Dallas McPherson

by volapuk on Jul 1, 2008 9:46 PM EDT

When Casey Blake is traded in the mini fire sale about to occur, can we please call the Marlins and inquire on what we need to get Dallas McPherson. The guy is rotting AAA batting over 300 and hitting 29 HRs. Since Marte apparently will never approach 100 AB this season, can we start him the net 70-75 games and see if he can produce at the ML level. Shhh...I know Hodges is on his way, but when was the last time the Tribe rushed someone up.

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You have my permission

by Roger Dorn on Jul 1, 2008 9:53 PM EDT 0 recs

28-yr-olds should be tearing apart AAA pitching.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Jul 1, 2008 10:05 PM EDT 0 recs

He would be worth a flier. He was a highly touted prospect who was injured the past few years.

Now if we could get a new dirt for the bullpen mound in exchange for JoeBlow, I’d be even happier.

by talonk on Jul 1, 2008 11:02 PM EDT up 0 recs

A flier, sure. I’m just saying.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Jul 1, 2008 11:15 PM EDT up 0 recs

Interesting.

McPherson is not on a minor league deal. He signed a major league deal and was optioned to the minors.

He has just under three years of service time, so he won’t be a free agent for another three years.

by Jay on Jul 2, 2008 10:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

Have you seen dirt prices lately?

by Toxicadam on Jul 1, 2008 11:15 PM EDT up 0 recs

Hello talonk,

Yes – that might be all we get for “JoeBlow,” although Toxicadam makes a good point about dirt prices – the dirt might be too pricey for the way “JoeBlow” is performing this year. Ugh! :-)

Just my 2 cents.

The "cream of the crop" doesn't always rise to the top.

by indiansfan on Jul 2, 2008 7:45 PM EDT up 1 recs

!!!

by Gradyforpresident on Jul 2, 2008 7:54 PM EDT up 1 recs

welcome back ifan!!!!!

by talonk on Jul 2, 2008 11:40 PM EDT up 0 recs

Thank god you’re back!

The site was running into a bit of cash (or should I say change) flow problem without you.

"It's hard to win when you don't score." Cliff Lee, 9/28/05.

by Harry Doyle on Jul 3, 2008 10:18 AM EDT up 0 recs

Hello Harry,

Happy to help with that cash/change flow problem! :-)

Thanks for the welcome back everyone – I’ll try to come back and post whenever possible, but if there’s a gap inbetween, realize I’ll still be checking in; I just may not have much time to post like I used to. Thanks!

The "cream of the crop" doesn't always rise to the top.

by indiansfan on Jul 4, 2008 8:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

Hey, he’s alive.

Proud supporter of the Cleveland.

by fwembt on Jul 4, 2008 8:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

he’s 28? jesus. i saw him play in Low A ball.

by Gradyforpresident on Jul 2, 2008 12:02 PM EDT up 0 recs

Seems to me this would be buying high—relatively speaking, I know.

If the Indians had any interest in McPherson, though, wouldn’t they have pursued it in the off-season, when he could very probably have been had for less than he would now cost?

by fleerdon on Jul 1, 2008 11:34 PM EDT 0 recs

When was the last time the Tribe rushed someone up?

August 07 – Asdrubal Cabrera.
July 07 – Aaron Laffey
September 06 – Kevin Kouzmanoff
June 06 – Jeremy Sowers

Just off the top of my head. Plus a half-dozen relievers over the past couple years.

by Jay on Jul 2, 2008 12:04 AM EDT 0 recs

I think you can add Jason Davis to that list. And, arguably both CC and Fausto, who were pretty young when they hit the majors.

by peter m on Jul 2, 2008 10:11 AM EDT up 0 recs

And Charley Spikes – don’t forget Charley Spikes.

"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay

by mauichuck on Jul 2, 2008 10:19 AM EDT up 0 recs

Just giving the most recent ones.

Fausto was quite young but not rushed — he was pretty well qualified in Triple-A before getting a real shot.

by Jay on Jul 2, 2008 10:30 AM EDT up 0 recs

Kouz had a 1.109 OPS in double-A and a 1.056 OPS in triple-A the year we “rushed” him (and he was 24 years old).

Laffey had a 3.08 ERA (and 75/23 ratio, with lots of grounders) in triple-A the year we “rushed” him (as well as a 2.31 ERA and 24/7 ratio in double-A that year).

Sowers had a 1.39 ERA in triple-A the year we “rushed” him (as well as a 2.08 ERA in double-A the year before).

Asdrubal was hitting .310/.383/.454 with 23 steals and more walks than strikeouts in double-A when we “rushed” him.

I think the Indians don’t rush players, so much as reward them when they have performed at a high level in the minors.

by Peter Bendix on Jul 2, 2008 1:25 PM EDT up 0 recs

so you’re advocating rushing players that aren’t performing? sounds like a good idea i guess.

by Brick. on Jul 2, 2008 1:35 PM EDT up 0 recs

Are you replying to someone else’s post by mistake? I don’t see anywhere in what he writes that he is advocating that the Indians should rush players that aren’t performing.

by hans on Jul 2, 2008 1:44 PM EDT up 0 recs

jay listed those guys as being rushed. peter said they weren’t rushed, they were rewarded when they performed. if that disqualifies a player from being considered rushed – and means that then a team never rushes, then the only way to rush a guy is if he doesn’t perform.

by Brick. on Jul 2, 2008 1:49 PM EDT up 0 recs

As I understand it, the very definition of “rushing” a player is promoting him aggressively, despite his performance (see: Seattle Mariners). The Indians promoted those players because of their performances. That’s not rushing them.

by Peter Bendix on Jul 2, 2008 1:52 PM EDT up 0 recs

I think you gotta consider age and time in the system too. Asdrubal was awful young when we called him up last year and had very little AAA experience.

"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay

by mauichuck on Jul 2, 2008 1:55 PM EDT up 0 recs

yep. laffey is pretty darn young. both he and sowers shot through the system. whether it’s performance based or not, if a guy isn’t spending i don’t kno what’s typical, a full season at most levels along the way – , sees 2 or even 3 levels in the same season, etc. i’d say that’s getting rushed, why he was rushed is almost always going to be because they’re performing.

by Brick. on Jul 2, 2008 2:00 PM EDT up 0 recs

I can’t can’t see how that is rushing someone. Sure, if a guy has a breakout performance that is not in line with expectations, you may want to leave him in the minors to make sure it isn’t a fluke.

But Laffey, Sowers, and Kouzmanoff especially (and Cabrera to a lesser extent) all had extensive track records. All had spent time at triple-A. And certainly the first three had proven that they were clearly superior to their competition at high levels in the minors. How is promoting those guys “rushing” them?

by Peter Bendix on Jul 2, 2008 2:04 PM EDT up 0 recs

you’re adding your own personal connotation to the word rushed. it’s not “rushed in spite of” it’s just “rushed”. these guys moved through multiple levels quickly – whatever the reason.

by Brick. on Jul 2, 2008 2:06 PM EDT up 0 recs

I would argue that, in baseball terms, “rushed” has a negative connotation. I’m trying to argue that the Indians did not mishandle these players.

by Peter Bendix on Jul 2, 2008 2:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

not really. in bedix baseball terms “rushed” definitely has a negative connotation.

you’re trying to argue the indians only promote players faster than normal when their hand is forced. and that’s just not true.

by Brick. on Jul 2, 2008 2:11 PM EDT up 0 recs

What is “normal”? I am arguing that most teams promote players when they are performing at a given level (this is especially true at higher levels). I have never heard the term “rushed” used in anything but a negative manner in regards to a young baseball player.

by Peter Bendix on Jul 2, 2008 2:13 PM EDT up 0 recs

i don’t know what’s normal. but i know what’s not. Sowers jumping all the way to AAA in his first year as a pro. Laffey jumping from A to AA to a big league rotation as a 22 year old. Asdrubal, despite what seattle did with him, basically skipping over AA into the majors as a 21 year old. those guys were all rushed in their own ways.

by Brick. on Jul 2, 2008 2:30 PM EDT up 0 recs

*skipping over AAA

by Brick. on Jul 2, 2008 2:30 PM EDT up 0 recs

Sowers was a polished college pitcher when he was taken. That’s the equivalent of somewhere between high-A and double-A ball. Thus, getting to triple-A is roughly equivalent to moving up one level during the year. That’s not rushing him.

Laffey was far from rushed – he was signed out of high school and has pitched 609 innings in the minors.

Asdrubal’s defense was excellent, offense was solid. How is that any different from “rushing” Ryan Braun (for example), who’s defense needed a lot of polishing but who’s offense was ML ready?

Perhaps this argument has come down to one of semantics, but the point I am trying to make is that I do not feel that any of these players were negatively effected by their promotions.

by Peter Bendix on Jul 2, 2008 2:43 PM EDT up 0 recs

Just for the sake of accuracy, here’s Cabrera’s history. Cabrera never played AA ball in Seattle’s system - he skipped from A+ ball to AAA. In 2006, he had an OPS of .659 for Seattle’s AAA team, then did .632 at Buffalo. In 2007 he was sent back to Akron to get back on schedule: he had an OPS there of .837 in just over half a season, then had 38 AB’s at Buffalo (OPS of .745). So, he’s a player, who at age 22, had a pretty good 1/2 season at AA and had never hit impressively at AAA. To me, that’s rushed - not WRONG, but not at all an orderly, earned progression to the majors.

by peter m on Jul 2, 2008 3:30 PM EDT up 0 recs

Cabrera’s OPS for Tacoma was .683, not .659 (that was his OPS for the two systems, combined, in that year.

by peter m on Jul 2, 2008 3:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

Understood. My counter-argument is that Cabrera’s strength is defense, not offense. So perhaps he was rushed offensively, but only slightly so, considering the numbers he was putting up at double-A. But his defense was already better than many major leaguers’, and he was called up for his defense more than his offense (although his offense was terribly far behind).

The Mariners absolutely rushed him. The Indians, not as much (although I agree that they somewhat rushed him).

Sowers, Laffey, and Kouzmanoff were not rushed at all.

by Peter Bendix on Jul 2, 2008 3:42 PM EDT up 0 recs

Asdrubal was the closest thing to being rushed, I agree, and that was more necessitated by how AWFUL Barfield was. Still, Asdrubal was performing offensively and had the plate discipline to suggest that he wouldn’t get blown away in the majors.

by Peter Bendix on Jul 2, 2008 2:02 PM EDT up 0 recs

again these ancillary reasons don’t matter. if the indians were averse to rushing players they would have gone out and acquired a stop-gap for a PTBNL or something for second base last year, not promoted asdrubal.

by Brick. on Jul 2, 2008 2:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

Again, I disagree. Acquiring a 2B worthy of playing every day for a team in a pennant race isn’t easy. Furthermore, Cabrera’s defense was major league ready, and he was hitting well at double-A. But more importantly, his plate disicpline suggested that he would at least be adequate against ML pitching.

But Cabrera was promoted more for his defense than his offense. It’s not a coincidence that Fausto Carmona was better in the second half of the season, with Cabrera at second base…

by Peter Bendix on Jul 2, 2008 2:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

hence, they rushed him.

by Brick. on Jul 2, 2008 2:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

This is one of the longest debates over semantics I have ever seen

by Roger Dorn on Jul 2, 2008 3:27 PM EDT up 0 recs

I don’t know if I’d call it a debate, more a discussion…

by Peter Bendix on Jul 2, 2008 4:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

but did he accept a bid?

by APV on Jul 2, 2008 4:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

For whatever it’s worth, my thought on “rushing” was just less than three good months in Triple-A.

Sowers was promoted after 15 starts in Buffalo — and without good K rates. He had made 42 starts in his professional career at that point, 29 of them in the high minors. Laffey’s experience in AA and AAA was about identical to this.

Asdrubal’s Double-A numbers were really solid, but are you really not crediting the Indians with “rushing” him when he went more or less directly from Double-A to the majors? Double-A is not Triple-A! (He spent 10 days in Triple-A that season with just-okay and meaningless numbers.)

Kouzmanoff was in Buffalo all of a month — you forgot to mention that in spurting out his OPS — and his only “track record” prior to 2006 was mopping up against much younger players (age 23 in A-ball) and missing half the season with injuries.

by Jay on Jul 2, 2008 5:34 PM EDT up 0 recs