Firstly, small sample size noted. But since this is the interweb, it's time to take out your jump-to-conclusions mats.
My initial concern with Marte was that two (usually savvy) teams trading him in one offseason. This is not to rehash all those old arguments; I understood why Atlanta and Boston needed/wanted to move him. Ostensibly, it made sense, but personally it was still a point of concern. I wouldn't say I was railing against the trade; I was willing to trust Shapiro to make the right move.
Having seen Marte, I can't say my concerns have been mollified. I know he's only had a handful (or two) of at-bats, but his pitch selection seems really poor to me, especially on the breaking ball - not so much that he doesn't make solid contact, but that he can't differentiate between a strike and a ball. And it looks like he has a pretty sizeable hole in his swing (Admittedly I'm no professional scout, just a watcher of baseball games). Couple that with the Indians seeming reluctance to bring him up and the fact they're kind of "kid-glovey" with him (sitting him against certain pitchers and playing Boone instead - yikes) and I find myself increasingly worried.
Maybe that is my lot in life, worrying about the Indians or maybe I'm onto something. So, I leave it to you, let's go tribe friends: Is this bit of Marte's career a meaningless slump in an all-star-laden career or is it a portend of very bad things to come (or somewhere in the middle, even though that's usually right, doesn't it feel like a copout?)
(Also, I'm wondering what his current projection is after factoring in this year's numbers.)




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