Shortstops available

[Brewin]

Nice selective stat picking...Despite this "hot streak" AE OBP is still under .300 and he has no power.

 

Trading him (as part of the package) for Greinke was not a mistake. The only impact player that KC received is still in A/AA. Escobar, Cain, & Jeffress are nothing to lose any sleep over

[endaround]

And when those triples turn back into doubles and his BABIP comes down from 400 he'll be the same crappy hitter he has always been.

[TooLiveBrew]

The Reds are supposedly considering calling up SS Zack Cozart from AAA. Janish has suuucked at the plate this season, but he's a good defender & will probably hit about as well as Betancourt/Wilson/Counsell the rest of the way.

[Bnowell4evr]

Clint Barmes anyone?

.248/.325/.379/.704

5.2 UZR (4th highest)

1.8 WAR

Not a Type A or B FA

Owed less than $2M for the rest of the year

Walks at a good rate - 8.7%

[NievesNoNO]

Barmes would be a massive upgrade. I didn't realize he was so solid defensively. I wonder what it would take to get him? Too bad McGehee doesn't really have any trade value right now.

[igor67]

Career wise Barmes and Betancourt have similar OPS totals, and similar OBP though Barmes typically on the high side of .300. So the current offensive difference could be something of an abberration (Or not), but the defensive upgrade would be huge.

[Yeti73]

Hardy expects to sign an extension this week, so let's take that name off the list. Not much out there...

 

Has anyone kicked around Omar Infante? Florida isn't going anywhere near the playoffs and he can play anywhere in the infield. I know he's primarily a 2nd baseman this year, but he is the sort of contact/patient hitter that we're missing. He's essentially a younger version of Counsell

[FoxyFoxes]

Infante would be very interesting and he could play outfield in a pinch as well. This would allow the team to cut Josh Wilson who I think has to be the first to go. (Don't feel like they will ever admit the mistake with Betancourt). At this point, with the Hardy extension, I am holding out hope for Furcal.

 

Furcal

Weeks

Braun

Fielder

Hart

Morgan

3b

Lucroy

[The Truth]

Furcal on paper is a great addition but Furcal in reality is a guy who will frequently be on the DL, leaving us once again with who? Betancourt? Wilson?

[endaround]

50 games of a healthy Furcal and 25 games of Betnacourt is better than 75 games of Betancourt. The bigger issue is if Furcal is really healthy. He's been terrible so far this year.

[sargennm]

Matt Meyers on espn.com just posted a blog that a middling prospect guessing a middling prospect would be all it would take to get Furcal because the Dodgers just want to cut payroll. If that's the case, sign me up. I highly doubt that tho.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Matt Meyers on espn.com just posted a blog that a middling prospect guessing a middling prospect would be all it would take to get Furcal because the Dodgers just want to cut payroll. If that's the case, sign me up. I highly doubt that tho.

I don't doubt it. If someone took on his whole salary, it wouldn't take much at all to get him. They have Dee Gordon ready to take over anyway.

[danzig6767]

Matt Meyers on espn.com just posted a blog that a middling prospect guessing a middling prospect would be all it would take to get Furcal because the Dodgers just want to cut payroll. If that's the case, sign me up. I highly doubt that tho.

With the Dodgers out of the race, Furcal struggling badly at the plate, his injury woes, and him being owed over 4 million for the rest of the season, i can't envision LA getting anything more than a fringe prospect in return given the money Rafael is owed.

 

Furcal is sporting an abysmal .455 OPS so far this season in 98 at bats, but given he posted an .826 OPS just last year, there would be some reason to hope that he could turn things around at the plate. Plus, even if Furcal never fully turned things around at the plate, he at least wouldn't be a SS playing defense like the infield is mud like Yuni does.

[endaround]

Except he has been. Furcal's UZR/150 on the year is -6.2. now it could just be the sample size or that along with his bat could point to lingering effects of his injury. OK that isn't Betancourt bad but its likely slightly worse than what Wilson would provide.

[Never Outhustled]

I'd rather rather get the more reliable Jamey Carrol from the Dodgers than Furcal.

[dlk9s]

A "middling prospect" for Furcal would be intriguing, but I don't think I'd want any part of his injury history.

[Warning Track Power]

A "middling prospect" for Furcal would be intriguing, but I don't think I'd want any part of his injury history.

I think the real upshot here is that anything from Furcal would mean less from Betancourt. For an average prospect, I think you do this every time. The rewards of less Betancourt/Furcal returning to form far outpace the risk of a Furcal injury/average prospect turning into a superstar. If Hardy is truly unavailable, we need to get this done.

[TheCrew07]

That depends on if you're talking about Furcal for the rest of the season or trying to do something more permanent doesn't it?

[jmeks23]

I still think a good defensive option is all we really need. Someone who doesn't pop it up everytime would be a bonus, but not entirely a necessity. Someone like Ryan or Barmes would be great, and likely a lot cheaper than Hardy and Furcal.

[Warning Track Power]

As a side to this topic, I'd like to gauge everyone's interest level what you would be willing to part with for an upgrade at SS. We 100% need to make some type of move to upgrade the position. However, the extent of what we give up will limit interest in certain players. So let's start with the so to speak big three SS currently available:

 

Reyes

For Reyes, I wouldn't give up much because I think he would be gone after 2011. This tempers my lust for him even though he would be the best upgrade we could possibly make. I wouldn't give up anything for him to be honest. The Mets would have to make a ridiculous/unrealistic offer for me to do this so it isn't even worth mentioning.

Hardy

For Hardy...I struggle with this one because I think we could re-sign him and be set at SS for a few years. I would be hard pressed to not part with 2 or 3 of the Top 10 on the Power 50. I'd probably be wrong here, but I think he would provide that much of a difference in 2011 over Betancourt and with the potential to re-sign, it would be worth it to me.

Furcal

For Furcal, I think a Farris type will get it done. I like Farris and think he should be a decent option as a utility IF down the line, but for an immediate upgrade in 2011, I'd give him up. I also think this is the type of player the Dodgers would look to acquire as he is cheap, major league ready and at a position of weakness for the Dodgers right now. I'd say one player from the 10s-20s or two players from the 20s-30s on the Power 50. This is a discount if Furcal can prove to be healthy enough to be the player he is still capable of being. Additionally, I think we'd be able to re-sign him as well to a relatively inexpensive deal after the season.

 

Anything lower than the Big 3 of available SS is probably not even worth mentioning as a bag of balls would likely get a Jason Bartlett, Jack Wilson, Brendan Ryan. My real fear of the upcoming weeks is DM trading a Top 10 Power 50 guy for the Bartlett-Wilson-Ryan type. Of the Top 10, Scooter Gennett may be the only one I'd be willing to move for in a deal for one of these guys. Maybe Schafer given his age and injury past.

[RockCoCougars]

I wonder how much there is to this Hardy extension talk. It seems like most of the quotes are coming from him. With all the prospects that they have at SS, and the fact that they aren't contending anytime soon,I can't understand why Baltimore would extend him without at least testing the trade market- and to be blunt, I can't understand why he'd want to be in Baltimore for the long term.

[markedman5]

Saw this tweet

 

JimBowdenESPNxm Brewers continue their chase of Furcal and Hardy which confirms that Betancourt's .262 OPB and lack of range is still concerning to Melvin

[Invader3K]

Yeah, was just discussing that on Twitter. I'm glad to hear Melvin is at least investigating both Furcal and Hardy.

 

I'm thinking more and more that Baltimore will not re-sign and be willing to deal him this month. Just not sure what they would want in return at this point.

[craigharmann]

Saw this tweet

 

JimBowdenESPNxm Brewers continue their chase of Furcal and Hardy which confirms that Betancourt's .262 OPB and lack of range is still concerning to Melvin

Excellent!!!

[strawbossisevil]

Except he has been. Furcal's UZR/150 on the year is -6.2. now it could just be the sample size or that along with his bat could point to lingering effects of his injury. OK that isn't Betancourt bad but its likely slightly worse than what Wilson would provide.

I thought the standard line of the "stat experts" on UZR was that you needed three years of data to prove anything. Furcal has been injured almost the entire season.

Now I´m willing to agree that it may mean he hasn´t gotten to a few balls he normally would get to. But it seems no one was willing to concede the opposite when Betancourts defensive UZR numbers were fairly respectable after a month of play.

So...point being, you can´t have it one way and not the other.

Personally I think Furcal is just shaking off some rust from being on and off the DL twice this season. I think he´ll be fine for the rest of the season and will likely provide a nice top of the order bat.