Defensive Specialist Escobar Sits while Lawton Plays in Extra Innings...

[Alex]

At some point in the later innings, isn't it going to make sense to replace Matt Lawton with Alex Escobar for defensive purposes?

Once Matt Lawton has a late inning at bat and gets on base, perhaps that is the best time to pinch-run Escobar for Lawton and then leave Escobar in for defensive purposes. Subbing Alex Escobar for Matt Lawton might help the team win more often, but it will make it harder to trade Matt as his trade value may go down as a result.

Which is more important, going for as many wins as possible, or trying to increase Matt Lawton's trade value?

[The Crank]

Is Escobar's value higher as a defensive replacement or as a right handed bat off the bench?

[The RotoTribe]

After watching last night's game, I'd be more worried about the infield. I saw one (not that easy) ball hit to Vizquel's right. I thought it was a ball he'd get a couple of years ago, but it went right through for a single. Then I saw a ball hit to second. It looked to me as though Belliard made a half-hearted attempt to get to it.

[Alex]

RotoTribe, How did the TV or Radio announcers call the play? Did they hint that they were reachable balls?

Belliard seems to be a decent hitter. Could we have opportunistically picked him up just as he matures as a hitter?

Blake was 0-7 last night. These are the kind of games that Blake needs to avoid. Blake tends to make up for these kinds of games by having monster ones. But a steady one RBI every two nights equal 75 over a full game season. He had 67 last year, which I consider poor for someone who had about five games where he drove in like a total of 20 RBI's. That meant marginal pickens overall for the remaining 145 games he played in last season.

The biggest problem with Omar is if you take him out for defensive purposes that sends a shockwave out. Maybe he's still building his knee up.

[The RotoTribe]

The game was on ESPN2 where I live (near Sacramento). The announcers didn't say anything about either hit. In defense of Vizquel, the ball that went through wasn't an easy one. Vizquel was going to his left, but it just seemed to me that he would have gotten to it a couple of years ago. The ball Belliard missed also required him to run, and he did make a run at the ball. But I thought it was a ball Phillips or McDonald could have gotten to.

Haven't been able to see the last two games, but it sounds like they were a lot better.