For those of you watching the Bats games, do you think Valaika is showing enough to possibly warrant a call up soon? How is his defense? Is he versatile enough to be a major league utility man? He is very hot with the bat, obviously.
Would seem Reds might consider him as an alternative to Cairo as a utility player.
I doubt the Reds call him up to be a utility guy. Defensively he can get you by at SS, but not someone you want there every day. At 2B he is fine. Has the arm to get you by at 3B as well.
Anything would be an upgrade over Cairo. Im not calling him up just beceause of a hot start though.
Would seem to me that Reds would likely use him as an offensive utility infielder, at least to start.Originally Posted by dougdirt
I'd let him keep playing every day at Louisville. Goal has got to be to see if he's the regular 2b after Phillips is gone.
This July? I can only hope. I hope he gets hot and Walt is smart enough to unload him for a good young bat for left field or another catcher. Brandon is about to get really expensive and I really have a tough saying that he is indispensable to this team. I don't want to just dump Brandon (ala Junior even though Masset has been a lot better than we expected), but a little something is enough for me.
I really think Valaika or Frazier could step in tomorrow and we would not be that disadvantaged. Plus, it takes a non-cleanup bat out of the cleanup spot.
Last edited by Edd Roush; 04-27-2010 at 03:27 PM.
Between Frazier, Cozart, Janish, and the SS quartet in the lower levels, I'm hoping to see Phillips dealt either this year or this offseason. Understand, though, Valaika's modus operandi is to struggle at the beginning of each level, then rake afterward.
He'll likely to that in the majors as well. And it may take a couple years to get over that particular hump. I'd love to see him at 2B as early as June (full time), deal with the inevitable struggles this season, then perhaps a blossoming next.
Too, I'm hoping Frazier does the same thing, though I'd start him as a utility guy. Between SS, 2B, 3B, LF, and 1B, I think he'd be able to garner 250 PAs the last half of the season.
Then, next season, you pick the best one to start the majority of the games at second, with either Cozart or a FA pick-up at shortstop.
(Or, the Reds could deal Phillips, Alonso, and Harang to the Mets for Reyes right now, with the idea of moving Reyes to 2B for 2011.)
I was thinking Phillips would be gone after the 2011 season. I see no possibility that any team would take enough of his contract before that to make it worthwhile to trade him.
I don't know-- he has a great glove and the reputation that he has a great glove, which is also important, especially in baseball's old boy GM circles. He also has power that some teams may need.
If you find a big pocket owner with an old school GM, he makes a lot of sense, assuming the Reds take back someone with a salary close to the same.
For example, the Mets make a lot of sense, as both Castillo and Reyes are struggling and neither has impressed Met fans over the past couple years. A Cabrera/Phillips/Harang/ prospect swap for Castillo/Reyes gets New York a veteran innings eater starter, a veteran 2B, and a veteran SS for a team that is ready right now without losing much of anything from their team.
Ahem,
I believe i mentioned Valaika as the reds minor league comeback player of the year.
*TRF pats himself on the back...*
Dubito Ergo Cogito Ergo Sum.
Valaika can be a solid, unspectacular 2B, but should never be considered again for SS. Any move to Cincy should not be before August unless injuries demand it.
Doug, that sounds an awful lot like Rosales. Is that a fair comp?
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
I 100% agree that Phillips is expendable. I thought he would be gone after 2008 (!) & yet he is still here. Don't get me wrong. He is an above average player because of his average bat yet strong defense at 2B. However, the team cannot pay big bucks to complimentary players. I think we may eventually see Valaika or Frazier at 2B.
Since Vlaika struggled mightily last year I would be in no rush to call him to Cincinnati just to take Cairo's place. Let him get at least a 1/2 season of strong perfromance at AAA before a callup.
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Valaika has always been thought of as a MLB hitter, just not sure where his glove would play as the Reds always said he was ok for SS but nearly everyone else disagreed. Valaika certainly has more pop in his bat than Rosales, but I think of Valaika as a very Brandon Phillips (sans the 30 HR season) type of ceiling in terms of offense. Good but not great pop. Probably a 2.5-3/1 K/BB who relies on his .280 average to make up a .330 OBP.
Strictly talking about his glove, Valaika could play at SS. It's his throws that are the problem there. It seemed to get worse later in the 2009 season.
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