regular with the Phillies.
Ricciardi a few years ago decided to keep Reed Johnson and trade Werth. This
predated Ricciardi's later stupid move in re-signing Shannon Stewart, and
discarding Johnson,
even though the Jays had given up on Stewart several years earlier. He never
could throw well enough for a ML outfielder.
Of course, Johnson has shown with the Cubbies that he is a better fourth
outfielder than Wilkerson or Mench that the Jays are finishing the season
with. But
Jason Werth is better than any of the above. Look at his statistics for
2008: batting average .276, home runs 22 (more than any player on the 08
Jays' team,
61 rbis, and 17 stolen bases. Werth is a lower level five-tool outfielder, a
decent hitter with some power, has an excellent throwing arm (which Stewart
does not
have) and base-running speed.
Let's hope that if Ricciardi stays he does not go to the free-agent market
to acquire some expensive, over-the-hill power hitter like Manny Ramirez,
Jason Giambi
or Raul Ibanez. Any one of these older guys would be more subject to injury
just as Frank Thomas was. And past achievement is no guarantee of future
perfomance. The Jays have two good young hitters in Adam Lind and Travis
Snider to alternate as DH. Snider is only twenty but he can learn on the
Jays' team just as well as he could in the minors. Ricciardi should also go
with one of his young catching prospects like Arencibia or Jeroloman or
perhaps both.
The pitching and bull pen are pretty solid. But B.J. Ryan's best days are
probably over so he could be dealt away. Perhaps Downs,Camp and some others
from the bullpen could be replaced by some promising hard-throwing rookies
from the farm system. Aaron Hill, if and well he returns next year, is also
expendable as Joe Inglett has shown he can field and hit as well, and has
more speed on the base paths.
--
Beside economic rights, political rights are
unimportant unrealities. Changes in the
form of government amount to nothing
where economic life is not free and a laissez-
faire monarchy [or autocracy] is much better
than a socialistic democracy.--Herbert Spencer
"Ethics of Evolution of Society".