This morning, I started writing a column extolling the merits of starting Russ Martin at 3B a couple of times a week, so that we can keep his bat in the lineup and still rest him to a degree, and BAM, that’s what Torre does! I swear, he broke into my computer.

Anyway, I think it’s a smart move (probably because it was my idea).

Lineup:

SS Furcal
LF Pierre
RF Kemp
2B Kent
3B Martin
1B Loney
CF Jones
C Bennett
RH Penny

UPDATE: Juan Castro signed with the Rockies. I have mixed feelings about that - He’s a great clubhouse guy, but it would have meant sending Hu down. So, no harm, no foul!

Yes, I know that Jacksonville is not a State - it’s a City, but we are going to talk about the State (condition) of the Jacksonville Suns, the Dodgers AA farm team.  On May 2, their record sits at 11-16 and they are 3 games behind the division leader, Birmingham.

The Suns have certainly underperformed as a team, but there are several bright spots.  James McDonald is not one of them.  He is 1-1 with a 5.27 ERA.  Maybe he’s just working on some stuff?

• SS Ivan DeJesus, Jr. is having a breakout year so far and is hitting .306 with a .419 OB% with 2 HR and 16 RBI.  He has 3 Stolen Bases and 7 Doubles
• Catcher Lucas May is hitting  .312 with a .395 OB% and an OPS of .998.  He has 4 HR and 14 RBI to go with 8 doubles
• LHP Clayton Kershaw is winless but has lived up to his press clippings with a 1.40 ERA and looks ready for prime time

Little else has went right with the Suns and they really don’t have that many prospects at this juncture.  Mitchell, Hoffman, Tomlin, Godwin, Gonzalez and others are possible major league “fringe” players, but McDonald, Kershaw, Man and DeJesus are all DODGER TOP 10 prospects.  Cory Wade would be in that category as well, but he’s in LA now.

If Jacksonville gets to .500, I’d be surprised, especially considering the fact that the Dodgers will soon call up their Ace.

TEAM STAT PAGE

OK, I’ll cut to the chase - the Washington Nationals baseball team has a player we need. They have no hope of winning this year, or next, but they need younsters, prospects. We have prospects by the ton and here’s the deal:

• We trade Hu, LaRoche or DeWitt (they pick one), McDonald and Repko (and another prospect if necessary);
• The Nationals trade Ryan Zimmerman to us.

Yeah, DeWitt or LaRoche may be that good, or not. They are both unproven, but Zimmerman is (almost is) a superstar that Washington can’t keep.

Is that a lot to give up? Well. Yeah!

Is that a lot to get? Absolutely!

We can plug Zimmerman in at 3B for the next ten years…

Would you accept or veto this trade?