There are a lot of guys in baseball I just can't help but cheer for. This ranges anywhere from guys who've had ridiculous amounts of success right from day one, like Evan Longoria, to guys who have had to deal with critics from the day they were drafted, like Ricky Romero, to guys with limited skill sets, like John McDonald. The thing these guys all have in common, to me, is their desire to win and, to use a crappy cliche, "make the most of their talent", whether they have enough for two players or barely enough to stay in the big leagues.
That's one reason Alex Rios frustrated the hell out of me when he was with Toronto. He had so much natural talent that it looked like he would inevitably become a superstar, and when he was signed to that seven-year contract a few years back at $10MM/year, it looked like a great deal. Yet, despite some flashes of brilliance, he never lived up to what he could have been.
In 2006, he appeared to be breaking out, before fouling a pitch off his leg and developing a staph infection (despite there being no actual cut or scrape). He had 15 HR by the All-Star Break that year and only 2 afterwards, so it was obvious that the infection had taken a lot out of him. The next season, all looked to be fine in Rios-world, when he hit 17 HR by the break, and although he finished with just 24 on the season, his .354/.498/.852 line was very good, considering his outstanding defense in right field.
His 2008 season at the dish was a large disappointment, as he took a step backwards, finishing at .337/.461/.798. However, it's largely forgotten that he put up staggering defensive numbers - a UZR of 21.7 - and he actually had his best season, WAR-wise.
I think everyone else sensed it too, that there was something missing about this guy. His 2008 season included an above-average bat, 32 SB and outstanding defense. What's not to like, right? Normally, that would be the case, but fans in 2009 got on his case really quickly, culminating in his admission that he doesn't give a fuck. Oh, and his salary dump on the White Sox.
Despite my frustration of Rios' failure to unlock his tantalizing potential, I was quite pissed at that transaction. Part of it was the rumours that Ricciardi had been offered actual prospect packages for Rios. Part of it was my belief that he could somehow get turned around in 2010.
I remember watching his interview with Sam Cosentino in some tunnel in (I believe) Yankee Stadium. He was looking all sad and Sam had just asked him how excited he was to be going to a team in a playoff race. I'll never forget how he answered. I'm paraphrasing because I obviously don't remember the actual quotation, but his response went something like this:
"Yeah... I'm sort of excited to be going to a playoff hunt. It maybe will be fun. I don't know. I've never been in a playoff... in the playoffs before, so, yeah, sure."
He clearly didn't give a fuck about winning. In fact, his face had gone from sad disappointment to utter confusion ("Why is this guy asking me if I'm excited about winning?"). What a waste.
While I'm not sure how much truth there was to the trade rumours, and how much money the Jays would have had to eat to make them work, the second half of my fears began to be realized almost instantly in 2010. He had a remarkable May, slugging 8 HR, stealing 7 bases (against 2 CS) and OPS-ing over 1.100. It looked like he had started to give a fuck. Still, I wondered if he would be able to keep that up for a whole season because, you know, he had half a year to remember that he doesn't give a fuck. Or maybe the change of scenery would be good for him?
Well, it's August now. His Chicago White Sox are 3.0 GB of first in the AL Central. His K-rate is growing back to career norms and he has 8 SB to 9 CS since June 1. He's OPS-ing .632 since the All-Star Break. And I'm starting to think that maybe it was a mirage - specifically, a one-month mirage, as he's OPS'd under .800 in every month not named May.
What does that mean? Well, not much, really. I think the sample size is still small enough to not be able to draw definitive conclusions and things can change in the future. For now though, I'm happy that he left town and gave Bautista a chance to do a... pretty OK job in right field. I'm confident AA will take advantage of the $60MM of his books. And I haven't really watched the White Sox this year, but it looks like Alex Rios still doesn't give a fuck.
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