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Rumor: Twins in for Eckstein, Kennedy?

 

This via the USA Today's Bob Nightengale (via MLB Trade Rumors):

Look for the Twins to trade for 2B David Eckstein of Padres or 2B Adam Kennedy of A's instead of SS Orlando Cabrera.

Let's go to the profiles, since I don't think we've seen either yet this week:


David Eckstein

#22 / Second Base / San Diego Padres

5-7

175

R

R

Jan 20, 1975

 


G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG
2009 - David Eckstein 82 297 31 78 16 1 1 33 21 23 2 1 .263 .324 .333



 

Let us be reasonably clear on Eckstein: He's below-average defensively, at second base or shortstop. He's below-average offensively, with virtually no ability other than to hit dinky singles - in 335 plate appearances this season, he's managed just 18 extra-base hits, and as you can probably guess, 16 were doubles. He's cheap - making less than a million bucks on a one-year contract - but I fail to see how he's any better than, say, Mark Grudzielanek.

Also, because he's 5'7", he's invariably described as "scrappy" or a "gamer," which as we all know from years of listening to Gardy is nothing but code for "sucks, but shorter than average."  Announcers love him, though, and Gardy would love him too, possibly even more (if it's even possible) than he loves Matt Tolbert

Summary: You would hate having David Eckstein on the Twins.

 


Adam Kennedy

#29 / Second Base / Oakland Athletics

6-1

195

L

R

Jan 10, 1976

 


G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG
2009 - Adam Kennedy 73 302 37 89 15 1 8 38 22 40 11 4 .295 .348 .430



 

You might remember Kennedy from the 2002 ALCS, when he hit (as I recall) 43 home runs in four games against the Twins, all of them grand slams, and also pitched two shutouts, saved two other games, and saved a group of schoolchildren from an escaped circus bear.

Kennedy is more expensive ($4M this year), and his performance at the plate hasn't been much better than Eckstein's over the past couple of years - though you can see from his line above that he's having a pretty good year this season. He's below-average defensively, about the same as Eckstein, really.

So far this year, he's been released by the Cardinals (February), picked up by the Rays, hit .280 at Triple-A for a month (Durham, TB's affiliate), been traded to the A's, and made it back to the majors (May).  An eventful season, not least if he ends up being traded again.

Summmary: You would hate having Adam Kennedy less then you would hate having David Eckstein.