Why is Hinske not gone yet!!!!!

[wildboy26]

The Blue Jays have still not parted with this guy. Can they not find somebody who will take him a trade even offering to eat half his salary? What on earth is going on, I want so badly to see Hinske gone. I even heard they are moving him to right field, WTF!!!!!

[charlio lemieux]

28yrs old, batting around .250 for the last three seasons. He isn't really much of a catch.

[Leafs_Fa_Life]

He makes too much money to be traded. Damn backloaded contracts :(

[Newfie John]

I don't really feel the need to trade him. If the right deal comes along sure, but what damage is he doing on the bench and that potential is still under all that **** somewhere.

[wildboy26]

Is it true he is being moved to right field? That does not mean he is going to be in the starting lineup does it?

[Leafs_Fa_Life]

Is it true he is being moved to right field? That does not mean he is going to be in the starting lineup does it?

Probably platoon with Rios. Which is incredibly stupid IMO. Rios needs to play everyday to continue improving. He went from 1 homer in his rookie year to like 10 last year, and hopefully he is in the 15-20 range this season. Hinske would just stunt that development, while providing a huge defensive hole in RF.

I like what JP has done since he's gotten here, but if Hinske was a Gord Ash picked player, he would've been traded away for a prospect in A ball by now.

[wildboy26]

Probably platoon with Rios. Which is incredibly stupid IMO. Rios needs to play everyday to continue improving. He went from 1 homer in his rookie year to like 10 last year, and hopefully he is in the 15-20 range this season. Hinske would just stunt that development, while providing a huge defensive hole in RF.

I like what JP has done since he's gotten here, but if Hinske was a Gord Ash picked player, he would've been traded away for a prospect in A ball by now.

I agree, Rios needs to be given a chance to play, it would help his development greatly. If he and Hinske are playing the same position, they will probably share pretty equal the starting position, god hopes they dont make Hinske the main starter at that position. :no:

[leaferfan87]

I agree, Rios needs to be given a chance to play, it would help his development greatly. If he and Hinske are playing the same position, they will probably share pretty equal the starting position, god hopes they dont make Hinske the main starter at that position. :no:

I hope they don't either, but they seem pretty intent on this platoon situation.

[Amoroq]

I agree, Rios needs to be given a chance to play, it would help his development greatly. If he and Hinske are playing the same position, they will probably share pretty equal the starting position, god hopes they dont make Hinske the main starter at that position. :no:Its only intra-squad but.....

Rios has four hits in five at-bats, with a triple and two homers in two starts. His OPS (on-base average plus slugging percentage) is a cool 3.200.

[wildboy26]

I would not be unhappy if I was Hinske. I will get payed a multi-million dollar contract to do nothing except sit on my a$s and take the odd at bat every 20th game or so. I would be unhappy if I were the Blue Jays but that is their problem, they signed the contract a few years back and did not trade him last year early on when they might have had the chance still.

[Amoroq]

I would not be unhappy if I was Hinske. I will get payed a multi-million dollar contract to do nothing except sit on my a$s and take the odd at bat every 20th game or so. I would be unhappy if I were the Blue Jays but that is their problem, they signed the contract a few years back and did not trade him last year early on when they might have had the chance still.Lets be honest here, the reason they signed him was because he was rookie of the year. I think any team would have resigned him to a nice fat contract. It would be nice if everyone could look into the future before making decisions.

[wildboy26]

Lets be honest here, the reason they signed him was because he was rookie of the year. I think any team would have resigned him to a nice fat contract. It would be nice if everyone could look into the future before making decisions.

Maybe sign him to a 1-year until you see if it was a fluke or not.

[Leafs_Fa_Life]

Maybe sign him to a 1-year until you see if it was a fluke or not.

When you're a small-middle market team it's not always a bad decision to make risks like that though. Cleveland did it with much success in the past, and is doing it again locking up Martinez, Hafner and Perolta to 5 year deals early in their careers. It could back fire like it did with Hinske, but at 5 million it's still a salary that a team can live with. On the other hand, if it works you can get a very good player at below market value for several seasons (i.e. Vernon Wells).

[Amoroq]

Maybe sign him to a 1-year until you see if it was a fluke or not.And if it wasn't a fluke (we now know it was) he would probably have gone elsewhere after the 1 year deal. Players have this need to feel appreciated and the only and best way for a team to do that is to sign them long term. But its safe to assume, that this will be his last contract with the Jays, unless of course he turns it around in a big way.

[wildboy26]

And if it wasn't a fluke (we now know it was) he would probably have gone elsewhere after the 1 year deal. Players have this need to feel appreciated and the only and best way for a team to do that is to sign them long term. But its safe to assume, that this will be his last contract with the Jays, unless of course he turns it around in a big way.

Thankfully the Jays will sit his fat ass on the bench all year this year and next(if they cant rid of him next year either)so he wont have any chance to turn it around(although he wouldnt have done anyway). :D

[Leafs_Fa_Life]

Hinske is a JP guy. Unless Rios tears the top off the ball, he will get playing time this year.

[wildboy26]

Hinske is a JP guy. Unless Rios tears the top off the ball, he will get playing time this year.

You mean JP actually likes Hinske still? :shrug:

[Leafs_Fa_Life]

You mean JP actually likes Hinske still? :shrug:

Hinske was in the A's organization when JP was there, and then acquired him in his first move coming to Toronto. He's defended Hinske numerous times in the past few years, saying he's turned into the player I've expected him to become and so on. He sure has a lot of patience in one of his guys, while he's shopped Gord Ash drafted players like Wells and Rios around the league.

[wildboy26]

Hinske was in the A's organization when JP was there, and then acquired him in his first move coming to Toronto. He's defended Hinske numerous times in the past few years, saying he's turned into the player I've expected him to become and so on. He sure has a lot of patience in one of his guys, while he's shopped Gord Ash drafted players like Wells and Rios around the league.

Well I guess he does like him then. :shrug: What do you think they will do. One thing I am hearing is playing Hinske vs all right handers and Rios vs all left handers. Do you think that is what they will start of anyway doing?
Obviously that could change depending on level of play of both of course.

[Leafs_Fa_Life]

I don't think Hinske will start against lefties at all, but Rios will get starts against RHP. If not he'd only be getting about 2 starts a week.

[wildboy26]

I don't think Hinske will start against lefties at all, but Rios will get starts against RHP. If not he'd only be getting about 2 starts a week.

Well maybe Rios will get only 2 starts a week, in fact that is what I am predicting to start. If they thought of Hinske as mainly a reserve player they probably would not have bothered changing him to 3rd base, and if they thought that highly of Rios right now they probably would have changed Hinske to left field instead, where you only have Catalanatto as the starting left fielder.

[Leafs_Fa_Life]

Well maybe Rios will get only 2 starts a week, in fact that is what I am predicting to start. If they thought of Hinske as mainly a reserve player they probably would not have bothered changing him to 3rd base, and if they thought that highly of Rios right now they probably would have changed Hinske to left field instead, where you only have Catalanatto as the starting left fielder.

Reed Johnson plays LF too. The reason Hinske is moving the RF is because by sticking him in left, you'd have to move Catalanotto to right, and that would mean two players changing positions going into the season. Maybe if Catalanotto had the arm to play right field it would be an option worth considering, but he doesn't.

Also, I doubt Hinske will play double the games Rios plays every week. They'll split at bats (or Rios might be slightly more). The only reason Hinske isn't in the infield is because Glaus, Hillenbrand and Overbay will play everyday, so there simply isn't any at bats for him. With Wells as the only everyday player in the outfield, you'll get some production out of Hinske for the 10 million you'll be paying him over the next two years.

[wildboy26]

We will see I guess when the main season starts. Still my guess if they are not making Hinske a bench player he will play twice the number of games as Rios by starting against all the right handers. That is not my hope, it is my prediction. Atleast for the first month and maybe changes after that.