From: tedward@cs.cornell.edu (Edward [Ted] Fischer)
Subject: Re: Clemens Market Value (read Lou Gorman!)
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY 14853
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 19:04:38 GMT

In article <By2pDs.KFo@cs.dal.ca> niguma@ug.cs.dal.ca (Gordon Niguma) writes:
>
>  The Red Sox don't need Todd Stottlemyre or Jeff Blauser or Gerald
>Williams; players who may project as half decent players but have
>absolutely no superstar potential. They need guys like Keith Mitchell,
>Domingo Jean who could project as superstars in future years.

I agree whole-heartedly!  The Red Sox don't lack warm bodies to throw
out there!  We have *PLENTY* of warm bodies.  Some of them are even
halfway decent prospects.  Why does nobody understand this?  Do you
not follow the game?

At catcher, the Sox are weak now that Pratt and Wedge have been
punted.  But Hatteberg is considered a very good prospect, and will be
the Pawtucket catcher next year.  He may not hit for much power, but
his plate discipline and defense are supposed to be excellent.

At first base, the Sox have a minor logjam.  Vaughn and Quintana can't
*both* play.  Well, perhaps Quintana's career is over.  But what the
FUCK are you doing, trying to trade us Brian Hunter???  Vaughn is
adequate now, and has the potential to improve.  Hunter is a
right-handed platoon hitter with no potential in the slightest.

The Sox are a bit weak at second base.  Naehring wouldn't be *so* bad,
if only he were healthy.  But he isn't.  And there's nobody in the
minors to cover.  But then none of the proposed trades (except the
Blauser one) includes a middle infielder.  Naehring/Rivera will do, at
least until a prospect makes it up from A-ball (not that I see any
great prospects down there) or a trade can be swung (Lou Gorman is an
idiot, but at least he should be able to get a Lind-caliber player
without gutting the farm system!).

At shortstop we have Valentin.  Nothing special, but he looks to be
above average both defensively and offensively.  No injury history
that I know of.  Still moderately young (25 last year).  I won't
complain.

At third base is Cooper.  So he isn't a superstar.  He is also not
total trash.  He has a rocket for an arm, decent range, and will bat
.270 with a .340 OBP.  Power?  A *bit* of power will eventually come.
On the order of 12-15 HR per year, I expect.  He hit that many in the
minors, and hit five in September last year.

In the outfield we have Plantier (who *does* have star potential),
McNeely (who *also* has star potential), and Blosser (who has REAL
POWER and is only 21).  Zupcic can be the OF backup.  This outfield
may or may not kick ass.  But I see no reason to trade for Gerald
Williams until *after* we find out what the above three can do.

And, of course, the Sox are still loaded down with Greenwell, Burks,
and Brunansky (if he is signed).  Talk about a shitload of shit!  They
are *STILL* all better than GERALD FUCKING WILLIAMS!!!!

Pitching?  I want to see the young arms get a chance before we make
any trades.  Gardiner, Minchey, Taylor, Riley, Sele, Rodriguez, and
the Lynchburg Mob (Lynchburg had something like half of the quality
prospects in their league this year).  So most of these are low-level
prospects and have little chance of ever being better than a #3
pitcher.  Do I look like I care?  With Clemens and Viola (or some new
free agent signed a couple years from now), you don't *need* a #1 or
#2 starter.

So please, if you propose that the Red Sox trade the best pitcher in
baseball, at *least* give them back some players who are *better* than
what they already have.  Give us an average middle infielder and an
average catcher, perhaps.  But you can't just throw in three shitty
1B/OF/DH types and hope to land a superstar.  The Sox have NO SHORTAGE
of those.  If the Sox trade for an outfielder or first baseman, he had
better have *REAL* star potential.

>Jeff Blauser won't win you anything; he'll help but
>he's not the kind of guy you can build a team around like Roger Clemens.

But he's a nice, solid middle infielder.  I'd take him.  Though not as
the centerpiece of a deal.

-Valentine
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