The Los Angeles Dodgers have designated Erisbel Arruebarrena for assignment to make room for their fifth starter Brett Anderson on the 40 man roster. Speculation around the league suggests that the Cuban born shortstop will clear waivers and either be traded or can be had for "free" after signing a deal that still has four years and $16 million remaining. Arruebarrena signed a deal just this year with Los Angeles and slashed .259/.304/.417 across four minor league stops in 2014. Even after slashing just
195/.244/.220 in 45 plate appearances with the Dodgers he may still be a better option than Brendan Ryan.
Arruebarrena plays a strong defense up the middle and keeps with the Yankees theme of getting younger and more versatile. While Arruebarrena is just 24 years old he would have a higher AAV, $4 million, than Ryan's $2 million the cost is marginal, the team gets four years of team control, the Yankees get younger and honestly the Yankees get a lot better too.
Arruebarrena is still considered a rookie heading into the 2015 season and would personally make me feel a lot better if he were filling in for a Didi Gregorius if an injury occurred rather than Ryan. I'll take Arruebarrena's upside over the "sure thing" of Ryan any day and I hope the Yankees would too.
Seems to me like we already have a young glove first ss in our system with room for potential offensive growth in Culver. And he won't cost $4 million a year.
ReplyDeleteThere's also a reason Arruebarrena went farther in a half a season, four minor league stops, than Culver has made in his entire minor league career.
DeleteYeah, just not sure that's worth $4 million dollars a year. His minor league stats suggest to me that he pretty much had a good glove but sucks at the plate. Kinda like Ryan for $2 million, or Culver for $500,000. Not a good move in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteArruebarrena has more upside than either of them. He has room to grow and didn't play much every day in the majors. He's not the most ideal player to acquire but you have to remember he's been DFA'd and we're talking a bench option, not a starter.
DeleteCulver has stalled and Ryan was a .220 hitter with Long, much worse without.
Plus, Culver is still younger than 24, since he was drafted out of high school. And trust me, with stats like that, he only made it out of a ball because of the money he was making.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's just me, and I know a lot about Culver, but an average Arruebarrena seems to be the ceiling of Culver's career. He stalled and he doesn't have the "too young for the league he's in" excuse anymore.
DeleteBut for $4 million a season? That's my only hangup here. I don't want to see my aaa ss playing on a Kei Igawa contract when those resources could be allocated better.
ReplyDeleteI'm not arguing the money isn't and shouldn't be an issue. It's a lot. It's starter money. Me personally though I don't see the money, it's not my money, but I do see Ryan playing if Didi goes down to injury every single day. I see Ryan manning shortstop on the days Didi needs off. I see talk of Ryan platooning with Didi and potentially playing, in a perfect platoon world, 80 games in 2015. I don't like seeing that.
DeleteJust checked Ryan's minor league stats. He was a stud compared to this guy. Don't think he'll hit any better than Ryan at the major league level. Bad move, period.
DeleteI'm willing to admit when I'm wrong and I guess we'll see if I am.
DeleteAlthough (and I don't know why that comment posted because I wasn't done with it) did you also check Arruebarrena's Cuban numbers?
Delete2010-2011 - .280/.314/.484
2011-2012 - .320/.367/.520
2012-2013 season cut in half due to WBC -
first half: .275/.324/.366
second half: .317/.415/.495
.375/.444/.375 in the latest WBC
Also worth mentioning that Ryan hit .300 in A Ball and fell all the way to the .250's by the time he reached Triple-A. If Cuba is the equivalent of AAA or AAAA in the Majors then I think I take the upside of Arruebarrena over Ryan.
DeleteThe money isn't my concern, I want the best team on the field.
ARRUEBARRENA...throw this one back !
ReplyDeleteThey paid this guy $ 20MM, and release him after 41 ML AB ? Red flag boys.
41 AB / 17 K....slugging .220. People hit by trains can do better than this guy.
Move Ryan...fine. But not for this individual.
Hans Solo, would / should agree with me on this one.
It's the Dodgers, which counts for something. They gave up on him because Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick were acquired.
DeleteGlad you mentioned the Dodgers. Why are they willing to go to $240 million and we're not? Signing Scherzer would take us there. He's a necessity. 5 years and $150 million. Tell your buddy Cashman to get it done Daniel. I know you're on the inside!
DeleteI'm on the phone as we speak. Consider it done.
DeleteCITO CULVER........
ReplyDeleteWhile we are turning the page.....
Cito Culver. Maybe, just maybe....he may be a trivia question in a few years.
Like..." Who was Cito Culver ? "........ah, a chef on the Cooking Channel ?