Jake's Take: Movin' On

which is only a bad one in hindsight. At the time, it could be argued that it was still the wrong move simply because there was room on the 40 man roster for him, but otherwise, it was entirely justified given his performance, his fragility and the unlikely circumstance that any major league club would keep him on the roster for a full year. In fact, I would have thought that Hamilton would not want that as he was obviously not ready for the majors and would have his progress retarded by losing playing time and developmental opportunities a full year at AA or AAA would have provided.

Were it not for Friedman, he probably would still be banned from the game. Andy worked overtime to get his ban lifted, and his rehabilitation and mentoring in place.

At the time he was allowed to go, he had no trade value and no potential trade value. It would be tantamount to blaming the Rays if Dewon Brazleton or Mike Kelly should suddenly emerge as a success somewhere, even more foolish as neither was burdened with the drug problem.

In any case, every team has a case of missed opportunity. Two teams released Johann Santana; Minnesota released David Ortiz; the Dodgers gave up Pedro Martinez and Montreal got rid of Randy Johnson. And on and on and on.

It was the wrong move because there seemed no downside to protecting him (unless Jacob is right which is entirely possible), but it was entirely reasonable to take the risk of losing him at that time. No point in labeling a blunder or a stain. It was neither.

Nobody is defending Friedman. He has said it was a mistake. I agree, and thought it was before Hamilton was selected by the Cubs. But the reason it was a mistake is not because Hamilton was a real prospect any more or because he was likely to be taken in the rule V. It was simply because there was room on the 40 man, and despite his failures I still do not understand why he wasn’t protected.

But, and this is my point, it was a defensible decision to risk losing him in light of the circumstances at that time. Here is his playing record prior to 2007 when he was 26:

Age 20: AA; 89 ABs; .180/.221/.236; 0 HRs; 5 BBs; 22 Ks
Age 21: A+; 211 ABs; .303/.359/.507; 9 HRs
Age 22: Did not play
Age 23: Did not play
Age 24: Did not play
Age 25: Rookie League; 50 ABs; .260/.327/.360; 0 HRs; Hurt most of year

Those are also facts. And another fact is that any team that drafted him would have to keep him on a major league roster all year. He would take up space that another useful player might have, and he would be getting rare appearances after not playing for substantially 4 full years due to a combination of drug suspensions and injuries, including an injury in his last season.

Yes, his record at A+ ball 5 years earlier indicated he was talented, but there was nothing in his rookie ball performance as a 25 year old to suggest he was a budding star. It simply suggested that he remained an injury risk and that his skills had eroded. He had never done well above A ball and was now 26 years old. What team would take up precious space on the 25 man roster when there are essentially only 3 spots available for reserves?

None of this is intended to trash Hamilton. None of it is intended to excuse the error itself. It was either a careless error or an unnecessary risk. But it was not a stain or a blunder or anything of the sort. Perhaps Jacob is right that Hamilton needed to get out of this organization. If so, the mistake is even less egregious. But either way, it was simply a mistake, and while I think it wrong to boo Josh or smear him, it is equally wrong to dwell on Friedman’s misstep.

Perhaps to get some perspective, suppose Mark Prior recovers and once again becomes a Cy Young worthy pitcher? After all, he really did succeed at the highest level. Should fans pillory the Cubs for letting such extraordinary talent get away? I haven’t checked their roster, but I am sure they could have stashed him away on it for the $1 million he is getting from the Padres after Chicago non-tendered him.

Just to make clear, I am not trashing Hamilton. While I do not get particularly misty about his recovery I recognize it is a remarkable story and admire what he has accomplished. I am sorry he is not doing this for the Rays, but do not begrudge him his success. As far as I am concerned that is all there is to it, and to use the incident as a harpoon against the Rays front office is utter foolishness and a misreading of the situation at the time.