The report that Golden State guard Baron Davis has "agreed in principle" with the LA Clippers comes as great news to this commentator. I did not want him for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It is especially encouraging because it might help steer the player I think would be ideal toward the North Coast---though this is hardly a haven for free agents who ply their trades during the winter months. I propose that Danny Ferry and Dan Gilbert focus on securing the services of Corey Maggette.
I have been much impressed by the improvements the Duke product has made to his game over the years. His FG shooting and range have both improved. He gets to the line with regularity and knocks the tosses down. He can create for himself and he can complement the abilities of other scorers. He can defend and he can rebound. He even hits some threes. I think he is one of the sport's most under-rated stars, just entering his prime, as well.
Maggette opted-out of his $8 mil/yr. contract, hardly an exorbitant sum. A healthy and reasonable raise would break no NBA team's bank. He'd make a very strong Robin to Lebron's Batman. I'm guessing Corey is ready to win, too.
Another potential transaction I feel holds promise for the Cavs would be exchanging Andy Varejao for Houston's Carl Landy, an up-and-comer able to do what Andy characteristically provides---and more. More of a post-presence than the wild-haired Brazilian, Landry was key to what the Rockets achieved last season, but reportedly cannot be retained by that club.
Encouraging are words that Twinsburg James Posey is being courted by Cleveland, as he's always seemed to be a perfect fit. A poor-man's version---if ever there could be one in so well-paying an enterprise as the NBA---would be Warriors' Michael Pietrus, a jumping-jack with length, athleticism, shutdown D and occassional 3's. He's a true sleeper unknown to many in eastern time zones. He'd be fabulous in Cleveland.
Those same folks may not be aware of the many negatives revolving around Baron Davis, who can be truculent, injury-prone, poorly-conditioned, self-absorbed, agonizingly erratic and less-than-coachable. Let him be someone else's problems.
Among others who could become significant, under-the-radar acquisitions around the league are Jason Jones, Bostjan Nochbar, Eduardo Najera and one-time Cleveland draftee Matt Barnes. Don't be shocked if former Bulls point guard Chris Duhon is in wine and gold fairly soon.
Lastly, the events relative to the Cavs' draft suggest Ferry may have taken to heart a piece appearing on these pages some weeks ago, when the Pistons were praised for always seeing to it they are replete with bruising bigs who can come at opponents in waves. His was a very Pistons-like draft. For that, I liked it.
Darnell Jackson's proven ability to perform off the bench is an under-stated point of recommendation for him.
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This writer may have been the first, but he is no longer the only---not that either scenario matters in the least---and growing are the voices who suspect the Indians continue to feature Jhonny Peralta at SS and now in the cleanup spot in hopes doing so might help attract interest and trade-return, odd as that might seem.
An exchange that has some appeal involves Texas' Hank Blalock, an oft-injured LH 3b who has been replaced by former Indian Ramon Vasquez, currently cruising in the .320 range. JP might function nicely in a platoon with him at 3b or in the opposite corner, where rookie LH 1b Chris Davis now performs.
Blalock's arrival could push Casey Blake to SS, short-term at least, as there are many who suspect the veteran 3b would immediately represent a defensive upgrade from the overgrown middle-infielder who has recently begun to hit in conformance with his trumped-up reputation.
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Comparing the composite batting stats prior to the start of an Indians' series is often enlightening. Among the nuggets uncovered Monday was the revelation that Chicago has eight players with at least 30 rbi, three exceeding 45. Cleveland has but four over 30 and only one above 45.
While Tribe GM Mark Shapiro elected to stand pat in the off-season, presumably seduced by having won 96 games last season and coming within one post-season win of a World Series, his Chisox counterpart Kenny Williams not only got busy but inspired, landing one of the off-season's genuine difference-makers in Arizona's Carlos Quentin (18 homers, 60 rbi), as well as bullpen prizes Scott Linebrink and Octavio Dotel. Coupled with the additions of the versatile tandem of Nick Swisher and Alexei Ramirez, Williams is well on his way to succeeding Shapiro as MLB's Executive of the Year.
Shapiro, for his part, has his neck in the noose currently. He must deliver on his tradeable assets this summer, now that it is apparent the current formula has created a disastrous season and forecast.
Unlike last year, when youngsters came virtually from nowhere to mitigate another frightening scoring draught---Carmona, Laffey, Gutierrez, Cabrera, Perez, Lewis, Mastny, et al.---nearly all the pre-season question marks manifested negatively this summer, a condition exascerbated by the collapses experienced by Betancourt, Borowski, Westbrook, Martinez, Hafner, Byrd, Garko, Barfield and, to a lesser extent, Dellucci.
Imagine where the club would be without the encouraging performances of Choo, Francisco, Carroll and the still-developing duo of Sizemore and Blake. On second thought, only 4-5 clubs are less successful right now.
Dellucci is excepted above because he was inexplicably pushed into dis-use during a period of productivity. He's spiraled downward since. With foresight not being an organizational strong suit, it is not likely his decline was foreseen by this braintrust. Give DD the 100-plus ABs needed to match Peralta's and he'd doubtlessly have more homers and rbi.
Shapiro's reputation was made as a farm director and enhanced fortuitously by the events of last season, when his farmhands delivered for him, salvaging an uncomfortable summer. He'd actually done rather little prior to the '07 campaign and did even less last winter, causing some to maintain he's gotten a great deal of mileage out of just one extraordinary deal---the liquidation of Bartolo Colon, one that was aided by a confluence of uncommon factors, not the least of which was the then-Expos being run by MLB.
Otherwise, he has presided over a talent bleed, subtracting Maicer Izturis, Ryan Church, Luke Scott, Willy Taveras, Jeremy Guthrie, Brandon Phillips, Ronnie Belliard, Brian Barton, Coco Crisp and Kevin Kouzmanoff---all essentially without significant return.
This all being recited, what remains of this calendar year had better be a productive period for the Cleveland GM.
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It was stunning to see that Jamey Carroll has hit .371 since the start of interleague play. Unfortunately, that stretch coincides with the club's going 15-27, falling from first in its division to a solid last.
Interesting, too, is seeing Joe Inglett's installation in the two-hole and at 2b---at least vs. RHP---among Cito Gaston's first moves upon his return to the helm of the good ship Toronto. Inglett, another Shapiro giveaway---and a really mysterious one given his gamer mentality, versatility and sporadic base-stealing---is hitting .315, while remaining a spirited pest to opponents and a serious spark to the Jays.
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No one has yet mentioned Seattle as a West Coast landing site for FA-to-be lefty CC Sabathia, but Eric Bedard and Adrian Beltre would constitute fine return, dontchathink?
Yesterday on ESPN, Peter Gammons echoed the Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes in saying Milwaukee's AA Huntsville roster---called by some the best minor-league collection of all time!---possibly contains the booty of which Shapiro will ultimately avail himself.
Gammons recited the very names Hoynes included in Sunday's section: OFs Matt LaPorta (40 homers since signing last summer), Michael Brantley (whose father Mickey was once a Mariner OF), SS Alcides Escobar (Gammons says he could be up with the varsity soon), 3b Mat Gamel and C Angel Salome. Gammons also floated the names of current Brewer middle-infielders JJ Hardy and Rickie Weeks.
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For those damning Omar Vizquel as an over-the-hill bat threat, it cannot be debated. However, it should also be noted he has been used in the 8-hole this year by SF, primarily due to his knee injury and the thought his experience would make him less of an automatic out in front of the pitcher than might be a younger talent.
Local fans, who grasped the reasoning behind sending Peralta to a certain out at the plate in a recent interleague game, understanding his holding third on Dellucci's double in LA would simply have resulted in Kelly Shoppach's being walked intentionally to get to the pitcher, should similarly be able to appreciate that an 8-hole batter in the NL gets little of quality to swing at, fully testing that player's patience, selectivity and plate discipline.
Read the complete post at http://www.xanga.com/MALeonard/664331718/baron-to-clips-is-good-news.html