As I sit here, wondering what the hell is becoming of my beloved franchise which has apparently decided to give up and call it quits after Derek Jeter sent the Yankees a gift basket, I find out maybe my team isn’t the only team to give up on 2018.
Evan Longoria is now a New York Giant (of San Francisco) after being traded from the Rays for Christian Arroyo, Denard Span, Stephen Woods, and Matt Krook. Arroyo is a 22 year old infield prospect who amassed a unimpressive start to his MLB career hitting .192/.244/.304/.548 with 3 homers over 125 at bats. This is still of course incredibly early, but the infielder hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire while in the minors. He however was listed as the Giant’s top prospect by MLB, so what the hell do I know? See MLB’s official scouting page on Arroyo below.
Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55The biggest surprise in the first round of the 2013 Draft came when the Giants took the relatively unheralded Arroyo with the 25th choice and signed him for $1,866,500. He won the Rookie-level Arizona League MVP award in his pro debut and has silenced his doubters by establishing himself as one of the purest hitters in the Minors. He tore up Triple-A for the first three weeks of 2017 to earn his first big league callup in April, but he played just eight games after returning to the Minors in June because he injured his wrist and then broke his left hand.
Arroyo’s tremendous hand-eye coordination allows him to barrel balls with ease from the right side of the plate, producing hard contact to all fields. He puts the bat on the ball almost too easily, because he rarely walks and delivered just 20 homers in his first four years as a pro. If he were to become more selective at the plate and look to drive the ball more often, his biggest proponents believe he could develop at least average power.
After spending most of his first three pro seasons at shortstop, Arroyo divided his 2016 season between short (48 games), third base (48) and second (19). He has the hands and arm strength to play shortstop, but he lacks desirable range and quickness and is better suited for the hot corner. That’s his best fit in San Francisco as well, especially after Matt Duffy was traded to the Rays last July.
Mean while over in Bird Land, Ace closer Zach Britton ruptured his Achillies tendon during offseason workouts, which means not only will he be out for 6 months, but the O’s won’t be able to trade him for a while. Now they have to decide if they are going to pay him around 12.2 million to rehab before he’s a free agent meaning the birds could have had the best closer in the league and wound up with nothing in the end.
Also, latest in the Manny Machado saga, it would appear the O’s aren’t getting the top pitching prospects they are looking for in Machado and may pull him off the market. Or it could all be a negotiating ploy. Who the hell knows at this point. All I know is it’s December and we still only have two starting pitchers in our rotation. And just lost our closer. But don’t worry, I’m sure we will get plenty more Chris Davis in 2018!
After suffering nearly two decades of the dark times, only to have the light return, I see the is beginning to set on my franchise yet again. A combination of poor ownership, poor management, and a league that simply does not care if all teams operate under a fair set of rules leaves me wondering just what the hell am I rooting for these days? Looks like my man Adam Jones will be keeping me company in my off-season depression.
Fan Interference 
Easy to see why you’re frustrated. But if you think you have troubles, just consider Buck Showalter’s fate as the season approaches. He’s getting paid to be upbeat, but he could be getting paid on the comedy club circuit and not have to up up with a dysfunctional organization which has traded away what little was in the farm system and 99.9% of its international signing money. If you were deliberately trying to make a baseball team uncompetitive for the next fifteen years you couldn’t have done it any more efficiently than the Orioles, although they may have challengers in the current Marlin ownership. At least the birds will have Chris Davis to keep them warm for what will seem like eternity. The Marlin will have Derek Jeter.
LikeLiked by 2 people
“Evan Longoria is now a New York Giant.” I didn’t realize you were that old, or were you thinking of the New York Football Giants? The dismantling of the nearly .500 80-82 Conch continues through the off season. Chris,The Green Archer is up next for trade. Hopefully we can pass him off as Chris Angel and make Rob Manfred Von Richthofen disappear. At least we”re not the Marlins boat wreck and do our deeds in the daylight and quietly. For now, that’s the Longoria and short of it. I’ll be bobbing for corn-dogs in the corn-dog stew up at Universal’s Cabana Bay Resort this Holiday. Hope to catch all you seam-heads poolside!
LikeLiked by 1 person
TELLY you old so-and-so. How ya been???
LikeLike
Digging out of the rubble of Irma, Trash everywhere in the Keys. On the sunny side, I’m not dead or in jail, and Judge Fishbein is still my better 3 quarters!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m happy to see you around here, pal.
LikeLike
It wouldn’t be one of my articles without 4 or 5 major typos.
LikeLiked by 1 person