Taveras' Replacement Could be on His Own Team

August 20, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Rob McCarthy
Edited by Ryan Dodson

Willy Taveras adapted nicely to the large outfield gaps of Coors Field in Colorado after being traded from Houston. Before being placed on the 15-day disabled list on Aug. 15 with a strained right groin, Taveras was experiencing what would have been his best season in the bigs. On the year, Taveras has hit .311 with two home runs, 22 RBI, 59 runs scored and 29 stolen bases in 347 at-bats. In addition, Taveras' OPS of .735 is his best average of his four-year career.

With the injury to Taveras, 27-year-old outfielder Ryan Spilborghs has begun his inevitable journey to play full time in the Rockies' lineup. While not having a spot in the outfield, Spilborghs has had a great season. The University of California-Santa Barbara alum has hit .323 with 10 home runs, 43 RBI, 26 runs scored and four stolen bases in 164 at-bats. He is available in 99 percent of leagues polled and should continue to emit production from his 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame for the remainder of the season. His career .858 OPS is an indicator of potential. All he needs is playing time.

A lot of owners will not need the power-oriented game that Spilborghs will provide. Instead, owners that need to replace Taveras will be seeking the lightning quick speed that he is notorious for. San Francisco Giants outfielder Rajai Davis has hit .308 with one home run, six RBI, 19 runs scored and 13 stolen bases this season between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Giants in 107 at-bats. Davis has been nasty since his July 31 trade from the Pirates in exchange for starting pitcher Matt Morris. 

In August, he has taken full advantage of his 59 at-bats with the Giants while hitting .339 with one home run, four RBI, 13 runs scored and eight stolen bases. In addition, Davis has hit seven doubles with a .977 OPS in his first month of Bay Area baseball. All indications point to Davis being a more than serviceable replacement for the hobbling Taveras. He has proved his stolen base value while committing acts of thievery for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians with 72 stolen bases in 2006 and 2007 combined. His only real downside is the fact that San Francisco's offense ranks 26th in team batting average with .251, and is positioned 28th in runs scored with a team total of 531. Unfortunately, Davis won't cross the plate as much as you would like, but his career big league OBP of .383 should assure waiver wire scowering owners that stolen bases are a guarantee. Davis is available in 91 percent of leagues polled, so feel free to indulge yourself in Rajai-mania.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Willie Harris is quietly producing at a pace that may have saved his job with past employers such as the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox. On the season, Harris has hit .315 with one home run, 25 RBI, 48 runs scored and 16 stolen bases in 270 at-bats. As we all know, Harris isn't going to be the spark to ignite your offensive categories. But, his presence in your lineup will provide a decent replacement for Taveras' offensive numbers, and he will undoubtedly fill some lineup holes as a guy off the bench. Keep in mind, Harris is nothing more than a patchwork player, but he is experiencing his best campaign production-wise in his seven-year career. He has already achieved a career best in doubles with 18 and is on pace to achieve career bests in batting average, OBP, slugging percentage and OPS. If you feel the need to add a player like Harris, he is available in 99 percent of leagues polled.

Although Taveras was experiencing his best professional season, his absence from your lineup will feel more like a tremor than a fault fracturing earthquake. His offensive numbers can easily be replaced, and his propensity for being average will not be missed. As we enter the late days of August, prepare to formulate a lineup without Taveras until the beginning of September. 

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Rob McCarthy
Rob has been with KFFL since 2007.

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