Benuardo...Reunited At Last

Benny Broussard has strapped his 6-string on his back and is headed to Seattle to try to capture some of the magic of Jimi Hendrix in his music career. Oh, yeah – he’ll be playing baseball a little as well, alongside his old platoon-mate Eduardo Perez (though likely as a DH platoon).

The Indians were able to move Broussard (a strict platoon 1B due to make $5M to $6M this year in arbitration) for a legitimate prospect in Shin Soo-Choo, a Korean corner OF who has good OBP numbers, good speed, and could translate into a nice addition to this lineup for next year, or even this year…as well as another prospect, who will arrive by August 31st, with indications it will be more than just a throw-in.

At first glance, the one thing that stands out about Choo is that he has terrific number against RH pitchers, while his numbers against LH pitchers are underwhelming.

So, Choo hits RH well…wait, doesn’t Michaels hit LH pitching? Can someone smell a platoon in LF next year with Casey moving around from 1B, RF, and anywhere else on the diamond?

Looking deeper, the way that Choo’s numbers look in the minors (and they are just minor league numbers), he could translate to a leadoff hitter who settles in at RF, due to his strong arm. Acquiring a player who, right now, represents an upgrade over Gutierrez (particularly for Broussard) is nothing short of a coup for the Indians.

Before the local media decries the continuation of the “Fire Sale”, let’s make a distinction:
Trading Josh Beckett for prospects constitutes a Fire Sale; shopping Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell constitutes a Fire Sale. Moving 2 part time 1B and a closer who’s going to retire at the end of the season is not a Fire Sale. As we’ve said here before, this is a Rummage Sale – the Indians are hoping that their pieces that are no longer useful can pull them in a decent return.

The fact that the Tribe received AstroCab (a 20-year-old SS at AAA) and an ML-ready OF in Choo for Benuardo is nothing short of remarkable. Spin it any way that you want to, but Broussard (like Perez and Wickman before them) was not going to be a part of the 2007 Indians (even at the beginning of 2006), so how is it bad that they received productive players for 2007 and beyond for them?

Another aspect of this deal is money-related, but not how the Dolan-bashers think. The Indians save $5M-$6M that Broussard would’ve been rewarded in arbitration and can move that money into giving Cliff Lee a deal, or extending Pronk, or going after a RF in the off-season. Would you rather throw that money at Broussard, or put it towards a legitimate “core” player?

I’ll get into this more tomorrow, but this team is not as bad as its record indicates. Seeing how these players fits into the 2007 plans is what’s becoming crucial – so add Choo to the list of Inglett, Sowers, Carmona, the bullpen arms, and (hopefully soon) Garko and Marte to evaluate over the last 2 months of the season.

Interestingly, Broussard may be in Seattle’s lineup on Friday night at the Jake. I just landed tix behind the Visitors’ Dugout, so I’ll let you know what the reaction is to Benny in a new uni.

My guess is not very much. It would be comparable to a Paul Sorrento return. If it weren’t so recent, the prevailing reaction would be, “Remember when Broussard was on the Indians?”