Taking a Flyer on Jason Botts?

[mikezpen]

We don't have a first base/DH logjam.We have a body logjam.There's a difference, folks.

I've been saying to get this guy for 2 years. Do it!

[clapdiddy]

We don't have a first base/DH logjam.We have a body logjam.There's a difference, folks.

I've been saying to get this guy for 2 years. Do it!

Exactly. Send a pitcher back to Norfolk and put this guy on the roster.

[JTrea81]

I'd like to see Botts here, but we can't really fit him anywhere unless we dump some of our existing DH/1B logjam. And, I don't know how many trades typically happen in late April...so, I'll go out on a limb and say there is a 0.37% chance he ends up wearing black and orange.

We could easily release Millar but I don't see us doing that because of the chemistry aspect. If we don't take Botts to keep Millar for his pom poms, it will be a boneheaded move. Botts could easily out hit Millar.

[clapdiddy]

The solution is easy. You drop a pitcher now. When Cintron is ready, you bring him up and move LH to Norfolk. When Bynum is ready, he replaces Torres.

So, along with your 12 pitchers, you'll have:

C- Hernandez, Quiroz

1B/DH - Botts, Millar, Huff

2B- Roberts

SS- Cintron

3B - Mora

LF - Scott

CF - Jones

RF - Markakis

OF - Payton

UT - Bynum

[JTrea81]

I just saw that we actually drafted Botts in the 28th round of the 1998 draft but he didn't sign. Instead he waited a year later and went to Texas in the 46th round. So it would be fitting in that regard if we could grab him...

Here's a thought though. Trembley doesn't favor guys who he thinks can't play defense as we've seen from Knott and J.R. House. Botts I think is average at 1B so I would hope he would play Botts and not just bench him.

[Rockbird]

I know Andy McPhail was doing guest commentary when we were playing Tampa Bay and he mentioned wanting to look for Carlos Pena type guys who maybe haven't caught on with their old teams but have the potential to break out. I think Botts would fit that.

[JTrea81]

So can we actually get this guy? Who is ahead of us on the priority list? Sadly I think Boston and New York are ahead of us, which is strange to say. Maybe we could work out a trade with the Rangers giving them Aquino and Burres for Botts and Joaquin Arias.

[byrdz]

I've read that his defense is a real liability. Anyone heard how bad it actually is? If it's worse than Millar's I'm sure Trmebley will have nothing to do with it.

[JTrea81]

I've read that his defense is a real liability. Anyone heard how bad it actually is?

Put Huff at 1B and bench Millar making Botts the full time DH. Millar can PH and be a defensive replacement just like Payton.

[Boy Howdy]

I've read that his defense is a real liability. Anyone heard how bad it actually is? If it's worse than Millar's I'm sure Trmebley will have nothing to do with it.

Well, it took him only 41 innings to make a couple of errors at 1B so far this year.

Fielding a cringe-worthy .964 in 2008 there.

Always heard him projected as a platoon DH. He's much more potent vs. LHP than RHP

[hoosiers]

These are the types of guys you can get for nothing instead of paying 3+ million for Millar.

This type of comment/criticism is too easy to make.

People have pounded the table for names like Phelps, Restovich and many others who have proven inadequate as major league hitters. Candidates like these are difficult to distinguish who is worth giving 300+ major league at-bats and who isn't.

While the investment $ is small, the wasted at-bats might not be unless it's a last place team. Still, no GM looks good giving ABs to guys like Restovich.

[srock]

Can he be signed and sent to AAA until Millar or Huff can be traded? If so, I think this is the best option.

[Pickles]

This type of comment/criticism is too easy to make.

People have pounded the table for names like Phelps, Restovich and many others who have proven inadequate as major league hitters. Candidates like these are difficult to distinguish who is worth giving 300+ major league at-bats and who isn't.

While the investment $ is small, the wasted at-bats might not be unless it's a last place team. Still, no GM looks good giving ABs to guys like Restovich.

This is an excellent post. Nobody here ever pays sufficient attention to this fact. For every Jason Botts who becomes Carlos Pena there are a 100 who become Kevin Maas. It's real easy to say get this guy he could be Carlos Pena on an internet message board; it's a lot more difficult to burn through 7 of them through the course of 3 seasons before you find that guy- if you ever do.

O, btw, his defense is abysmal. I live in Arlington so I've seen a bit of this guy the last few years. IMO, he's really a poor man's Jay Gibbons. Nothing to get excited about.

[Mike B]

Who would we cut...? Go back to a 12-man staff or would we just cut Millar?

Millar is not getting cut. I like the idea of Botts though. Texas is a team that is in desperate need of a AM type of guy. A Jason Botts should not be getting cut on a team like Texas.

[BaltimoreTerp]

This type of comment/criticism is too easy to make.

People have pounded the table for names like Phelps, Restovich and many others who have proven inadequate as major league hitters. Candidates like these are difficult to distinguish who is worth giving 300+ major league at-bats and who isn't.

While the investment $ is small, the wasted at-bats might not be unless it's a last place team. Still, no GM looks good giving ABs to guys like Restovich.

This is an excellent post. Nobody here ever pays sufficient attention to this fact. For every Jason Botts who becomes Carlos Pena there are a 100 who become Kevin Maas. It's real easy to say get this guy he could be Carlos Pena on an internet message board; it's a lot more difficult to burn through 7 of them through the course of 3 seasons before you find that guy- if you ever do.

O, btw, his defense is abysmal. I live in Arlington so I've seen a bit of this guy the last few years. IMO, he's really a poor man's Jay Gibbons. Nothing to get excited about.

Problem is, you don't know who will become Carlos Pena, and who will become Kevin Maas. Or, who will become Randy Milligan and who will become Sam Horn.

That's why it's taking a risk. Maybe he stinks, but then you just go to the next guy. We're just filling space for Teixiera anyway