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Apparently writing about Rode has the same effect as talking about a no-no in progress. Almost immediately after I started this thread, he went into the tank, and his average quickly plummetted from the .380s to .350. This from a guy who was steady as a rock for the better part of two years.
As Rode posted another 0-fer in a particularly ugly stretch (4-for-34), I had already decided to turn the job back over to Maggard. He made the decision even easier after pinch-hitting a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to bring us back from a one-run deficit. In his next five games as the starter, Maggard is 8-for-25 with 2 more HRs.
Rode? Well, my league's trade setting is 70-15-10-5 in favor of ratings. I shopped him around, and was surprised to be offered a couple aged sluggers and a few slightly better than borderline regulars, none of whom I needed. I ended up packaging him with a 30-year-old middling MR and a career AAA shortstop and sent them to the Birmingham Barons for a couple 'spects. The key acquisition is a 22-year-old 6/4/5 3B with good glove and blazing speed who's hit .325 in 320 big-league ABs over two seasons. (At the risk of sounding tiresome, I already have an All-Star 3B, so I can park this kid at AAA and let him mature.) I also got a 19-year-old SS in the trade. Both are rated 3 blue stars.
And the fans in St. Paul? Were they up in arms after I sent Rode packing after his gritty performance the last two years? Nope. They howled because I traded the MR, who hadn't been in the big leagues for more than a year.
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