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Thursday, February 19, 2009

Castrovince: Indians DFA Andy Marte

Has anyone ever been a “third baseman of the future” for four teams?

The Indians traded for RHP Juan Salas today, sending Minor League INF Isaias Velasquez to the Rays…

To make room for Salas, the Indians designated Marte—their former “third baseman of the future.” Marte never got his bat going in the big leagues. The Tribe will have 10 days to trade him, release him or outright him. Perhaps this will be Marte’s opportunity to get another chance elsewhere. We shall see.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: February 19, 2009 at 09:33 PM | 46 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: indians, minor leagues, rays

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1. Tim Stauffer, Trot Nixon's Coming (Dan Lee) Posted: February 19, 2009 at 10:33 PM (#3081459)

I was tempted to add the "obituaries" tag when I approved this article. Marte's career as a relevant prospect is over...if a team with this kind of gaping hole at third base doesn't want him, it's time for Andy to get used to playing in places like Syracuse, Oklahoma City, and Sacramento.

2. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: February 19, 2009 at 10:40 PM (#3081464)

Kid was ninth on Baseball America's top 100 in 2005. Maybe TINSTAAPP really means "There Is No Such Thing As A Prospect. Period."

3. Frisco Cali Posted: February 19, 2009 at 10:40 PM (#3081466)

Dero my hero is no gaping hole.

4. sardonic Posted: February 19, 2009 at 10:43 PM (#3081469)

Is he worse than Jack Hannahan?

5. tribefan Posted: February 19, 2009 at 10:44 PM (#3081473)

wonder if he'll turn out to be another Brandon Phillips...

6. Tim Stauffer, Trot Nixon's Coming (Dan Lee) Posted: February 19, 2009 at 10:47 PM (#3081478)

Well, there was a gaping hole before they made the Dero trade, and there very well may be one again when Dero leaves as a free agent after '09. Wes Hodges may be ready, and then again he may not be.

Third base has been a problem for the Indians since Thome moved over to first base. It's been placeholder after placeholder, and unless DeRosa stays for more than a year, it's tough to think of him as anything other than another in a long line of guys who are keeping the position warm until a real honest-to-goodness prospect wins the job.

7. Esmailyn Gonzalez Sr. Posted: February 19, 2009 at 10:47 PM (#3081481)

In my head at least, he seems to have as much value as say, Brian Buscher.

8. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: February 19, 2009 at 10:55 PM (#3081493)

the Jack Perconte of the new millenium

9. The Piehole of David Wells, Depends Salesman

Posted: February 19, 2009 at 10:56 PM (#3081497)

so who won the crips/marte trade.

10. Tim Stauffer, Trot Nixon's Coming (Dan Lee) Posted: February 19, 2009 at 10:58 PM (#3081499)

Cleveland, I think. They got Shoppach.

11. Der Komminsk-sar Posted: February 19, 2009 at 10:59 PM (#3081500)

was perconte considered a prospect? i thought he was a guy who'd been trapped in the minors, had a decent bit as a fill-in, then sank back into the morass.

12. Earvin 'Gold Stars' Johnson Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:02 PM (#3081504)

Looking at his MiLB stats, where the hell did his walks go?

13. As foretold by the prophesy (JFSE) Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:03 PM (#3081506)

so who won the crips/marte trade.

The bloods.

14. Guapo Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:05 PM (#3081510)

Time to take a ride in the Flashback Machine! The link will take you to the original discussion when Marte was traded by the Braves to the Red Sox. There's some high quality overreaction for your amusement...

15. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:08 PM (#3081512)

was perconte considered a prospect?

Bill James sure as fuck thought he was--he pumped him HARD in 3 straight abstracts in the early 80s--twice when he was with the Dodgers & then once with the Tribe

16. Jonk Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:09 PM (#3081513)

Has anyone ever been a “third baseman of the future” for four teams?

Atlanta. Cleveland, maybe. Certainly not Boston? He was there for about six weeks and they traded him. Apparently they never regarded him as their third baseman of the future.

17. Bitter Calculus Instructor Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:14 PM (#3081517)

[15] How'd you get that through the censor?

18. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:15 PM (#3081519)

its all in the wrists

19. Tim Stauffer, Trot Nixon's Coming (Dan Lee) Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:19 PM (#3081521)

That's what she said.

20. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:21 PM (#3081525)

"Well, there was a gaping hole before they made the Dero trade, and there very well may be one again when Dero leaves as a free agent after '09."

I know why he got the nickname, but it still gives me kind of a turn to see a player described fondly as a "dero".

21. Esoteric Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:21 PM (#3081526)

jmac has a secret that he's refusing to share with the rest of us.


Fuck him!

22. Der Komminsk-sar Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:24 PM (#3081529)

Neat. I only knew Perconte through Topps packs, though I did think of him the other day (when Hulett was DFA'd).

23. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:25 PM (#3081532)

touche #21

EDIT: unfortunately, I know how to say "fuck", but I don't know how to do an accent ague

(I have my priorities)

24. xdog Posted: February 19, 2009 at 11:50 PM (#3081554)

#23--maybe because it's accent aigu. Séé?

25. Alberto Gilardino Posted: February 20, 2009 at 12:00 AM (#3081558)

Andy LaRoche = Andy Marte of the future.

26. Tripon Posted: February 20, 2009 at 12:18 AM (#3081569)

Pirates fans would be a lot happier today if they got Carlos Santana instead of Andy LaRoche.

27. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: February 20, 2009 at 12:25 AM (#3081574)

"Andy LaRoche = Andy Marte of the future."

Think what you want. He's been killing the ball in camp, now that his thumb's healthy again.

28. Teheran's Uranium Enriched Missiles Posted: February 20, 2009 at 12:33 AM (#3081584)

Think what you want. He's been killing the ball in camp, now that his thumb's healthy again.

So are you saying he is ...in the best shape of his life?

29. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: February 20, 2009 at 12:35 AM (#3081586)

"So are you saying he is ...in the best shape of his life?"

Probably not. He sat out today with back spasms, and he missed the first day or two with the flu. But when he's been in the cage, he's been mashing.

30. Golfing Great Mitch Cumstein Posted: February 20, 2009 at 12:43 AM (#3081589)

Can anybody provide a post-mortem? What happened?

Bill James sure as #### thought he was--he pumped him HARD in 3 straight abstracts in the early 80s--twice when he was with the Dodgers & then once with the Tribe

I have never followed James as a MiLB talent evaluator. How is he regarding for his evaluations? Has he done more than MLE's?

31. PreservedFish Posted: February 20, 2009 at 12:43 AM (#3081590)

"That said, I frickin' love this trade for the Red Sox. Marte is a better prospect than Hanley, and should be a very good player very soon. Wow."

32. robinred

Posted: February 20, 2009 at 01:04 AM (#3081595)

Probably not. He sat out today with back spasms, and he missed the first day or two with the flu. But when he's been in the cage, he's been mashing.

Hope and Faith.

33. Perros Posted: February 20, 2009 at 01:31 AM (#3081613)

LaRoche only has to tick up seven points to match Marte's career OPS+ of 56.

34. Alberto Gilardino Posted: February 20, 2009 at 01:34 AM (#3081615)

LaRoche only has to tick up seven points to match Marte's career OPS+ of 56.

His thumb is healthy now, so he has a shot at an OPS+ this year of 56.

35. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: February 20, 2009 at 01:52 AM (#3081629)

Hey, laugh all you want, guys. The shoe's going to be on the other foot in a few years.

36. Alberto Gilardino Posted: February 20, 2009 at 01:59 AM (#3081636)

Vlad - I'm just kidding. As a Dodger fan, I was huge on LaRoche and still can't help rooting for the guy. That being said, you have to admit that at this point, he has certainly earned some ribbing.

37. DCA Posted: February 20, 2009 at 02:30 AM (#3081654)

Hey, laugh all you want, guys. The shoe's going to be on the other foot in a few years.

You mean when LaRoche is traded to the Red Sox for an underperforming prospect & AAAA roster filler?

38. SteveM. Posted: February 20, 2009 at 03:06 AM (#3081674)

That old thread on Marte's trade to the Sox was hilarious. It is a good reminder of the danger of overrating prospects.

39. Wes Parkers Mood (Mike Green) Posted: February 20, 2009 at 03:28 AM (#3081687)

In 2003, the two top third base prospects were David Wright and Andy Marte. Marte was actually the better prospect, having hit very well in high A ball at age 19, rather than age 20.

I have not yet found anybody who can separate out the Wrights from the Martes with any reliability. With that in mind, the comments in the original thread were entirely reasonable. Marte had perhaps a 50% chance of becoming an exceptionally valuable property. Perhaps the Braves knew something that the general public did not- about his health/personal problems/PED use for instance, but often times, it is simply a matter of pure chance.

40. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: February 20, 2009 at 03:48 AM (#3081695)

"That being said, you have to admit that at this point, he has certainly earned some ribbing."

For playing badly when he was hurt? If you're into that, then have fun, I guess.

41. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: February 20, 2009 at 03:48 AM (#3081696)

"You mean when LaRoche is traded to the Red Sox for an underperforming prospect & AAAA roster filler?"

No matter how much you ignore Bryan Morris, he's still going to keep existing...

42. TDF, situational idiot Posted: February 20, 2009 at 03:58 AM (#3081702)

The best part of the Marte/Renteria thread, in hindsight, is how terrible everyone thought Renteria would be; instead, he put together 2 of the 4 best years of his career.

43. Chris Hansen, NBC Dateline Posted: February 20, 2009 at 03:59 AM (#3081703)

Perhaps the Braves knew something that the general public did not- about his health/personal problems/PED use for instance

That he couldn't hit major league pitching? The word I heard from guys who knew this stuff was that Marte couldn't have been more lost at the plate if you spotted him Gilligan and the S.S. Minnow.

44. Raleigh Horn Posted: February 20, 2009 at 04:01 AM (#3081704)

Kid was ninth on Baseball America's top 100 in 2005. Maybe TINSTAAPP really means "There Is No Such Thing As A Prospect. Period."

That seems a bit harsh when you look at the rest of the top 10:
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/features/040228top1004.html

Ok, so Joel Guzman didn't really turn into anything, well, if you don't count a blimp. But the rest of the top 10 seems to have panned out in varying degrees, especially #1 Joe Mauer and #10 Hanley Ramirez

45. Tripon Posted: February 20, 2009 at 04:07 AM (#3081708)

For playing badly when he was hurt? If you're into that, then have fun, I guess.

LaRoche's insistence in playing while hurt was a foolish decision.

46. Miko Supports Shane's Spam Habit Posted: February 20, 2009 at 08:46 AM (#3081797)

Bill James sure as #### thought he was--he pumped him HARD in 3 straight abstracts in the early 80s--twice when he was with the Dodgers & then once with the Tribe

Is someone with the texts handy willing to go back and look up these references? This seems exaggerated to me ("pumped him HARD"). I remember Perconte being a Bill James all-star type, not someone James thought would be a star, but an overlooked minor leaguer he thought could contribute (start) in the majors. That was over 20 yrs ago, though, so I my recollection could easily be faulty.

For those who don't remember, Perconte had been a good lefty0hitting 2nd baseman at AAA Albuquerque for several years but the Dodgers jumped Steve Sax up from AA to replace the aging Davey Lopes. Lopes was the first of their famous infield to be replaced.

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Thursday, February 19, 2009

Castrovince: Indians DFA Andy Marte

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