Pat Burrell Switches Sides

Posted by Jeremy on January 6, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Despite his horrid 1-14 World Series performance, Pat Burrell’s power bat has found a new home in the friendly confines of Tropicana Field.  At two years and $16 million, Burrell comes as a bargain compared to the flotsam of cash that the Yankees invested in Mark Teixeira. 

Contrary to the conventional wisdom of many other baseball pundits that insist that the Yankees have spent their way to divisional supremacy, I think that the acquisitions of Burrell and the trade for Tigers OF Matt Joyce will prove to be incredibly savvy maneuvers that will give the Rays the additional punch that they lacked against an offensively superior Philadelphia Phillies lineup. 

From an initial glance, it looks as if Burrell will replace Cliff Floyd as the team’s DH while Joyce will be the team’s opening day RF.  While this move will assuredly improve the Rays’ lineup, it assures that my Daily Value prediction concerning the projected value of Ben Zobrist’s 2004 RC Autos will take a bearish economic turn.  Zobrist’s late season power surge has proven insufficient of garnering more AB’s and his role as he will likely resume his role of being a highly valued bench player.

The switch to the AL may not be an easy one for Burrell, though, escaping the pressure cooker that is Philly may prove to be the fresh breath of air that Pat the Bat needs to help him address the challenges of adjusting to a new league.