A place for J-Mike?

Could a J-Mike trade be the best outcome ever for a case of testicular torsion (which Felix Pie has to have minor surgery for)?

That seems like a good fit, as I for one would much rather have Michaels than Marlon Byrd.  I am wondering if this isn't a situation where what we get back is of marginal importance, as long as we feel like we get value.  

Most likely it'd be a position player prospect of middling C+/B- value, right?  I'd be fine with that, as the main upside here is clearing out space for Ben Francisco to "breakout" in BP parlance.

Michaels is raking right now. I'm not sure if that's an argument for or against trading him.

I'd prefer to see the Indians be the team to put together a package for Roberts (moving Droobs to ss and Jhonny to 3b), but if that's not going to happen, okay, let's send Michaels to the Cubs. You're right, it would seem to be a perfect fit. If I were the Cubs, I'd certainly prefer Michaels to Marlon Byrd.

Nick would like to remind you that Matt Murton plays for the Cubs.

Wouldn't the Mets be another possibility for J-Mike now that Moises Alou is already in mid-season form in Spring Training (i.e., injured)?

I'm still holding out hope that the Michaels "situation" is resolved by something that Rosenthal reported:
"The Mariners had flirted with adding a veteran right-handed hitting outfielder, but club officials apparently are satisfied with the four players competing for their final outfield spot -- Wladimir Balentien, Charlton Jimerson, Mike Morse, and Jeremy Reed".

Please, please, please...can we make another trade with the M's where we trade a platoon player for a "blocked" young player in their organization?

A FO friend gave me a credible argument yesterday for keeping JMike.  My thought was that they BenFran needed to be a plan B in left AND right but that rotating Blake in to left took care of that.  Their thought is that JM has the ability to be a true platoon and backup.  He can sit for a week, roll off the bench and play good D and whack lhp.  Ben Fran probably can't do that and needs consistent AB in Buffalo in case Gutz is a mirage or neither part of DeMichaels pans out...

logical trade partner is the fact that I really can't see the Indians keeping him long-term (i.e. beyond 2009.)

Hello everyone,

As rick mentioned, he has a club option for 2009, so his greatest value could be right now, since he would belong to the team he would be traded to beyond this year.

Granted, I wouldn't give him away for nothing or for peanuts (i.e. some weak, older-relative-to- league Minor Leaguer with virtually no chance of being useful,) but if a solid value deal came along for him, I'd certainly consider it, since I think Francisco could fill most to all of the role Michaels is doing now (despite the somewhat debatable splits Francisco has in his hitting statistics) in the very near future, if not even be more of a factor than Michaels has been (i.e. Francisco will play more often than Michaels has and will likely provide more power than Michaels has.)

Just my 2 cents.  :-)