Do I keep Backe and Burke or do I go with Soriano and Duckworth/ Redding?? YUK! Backe and Burke is an ABSOLUTE no-brainer! You don't trade Backe, Astachio or Bucholtz. I don't think Purpura would do that. Fan favorite, young, big game mentality (Backe). Pitching and defense can still win in this league. The first thing we need to do is CUT AUSMUS. How is it that the worst player in the MLB is STILL PLAYING?? Can we find no one who can top his 240avg and his 300OBP anywhere?
You're contradicting yourself, you say that you can win with pitching and defense, then you complain about Ausmus' hitting. Ausmus is still one of the best defensive catchers in the game, and is probably the best in terms of working with pitchers. Remember both Pettite and Clemens said when they first came that they were really looking forward to pitching to Ausmus.
I beg to differ about him being the best defensive catcher. He might call a decent game but his arm is an extreme liability. My grandma might be able to steal off of him...
I didn't say he was the best defensively, I said one of the best. Although his arm isn't what it used to be, it's still adequete, and he rarely lets a ball get past him.
Why are Duckworth and Redding the leading candidates to be the 4th starter if Backe left? This is how I would rank our options, inhouse, for the 4/5 slots in the rotation: 1. Astacio - management seems to be in love with this kid, but his arm may be more valuable in the bullpen 3-4 times a week than in the rotation 1-2 times a week. 2. Hernandez - even if his armstrength doesn't ever come back, his curveball can still be unhittable. Paul Wilson is a great example of a broken-down power pitcher who rebuilt himself as a control pitcher with good results. And another lefty is always a bonus. 3. Buckholtz - the centerpiece of the Wagner deal didn't exactly prove himself last year, but he hasn't really had a chance in the bigs yet. 4. Munro - when Redding and Duckworth were both available at the end of last year, it was Munro who got the call as the 5th starter with mixed results. I see no reason why he would have fallen behind them now. 5. Duckworth - didn't show much and may not even make the team without a great spring. 6. Redding - headcase has worn out his welcome and will (hopefully) be dealt for Cruz Jr. soon. In short, the options are essentially: -stay pat with a 1-year-wonder journeyman starter and a rookie at 2B or -do the deal and have a multiple All-Star at 2B and a rookie in the rotation How is that a no-brainer? I see no concrete evidence that proves Astacio/Hernandez/Buckholtz can't match (or even surpass) what Backe MIGHT gives us as the 4th starter. While Backe is the safest bet of the aforementioned, he is hardly a sure thing and could very well be out of the rotation and on the trade block (or the waiver wire...or back in the bullpen...or even back in the minors) by the All-Star break anyway. Why not get a proven run-producer for the middle of our pitiful lineup while his value is so high? And if you think Burke will come anywhere near matching what Soriano would give us at 2B as a rookie, well, you must know something about Chris Burke that I do not.
I have had the same consern as most people about Backe, but we have to give him a chance while the price is low. and besides, what ever happened to Burnitz? wasn't he going to sign with us or something?
