There should be another slugger on Ned Coletti's radar for the 2009 season. This outfielder was an NL MVP candidate back in '07, and if not for a nagging hamstring, might have seen his name mentioned for the honor in '08. It's likely he won't be moved until the July 31st trade deadline this year, but he would be well worth the wait. Oddly, his trade to the Oakland A's back in November did not draw much media attention.This former NL West resident will be eligible for free agency at the end of the '09 campaign, and barring a complete meltdown this season, would command a large and lengthy contract. Ironically enough, he plays the same position as Manny Ramirez.
Knowing how Oakland GM Billy Beane operates, there's good reason to believe that if the A's are sellers at the deadline, Matt Holliday will be finishing his season with another team. If Coletti fails to sign Manny this off-season, Dodger fans should realize that there is always motive behind a GM's moves. He would not be doing his homework if he thrust all hopes of a 2nd straight playoff appearance in the signing of Manny. That's why there's good reason to believe in a Plan B.
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Yeah. Probably not. The Red Sox have an equally big hole in Left next year as well.
I remember standing behind the batting cage one day and watching Holliday hit BP balls out of Dodgers Stadium. I've never seen a ball hit that far in my life.
Dusto- why don't you think the Sox will keep Jason Bay around?
Who would you rather have?
Bay or Holliday?
I guess Bay will be cheaper and wont cost any draft picks.
Either way there are a few good choices out there for Left Field.
The Yankees also have some money coming off the books for 2010. 26 million with Damon and Matsui. I don't know that the Yankees would target another right hand bat. I still think they are the front runners for Adam Dunn this year if they can trade Matsui or Nady.
I'm interested to see how Holliday plays outside of Colorado. He's going from an extreme hitter's park to an extreme pitcher's park.
Holliday and Bay are actually pretty similar players. Bay is 1.5 years older. I do think Holliday is improving his defensive and baserunning skills while Bay appears to be declining in those areas.
From 2006 - 2008, Holliday hit .296 on the road. Of course, his power numbers are down when he's away from Humidor Field, but he's not just a slugger. He steals bases (28 in '08), throws out runners (9 in '08), and does not make mistakes (only 3 errors in each of the past two seasons).
I better stop before i get disappointed when the Dodgers sign Manny!
Because batting average is the number one sign of a batters true worth...
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