much less both of them.

is nowhere as bad as losing 50 games to injury. He still can train and practice. Just look at the suspension as a one time fluke short term injury.

As it is, I’m not sure that the Braves would trade Schafer and Lillibridge for Street alone. They probably need a starter more than a reliever, both now, and for the future.

Should have been clearer, second best hitter, not overall prospect. And, obviously, I was referring to a potential or even projected 60+ VORP batter. Yeah, it would be pretty tough to have a big VORP number while playing in the minor leagues. Where’s the rolling eyes gif? To spell it out, LaPorta is a hell of a lot more likely to produce a 60 VORP season than Chris Carter or anybody else in the A’s organization besides Cust.

And, let me be clearer again. Even if Jack Cust had played a full season last year, in what will likely be his career year, he would have had 30-35 hitters ahead of him, and 25 significantly ahead. The difference between Jack Cust and David Ortiz was 5 wins. Bit of a strawman sure, but the point stands.The A’s don’t have one guy on the roster, or in the minors, who look like they could ever crack the top 20. They do not have any potential All-Star bats, besides possibly one in High A.

Those guys don’t come around very often. The top 20 in VORP last year is littered with first round picks and high dollar free agents. The A’s might match up with a team who has a guy like that who’s relatively expendable. The only young hitter like that, major or minors, who might be available. And I’m not talking about giving up Josh Beckett to get him. The A’s have a hell of a lot of pitching depth, and more coming. Too much depth to get full use out of really. That’s not a problem, but it does create an opportunity. IMO, the A’s would do well to take advantage of that opportunity. If you think a AA hitter is too risky of a gamble, even with this dude’s pedigree and the small percentage of hitters like this who flameout, we can agree to disagree.

is pretty boring to me, but I will do one last post on this to clarify my position in light of 31Boots’ post and your response.

The A’s obviously have greater organizational need at other positions besides LF/1B/DH. That, however, does not mean that the A’s would be wise to immediately ignore LaPorta’s potential. If the A’s view LaPorta in the same manner that an increasing number of scouts and prospect mavens do - as the next elite hitter to come from the minors - than trading for him makes sense despite his inability to play an elite defensive position. A hitter who can produce 60+ VORP is a rare commodity, and LaPorta would vastly improve the A’s if he produced at that level.

Your statement that “no one is a 60+ VORP hitter in the minor leagues” is like many of your posts in that it manages to be cute, snarky, and dismissive all at the same time, but it doesn’t really provide any analysis. Taken to its logical conclusion, your post means that the Reds should be willing to trade Jay Bruce for Jermaine Mitchell since both are CFers or the A’s should be willing to trade Trevor Cahill to the D’Backs for Billy Buckner because both are right handed starters who throw sinkers. Could Chris Carter be as good as LaPorta? Sure, he could. Will he? Good luck finding a knowledgable person who would trade LaPorta for Chris Carter.

Will LaPorta produce 60+ VORP on an annual basis in the majors? No one knows for sure at this point, obviously. Truly elite hitters are rare, and thus it is always hard to say that any prospect will become an elite hitter. I say this with absolute confidence, however; I have more faith in LaPorta’s ability to be an elite offensive player than I do with any other prospect in baseball. That statement is based on more than “just over a month of plate appearances in AA.”

LaPorta was an elite hitter in high school, was an elite hitter in college, and has now been an elite hitter in the minors. His statistical profile is excellent. He hits for average, he hits for power, he has excellent palte discipline, and is contact rates are very good for a power hitter. Scouting-wise, he is also across the board excellent as a hitter. He has a compact, powerful swing, he has tremendous balance at the plate, he hits good fastballs and recognizes and hits offspeed pitches, he has tremendous bat speed, and he has a good physique from which to maintain or improve his current power levels as he ages.

I would do a Sreet for LaPorta deal in a second, but I very seriously doubt that the Brewers would.

Their ex-retiree bullpen guy did a better job of HGHing during his “retirement” than Oakland’s did…

were rated as B+ by John Sickels in the offseason.

Yet you suggest that not only is LaPorta worth BOTH of the other players, but on top of that he is also worth Chad Gaudin (minus “a live arm”, whatever that means).

I say making that kind of judgment on just over a month of plate appearances in AA is nuts.

They need a replacement for Iguchi too… and a new center fielder… obviously Antonelli is being counted on to fill one of these positions. Who plays second base for them next season if they deal him for Street? Zero points if your answer is “Mark Ellis.”

It is pretty likely that they have already given up, and are thinking of rebuilding. They have the worst record in the NL. They are 9 1/2 games out of first. Their pitching, even with Hoffman’s sucking, is still better than their offense. Their offense is horrendously bad. It is worse than the Giants’ offense.

I don’t see them trading a young hitter for a reliever, even one with Street’s upside. Especially since Street already has 3 years of service time, is not signed long term, and the Padres are generally not a big money org.