Rotoworld on Blalock

by brentash on Sep 7, 2006 5:48 PM CDT Comment 23 comments

I saw this on rotoworld.
http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=3411
It is based on an article by Evan Grant. It sounds like they are using this slight nagging pain of Blalock's to audition Mark DeRosa as the full-time 3rd baseman.

This combined with Hick's statements makes it sound as if Blalock will not be around for very long. I would think they would have to get a really good return for Hank and DeRosa would have to play well for it to be worth it. If they just dump off Hank for little return because they think DeRosa can be just as good I am gonna be pissed.

However, if they got something really good for Hank, and DeRosa can show that he has progressed and this year and it wasn't just a fluke, it could be worth it.

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From what we heard

after the trade deadline, they can expect not to get a whole lot for Blalock.

by Brett Perryman on Sep 7, 2006 5:48 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Really?

That doesn't surprise me (Blalock is a mediocre player), but I don't remember hearing anything specific regarding his value around the league.

Did we shop him?

"If you are going to type stupid shit, you should at least spell it right." -trza

by thedirkatron on Sep 7, 2006 8:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

All conjecture

but the word was that he didn't have a lot of value and not nearly enough for the loose rumors involving Tejada, etc. to be legitimate.

by Brett Perryman on Sep 7, 2006 9:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Blalock gone

I predicted this two seasons ago.

Also Young and Teixiera gone.

Carlos Lee though, here to stay.

Mediocre players, definitly here to stay.

Vernon Wells, 100 million contract-money no object.

by Sharky on Sep 7, 2006 8:38 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

He's still my favorite player.

So.. yeah, i'll be semi-pissed.

by cmkelly29 on Sep 7, 2006 10:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Blalock has been a below average player

Id be surprised to get much of value for him. Maybe next year he can get off the sauce and try to raise his trade value.

Baseball wives are leeches. ... They're just hookers on retainer. -- Rangerchick

by DJCahill on Sep 7, 2006 11:07 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If

you compare Blalock to other thirdbasemen, he is way above average. My point is, it would be hard to upgrade the hitting with any other thirdbasemen.

"Stubbornness is usually considered a negative, but I think that trait has been a positive for me." ~ Cal Ripken Jr

by kwellborn on Sep 8, 2006 12:08 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

DeRosa

by mdickson on Sep 8, 2006 12:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Blalock

Way above average? Nonsense.

Blalock
Years RAP
(Runs against Position)

2006 -5.8
2005 -3.7
2004 12.4

Not only is he very average, he is declining both offensively and defensively. Maybe its Buck driving him to drink, but right now, replacing Blalock with Derosa isn't a downgrade.

Baseball wives are leeches. ... They're just hookers on retainer. -- Rangerchick

by DJCahill on Sep 8, 2006 3:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Blalock

Factor in that he's owed $11 million for the next two seasons, and he may actually have negative value.

I got ripped for suggested that during the Beckett discussions last winter, but it's more and more true every day.

by BurntOrange on Sep 8, 2006 7:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I said before this year

that Hank needed to make a step forward.

Unfortunately, he keeps stepping backwards. Personally, I think he does have negative trade value now. I would gladly give him away for nothing if someone would take his contract.

He is, at best, a platoon 3B. Although I believe he might have more success away from Rudy and Buck.

Baseball wives are leeches. ... They're just hookers on retainer. -- Rangerchick

by DJCahill on Sep 8, 2006 5:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

He has talent. If he didn't, he couldn't have had those really good seasons when he first came up. I think he might have value because of that, plus he's still pretty young.

I think they've missed the boat on getting some really nice major league-ready talent for him, but they could still get a couple of younger prospects with high ceilings.

Nobody cares about your fantasy or video game teams.

by Dustin on Sep 8, 2006 5:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Blalock

I think part of the problem with Blalock is fan perception of him from a couple of years ago versus what he has actually turned into. I have said this before but I think people thought the Rangers were getting the next George Brett and instead we have the next Travis Fryman and for some reason they haven't noticed it yet.

by Chris Martin on Sep 8, 2006 9:31 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I dont think

he's as good as Fryman.

Baseball wives are leeches. ... They're just hookers on retainer. -- Rangerchick

by DJCahill on Sep 9, 2006 4:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ouch

And you know what? You're right. Who wuld've thought that 3 years ago?

"If you are going to type stupid shit, you should at least spell it right." -trza

by thedirkatron on Sep 9, 2006 9:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Question ? If Rudy is so great.............

why can't he get Hank to try & go the opposite way when he's facing lefties ? He may be a little better this year, but he still swings out of his shoes about 1/2 the time. A couple of years ago (before his HR vs. Gagne) he used to take alot more balls to LCF & hit them hard.......as most hitters learn by high school, trying to pull those sweepers from lefties (low & away) usually means weak grounders in the infield.

His KO rate is way down and the walks are up, but he still needs to improve vs. lefties.

I don't know if he'll bring as much in return as you guys seem to think. A #2 starter is a pipe dream, I believe. If you can't get a #3, I'm not sure there's much value in trading him, except that his contract is gonna increase. We've got plenty of guys to fight out the 4 & 5 slots, we need an upgrade behind (or in front of) Millwood.

by tklawless on Sep 8, 2006 10:10 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Blalock

I think lifting weights has hurt his numbers. his swing just doesnt look fluid like when he first came up. He seems to trying to yank everything.

by kumar75150 on Sep 8, 2006 1:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Get Rid

of Buck and the Old Hank will return. I think if trade Hank we will definately regret it. He is only 25 people. I am as disappointed with this season as anyone else, but he is only 25. And he is in the top ten in almost all offensive categories for thirdbasemen.

"Stubbornness is usually considered a negative, but I think that trait has been a positive for me." ~ Cal Ripken Jr

by kwellborn on Sep 9, 2006 12:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Blalock

Here are his numbers against lefties through 144 AB (well, that's top ten in the league...I'll give you that):

34th in OPS (.575)
34th in SLG (.299)
34th in OBP (.277)
35th in BA (.208)

The rankings are among what ESPN considers a third baseman. It's worth pointing out that there are only 30 teams in the league.

I think we can say definitively that Blalock just isn't very good. Like Dan says, he's a platoon guy and that's it. I don't care whether he's 25, 19, or 35, those are dramatic splits. If he can't do any better than that after several full years in the majors, there's a problem.

I would literally rather have Todd Zeile than Hank Blalock.

Nobody cares about your fantasy or video game teams.

by Dustin on Sep 9, 2006 1:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

And...

The above splits also serve to illustrate further that Buck Showalter is a moron. There's no way Blalock should have that many appearances against lefties. If he has no choice than to play Blalock against a left-handed starter, he should hit no higher than, well, 9th. Can the Rangers afford to go this far to appease Hank's ego? No, they can't.

Nobody cares about your fantasy or video game teams.

by Dustin on Sep 9, 2006 1:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

the numbers are depressing

among all 3b with more than 300 plate appearances, Hank is 26th in ops!

Possible free agents with better numbers:
Aramis Ramirez (can void his contract)
Rich Aurilia (ranks 10th in ops, mutual option)
Jeff Cirillo (not interested in him, but 37-yr. old Jeff freakin' Cirillo has better ops by 60+ points)
And, of course, DeRo is an option.

This really makes me wish we hadn't traded Edwin Encarnacion, .886 vs rhp, .891 vs. lhp at age 23.

by t ball on Sep 9, 2006 9:13 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Encarnacion

I regret losing him, too.

But supposedly he's been an absolute butcher on defense.

Not what you'd expect from a converted SS, but he's very young and might very well grow out of that.

"If you are going to type stupid shit, you should at least spell it right." -trza

by thedirkatron on Sep 9, 2006 9:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I said in the off season .............

how could Hank be pissed at not hitting 4th ? He said he'd earned it, puh-lease ! He should be hitting 7th with his stats, maybe 8th.

But I do have a suggestion, hit him 2nd. He did have good success earlier in his career hitting 2nd & it might force him to change his approach, back to what made him a prospect in the first place...........

by tklawless on Sep 9, 2006 9:13 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs