Another week, another BA
blog post.
Cleveland picked up INF
Aaron Herr. Give Herr credit for being consistent, but the holes in his game will preclude a serious major-league career. Colorado signed RHP
Eric Schaler, the Reds' 31st-round draft pick in 2006. He'd never gotten much of a chance.
The Rockies also picked up 1B-3B-OF
Tony Blanco, who flopped more or less completely in the Nationals organization after JimBo took him in the 2005 Rule 5 draft. The problems: injuries and contact.
Houston signed C
J.R. House, OF
Victor Diaz, and 1B
Lance Niekro, all of whom will probably be Astros at some point in 2008 given that organization's lack of depth. All three are also better hitters than anyone the Reds picked up as an NRI.
Minnesota picked up RHS
Zach Day, who continues to get chances despite serious injuries and marginal effectiveness since 2004.
Pittsburgh adds RHR
Mike Burns to its burgeoning stable of Reds castoffs.
Texas signed RHR
Jason Davis, who was another six-year guy I liked. Former Indian.
Washington re-signed OF
Alex Escobar, who, in a SHOCKER!, spent almost all of 2007 injured. The centerpiece of the Barry Larkin trade that never was did get 33 games in the bigs in 2006 (and hammering to the tune of .356/.394/.575), but batted under .200 in fifty-some ABs in '07.