MLB Front Page
NBA Front Page
NHL Front Page
NFL Front Page
Cincinnati Reds
Of all the moves the Reds made prior to the 2009 season, none was more controversial, or went as badly, as the signing of Willy Taveras to a two-year contract. That deal certainly did not condemn Cincinnati to a bad season all by itself, but it was a bad decision that had a foreseeably poor chance of success.
Taveras hit .240 for the season in 108 games, between leg injuries and benchings for cause. His play in the field often seemed half-hearted and inattentive. He was roundly reviled by bloggers and fans in the stands. How did we get here?
He came up through the minors as a speed guy, but with some struggle. He debuted in the Appalachian League with a .263 average and 36 steals in 50 games at age 18. He then spent two years in the Sally League, batting .271 and .265. In the Carolina League at age 21, he hit .282 with 57 steals. Houston took him from Cleveland in the Rule 5 draft that offseason, and he hit .335 in double-A. That got him a brief September audition with the Astros, and he was 0-for-1, but stole a base and scored two runs. For 2005, he was handed the major league center field job, taking over for free agent Carlos Beltran.
2005 was a real success story as Taveras stepped into the leadoff and center field jobs and was second in the Rookie of the Year voting, batting .291 with 34 steals as the Astros won 89 games to take the NL wild card, then won the pennant before being swept by the White Sox in the World Series. There were warning signs in his performance, though. The 103 strikeouts vs. 25 walks were a cause for concern, with the resulting .325 on-base average, plus a lack of power that gave him a 75 OPS+. Still, he was only 23, and there was time to improve.
Taveras slipped in average to .278 in 2006, though he walked more and his on-base ticked up to .333. A slip in slugging led to a one-point slide in OPS+, though, and he scored 83 runs following 82 the year before, not much for a speed leadoff man in front of a powerful lineup in a hitters’ park. After the season, the Astros sent Taveras to Colorado for pitcher Jason Jennings.
Taveras began 2007 in a job-sharing arrangement in Colorado, but got more playing time when he did well. Then, an injury cut back on his time. For the season, he hit .320 in 97 games as the Rockies made it to the World Series, losing to Boston. The strong average offered hope that Taveras had turned a corner to becoming a star.
In 2008, with a regular job in hand, Taveras hit .251 in 133 games and led the league with 68 steals. He scored 64 runs… again, a worrying total. Colorado decided not to go to arbitration with Taveras, and did not tender him a contract, making the speedster a free agent.
Taveras was signed by Cincinnati to a two-year deal for $2.5 million in 2009 and $4 million in 2010. Taveras was promoted as the centerpiece of the Reds’ switch from a plodding power team lead by Griffey and Dunn to a speedy, defense-oriented outfit. The dash of Taveras at the top of the order, plus his running down balls in center field, would be the key to the new-look Cincinnati club. Taveras promised lots of bunting for base hits and a run at 100 steals.
The reality was something less spectacular. Taveras got off to a slow start, had a hot streak from the end of April to the middle of May, collapsed again, and spent much of the second half on the disabled list. By the end of the season, the center field job had been handed to rookie Drew Stubbs. The future of Taveras in Cincinnati is very much in doubt.
The Reds would certainly like to hand Taveras off to another team, but he currently has no trading value. Question is, would the Reds release him, and pay him not to play? That may be the decision that must be made. Taveras would seem to have little value as a bench player, serving mostly as a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive substitute, and his track record suggests he would be unhappy in the role. I would not be surprised to see the Reds drop him in spring training for anything they can get.
Loading ...
