Proposed Trade for Thomas injury insurance

by rebus on Dec 7, 2005 9:49 PM PST

Since switching to Geico isn't an option for the A's, and Frank Thomas might as well be nicknamed the Big Faberge Egg, I thought this diary about an insurance plan if (when) our apparently imminent DH has a great fall.

Obviously, this is very open for discussion, but I think a player like Russell Branyan would be a good fit in that role (if he were willing to be more of a role player). Why? Three main reasons:

He can play 3rd base in the event Chavez needs a rest.

His 3yr OPS against righties is .884 (.518 SLG), making him a perfect canidate for a Kielty/Branyan platoon at DH should Thomas go down.

He only made 800k last year, and is a tradeable commodity.

He does strike out quite a bit (217k/86walks in his 3yr split), but he's an intimidating hitter who still manages to get on base a lot despite the bad BB/K ratio (.366 against righties). I don't think it would take too much to get him, and seeing as how everyone throws out the Kennedy/Saarloos/Cruz + Insert_blank_player_here, I will too.

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LOL

When I read the title of the diary, I thought you were proposing something like, "Joe Kennedy to State Farm in exchange for Injury Insurance on Frank Thomas". But your diary makes more sense.

Nico

by Nico on Dec 7, 2005 10:03 PM PST reply actions

That's just crazy.......

Pacific Life is in dire need of bullpen help. They would roll over for Kennedy alone.

Barry and the "Intangibles"

by Duke of left field on Dec 8, 2005 1:14 AM PST up reply actions

No, Kennedy is spoken for

Beane is going to trade him to the Giants for the territorial rights to Milpitas.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Dec 8, 2005 8:51 AM PST up reply actions

Kevin Youikilis

The A's should just go out and get him now.

RIP Bill King "By the Beard of Zeus!" "I don't know if you heard me counting. I did over a thousand"

by ohad on Dec 7, 2005 11:09 PM PST reply actions

that would make a lot of sense

it's not like the red sox are going to use him

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Dec 8, 2005 12:33 AM PST up reply actions

Branyan/Choi

would make great bench/ph players but it all depends on what we can get them for. If it's Kennedy, Cruz, or Ginter, great! If it's Saarloos, it's getting questionable (Saarloos can replace Duke effectively, and if Duke can get Gomes, just keep Saarloos!) If it's anything more, continue going after players more valuable to us like Bradley.

"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore." - Yogi Berra

by vignette17 on Dec 7, 2005 11:38 PM PST reply actions

trust me

choi is not a pinch-hitter. he needs to get consistent at-bats. that was the problem last year; jim tracy refused to give him enough starts and relegated him to pinch-hitting, so he didn't do well, so he didn't get anymore starts. as someone who really likes choi, it was so maddening to see.

here are his career splits:

as 1B: .249/.357/.455 (.812) in 850 AB
as PH: .123/.247/.200/ (.447) in 65 AB

last year:

as 1B: .263/.346/.475 (.821) in 278 AB (83 games)
as PH: .190/.271/.310 (.580) in 42 AB (50 games)

by vishal on Dec 8, 2005 5:46 AM PST up reply actions

i hope this doesn't end up like

the movie double indemnity:

"Insurance agent Walter Neff plots with attractive Phyllis Dietrichson to murder her husband. After the husband has been tricked into signing a double indemnity accident policy, they kill him to make it look like an accident."

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Dec 8, 2005 1:33 AM PST reply actions

Payton

I think Payton is the catch-all insurance for all three outfield positions and DH. He's expensive insurance at $4MM, but when you consider Kotsay's back, Swisher's ignorance of sliders, and Kielty's hair, it makes sense. I think Beane is working with local Stanford researchers to clone Payton, so that on a per-Payton basis, he'd only cost $2MM.

Signatures? We don't need no stinking signatures.

by jubjub on Dec 8, 2005 6:29 AM PST reply actions

Branyan

that guy's got some of the best raw power I've ever seen. I saw him a few times when he was a cleanup hitter in the Indians' organization for the AAA Buffalo Bisons, and he swung for the fences every time...and when he did connect, there was no doubt. If he came cheap, that would be great, but we should keep in mind how the last platoon-type player acquired from the Brewers worked out (Branyan's still with the Brewers, right?)

See, I'm a murderer, I kill what I eat. I'm a hunter-gatherer, I kill what I eat. I'm a steelworker, I kill what I eat. I'm a bricklayer, I kill what I eat.

by Cutthemullet on Dec 8, 2005 8:17 AM PST reply actions

Is That Kennedy Or Saarloos OR Cruz + Insert here?

That's a lot of pitching to throw at any team for an insurance DH / platoon player. Rumor (RUMOR) had it that Saarloos for Bradley was a possiblity - an older, psychologically unstable Lastings Milledge, for whome a package of 2nd and 3rd tier pitchers makes more sense. Branyun does create an intimidating roster though. Nice thought.

"Cool it, brothers." Last words of Malcom X

by Bosnian on Dec 8, 2005 9:24 AM PST reply actions

Wes Helms....

Sure, he isn't the greatest option, but I wouldn't object to it if he came really cheap (he is a FA, right?). He's got some pop, would only be a bench player, and can play third. Of course, I should probably look up the stats first before I get roasted here.....any thoughts?

MacGowan asked how long Bill had been driving his car. King replied, "I just got it a week ago, no sense in paying more than $250.00 for a car."

by PosterNutbag44 on Dec 8, 2005 12:30 PM PST reply actions