Casey Blake to the Dodgers
by lenred on Jul 26, 2008 12:45 PM EDT
41 comments
According to Rosenthal it's Blake for Class A catcher Carlos Santana and P John Meloan.
So what can Dodgers Fan tell us about the guys they are sending to Cleveland? It looks like Meloan was starting to develop as a reliever and then they moved him to the rotation this year. As for Santana, it looks like he was pushed from Rookie ball to hi A in '06 and he did ok. Then in 07 they put him at A and he struggled, while playing 3B & OF. This year, it looks like they've got him at catcher and his eye has improved, as well as his power & contact.
Any additional insight?
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8381628/Sources:-Dodgers-near-deal-for-Tribe-3B-Blake
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may I just say...
... RIPOFF
(by the Tribe, if that were not obvious.)
and boom goes the dynamite.
by Mean Dean on Jul 26, 2008 12:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Blake will fit right in
He strikes out a lot, 10 – 20 homers a year, the perfect fit in the Dodgers line up. I would have preferred Adrian Beltre – at least you also get his great defense.
by wonderphenom on Jul 26, 2008 1:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Ouch
I bet Shapiro switches Meloan back to the bullpen for the remainder of this year, giving them a pretty sick group at the back end in 09.
Nice deal for the Indians.
Formerly Uncle Charlie of Minor League Ball
by Yakker on Jul 26, 2008 1:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Will someone please take LaRoche off the Dodgers hands so that they can stop fucking up his future. I love this comment from the Yahoo Sports article:
Blake, who has also played right and left field, is expected to play third for the Dodgers, who haven’t gotten what they needed at the position from rookies Andy LaRoche or Blake DeWitt.
They haven’t even given LaRoche a chance, no shit they haven’t gotten what they need. What a stupid organization.
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
by marcello on Jul 26, 2008 2:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
laroche
should probably start hitting either AAA or MLB pitching if he wants at-bats.
Right now it looks as if either injuries, or just lack of hitting, is ruining hit future
by nms on Jul 26, 2008 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You do realize he has all of 59 MLB AB’s this year, right? In AAA this year he has a line of .277/.444/.420 while walking almost 3 times as much as he struck out. His AAA line this year isn’t great, but it was still pretty good. Last year, he had 93 MLB AB’s and hit .309/.399./589 in AAA in 265 AB’s.
They haven’t let him play at the MLB level yet, except for sporadic starts and a shitload of bench time, so I don’t know exactly what you’re talking about. He’s hit at AAA, and hasn’t been given a fair chance at the MLB level.
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
by marcello on Jul 26, 2008 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
walks
are the ONLY thing he has been able to do well in AAA this year. 7 XBH and a .277 average in a hitters paradise are poor, poor numbers for a guy whose appeal is being a big bat.
While walking alot is fine from a production standpoint, when that is all you can do it does not project well to the MLB level.
Hes been dealing with injuries and now he can’t hit and, judging by the crazy-high walks, knows he can’t swing the bat well.
That tells me that, regardless of his past production, the LaRoche on the field this year isn’t the same one as last year
by nms on Jul 26, 2008 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
His AAA line, in total: .307/.410/.541. He had 120 so-so AB’s this year in AAA, after coming back from an injury. Since then he’s rotted on the bench. He hasn’t been given a fair shot in the majors, he’s hit at AAA, and Blake is just another piece the Dodgers have put in his way.
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
by marcello on Jul 26, 2008 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
exactly
hes a power hitter coming off an injury and he hasn’t been hitting the ball well in AAA or MLB. Doesn’t that maybe tell you something?
The Dodgers aren’t giving up on him, it is just that you can not reasonably expect his bat to breakout anytime soon here so they are picking up a half-season insurance policy while they are in a pennant race in a comically easy-to-win division.
If his swing comes back in ‘09 there is an open job at third that will be his for the taking.
by nms on Jul 26, 2008 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
you can not reasonably expect his bat to breakout anytime soon
He hasn’t been given a chance. 59 fucking AB’s. There is no logical thought process here, it’s just, “oh, we gave you 2 starts a week and you didn’t do anything with them. We can’t expect anything from you.” It’s fucking asinine and I have no clue why you’re defending it.
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
by marcello on Jul 26, 2008 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
its not just 59 ABs
its 59 bad at-bats and a longer stint in AAA where he showed a fundamentally different talent level.
Plenty of power hitters have taken forever to recover from injuries, and it looks right now like LaRoche hasn’t yet.
Why are you defending a guy who clearly can’t do anything with the bat, at the moment, except keep it on his shoulder?
by nms on Jul 26, 2008 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, when he came back from injury he struggled a bit at first, is that surprising? Then, he got called up to the majors and got 59 AB’s scattered over almost two months. I don’t see how anyone could expect him to be successful without ever getting consistent PT. You 100% can’t say, “a guy who clearly can’t do anything with the bat, at the moment,” you have no evidence of this except for a few sporadic AB’s. Those show nothing, other than the Dodgers incompetence.
I get it, you took a position and are now digging yourself in. You’re wrong, just admit it and move on.
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
by marcello on Jul 26, 2008 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
no
you, for evidence, every at-bat hes made this year and the fact that he has been injured.
Those two put together make it sound likely that his bat just isn’t back up to snuff yet.
Plus, Torre is the one who gets to watch him swing everyday.. and it seems he has come to the same conclusion
by nms on Jul 26, 2008 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You’re trying to come a conclusion based on an extremely limited sample. You’re more likely to come to an incorrect conclusion than a correct one.
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
by marcello on Jul 26, 2008 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not when
you have a known factor involved, injury, and you are dealing with a drastically different performance.
LaRoches performance, not just the quality of it but the style of it, has been radically different this year in both MLB and in AAA. When changes this severe happen, it isn’t just due to random chance.
by nms on Jul 26, 2008 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The point is, you can’t just assume a drastically different performance over 59 AB’s. There is way too much noise for the sample to be relevant in any way.
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
by marcello on Jul 26, 2008 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
if you are looking
at the stats alone and ignoring all other factors.
Plus, i am looking at more than just 59 at-bats
by nms on Jul 26, 2008 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And the Dodgers...
just can’t assume that LaRoche will hit if he starts everyday. The NL West this year may very well rest on something as little as who the Dodgers start at 3B for the rest of the season. The West is very much in reach for them, so of course they should want to get as many hitters as possible. Should they just hand over a job to someone who hasn’t been hitting? He may very well hit well for the rest of the season, but then again, he very well may not. When a team is in a pennant chase, they can’t let a guy play until he proves he can’t hit, he needs to hit in order to prove that he deserves the shot to play. And so far in his limited time this season, he hasn’t proven he could hit. In a league where jobs are lost and kept because of Division Titles, I think I will trust what Torre, who has like a dozen of them, thinks is best for the team.
"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile
by Boxkutter on Jul 26, 2008 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And they’ve spent the last two months playing DeWitt and his .500 OPS over those months instead of letting LaRoche have a shot. I stand by my initial comments:
Will someone please take LaRoche off the Dodgers hands so that they can stop fucking up his future.They haven’t even given LaRoche a chance, no shit they haven’t gotten what they need. What a stupid organization.
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
by marcello on Jul 26, 2008 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
LaRoche for Street may happen soon.
The Dodgers are on again off again interested in Street. Beane may use his Jedi Mind Tricks to make this happen now.
by What Would Rickey Do on Jul 26, 2008 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am a rare breed of Indians fan.
I actually like Casey Blake and think he is an asset to any team. But this trade looks too good to be true fram the Indians perspective. Meloan looks to be a capable setup man waiting to happen and Santana is a bat who can catch reasonably well according to the reports I read. I would have guessed either but not both. The competition must have been stiff to pay that much. Any Dodger fans that can tell me something which bursts my bubble?
by sdtribefan on Jul 26, 2008 3:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
not sure...
why everyone is so excited about this deal for the Indians. Meloan looks like a set up reliever, which is nice and all but hardly a rare commodity. And Santana is a 2nd tier prospect, if not 3rd tier.
isolate this from LA’s misuse of LaRoche (no excuse for that), but they did get themselves a versatile, helpful player for their playoff drive. blake is one of those unsexy, underrated players.
i know it’s heresy here, but not all prospects are the end all/be all
by scooter on Jul 26, 2008 3:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
how are the misusing Laroche?
he hasn’t hit in AAA or MLB in a fair amount of total at-bats. Are they supposed to just keep running him out there until he shows he can hit the ball with any authority… even if he is showing no signs on doing that this year.. in a pennant race?
by nms on Jul 26, 2008 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Actually look at the numbers before saying something like, “he hasn’t hit in AAA or MLB in a fair amount of total at-bats”. He has 152 total MLB AB’s and has hit in AAA.
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
by marcello on Jul 26, 2008 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Come on man
Don’t you know 59 at bats are enough to judge a player’s future?
Get rid of the bum (does the guy have the lateral movement to play second base? Or the versatility to play a corner OF position?) I’d love to see him play for the Mets.
(This is all sarcasm. The dodgers are so stupid.)
"I got my pregnant wife (the Yankee fan) with me. Hoping my kid learns to kick her everytime the Mets score." -Schifftis-
by future on Jul 27, 2008 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Santana
I really like this deal for the Indians, being a Tribe fan and all. Santana was leading all minor leaguers in RBI with 96 so far. At least, that’s according the Indians press release. Their catching depth is pretty weak behind VMart and Shoppach and it looks like this kid can hit.
Meloan’s K/IP rate were sick. I think I saw 330-ish K’s in 220-ish IP. That was all as a reliever. His 20 saves last year look pretty good too. I would venture a guess and say that Shapiro is going to say “you’re 3 years from The Show as a starter. You could be up this year as closer.” Then move him to the pen and make him a closer.
That said, I also like Blake. He’s got no problem with playing the role the team asks of him. He showed that when he moved to RF with no questions or complaints so that they could give 3B to Marte a few years ago. He can play all 4 corner positions well and has some pop.
The Indians are paying all of Blake’s salary this year, so that probably explains how they got both prospects.
Just my take.
by lenred on Jul 26, 2008 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
huh?
What are the Dodgers thinking?
They could’ve easily gotten better performance by starting LaRoche—now they give away two solid young players for a half year rental who’s the same as all the other Dodger hitters?
Coletti is dumb as a doornail.
by METSMETSMETS on Jul 26, 2008 4:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
seriously
once again.. tell me how the could have gotten better production from LaRoche.
Blake has a career 106 OPS+ and a 119 mark this year… LaRoche on the other hand has been hurt and apparently hasn’t been able to lift the bat off his shoulder all year.
Who would YOU rather have in a pennant race?
by nms on Jul 26, 2008 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Haven't agreed with you 'til now...
I’d definitely take Blake over Laroche for the rest of this year.
The A's colors are green and gold.
by mikeA on Jul 26, 2008 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Anthony Reyes
And the Indians just traded Luis Perdomo to the Cardinals for Anthony Reyes. I was just telling my friend this morning that I thought Reyes would be good if he just got away from the Cardinals. Seems like there’s just too much bad blood there.
by lenred on Jul 26, 2008 4:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Meloan
Doesn’t throw that hard (88-94, mostly 91-92), but he has a couple different breaking balls that batters don’t like to face. He has a stressful delivery with strong recoil actions that puts a lot of torque on his elbow.
by npurcell on Jul 26, 2008 8:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
dudes
They didn’t trade Laroche. He is still there for when he is healthy. Blake gives at least some production now. Meloan has fallen victim to Vegas. Maybe he’ll be a good set-up guy. I love Santana. But I just heard about him recently. He’s 22 in the hitter’s paradise cali league. But you have to be impressed by his numbers.
by wobatus on Jul 26, 2008 10:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
blake
good clubhouse guy too. him and CC were our two big clubhouse guys. Blake is just a great ballplayer. good attitude and willing to do what the team needs him to do. he brings more than just a decent bat. we will miss him. with him and cc gone it seems like its the end of an era. i’m happy to see blake getting a chance to make the playoffs and i’ve always sorta liked the dodgers.
go tribe 2009!
by kershaw_equals_stud on Jul 28, 2008 10:03 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Marte
Also probably pretty happy to let Andy Marte get a real shot at 3B, right?
Formerly Uncle Charlie of Minor League Ball
by Yakker on Jul 28, 2008 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
hes had a clear shot
at a AAA 3b job the last couple of years and he couldn’t even get his AAA numbers to be any better than “mediocre at best”
by nms on Jul 28, 2008 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Marte
Perhaps you’re willing to give up on a 24 year old who was one of the best hitting prospects in baseball a few years ago, but I’m guessing that the Indians don’t share that view.
I do think that this may be Marte’s last chance to stick with the Indians. I hope he can stay 100% healthy for the last two months of the season, and I hope he gets to play everyday.
Formerly Uncle Charlie of Minor League Ball
by Yakker on Jul 29, 2008 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm not saying give up on him
I am saying that it isn’t like “not having a clear shot” has been his problem.
His problem the last couple years, has been being mediocre.
We’ll see if he can fix that.
by nms on Jul 29, 2008 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Disagree
Well, some guys blossom differently. In Marte’s case, not being able to play everyday at the major league level without Casey Blake waiting in the wings may have stifled his production. I don’t hold it against him that he didn’t crush AAA pitching last year, and I expect that if Marte starts 50+ of the 55 or so games left, Cleveland will have an answer on what to do about 3B this off-season.
Formerly Uncle Charlie of Minor League Ball
by Yakker on Jul 29, 2008 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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