Matt LaPorta

by echerrst on May 9, 2008 10:12 AM PDT Comment 23 comments

I read this article on beyond the boxscore :

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2008/5/9/482335/matt-laporta-the-next-ryan#add-comment

With Gallardo out for the year, Sheets hurt, and no readily available position for LaPorta, who could the A's package that would be fair to the Brewers?

It is not likely the A's would trade Street or Blanton, but the A's have pitching at all levels. LaPorta would not help this season, but would be a good replacement at a corner OF position next year sometime.

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street or blanton

realistically

"It's not my fault your team's so shitty." -Steve Friend, head coach, Chabot College, to Laney College's head coach, who asked why we scored so many runs after we beat Laney 30-3 in 2006

by flipgatey3 on May 9, 2008 10:15 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

and

he’s basically a DH from what i understand, they keep trying to hide him at positions

"It's not my fault your team's so shitty." -Steve Friend, head coach, Chabot College, to Laney College's head coach, who asked why we scored so many runs after we beat Laney 30-3 in 2006

by flipgatey3 on May 9, 2008 10:16 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Corner OF?

Next year could feature an OF of Sweeney/CarGon/Buck. So corner OF seems kind of taken, unless you’d want him for a DH? I would say Blanton is more available than Street.

by passionately objective on May 9, 2008 10:18 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Sweeney/CarGon/Buck

One of these things is not like the others.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on May 9, 2008 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

One interesting question is whether Cunningham will be ready

An outfield of Cunningham, CarGon, and Buck would have 3 guys who are capable of playing CF, but not really great at it (or at least those were the reports about CarGon and Cunningham at the time of the trade). It might work out fine defensively.

But yeah, Sweeney would have to take an enormous, unexpected leap forward to deserve to start in our outfield next year. I wouldn’t be too upset to see him spend most of this season at AAA either.

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

by Nick on May 9, 2008 10:44 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cunningham is a Centerfielder, and he can probably handle the job

CarGon is a Good Rightfielder playing CF right now, and Buck is really just a Left Fielder, not a CF.

I put on my robe and wizard hat.

by Zonis on May 9, 2008 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

actually, those are 3 distinct entities

We're going to knock balls out of the country's park, for the home team, which is America. @('.')@

by monkeyball on May 9, 2008 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Probably

but I think you’re maybe somewhat underestimating one based on recent events, and somewhat overestimating another. Certainly two of them are more alike than the third.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on May 9, 2008 11:27 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sesame Street?

One lives in a dumpster?

by passionately objective on May 9, 2008 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is Sweeney really an option though?

He’s never had great hitting numbers and he’s not that great in the field. I agree with CarGon and Buck.

Currently we play Cust in LF—can’t LaPorta play just as solid D?

by echerrst on May 9, 2008 11:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He'd be great

if we were allowed to have a second DH in the lineup

Signatures? We don't need no stinking signatures.

by jubjub on May 9, 2008 10:52 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

we already have 3... or 4....

But if we did get him and use him, ignoring all the DH’s in the minors we have, it’d mean another year of Cust in Left.

I put on my robe and wizard hat.

by Zonis on May 9, 2008 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Your 2010 Oakland A's

9 DH’s to hell with defense.

by theblackpearl on May 9, 2008 11:11 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

worked in 200X

I put on my robe and wizard hat.

by Zonis on May 9, 2008 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

9 DHs = LOL.

by passionately objective on May 9, 2008 3:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It really depends on how good you think LaPorta is as a hitter

If you think LaPorta will be a superstar level hitter, it really doesn’t matter what position he plays, because we have no hitter at any position who is as good as he will be. By way of example, Cust was our DH last year and had about as great a year as you could ever hope for him to produce. His VORP in 2007? 32.6. By comparison, David Ortiz’s VORP was 86.2. In other words, even though “we already had a DH” in 2007, having Ortiz instead of Cust would have added 5 wins to our team even though “Ortiz has no position.”

Superstar level hitters don’t need a position, because a player that can produce 70-100 VORP is incredibly rare, and incredibly valuable, even without defensive value. The A’s have no player in their system that is projected to be a 70-100 VORP type of hitter, but La Porta definitely has that potential. If the A’s can acquire LaPorta they should do it. If he can play a corner OF slot great, if he has to be a 1B or DH, he will still vastly outproduce anyone in the A’s system.

If the A’s don’t think LaPorta is a 70-100 VORP guy, and is a 30-50 VORP guy, then trading for him makes much less sense. The A’s have prospects and young players at 1B/LF/DH who figure to produce somewhere near those numbers and would be better off trading Blanton or Street to fill the glaring organizational holes at SS, 3B, and possibly 2B and CF.

Honestly, however, I think all of this is sadly a pointless exercise in rosterbation. The Brewers are unlikely to trade LaPorta for Street or Blanton, because the injuries they suffered this year are likely to prevent them from being contenders, and if they trade LaPorta they are going to want cheaper, younger pitchers than Street or Blanton. It’s fun to imagine having a hitter like LaPorta on the A’s, because not since the days of Giambi have A’s fans had the pleasure of experiencing an elite hitter.

by BlameChannel53 on May 9, 2008 11:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

*Detail that doesn't change your point

Cust would have had ~9 extra vorp with the same performance in an equal number of PAs to Ortiz.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on May 9, 2008 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

I was going to mention that, but forgot by the time I started typing.

by BlameChannel53 on May 9, 2008 1:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

So you're saying a prospect trade is more likely

Cahill, Simmons, Gio, Henry, Anderson rather than Street or Blanton? I’m assuming de los Santos doesn’t have much trade value until he shows he’s healthy.

by WaddellCanseco on May 9, 2008 3:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

We'll probably trade Gio - after all,

he hasn’t been traded for months.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on May 9, 2008 5:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

My guess would be that there is no deal between Milwaukeee and Oakland

The Brewers are likely to want young, cheap pitching for LaPorta if they were to trade him, and the A’s are going to want to trade Blanton or Street, two pitchers who are about to become expensive. Unless the Brewers are in win now mode, I don’t see them as buyers for Blanton or Street.

by BlameChannel53 on May 9, 2008 10:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs