I received the following email today, suggesting Ken Griffey Jr. as a possible solution to our woes in right-field:
Griffey Jr is a perfect fit. Big bat to anchor the lineup which is something we have lacked for some time. Veteran leadership down the stretch for a young team. Think of the influence he would have on CBYoung! Most importantly, he would put people in the seats and sell a bunch of merchandise, making the cost of bringing him in much more reasonable. This would also set us up through the 08 season with Griffey Jr and the Unit's contracts expiring after 08.
I'm not quite so convinced by this, on a number of levels. Firstly, I don't want to give up on Quentin yet. Certainly, his performance has been disappointing, but the only way to learn to handle big-league pitching is to face it on a regular basis.
Griffey is a 10-5 veteran, so has a total veto over any deal: if he goes anywhere, Seattle would be a far more likely destination as he said, "I owe it to the people of Seattle and to myself to retire as a Mariner." I'm also loathe to take someone as injury-plagued as him on board: from 2001-2006, he averaged only 92 games per season. He's also 37.
It is something we should be talking about, however: the nightmare scenario that Quentin is not the future franchise right-fielder he was originally thought to be. If that should come to pass, how should Arizona handle it? Especially in the expectation that Upton probably won't be ready for 2008? Discuss...