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Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Shea It Ain't So!

Here's a deal that strikes a little closer to my heart. The Blue Jays traded pitching prospect Adam Peterson to the D'Backs for Shea Hillenbrand. Apparently Hillenbrand is eligible for arbitration and will probably make somewhere around $4,000,000 US in 05. It seems the Jays intend to use him mostly at DH. The amount of money and the planned usage don't make him seem like a good deal to me. His career AVG/OBP/SLG are .288/.322/.448 for an OPS+ of 98; plus he makes outs in 71% of his plate appearances. All in all, a below average player.

This is a deal the Jays will regret.

For comparison, Richard Hidalgo, whom I mentioned in the previous entry as a good deal for the Texas Rangers, will make $5,000,000 US in 05. Hidalgo's career AVG/OBP/SLG are .273/.350/.497 for an OPS+ of 114; he makes outs in 68% of his plate appearances and hits for significantly more power than Hillenbrand. An above average player.

Makes me wonder if Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi even considered going after Hidalgo. And if not, why not?

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