Bullpen – Hoffman or Smoltz

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Well that’s relevant, because most of the at-bats come in innings 6-9, not 1-5, right? Oh, wait.

“Translation: overrated and well worth the dump (yes, he’s a dump, not a solid player with a solid contract)”

You’re going to LOVE Aaron Miles.

Unfortunately, Cleveland does not have that great a farm system. I’d rather have seen someone from the Sabathia-Brewers trade come over (though LaPorta/DeRosa seems like a distant dream that would never have happened). But in reality, DeRosa is a utility player coming off of a career year and still owed significant dollars for his efforts.

With full-time play in a terrific NL lineup, his stats are misleading; he actually regressed in 2007 offensively. In 2008, his career-high statline hid the fact that he bordered on mediocre/poor in clutch hitting categories, especially when it’s late in the game and close. After the sixth inning, he didn’t surmise anything above .271 or a .792 OPS in any one inning.

And it’s not like his defense is all the rage, either. He’s slightly above-average in LF and 3B. Great. Compare his range and zone factors in other positions (RF, 1B, 2B) and he’s well below-average. His ability to play five different positions for your team doesn’t mean he has “ability” in each.

So let’s not make Mark DeRosa out to be worth anything more than he is: a super-utility playing full-time in an outstanding lineup, leaving him with inflated stats and an expensive contract for a player of his caliber.

Translation: overrated and well worth the dump (yes, he’s a dump, not a solid player with a solid contract). Do not fret about the return value. The Cubs were dealing with the Indians, so it’s only natural they get absolutely nothing in return, albeit in three bodies instead of just one.

2. Without checking, isn’t DeRosa likely to bring back draft compensation?

3. If you’re building a team for the playoffs, you’re doing it wrong. The playoffs are a crapshoot where results matter more than processes. The Cubs had it right last season and the larger sample size showed it.

4. You call that flexibility, but honestly it just hurts your lineup. Miles career OBP is equal to Soriano’s, and we all know what type of power Soriano brings. If you want men on base for Soriano that’s one thing, but Miles is just as likely to produce an out, and nowhere near as likely to hit a homerun.

5. I noted the financial side, but you’re paying Aaron Miles roughly the same money over two years that you would’ve paid DeRosa over one. That’s fine if two years of Miles is greater than one of DeRosa, but it’s not. You can find players who are just as good as Miles for 800k.