Midseason All-Demotion Team
Every season there are a handful of players that come out of no where to surprise us and become instant stars. We touched on some players who jumped out to incredible starts after the first couple of weeks of the baseball season.
However, there are also a handful of players that play no where near what was expected of them. At the midway point of the season and in lieu of the recent trend of teams demoting established players (Phillies’ starter Brett Myers, Indians’ closer Joe Borowski, and young Braves’ slugger Jeff Francouer — even though Francouer has scored 40 runs, hit 8 HR, and driven in 41 RBI), we examine those players who have failed to meet expectations and would be well deserving of a demotion:
The Starting Lineup
Andruw Jones has swung and missed all season, but he’s a definite hit for this squad of underperformers (Jeff Gross/Getty Images).
C: Jason Varitek (BOS); Kenji Johjima (SEA) - With Victor Martinez and Jorge Posada both seeing significant time on the DL, Varitek and Johjima should be battling for the starting position on the All-Star team, but instead, they are battling for the starting position on the All-Demotion team. Both Varitek and Johjima have put up atrocious offensive numbers from the catcher’s position. Combined the duo has barely put up better numbers than the demoted Francoeur: 34 R, 10 HR, 47 RBI, and both men are batting below .220. (Yea, we are baffled too that Varitek is actually on the All-Star team.)
1B: Paul Konerko (CWS) - While Adam LaRoche is constant contender for the 1B slot on the All-Demotion team, Konerko takes the position due to his 36 HR and 105 RBI averages over the last four seasons. Instead of those totals, Konerko is on pace to give the White Sox 16 HR and 60 RBI this season. Not to mention the paltry .215 batting average Konerko sports and his .690 OPS, which barely bests the homerless Juan Pierre.
2B: Robinson Cano (NYY) - Instead of being one of the most formidable hitters to hit in the bottom third of the lineup (possibly in the history of baseball), Cano has instead hit like someone the managers tries to hide down at the bottom of the lineup. Cano has batted only .252 with 34 R, 6 HR, and 37 RBI. However, five of his home runs have been of the solo variety, and he has hit only .235 with runners on base.
SS: Troy Tulowitzki (COL) - A letdown from last season’s spectacular season and World Series run was inevitable, but it wasn’t supposed to be this much of a letdown. Granted Tulowitzki just returned from a stint on the DL (and is now headed back), but even before injuring his left leg Tulo was slumping. Thus far this season, he has produced 17 R, 3 HR, and 16 RBI while batting below the Mendoza line in 150 at bats. His .166 average is awful and his .544 OPS lists him below almost any everyday player in the league.
3B: Bill Hall (MIL) - It was hoped by the Brewers that the move back to the infield would stabilize Hall and help him to regain his 2006 form when he hit 35 HR and drove in 85 runs while batting .270. That hope has not been realized as Hall has hit only .227 while manning the hot corner. He has hit 11 HR, but the majority of those are solo shots as he goes ice cold when runners are on base (.198 AVG).
OF: Eric Byrnes (ARI) - After hitting 21 HR, driving in 83 runs, stealing 50 bags, and receiving a 3-year, $30 million contract extension toward the end of last season, the Diamondbacks expected big things from Byrnes in the middle of a young lineup. Instead, Byrnes has battled hamstring issues that has limited his running and an inability to get on base. He has hit .209 with only 6 HR and 23 RBI. He just returned to the disabled list and could be headed for surgery that would end his season.
OF: Corey Patterson (CIN) - At the beginning of the season, many questioned why the Reds would bring in an outfielder with a history of a struggling batting average when the ball club already had Ken Griffey Jr., Adam Dunn, and Ryan Freel, who each have a history of a struggling batting average. And now…? Even more are questioning why Patterson was brought in. The former 3rd overall pick has hit .192 with only 27 runs and 16 RBI and has been supplanted in centerfield by super prospect Jay Bruce. Possibly the only thing keeping Patterson with the club is that both Freel and Norris Hopper are currently on the DL.
OF: Andruw Jones (LAD) - The once golden god of the glove in centerfield while playing for Atlanta has fallen tremendously. Two years ago, Jones was coming off his second consecutive 40+ HR season and 7th straight season with 29 or more HR and was primed to have a monster season in a contract year. Well, he was bad in his contract year but still got paid in the offseason by the Dodgers. And to thank the Dodgers, Jones has become a fat strikeout machine struggling to even find the Mendoza line. He is hitting .161!!! That’s awful for an unknown rookie or a over-the-hill utility/pinch hitter. Julio Franco at least hit .222 at the age of 48 last season. Jones has also only mustered 2 HR and 8 RBI while being on the DL for half the year.
DH: Travis Hafner (CLE) - Two years removed from hitting .308 with 42 HR and 117 RBI, “Pronk” has to be considered one of the biggest disappointments of the season. While his average and home run totals slipped last season, most expected Hafner to bounce back this season. Instead, he has struggled and was recently sidelined with a strained right shoulder. He has batted .217 with almost no power (4 HR, 22 RBI).
The Pitching Staff
Eric Gagne leads a pitching staff that has mastered the distraught expression Gagne practices here after blowing yet another save (AP Photo/Morry Gash).
SP: A.J. Burnett (TOR) - It’s a lot harder to demote a starting pitcher because there often isn’t a viable option as good as an established starter, but Burnett makes the All-Demotion team nevertheless. Despite having some of the best stuff in the league, Burnett just can’t seem to put it all together. The fireballer has a 4.92 ERA, a 1.49 WHIP, and opponents are batting .264 against him. After having one of his best seasons last year, Burnett should be dominating as half of one of the best 1-2 starting pitching combos in the league, but Burnett is only 8-8 and has been Toronto’s worst starter.
SP: Brad Penny (LAD) - Just like Burnett, his former Marlins’ teammate, Penny was coming off probably his best season, yet his performance this season has been nothing to write home about. He is 5-9 and has a 5.88 ERA, a 1.60 WHIP, and an egregious .304 average against, but Penny’s struggles may very well be linked to his bout with tendinitis in his pitching shoulder.
SP: Ian Snell (PIT) - Thankfully for Snell, he is now on the disabled list because he was getting lit up before straining his right elbow. He is giving up almost 6 runs per game (5.99 ERA) thanks to him allowing nearly 2 hitters to reach base every inning (1.93 WHIP) and having nearly 1 out of 3 hitters get hits (.328 opponents’ average). He has given up 116 hits in 85 innings and has a 3-7 record.
SP: Oliver Perez (NYM) - No demotion team would be complete without Oliver Perez. If anyone is worthy of a short trip down to the minors to fix a few things and then a recall to allow his talent to truly show, it would be Perez. Perez may have gotten his ERA down to 4.62 with back-to-back solid starts (only 1 ER in 14 IP), but he is just as liable to give up 6 or 8 runs in his next start. As has been the case throughout his career, Perez’s success is directly related to his BB per 9 ratio. Last season - 4.0 BB per 9 (3.56 ERA). This year - 4.99 BB per 9 (4.62 ERA).
SP: Bronson Arroyo (CIN) - Like Perez, Arroyo has improved his numbers with back-to-back solid starts (1 ER in 12 IP), but his numbers are nonetheless terrible. At 6-7 with 5.82 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP in 99 innings pitched, there has been nothing impressive about Arroyo’s performance, but his performance has been historical. On June 24, Arroyo became only the sixth starting pitcher in major league history to give up at least 10 earned runs without recording more than 3 outs.
RP: J.J. Putz (SEA) - Putz was nearly unhittable last season (6-1, 40 saves, 1.38 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, .153 opponents’ average), and has been one of the most dominant closers in the league since becoming Seattle’s closer in 2006. This season, however, Putz has struggled with an injured elbow and his performance has suffered: 5.21 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 3 blown saves. On the other hand, Brandon Morrow (0.65 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 7 SV) has become the nearly unhittable Mariners’ closer in Putz’s absence and could possibly make it tough for Putz to regain his role as closer when he returns from the DL.
RP: Boof Bonser (MIN) - Bonser was supposed to be one of Minnesota’s top starters. Instead, his 2-6 record with a 5.97 ERA got him shipped down to the Twins’ pen as Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker, and Glen Perkins have emerged as consistent starters. Even if one of Minnesota’s starters were to go down with an injury, Bonser is likely still resigned to be in the bullpen (where he has been just as bad - 7.24 ERA) as Francisco Liriano is awaiting his turn in AAA.
RP: Eric Gagne (MIL) -Rivaling Andruw Jones for worst free agent signee is not exactly what the Brewers had in mind when they brought in the formerly dominant goggled closer. Gagne had to be sent to the DL for “rotator cuff tendinitis” even though when that normally occurs there is a drop in velocity, and he hadn’t experienced that symptom. Maybe that “DL trip” was really a partial demotion for Gagne to work on things? He’s thrown two scoreless innings since returing, so maybe it worked? Regardless, Gagne’s 6.33 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, 6.9 BB per 9, and 5 blown saves gets him onto the All-Demotion team.
**NOTE: Barry Zito only doesn’t make this list because he was partially demoted and everyone knew he was going to be horrible coming into the season.
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July 16th, 2008 at 9:33 am
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