Do you ever have certain players you follow, not currently on your team of choice, that you just like for some reason? Maybe you can't put a specific finger on it, but they just stick around your brain. That happened for me with guys like Kyle Lowry and Courtney Lee, which made it delightful when they joined the Rockets.
↵Kyle Blanks is in the same boat on the baseball side. A huge hitter with prodigious power, he has the unfortunate luck to have played in San Diego so far in his career. That same San Diego team that had Adrian Gonzalez at his primary position (first base) and a pretty big outfield, which limited his power potential.
↵Oh, and then the Padres went out and traded for not one, but two different first base prospects to put in front of him. Add in his injuries which have kept him off the field and you really do feel bad for the guy.
↵Anyways, the reason I read this piece by Rob Neyer on Blanks was because I just like him as a player. Then I got to the end and started thinking after this line:
↵↵↵First Blanks has to get healthy, and then he might have to find a team that needs a huge designated hitter who's going to strike out 160 times per season.
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Hey! The Astros need a designated hitter next season! Maybe Blanks could be that guy? It's silly to speculate, but if he doesn't produce this season for SD, I wouldn't be surprised if Luhnow and Co. go out and take a flier on him. He couldn't be worse than Brett Wallace, right?
↵For more on the Houston Astros, check out The Crawfish Boxes. For more general baseball news and Rob Neyer goodness, check out Baseball Nation.
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