The next Carlos Pena?

[tradermike]

yes you go after him. This guy has huge potential. Been hurt by injuries. It is a roll of the dice and if it pays off his upside is much bigger than snyder - who I DO NOT Think is going to ever be a big power hitter. Remember he's only a prospect, and his potential upside is a Jeff Conine type. Not a lot of power. Bell has power, but needs to hone his bat. This is a chance you should go after. And the Royals GM is on a short leash and probably has only a few years to improve the team so he might be willing to trade him for more immediate help.

[Mark Carver]

The Nats haven't extended him for a reason. He's not really going to have a serious choice when it comes to DHing imo.

Phil Wood this past week, who covers the Nationals was on Tom Davis show, and says the Nationals want to re-sign.

[Ruzious]

Gordon was the #2 ranked prospect in baseball in 2007 http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/G/Alex-Gordon-1.shtml and didn't embarrass himself in the majors. I'd be happy if the O's got him cheap.

[xKHx]

I am not underselling him...I fully recognize that DH should be a valuable member of this team...but I don't think that his value is worth keeping if he can get us Gordon.

I have always been a big fan of Gordon but I fear for anything to happen AM would have to admit loss on Atkins and try to trade or DFA him. Then the next thing that needs to go right is for DT to work out a rotation of Hughes, Gordon 1b platoon and then maybe given Miggy the dh role once every two weeks because we know how miggy loves that role .

[crowmst3k!]

Keep in mind, Hughes also played OF at Norfolk. If he keeps hitting, he'll have a spot in the lineup: Gordon or no Gordon.

[Sports Guy]

Chris Davis might fit this description moreso than Gordon.

In the short time he's been sent down to the minors, he's got 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR and 10 RBI in 6 games...

I think the guy just needs a change of scenery.

With Smoak in Texas and Vlad in the DH role, I don't see him coming back up...

The issue with Davis is his lack of BBs and the amount of K's.

Davis has big power and I would like to add him but I see him more as a #7 type hitter that will hit 230, give you a 320ish OBP but give you 30 homers.

[Sports Guy]

I don't think Alex Gordon is the next Pena. People keep talking about his upside, but he's a 26 year old with poor BA/OBP/SLG. Hitting coaches say that it takes about 1500 AB's to see what you have in a hitter at the MLB level. If there is any truth to that theory, Alex, who has had 1400 AB's to the tune of .249/.331/.413, just doesn't seem like he's still the rising star that was once thought to be.

I wouldn't trade Hernandez for him, but I wouldn't be opposed to a lesser arm. I think he's highly overrated on this site, due mostly to the fact that several years ago he was a highly rated prospect, and it never really translated to the big league level, which happens often.

Who is rating him as anything?

You either haven't read this thread or the thoughts in it are flying over your head.

[Arthur_Bryant]

yes you go after him. This guy has huge potential. Been hurt by injuries. It is a roll of the dice and if it pays off his upside is much bigger than snyder - who I DO NOT Think is going to ever be a big power hitter. Remember he's only a prospect, and his potential upside is a Jeff Conine type. Not a lot of power. Bell has power, but needs to hone his bat. This is a chance you should go after. And the Royals GM is on a short leash and probably has only a few years to improve the team so he might be willing to trade him for more immediate help.

Dayton Moore should be on a short leash.

But, amazingly, he got a five-year extension last season. Ownership seems to love the guy. He has made horrendous personnel decisions, but the farm system is starting to stack up very nicely.

[Malike]

Who is rating him as anything?

You either haven't read this thread or the thoughts in it are flying over your head.

You have rated him higher than DH. You have stated you don't think he has bigtime power, but then you go ahead and say he's a potential middle of the order bat. He's a low OBP, low SLG third baseman, that you want to trade a cheap, good, 5th starter for. I'd say you have rated him. Not much flies over my head, but I do have to raise my feet for a large portion of the stuff thats said.

[Sports Guy]

You have rated him higher than DH. You have stated you don't think he has bigtime power, but then you go ahead and say he's a potential middle of the order bat. He's a low OBP, low SLG third baseman, that you want to trade a cheap, good, 5th starter for. I'd say you have rated him. Not much flies over my head, but I do have to raise my feet for a large portion of the stuff thats said.

No I didn't..I said he hasn't shown big time power...But the power potential is there and I do think he has the capabilities of being a middle of the order bat.

Was DH a good, cheap 5th starter last year?

What really is going on is your overrating DH....We have no idea what DH is going to be...We know that Gordon has shown, over the course of a full season, that he can be a league average-ish third baseman...and he did at a young age.

We have no idea what DH is right now.

[tvz1997]

JoePoz takes up the debate: http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2010/05/03/mutual-of-omahas-alex-gordon/

[Arthur_Bryant]

JoePoz takes up the debate: http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2010/05/03/mutual-of-omahas-alex-gordon/

Posnanski nails it. There comes a point where people just can't look past unmet expectations. I do wonder at this point whether the Royals want to bury Gordon because of all that he represents--including their own mishandling of him. If so, he might be available for a reasonable price.

My main concern with Gordon is that he seems to be injury-prone. If healthy, he should be at least an average third baseman for the next half-dozen seasons.

[Slappy]

If you get him, do you slot him as a 3B or a 1B? Is he better defensively than Bell at 3B? Does he have more upside than Rhyne Hughes? Gordon doesn't have much minor league experience to hang your hat on, and he has been below-average offensively in the bigs for either 3B or 1B. Hughes has several minor league seasons of .800+, and major power numbers.

I think I'd save a decent trade chip (Hernandez) for something that is a little more certain, someone more proven in the bigs. A lot of these projects don't work out. Just because Gordon was drafted high doesn't mean he's going to be good.

[Sports Guy]

If you get him, do you slot him as a 3B or a 1B? Is he better defensively than Bell at 3B?

For now, you put him at 1st...He migh tbe better defensively than Bell, who could also move to first...Just have to play around with that.

Does he have more upside than Rhyne Hughes?

Way more...Hughes has very little upside.

I think I'd save a decent trade chip (Hernandez) for something that is a little more certain, someone more proven in the bigs. A lot of these projects don't work out. Just because Gordon was drafted high doesn't mean he's going to be good.

What do you think Hernandez can get you?

[Satyr3206]

If you get him, do you slot him as a 3B or a 1B? Is he better defensively than Bell at 3B? Does he have more upside than Rhyne Hughes? Gordon doesn't have much minor league experience to hang your hat on, and he has been below-average offensively in the bigs for either 3B or 1B. Hughes has several minor league seasons of .800+, and major power numbers.

I think I'd save a decent trade chip (Hernandez) for something that is a little more certain, someone more proven in the bigs. A lot of these projects don't work out. Just because Gordon was drafted high doesn't mean he's going to be good.

I agree. Good Post. Rep to you.