God, its like I'm talking to a brick wall. Franco has gotten so many pinch hits precisely because guys like Chavez and Easley have been pressed into the starting lineup. With everyone healthy, Franco is the last man on the bench, behind all the reserves that are currently in the starting lineup.
that's exactly right. The ONLY thing Franco really does is pinch-hit. And he's awful at it. If you're going to have a guy who all he does in PH, let it at least be Lenny Harris or something. Endy and others can pinch-run and come in for defense. Julio? He pinch hits for the pitcher (usually) so he can strike out or ground into a double play. and there's no prospect for improvement. at least if a guy is young, you can hope he'll get better with time. Julio is clearly getting worse with time.
I think stat is the one talking to a brick wall here. :wink: he already said several times that even when the regulars were healthy, Franco was getting a lot of PH opportunities. And that's the problem.
Exactly. Franco's only value is pinch hit AB's... he could never come off the bench and fill in for one of our starters for any more then a few games and he would never be considered a defensive replacement or pinch runner... not the case with Easley or Endy who if called upon can step in for extended periods and show a great deal of versatility. Castro obviously has more value then Franco. I guess the real argument is between Newhan, Gotay, and Franco in regards to last off the bench.
Jeff Conine is a guy who I think would be up the Mets alley. He'll soon be 41, but he's still a useful guy. He could play LF. Is Alou ever going to be back? I don't see the point in the crappy Reds holding onto this guy all season.
Conine would be a good upgrade. How about Tony Clark for a second tour of duty? The D-Backs are set at 1b with Conor Jackson, and if they want to keep Reynolds in the lineup Tracy also plays 1b.
Arizona vs Mets was my pick for the 2007 NLCS. I still would go with that. I think Arizona is for real. For that reason, I can't see them trading with the Mets this season. But, hey, you never know. Also, I don't think Arizona would trade Clark because he's a good veteran presence. He's one of the best people in the game and he's a good mentor for the young Arizona hitters.
