Friday, July 27, 2007

News Flash: Lofton to Cleveland.


Well, the floodgates are down. Rushing water incoming.
As I've stated in the past, I'm generally happy with what Kenny Lofton has provided for this year. It's good to see I'm not the only one, as today Cleveland pulled the trigger on a deal with Texas, making the swap for 23 year old High-A catcher Maximiliano (wow, I love that name) Ramirez. Frankly I'm puzzled that the Tribe went after Lofton, their outfield situation is quite good and they probably aren't considering Lofton for a role greater than pinch runner and occasional corner outfielder. But I'm not one to complain.

There's not much out there on Ramirez. We do know that he's a very good hitter (.303/.408/.505), was drafted as a third baseman and is an abysmal catcher. He was sent over in the Bob Wickman deal of last season, one in a plethora of promising Braves prospects behind the plate. Ramirez is probably two years away, and will likely have transitioned to a corner infield position by then.

The return doesn't blow me away, but anyone convinced by reports that the Rangers were insistent on Andrew Miller is incredibly thick. Lofton wasn't going to contribute to a playoff run here, and I'm glad that he goes somewhere where he has a chance to obtain that long-awaited ring. I don't believe Cleveland can win it all this year with only two starters of any repute, but if they surprise me, great.

Look at the above poll for the latest Teixeira rumors.

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