Hillenbrand traded to TOR

[abomb]

Just now, per espn radio. For a P, Adam Peterson I think.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7363

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[joejoe]

I wish the Dbacks kept him. He is proven to be a near .300 hitter, 15-20 hr, 80-90 rbi guy. I like Tracy, and he has potential, but I would rather have Hillenbrand and know what I'm going to get.

 

[green machine]

Had to be done. Hillenbrand is solid, but really the team had no room for him with their current lineup.

 

[Moose Lady]

Had to be done. Hillenbrand is solid, but really the team had no room for him with their current lineup.

Well, now that Shea is gone, just who will be our backup if Tracy gets injured and it takes a couple months on the DL? Not to mention Glaus getting injured. Shea could have played either position. I'm also thinking that this might not be the best thing they have done.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Tracy is the better option and we weren't about to pay a hacker backup $3 million. Later Shea, may you continue your mediocrity north of the border.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Well, now that Shea is gone, just who will be our backup if Tracy gets injured and it takes a couple months on the DL? Not to mention Glaus getting injured. Shea could have played either position. I'm also thinking that this might not be the best thing they have done.

At 4M Hillenbrand would be one expensive backup...

 

[Moose Lady]

At 4M Hillenbrand would be one expensive backup...

True, but does anyone know who the next up and coming 1st/3rd guy is?

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

True, but does anyone know who the next up and coming 1st/3rd guy is?

Sergio Santos could be pushed to the corner infield spots, but he's not Major League ready. Counsell and Hammock can play third, and Kata can play most of the infield positions, they will most likely be the guys playing if Glaus or Tracy is out of the lineup.

 

[WildBB]

Sergio Santos could be pushed to the corner infield spots, but he's not Major League ready. Counsell and Hammock can play third, and Kata can play most of the infield positions, they will most likely be the guys playing if Glaus or Tracy is out of the lineup.

Yea they need a place for Hammock since they don;'t play to play him at C any more. It looks like it's going to be 1B and OF relief for him. When healthy he's got some pop in his bat.

Counsell also logged long stretches at 3B the yrs. Williams couldn't go. And you have Kata backing everywhere on the Inf.

 

[FORKTUNG]

I would have like to see Miggy come back for Hilly.

 

[Moose Lady]

I'm with you Fork. They basically got nothing for him which has to make him feel like he was just getting swept out the door. I guess they forgot that he was about the only offense we had last year.

 

[Big D]

Hillenbrand is basically worthless, I mean, first he gets traded for BK Kim and now for Adam Peterson? He was so un-clutch if there is such a thing, every time we needed him to come through he would ground into a double play. And don't even get me started on his defense. Let Toronto pay him and try to figure out where to hide him in the field. Good move D-backs.

 

[Dback Jon]

I like the move - Shea will probably make $4 million this year, and is mediocre at best. We get another pitching prospect. Team is better off without Shea, especially after signing Glaus and Green.

 

[binkar]

Tracy is the better option and we weren't about to pay a hacker backup $3 million. Later Shea, may you continue your mediocrity north of the border.

Wow this post is kinda harsh. The guy hit .310 last year and 97 RBI's the year prior and you call him a hacker? His defense is not great by any means but to call him a hacker is ridiculous.

Also, even if he was not the greatest , that is a messed up way to say goodbye to someone who gave you nothin but his best and never caused any off the field problems.

 

[BOB_Man24]

Hillenbrand is basically worthless, I mean, first he gets traded for BK Kim and now for Adam Peterson? He was so un-clutch if there is such a thing, every time we needed him to come through he would ground into a double play. And don't even get me started on his defense. Let Toronto pay him and try to figure out where to hide him in the field. Good move D-backs.

I completely disagree. This move is a bad one. Yeah Tracy may be good and we were freeing up space for him to play, but Hillenbrand is the type of guy who will produce with others in the lineup around him.

And by the way----we got jacked on the trade. I mean this just shows how much the team undervalued him. Yeah he wasnt spectacular, but they could have got more in return.

 

[Big D]

Obviously, there is not much of a market for Hillenbrand, so I'll take what we can get. I seriously doubt there were too many offers for a guy that has no true position in the field and having mediocre at best statistics at the plate. I think the team was so horrible last year that it actually made him look decent. I've just never liked the guy, let alone when we decided to way overpay him. If Sexon didn't get hurt, how much would we have even seen him last year? Just dumping his contract (and getting him off the team) makes the move well worthwhile. Getting a prospect as well is just icing.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Wow this post is kinda harsh. The guy hit .310 last year and 97 RBI's the year prior and you call him a hacker? His defense is not great by any means but to call him a hacker is ridiculous.

The guy is a hacker. 86 BBs in almost 2200 career ABs. If he was so terrific then every GM he has played under wouldn't have tried to get rid of him repeatedly. Shows what kind of player he is when he puts up all these "great" numbers and all we can get for him is a 26 year old second year player who got drilled last year.

 

[AZZenny]

Wow this post is kinda harsh. ...His defense is not great by any means but to call him a hacker is ridiculous.

So saying 'good riddance' is unacceptable? He and Danny B were among the top GIDP batters in baseball. Shea had never laid down a successful sac bunt. I don't especially like a lot of the moves the FO has been making, but no complaints on this one. Then again, let's not get too excited about the notion they got rid of one overpaid overrated player, since they've just signed a bunch of them.

 

[moviegeekjn]

And by the way----we got jacked on the trade. I mean this just shows how much the team undervalued him. Yeah he wasnt spectacular, but they could have got more in return.

Disagree... Both the BoSox and Dbacks had shopped him around and received very little interest. Most teams were able to translate the numbers to realize that a mediocre player isn't worth the contract he was due.

 

[Dback Jon]

Disagree... Both the BoSox and Dbacks had shopped him around and received very little interest. Most teams were able to translate the numbers to realize that a mediocre player isn't worth the contract he was due.

And with most teams, that is important - you can get guys that put up Shea's numbers for a whole lot less.

 

[schillingfan]

Ham-fisted is the term to apply to his defense.

As to hacker, his numbers speak for themselves. A .310 BA and a .345 OBP. 24 walks in 568 plate appearances? That's really, really a hacker. It says nothing about his personality, character, effort. Just that the guy never met a pitch he didn't want to swing at.

Wow this post is kinda harsh. The guy hit .310 last year and 97 RBI's the year prior and you call him a hacker? His defense is not great by any means but to call him a hacker is ridiculous.

Also, even if he was not the greatest , that is a messed up way to say goodbye to someone who gave you nothin but his best and never caused any off the field problems.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

He didnt walk, but he didnt strike out much either last year, so Im not sure if "hacker" is the right word.

 

[BC867]

83 . . . 97 . . . 80 . . . Back to that in a minute.

When management couldn't pull off a trade for my first choice at 3B in 2003 -- Scott Rolen -- or my second choice -- Mike Lowell -- I was pleased that at least we added Shea Hillenbrand, rather than stick with a stubborn Matt Williams (popup, popup, popup, meaningless hit with the game out of hand).

Shea had 83 RBI's in 2002, a total of 97 RBI's in 2003, and 80 RBI's last year . . . despite not knowing whether he'd be playing 3B or 1B from game to game or inning to inning, or where he'd be batting in the order.

He did what he was asked on a team headed downhill and produced the stat that still counts more than any other at the end of each game -- runs.

Was he perfect? No. Was he the best in the league? No. But he made the contribution expected of him.

Why the bitter comments? I think it's more an evaluation of the D'backs sloppy management during that period than of Shea Hillenbrand.

Is the addition of Troy Glaus an improvement at 3B? Of course. Do we have a 1B better than Hillenbrand? No. (Unless we move Shawn Green to 1B and get a RF better than Shea at producing runs.)

Just as I said about Danny Bautista in another thread, I wish Shea well and thank him for his efforts while a D'back.

 

[schillingfan]

He didnt walk, but he didnt strike out much either last year, so Im not sure if "hacker" is the right word.

A hacker is a guy who swings a lot instead of patiently waiting for a good pitch to swing at. Whether the guy misses or makes contact when he swings is irrelevant to plate discipline.

See this excellent column by Alan Schwartz. I was surprised to see that Shea didn't make any of the 5 worst lists.

Plate Discipline