The market for center fielders is very thin at this point, consisting of Kenny Lofton and perhaps Julio Lugo. The Rockies, White Sox, Rangers, Brewers, and Cubs could be searching for a center fielder this winter.
Lofton will certainly get a deal somewhere, maybe even for 2 years. That would still leave at least a couple of teams that might be interested in Eric.
At this point of time, given the demand for centerfielders and given Eric's price tag next year (and his replaceability in LF), Josh Byrnes would be stupid not to trade him. Intangibles are overrated.
I think i posted somewhere that the knowlegeable cub fans that i know (an oxymoron, i know) would be all over trading back pitching prospects (marshall, guzman) for brynes...
i think we should really look there - they are in win now mode...
the cubs are monitoring lugo. if he agrees to play cf for them, they'll sign him. i think they are set on moving jacque jones somewhere, which would open up rf for murton and lf for soriano. they've been offering jones for jennings but that won't happen. if lugo signs somewhere (boston?) to play ss, then the cubs could be a possible destination.
Arizona: Their young, everyday lineup is pretty much set, so much so that they could and should move Eric Byrnes after his career year. The Doug Davis deal shores up the front of the rotation; the next focus has to be a bullpen that has been a problem of late, especially from the left side. Re-signing Miguel Batista makes sense, but there’s not much news on that front.
Arizona: Their young, everyday lineup is pretty much set, so much so that they could and should move Eric Byrnes after his career year. The Doug Davis deal shores up the front of the rotation; the next focus has to be a bullpen that has been a problem of late, especially from the left side. Re-signing Miguel Batista makes sense, but there’s not much news on that front.
After we acquired Davis I came on board the "trade Byrnes" bandwagon if we could reel in another top/middle rotation starter. I have to disagree with bpro that we should trade him for BP help.
With Webby, Livan, Davis and another solid starter, I feel that our BP will do just fine. We will be pretty deep with spot starters/BP guys.
With another solid starter I am willing to give up some ( a lot of ) D in LF and give Hairston a shot as LF D will be a far less critical issue with a solid rotation.
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Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 8:44 am Post subject:
Hairston picks up one more honor
Top Triple-A Offensive Player also won a PCL title
By Lisa Winston / MLB.com
Being a hometown favorite has been a great experience for Tucson Sidewinders outfielder Scott Hairston in many ways. But it's one he'd rather not repeat in 2007.
Hairston's on-field performance in 2006 shows he is more than ready to be a full-time contributor about an hour up Interstate 10 in Phoenix for the parent Arizona Diamondbacks.
The problem is, the Diamondbacks may not be ready for him.
Hairston, 26, had his best offensive season this year, hitting .323 with 26 home runs and 81 RBIs in 98 games for the Sidewinders. His .591 slugging percentage led the Pacific Coast League, while his .407 on-base percentage ranked fifth.
He missed a month while recovering from a shoulder injury suffered when he crashed into the outfield wall in his first game following a long-awaited Major League callup. Upon his return, Hairston was still the consistent spark in the lineup of perhaps the best team in the Minors this year.
He capped that somewhat abbreviated season by earning Most Valuable Player honors at the inaugural Bricktown Showdown in Oklahoma City, where he went 2-for-4 and drove in the first run in the Sidewinders' 5-2 win over International League champion Toledo.
Hairston returned to Arizona in September and batted .400 in limited action. Now he receives one more honor: MiLB.com's Triple-A Offensive Player of the Year.
Though he was the Diamondbacks' third-round pick in 2001 out of Central Arizona Junior College, he has been regarded as a promising prospect ever since and would be perfectly happy to spend his pro career in Arizona red and black. He also realizes that may not be in the cards.
Despite his glowing numbers, barring a trade or injury, the Diamondbacks appear to have their starting outfield somewhat set in Eric Byrnes in left, Chris Young in center and Carlos Quentin in right.
So where does that leave Hairston?
"I want to stay here in Arizona," he said. "My family's here, my wife's family is here. I love the city. Everything could be perfect. But if in their eyes I don't fit in, that kind of disappoints me. But I'll continue to work hard."
Hairston, a third-generation baseball legacy whose brother (Jerry Jr.), dad (Jerry Sr.) and grandfather (Sam) all played in the Majors, originally came up through the Diamondbacks' ranks as a second baseman.
In 2005, however, the club moved him to left field, ostensibly in anticipation of the eventual departure of popular veteran Luis Gonzalez.
Gonzalez did leave via free agency after the '06 season, but by that time Byrnes had played his way into a full-time job. And with one of the deepest crops of up-and-coming outfielders in the Minors, Hairston is sadly realistic about where he stands coming into the '07 campaign.
"When they told me I was moving to left field, they felt it would be the quickest way for me to get to the big leagues," he said. "Now, obviously, things aren't looking like I'd planned. It's not easy because I've worked really hard to get in the position I'm in right now and I feel I've done all I can to make myself a good outfielder."
Hairston's last two seasons could be summed up in two words: bad luck; make that three: stunningly bad luck.
With his crash outfield course coming along well, he was hitting .311 with 16 homers and 40 RBIs in 58 games when he stepped to the plate against the Sacramento RiverCats in July 2005.
In one of the strangest injuries in recent memory, he tried to get out of the way of an errant fastball and took the pitch on a pressure point in his back. In a reflex action, his shoulder shrugged up quickly and slid out of its socket, resulting in a torn labrum that ended his season.
"When they were making their plans for 2006, I think they had some doubts about how I'd come back, so I wanted to prove to them I was healthy," he said. "Every day I was in Tucson I wanted to let them know, 'Hey, I'm ready to play in the big leagues.'"
Hairston was hitting .340 with 18 homers and 55 RBI in mid-June when he got called up, only to crash into the wall in Pittsburgh in his first game and spend the next month on the DL again, this time with a torn rotator cuff.
"I guess timing is everything," he joked. "And I've had really bad timing."
Not surprisingly, 2006 was an emotional season for Hairston, who made sure to channel those emotions onto the field, a factor to which he attributes his outstanding season.
"On any given day, I had ups and downs, and I used these emotions to make myself better," explained Hairston, who lived with his parents in Tucson during the regular season. "If I was upset, I used that as fuel. I wanted to make an impression on everyone that was watching me because I know in this game there are scouts there every day -- ours and other teams' -- and I wanted to make them believe I could be part of their future."
And while Hairston would like nothing more than to be in the Majors -- with someone -- in 2007, he would not trade his 2006 experience with the amazing Sidewinders team for anything.
"The chemistry was so great. I don't think I've ever been a part of something like that before," he said. "Everybody got along. Every day was a joy. We were all pulling for each other and we never doubted ourselves."
With all of the individual statistics that Hairston piled up, there is no hesitation when he is asked the single highlight of his season: the moment the Sidewinders beat Round Rock to win the Pacific Coast League championship.
"I remember running in when the final out was made, I remember the joy I felt looking around as we all piled up," he said. "I was so happy and excited that I could hardly feel my legs, they were like Jell-o. ... Jumping up and down and being with all the guys, it's a moment you try to savor."
For now, as he waits for the beginning of the 2007 season, this baseball lifer knows how much is out of his control. He has to wait to see what moves the Diamondbacks make, if any, stay in shape and get ready for what the new year brings.
Meanwhile, he is savoring other moments, such as quality time with his wife, Jill, and watching his young son, Landon, take his first steps.
"Baseball is my job, it's how I provide for my family," Hairston said. "But family comes first."
Lisa Winston is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
=======================================
JOSH......GET ER DONE!! TRADE BYRNES AND PUT HAIRSTON IN LEFT FIELD. PLEASE.
Hairston, 26, had his best offensive season this year, hitting .323 with 26 home runs and 81 RBIs in 98 games for the Sidewinders. His .591 slugging percentage led the Pacific Coast League, while his .407 on-base percentage ranked fifth.
The kid is ready. He's better than Eric Byrnes. He's dirt cheap.
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
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Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:04 am Post subject:
levski wrote:
Worth re-emphasizing:
Quote:
Hairston, 26, had his best offensive season this year, hitting .323 with 26 home runs and 81 RBIs in 98 games for the Sidewinders. His .591 slugging percentage led the Pacific Coast League, while his .407 on-base percentage ranked fifth.
The kid is ready. He's better than Eric Byrnes. He's dirt cheap.
He deserves a shot.
And he promises to bunt next time when he gets the signal. Really!
Another thought. If the Dbacks were to go on the FA market and sign Bynres for one year at 5M, we would be in an outrage and even the medidiots would question it. Why is re-signing (resigning is probably a better word) him different?
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Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:09 am Post subject:
stu wrote:
Another thought. If the Dbacks were to go on the FA market and sign Bynres for one year at 5M, we would be in an outrage and even the medidiots would question it. Why is re-signing (resigning is probably a better word) him different?
Wow stu, that is an excellent point. It really demonstrates how retarded this thing with EB is.
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Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:14 am Post subject:
stu wrote:
Dan Syzmborski's zips prjections have Hairston at 276/334/522.
link
That should make up for any defense difference especially when price is considered. This really is a no brainer and the first real test for JB.
Even if Hairston fails, there should be replacement players for left who can match Byrnes' numbers. Perhaps Byrnes' best position is left out.
Cheap joke. I still think he can be a decent centerfield if used properly.
Byrnes is projected at .265/.323/.462 .785 OPS, so the projection from ZIPS has Hairston 71 points higher in OPS. Thats a huge margin. As you say, more than enough to make up for difference in defense, and when cost is considered, it becomes such a no brainer that at this point I will be stunned if Byrnes is not traded.
I'm sure the team is not depending on ZIPS projections, but Josh has some really smart guys upstairs at Chase crunching numbers for him, and I am sure every single one of them is telling him Hairston will outhit Byrnes right now.
If they are not, then we need to get Dylan back from Arkansas and get him an interview. Dylan had the gap closer.....835 for hairston, .799 for Byrnes...park adjusted, but that is still sizeable enough. Hairston has more upside and would be much cheaper and trade of Byrnes would reap other benefits of course because of the return.
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
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Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:21 am Post subject:
foulpole wrote:
With Webby, Livan, Davis and another solid starter, I feel that our BP will do just fine. We will be pretty deep with spot starters/BP guys.
With another solid starter I am willing to give up some ( a lot of ) D in LF and give Hairston a shot as LF D will be a far less critical issue with a solid rotation.
I meant to reply to this last night. Teams always need bullpen help. We have the makings of a pretty good pen but with the exception of Vizciano, all of them could go either way. Also, none of them are shining examples of health. However, we don't really have room for anyone else in the pen as it is. Maybe we just get pitching prospects back.
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Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:24 am Post subject:
I think Josh will end up trading some young pitching to get better veteran pitching. I don't see how else he can do it because of the roster spot issues you just brought up.
The other factor that we all recognize is that if Hairston is a success, we have him for 6 years. Byrnes is one and done or signing a crazy contract.
I'd like it if they got a little active in the FA market on cheap outfielders. I assume John Gall is available. I've also seen the names of Piedra and Ludwick listed. I have no idea of health issues and Piedra being caught using might be an issue, but I'm guessing there are others like them. These guys are likely not the answer, but they are nice lottery tickets.
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Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:07 am Post subject:
I was just on the phone with Levski, and we were discussing further just how impressive Hairstons AAA would have looked if he had not been limited to just 98 games. While most of us here are extremely comfortable just looking at the rate stats and the plate appearances to make sure it's a large enough sample size, his counting stats may have gone a little unnoticed. Most people still focus on those counting stats first.
For Example, lets pro rate his counting stats out to 135 games played in AAA, as if he had not been called up and injurued.
Code:
135 Games .998 OPS, 30 doubles 36 HR 112 RBI
Does anyone think THAT line would go unnoticed?
Lets carry this counting stat exercise out a bit further, making some comparisons.
Hairstons ZIPS projection is for only 402 PA , while Byrnes' projection is
for 543 PA. Let compare by giving Hairston 543 PA as well
Alot of people say the D backs need a cleanup hitter with 30 homer pop. Well, he is right here, under their noses. He was good enough to bat cleanup in an outfield with Chris Young and Carlos Quentin, and he was good enough to win PCL offensive player of the year, and he is good enough to play left field and bat cleanup for the D Backs.
Obviously my opinion doesnt bring anything new to the table but yeah, while I like Eric Byrnes and all, his catches are entertaining, Scott Hairston has never got the chance he deserves. Andy Green got somewhat of a chance, and we even let Luis Terrero have free reign for a year when it was painfully obvious he wasn't as 5-Toolsy as he once projected to be.
So yeah, trade Byrnes, bring in the Hairston.
_________________
A World Without Gonzo = Winning Season In 07?
Alot of people say the D backs need a cleanup hitter with 30 homer pop. Well, he is right here, under their noses. He was good enough to bat cleanup in an outfield with Chris Young and Carlos Quentin, and he was good enough to win PCL offensive player of the year, and he is good enough to play left field and bat cleanup for the D Backs.
Thanks for doing the heavy lifting (crunching out the numbers) while I was hanging out with my son at the playground in the park
This is an excellent point that needs re-emphasizing. Hairston was a better hitter last year than Quentin, Young or Drew. This is not dissing the latter three, it's pointing out how good Hairston was. Quentin, Young and Drew will be important parts of the future, and deservedly so. All three of them (I'd lump Callaspo in this group) are excellent players who'll be around for a long time making us smile.
Why not put Hairston in the same group? I think he's losing a lot of PR attention because he's no longer a prospect. If he didn't have 130 at bats in the majors though, and hit like he did last year, everyone would be taking note. Granted, he's older than the other players, and he was returning to AAA, but for next year, it doesn't make a difference. Hairston is ready, just like Young, Drew and Quentin and Callaspo. He needs to play.
Just for kicks, compare the projections that Shoewiz poster above:
Quote:
Hairstons ZIPS projection is for only 402 PA , while Byrnes' projection is
for 543 PA. Let compare by giving Hairston 543 PA as well
2007 ZiPS Projection - Carlos Lee
----------------------------------------------------------------------
AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Projection 600 89 173 34 0 28 99 49 98 13 .288 .347 .485
Furthermore, shoewiz's projection gives Hairston 543 at bats, which is reasonable. And that's his mean projection for 07, not optimistic. I'd love to see what Hairston's optimistic projection over 640 at bats would be...
The conclusion: the dbacks are sitting on a rough diamondback (heh heh) and they're about to throw it away in favor of proven rah rah mediocrity like Eric Byrnes. If that doesn't make you sick to the stomach, I don't know what will...
Scott is the ninth member of his family to play professional baseball...his grandfather Sam starred in the Negro Leagues for Cincinnati and Indianapolis and in 1951 became the first African-American to play for the Chicago White Sox...Scott's father, Jerry, played 14 seasons for the Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates...his uncle John played with the Chicago Cubs in 1969...his older brother, Jerry Jr., was traded over the winter to the Chicago Cubs...Scott has another uncle and three cousins who also played minor league ball...
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