Hinske Traded; Jays Throw in the Towel
Reports are surfacing that the Jay's have traded third baseman/first baseman/outfielder Eric Hinske to -- wait for it -- division rival the Boston Red Sox! Questions remain of course, but what does this mean for the Toronto Blue Jays for next year and beyond?
Hinske is a very capable player, as shown by his abilities in all three positions he has been rotating around this year. Additionally, he is solid at the plate, despite the slumps and struggles that all hitters eventually go through. However, his $5.6 million dollar contract next year more than likely came into play. Thus, this move, considering the return, "future considerations," and the fact that it was to a division rival, smells like a pure and simple salary dump.
However, with the likelihood that payroll will not change significantly next year, what will next year's team look like? It is going to be difficult to find a player of Hinske's ability to play as a utility player. With the money saved on the Hinske and Schoeneweis trades, many people could view this as a move to bring back future pending free agents, such as "the Cat," Frank Catalanotto, or dare I say it, Vernon Wells.
Ultimately, it appears that the Jays have thrown in the towel for this year's race. The question remains, have they already done so for next year as well?
Other worthy news.
The PGA Championship is underway in Medinah, Illinois today. Players to watch include Tiger and Phil, but some sleepers could come through. Look for guys like Furyk and Vijay to get that big win this time around.
"I went to a wrestling match last night, and a baseball game broke out!" For those of you who didn't hear, the volatile series between the Angels and Rangers came to a head last night when Adam Kennedy charged the mound after being by a pitch.
Last night, "Juiced" "author" Jose Canseco made his pitching debut. The line: 4 and 1/3 innings pitched, one strike out, five walks, and four hit-batsmen. Hey, at least he is a better pitcher than he is a batter.
Hinske is a very capable player, as shown by his abilities in all three positions he has been rotating around this year. Additionally, he is solid at the plate, despite the slumps and struggles that all hitters eventually go through. However, his $5.6 million dollar contract next year more than likely came into play. Thus, this move, considering the return, "future considerations," and the fact that it was to a division rival, smells like a pure and simple salary dump.
However, with the likelihood that payroll will not change significantly next year, what will next year's team look like? It is going to be difficult to find a player of Hinske's ability to play as a utility player. With the money saved on the Hinske and Schoeneweis trades, many people could view this as a move to bring back future pending free agents, such as "the Cat," Frank Catalanotto, or dare I say it, Vernon Wells.
Ultimately, it appears that the Jays have thrown in the towel for this year's race. The question remains, have they already done so for next year as well?
Other worthy news.
The PGA Championship is underway in Medinah, Illinois today. Players to watch include Tiger and Phil, but some sleepers could come through. Look for guys like Furyk and Vijay to get that big win this time around.
"I went to a wrestling match last night, and a baseball game broke out!" For those of you who didn't hear, the volatile series between the Angels and Rangers came to a head last night when Adam Kennedy charged the mound after being by a pitch.
Last night, "Juiced" "author" Jose Canseco made his pitching debut. The line: 4 and 1/3 innings pitched, one strike out, five walks, and four hit-batsmen. Hey, at least he is a better pitcher than he is a batter.
posted by Pattington at 10:33 a.m.
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