Fred Lewis Trade

This is an old post that I originally wrote nearly a month ago. I never got around to posting it, and noticing how much Fred Lewis is playing I now decided to publish the post.

The San Francisco Giants have traded outfielder Fred Lewis to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Trading Fred Lewis was bound to happen, and I know he wasn't always well liked by fans, but I am sad to see him go.

Simply, the Giants do not have room to keep Fred Lewis on their major league roster. He is also out of minor league options, so sending him to the minors would have placed him on waivers. Once on waivers, he would have definitely been picked up by another team. So, it was a wise decision to at least get something in return for Fred Lewis.

While in San Francisco, Fred Lewis had expectations set too high. He was the next African American Left Fielder after the Barry Bonds era. That alone put tons of pressure on him. He’s super athletic, fast, and just looks like he should be able to hit balls for miles. He was expected to hit 25+ homeruns, steal numerous bases, play above-average defense, and drive in runs. In 2009, he did not accomplish any of these things. Some people can not handle pressure, but when you're expected to do much more than realistically possible, it will surely get to your head.

Just one year ago, Fred Lewis was the opening day left fielder for the Giants. He was the team's #3 hitter, and was going to be the meat in the Giant's offense. However, he lost his starting job fairly early in the year. He was a highly talented prospect, and expected to show his full potential. Lewis did not. He batted .258, and more shockingly Fred only got 20 RBI's in nearly 300 at bats. His major flaw offensively was striking out, and he managed to do that last season. He did it 84 times, equalling nearly 30% of his at-bats. Defensively he did not always play with 100% effort, and at times did not seem interested in the games. Much of this I saw through his body language, but people express their body language differently.

Lewis is still only 29 years old, and his 2008 numbers were promising. He is not going to be a Hall of Famer, but is capable of being a solid starter in Major League Baseball. His athletic ability, and speed is still there. He walks a lot, and despite a bad year, he is far from reaching his maximum potential. I would rather have seen the Giants sent a player like John Bowker down to the minors in replace of trading Fred Lewis. Unfortunately, I do not make these decisions. I wish the best of luck to Fred Lewis in Toronto.

That was then.
Since, Lewis is batting .309, with 2 homeruns, 11 doubles, 13 RBI's, 14 Runs, 3 steals, and a .847 OPS. Consquently, he has become a starter in Toronto. I am glad to see Fred Lewis succeed.