Willy Taveras cut

As expected the Rockies cut ties with Willy Taveras Friday night, but did tender contracts to Garrett Atkins, Clint Barmes, Jorge De La Rosa, Huston Street, Jason Grilli, and Taylor Buchholz.

6 months ago Rox Girl Comment 29 comments 0 recs |

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that we couldn’t get anything at all for him. You’d think someone would trade for him just for the speed element off the bench (a la Dave Roberts with the 2004 Red Sox in the playoffs). Though I can see why – considering all the implications he was going to be non-tendered anyways, any interested team probably thought it was worth the chance of getting him on the open market than losing a player in a trade.

"Corpas ready, first pitch, checkswing roller...Tulowitzki has it, throws to first...BALLGAME! WORLD SERIES TIME IN COLORADO!"

by avsfan4ever33 on Dec 12, 2008 9:31 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Unfortunately it wasn't just losing a player in trade

But I think it mostly boiled down to teams balking at losing Taveras’ projected arbitration level salary in 2009 vs what they thought they could sign him for in the open market in a weak economy. As Ringolsby has been pointing out, however, there’s enough competition for him out there that this might not necessarily be a true assumption.

by Rox Girl on Dec 12, 2008 9:35 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Jonathan Herrera

Jon was also non-tendered… that makes him the second PURPs player to say bye-bye this week.

Do you think he’ll be re-signed to a minor-league contract?

by roxhead on Dec 13, 2008 12:28 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

Possibly

It could be that he decides to sign with a team where he has a more direct line of ascension to a regular MLB job.

by Rox Girl on Dec 13, 2008 7:04 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Wait

Weren’t we going to get rid of all these guys and their "big contracts?’

/snark

Blast and botheration.

by Silverblood on Dec 13, 2008 7:12 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

bye bye Willie

Thank goodness he’s gone. A major disappointment, IMO. A lead off hitter with an OBP of just over .300 is horrid. That along with his injury history is no wonder we couldn’t swing a deal. I think we will be much better off without him.

by pedalpusher on Dec 13, 2008 8:20 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

It's definitely addition by subtraction

How much, though, depends on how good a defender Spilborghs is going to be in a regular role. A disaster scenario would have him lose on defense all the advantage he gains over Taveras on offense.

by Rox Girl on Dec 13, 2008 8:34 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Fowler could offset that.....

I don’t believe Fowler will spend even 2 months in AAA. He will either break camp with the big club, or join the team by Memorial Day. Even if he isn’t ready to hit, he will get on base more than Taveras did, and play fine defense.

by GoRoxGo on Dec 13, 2008 10:49 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

That's the optimistic scenario

That’s also not a stretch in credibility. If this happens, we’ll be really solid shape as far as competing in this division.

by Rox Girl on Dec 13, 2008 11:00 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Just so you know,

I’m keeping track of all of your predictions and statements.

"Never Surrender Dreams" - Inscription on J. Michael Straczynski's bench

Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!

by Russ on Dec 13, 2008 11:02 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

What?

That’s hardly a prediction. It’s just saying that if Fowler breaks out in the first two months of the season to be an MLB asset, we will be competitive in the NL West. There’s a lot of vague wiggle room there for me to wash my hands of it later on.

by Rox Girl on Dec 13, 2008 11:57 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't worry though,

As we get further into the offseason, I will get a lot more specific and probably off the wall, that will give you some real ammo.

by Rox Girl on Dec 13, 2008 11:59 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

What you need to do

is stop her from making any overly optimistic bets with the Snakepit. We don’t have a good track record on those.

Blast and botheration.

by Silverblood on Dec 13, 2008 1:01 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Pay no attention to Silverblood, Rox Girl.

(I feel like the little devil on the opposite shoulder)

Fire Vinny Cerrato, the raquetball partner.

by DbacksSkins on Dec 13, 2008 1:17 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm already thinking about what next season's bet could be.

I’m leaning toward more Cy Young votes for JDLR than Webb and Haren get combined… sounds good, no?

by Rox Girl on Dec 13, 2008 9:23 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Gooooooood...... gooooooooooood......

::taps fingertips together, menacingly::

Fire Vinny Cerrato, the raquetball partner.

by DbacksSkins on Dec 13, 2008 10:31 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

by onholliday on Dec 13, 2008 10:10 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

So are we going to get

Redding…i hope so he can be a solid #4 or 5…he was also non tendered yesterday

Jiri Hudler...our underrated MVP

by TuLoRocks2008 on Dec 13, 2008 11:22 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

Redding isn't much

Just another “treat numbers in AAA, failure in the bigs” pitcher. A failed former top-prospect for the Astros. The Rockies already have one of those — Jason Hirsh. I suppose with Taveras gone, the Rox are below their quota of failed Astros prospects & need to re-stock. Chris Burke, who the Rockies tried to trade for a couple of years ago, was also non-tendered. Might as well corner the market on failed Astros top prospects if you’re going to after Redding.

Of Redding & Hirsh, I think the wiser move is to give Hirsh a shot. He’s cheaper & he’s presumably now healthy. Although where his velocity went, I can’t say. For a big guy, he sure throws soft.

by maris61 on Dec 13, 2008 12:15 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

typo correction

“great numbers in AAA”

by maris61 on Dec 13, 2008 12:16 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Where has all our velo gone?

I mean, outside of Jimenez and JDLR, we seem to be going backwards more than normal in this department.

by Rox Girl on Dec 13, 2008 12:21 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Cook

added 2 mph to his fastball last year over previous years (or at least that what I observed). He was consistently 92-94 when before he topped out at about 91.

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." ~Rogers Hornsby
JFK

by jrockies on Dec 13, 2008 3:20 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe you were watching on good days

FanGraphs registered him with a slight increase over 2007 to 91.0 mph from 90.7, he’s been pretty consistent year in, year out, which is a good thing and I didn’t mean to discount what Aaron brings for us.

by Rox Girl on Dec 13, 2008 8:01 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Burke?

Knock yourself out.

Fire Vinny Cerrato, the raquetball partner.

by DbacksSkins on Dec 13, 2008 1:16 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Burke's an odd case

No. 1 draft pick, but stuck behind Biggio’s quest-for-3000 for the years he should’ve gotten a shot at 2B, put into LF on temp. duty in 2005, where he did well with regular playing time & hit a NLCS-winning HR. But, playing out of position (CF) the next year, he flopped. Moved around in spot duty last year with Ariz. Most Astros’ fans & D-backs fans loved to dump on the guy.

But this fact remains: he’s never been given a shot at playing regularly at the position he plays best (2B). If I were the GM of a low-payroll franchise without a great 2B, I’d sign Burke to a low base plus incentives deal, try him at 2B for 2 months, then cut him if he was hitting below .250.
I think he could be a good 2B if he ever got a shot at playing regularly there, and hit .270+ with adequate power. But that may never happen. His career may end up like Omar Quintanilla’s: fast guy, good on defense, but never a Major League regular because he never found a team with a hole at 2B that they’d give him a legit. shot at filling.

by maris61 on Dec 13, 2008 7:08 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs