What to do with a problem like Willy?

[missionhockey21]

With the winter meetings just days away and free agency starting to heat up, it's important to look at contracts of all sizes. And when you hear the phrase "bad contract" uttered, usually you can expect to hear a name like Mike Hampton, Carl Pavano, Ken Griffey Jr. or other high dollar star or quasi-star name mentioned. A bad contract usually means a crippling one, so much so that many seem to ignore the small contracts that sometimes are just as devastating. Not for reasons so much as the dollar figure handcuffing the team but because most teams, especially small market teams, feel compelled to play a bad contract rather than eat the contract either through a release or a trade resulting in a bucket of baseball's and some packets of mayo that was only left in the sun last summer for eleven and a half hours.

How do I know this? Because I, and other Reds fans, are suffering with Taverasitis. Willy is such a black hole for this team that even when adding 'itis' to his last name, it really does look like an actual disease that you want no part of (as opposed to all those other diseases that you do.)

Rather than look at a strict stats view, I am going to summon the spirit of Dusty Baker. That isn't an easy task though. I haven't played with him on a past team or been fathered by any of his friends.... what can I use?

Wow, that was surprisingly easy.

Baseball/Slant: Dusty, it's great to talk with you again. I haven't seen you since I pushed Darren out of the way of that speeding truck when you had him picking up your wrenches and tools while you worked on your car out in middle of a busy main road.

Dusty:

Baseball/Slant: Uh... moving on then. We know Taveras was signed to a rather lucrative contract given his performance in Colorado in the 2008 season. GM Walt Jocketty cited that they believed they discovered something wrong in the mechanics of his swing and that they knew how to correct it. Leading Reds fans to believe that Taveras could return to his level of play shown in 2007 where he posted a .749 OPS with a respectable OBP of .367; if he did, it would have been a significant upgrade over what the Reds had from Corey Patterson in 2008. Why was Taveras signed, presuming you had a say in it?
Dusty: Speed dude.
Baseball/Slant: Speaking of which, Taveras mentioned after being signed that he was going for 100 stolen bases in 2009, after posting a career high of 68 with Colorado in 2008. However he only managed to steal 25, only 1/4 of his goal. It is true that he was injured for part of 2008, at various points, but with over 400 AB's, half of his goal would have been an accomplishment still. Heh, I guess the old saying is true, you can't steal first. Am I right?

Dusty:

Baseball/Slant: You have faith in your players, and I think even your critics can admire that. Faith given to the right people can be a beautiful thing. Faith, and too much faith, given to someone who can't meet expectations eventually becomes sad after awhile. Any comment?
Dusty: Willy was signed to stir the drink. To cause havoc on the bases and to set the table for the guys in the order that followed. He has shown he can do that in his career and he certainly has the tools to do that.
Baseball/Slant: Except for the hitting part, right?
Dusty: Sorry, I was changing toothpicks. In my zone if you know what I mean. (Laughs to self.)

Baseball/Slant: Uh, sorry, we don't. Moving on, Willy did have some stats of note?
Dusty: (Looks up from his toothpick carton.) Oh, really? Like what?
Baseball/Slant: Well, he had an 0-32 streak from late-May to mid-June, the longest by a Red since 1956. And another 0-18 streak from late-July to early-August. Not to mention a 23 game steak and a 18 game streak of walkless games. Does this really show a guy capable of leading off? He only saw 65 AB's outside of the leadoff spot.
Dusty: But Willy had a .777 OPS.
Baseball/Slant: I'm pretty sure that isn't right...
Dusty: Yeah, he totally did. In turf stadiums.
Baseball/Slant: But that was less than 10 AB's and you know which stadiums are turf stadiums. They are a dying breed after all.
Dusty: The opposing team could have surprised us with it, you never know.
Baseball/Slant: ...

Baseball/Slant: Clearly though 2009 was a down year for the Reds and for Taveras. But the Reds do have options for 2010. Drew Stubbs, while he has his downfalls ...
Dusty: Like what?
Baseball/Slant: Well, plate discipline for one.
Dusty: Plate what?
Baseball/Slant: You know, drawing walks, avoiding strikeouts, BB/SO ratios, etc. Right?
Dusty: Hold on, I am calling Joe Morgan, he'll be able to explain it.
Baseball/Slant: Please don't.

Dusty: Hey Joe! How is it going dude? I am in this interview and the guy is mentioning all these crazy terms, walking strikeout, plate discipline... I just can't make heads or tails of it. And you being a Reds legend and the smartest guy I know about in baseball.
Joe Morgan: Quiet Dusty, you'll make Jon Miller jealous.
Dusty: Ha, you too funny Joe.
Joe: ...
Baseball/Slant: Please, do not both be red. Can't one of you select another color so our readers can distinguish between you two?
Joe: I don't see the problem.
Dusty: Me neither. We're both Reds, so we should both be in Red. That makes sense, right?
Joe: I hear you Joe, but let's humor him.
Joe: There, this will help.
Baseball/Slant: *sigh*
Dusty: Anyway, can you help me?
Joe: Sure Dusty. Plate discipline means a player is up at-bat disciplined to get a hit. He knows he needs to swing if he wants stuff to happen. I mean if nobody is swinging, nothing happens, right?
Baseball/Slant: Unless they keep drawing walks, swinging only at pitches to hit, and letting batters behind them drive them after they expose the pitcher's stuff through a well fought AB...

Joe: ...
Dusty: ...
Dusty: So Joe, you just mean getting it started? Being the firecracker of the lineup?
Joe: Exactly.
Dusty: Well, then yeah, Willy did that. He didn't always get a hit, but the dude tried to shake it up and make stuff happen. I can't ask for anything more than that.
Joe: Gotta go, Jon's yelling for me.
Dusty: Talk to you soon Joe.
Baseball/Slant: Thanks Joe (for your playing career.)

Baseball/Slant: Well Dusty, what about players like Drew Stubbs who might strikeout at a high clip, but brings a great glove to CF, much better than Willy's, and a ton of power. With the proper coaching he could even improve that poor plate...
Dusty: What?
Baseball/Slant: Just never mind. He still would be a more deserving option than Taveras, or even Chris Dickerson who started off slowly but can get on base and give you a pretty good AB.
Dusty: No question, those dudes are great players and will get their shot. But I can't give it to a young player like that when I have a vet like Willy deserving of respect.
Baseball/Slant: For what?
Baseball/Slant: Hey, wait a second, where are you going Dusty?
Dusty: Out of toothpicks.
Baseball/Slant: That's impossi... I guess it isn't.

And it isn't impossible to see Taveras competing to be the Reds 2010 centerfielder. Not to say that he will win or that the Reds, even Dusty, wish for him to be a part of the club next season (good luck finding a trading partner) but the simple fact is that is the nature of the beast. He is set to make $4.25 million next season and outside of releasing him, which would admit a complete failure on the part of Jocketty to upgrade CF and a success in finding someone equally as terrible as Corey Patterson. I just don't see it happening. Small market teams, especially one set not to spend much money, have a hard time swallowing a contract and not making a move to tip the scales of optimism once more. Giving Dusty Baker Willy Taveras was like putting a small child next to a box of Elmo knives; you know it's going to be bad, but it ends up being even worse than you can envision.

The Reds have two fairly capable options at CF who provide athleticism and so form of a toll of hitting with them that they can excel at, relatively speaking compared to the mediocre Reds lineup. The only way to find out what they can do is to make it a battle between them and let Taveras use his speed in pinch running situations or defensive substitution (such as if Gomes is brought back.) Do not, I repeat, do not let him touch a bat.

[redsrbetter]

I am still laughing dude. This was hilarious bro.

No doubt Willy T. will be on this roster next season. I do wish that they would simply release him and eat the contract though. I wonder who we will have to lose out on because of his sticking around. Surely Stubbs, Heisey, Dickerson, and the possibility of Gomes should be enough for the CF battle. But I would be shocked to see Tavares sitting at home begging for a phone call this next season.

Loved the article dude. I was dying with the whole color red fiasco. And I say we all buy Dusty a box of toothpicks with a enscription on them relaying a message that he shouldn't refuse. Do not put a bat in Tavares' hands.