I can't really say I have many standout memories of Mike Cameron on the field (nor, it appears, can the Red Sox, or they wouldn't have DFA'd him today). In fact, my warmest memory of him is from the Red Sox commercial outtakes video from this year's Spring Training, as he gamely--but repeatedly--botched his lines, smiling through it all. In general, I remember him as a smiling yet stoic presence as he battled both injury and age in a Red Sox uniform.
I did have a moment of wondering -- particularly as I watched Darnell GIDP in his first at bat against the Phillies during tonight's Sox in 2 game replay on NESN -- why the Red Sox hung on to Darnell McDonald while releasing Cameron, especially given their standard batting numbers (McDonald:.122/.173/.204, .377 OPS; Cameron: .149/.212/.266, .477 OPS).
Now, I don't normally venture into the deeper stats, and hopefully I won't hurt myself, here, but it seems worth noting that when it comes to both runs above replacement and wins above replacement, Mike Cameron appears to have been more of a detriment to the team than McDonald so far (probably due to almost exactly twice the number of plate appearances). His runs above replacement is -10 (translation: not good), and his wins above replacement is -1.0 (also not good). Darnell, on the other hand, is at -3 RAR and -0.3 WAR. Given more opportunities, he might do just as much damage as Cameron, but that has yet to be seen. Cameron, in the meantime, has been given enough rope to hang himself.
Ultimately, I think the difference comes down to age. Cameron, a veteran of a broken face, hernia and hip flexor surgeries as well as 17 seasons in the majors, is 38 years old, and by all appearances, not due for a resurgence. Darnell has been a project, but is six years younger. Darnell is also cheaper at $470,000 to Cameron's $7.75 million, but that point is moot given the Sox are still on the hook for Cameron's salary.
In the end, though, I still think the move makes sense. Cameron isn't getting any younger, and the move might clear the way for Josh Reddick, who has impressed so far with the stick, to see more playing time.
Still, it seems like Mike Cameron is a good guy who has fought hard for every moment of his Major League career. This may be the end of the road for him, and wherever he goes from here, I wish him nothing but the best.
Cameron was attractive to the Sox during the 2009 offseason because he was an excellent defensive outfielder with good power and decent on-base skills.... despite his .250 average. That's what they thought they were getting.
The Sox should have been more cautious abut his age, because injuries really killed his skills last year. And he hasn't bounced back this year. His offense and his defense appear to be gone. So what's the point in keeping him around. With Reddick apparently ready to contribute and Youkilis day-to-day with the bad ankle, they needed to call up an infielder. It was either McdDonald, Cameron or Reddick that had to go. I guess they felt they were better off dumping Cameron than optioning Reddick back to Pawtucket yet again. This is a really good sign. This tells me they're ready to go with Reddick as a fourth outfielder, which is the right thing to do.
Posted by: Shamus | June 30, 2011 at 22:50
I really hope he lands somewhere in the Majors. You can't help but root for someone like Mike
Posted by: Jup | July 01, 2011 at 07:26
Mike was/is a pro. Did a decent job last year, but "time waits for no man".
Posted by: Bob | July 01, 2011 at 17:29