Sometimes, a move comes down that seems so out of left field that it's hard to make a judgment on it because you never anticipated having to. While not of major impact, this seems to be one of them. The Oakland Athletics have claimed IF Yung-chi Chen off of waiver, and now have a press release up.Chen was a rising star in the Seattle system, but injuries sidetracked him after his 2005 season with the Rattlers. Jay has a thought or two about this and compares Chen to another ex-Rattler second baseman, Luis Valbuena:
For what role he had in the future of the team, I like Valbuena better. He's a better defender, may have a little more power, and he's a left-handed hitter to boot, which is something that's been lacking on our infield for a while now. You lose a little bit of average and ten stolen bases at the absolute most, but that's about it.
I guess the question for me is "why Chen?" Granted, Valbuena made him expendable, but there are still a few pitchers hanging around the roster that really don't have much business being there. I suppose we'll still see them sent off to pasture in the next few weeks, but Chen wouldn't necessarily be the first choice to get the axe for me. He might have anyway in the weeks following though, so there's not much sense in thinking about it too hard.
While you are over at Jay's site, check out the post on his Rule 5 Draft Preview. There are some interesting ex-Rattlers who are eligible to be taken by another organization. Names that may surprise you.
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