Brett Wallace Finally Gets His Shot…Maybe

The St. Louis Cardinals liked Brett Wallace, but they shipped him off to the Oakland in the Matt Holliday trade. The Oakland A’s liked Wallace, but decided that they liked Chris Carter more, so they sent him to Toronto. Toronto liked Wallace, but liked Anthony Gose better, so they sent him to Houston.

Wallace should have a productive career in Houston

Houston liked Wallace, but they sent him to the…well, Houston hasn’t traded Wallace yet, but the way Wallace’s career has gone so far, if I was him I wouldn’t buy a house in Houston. I guess it’s better to be wanted than to be not wanted at all.

Wallace has been traded three times in the last 12 months, but I believe he will be in Houston for awhile. With Lance Berkman traded to the New York Yankees, Wallace becomes the Astros’ first baseman for now and for the foreseeable future.

Wallace is a line drive hitter, who should consistently hit .300 in the major leagues. He also has a very good eye at the plate as his career .375 OBP in the minor leagues indicates.

He could turn out to be a James Loney type first baseman, but with more power and a larger waist line. Loney is usually good for 10-15 HR’s a year, but Wallace should be good for 15-20 HR’s a year. On a good year, he could hit around 25 HR’s.

Here are some other facts about Brett Wallace…

Age: 23

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

College: Arizona State University

Drafted: 13th overall pick in the first round of the 2008 Draft by the Cardinals

Minor League Stats:

2008 Single A & Double A: .337/.427/.530 with eight HR’s, and 13 doubles in 54 games

2009 Double A & Triple A: .293/.367/.455 with 20 HR’s and 26 doubles in 138 games

2010 Triple A: .301/.359/.509 with 18 HR’s, and 24 doubles in 95 games

Keith Law Ranking and Analysis

Ranking: No. 20 out of 100 best prospects in baseball in 2010

Analysis: “Wallace has been traded twice in the 19 months since he was drafted, testament in part to how much teams like his bat but also to questions about his defensive limitations. A full year in pro ball has made it clear that he’s unlikely to improve enough at third base to play it in the majors — or at least for any team to be willing to accept the trade-off of below-average defense for more offense at the position — and he’s now with a team that views him as its long-term first baseman.

Wallace has one of the best swings of any minor league hitter, with good hip rotation and loft to go with an excellent eye (one that has led him to hit left-handed pitchers at a .357/.441/.476 clip in his pro career. (For some idea of how good that is, left-handed hitters in the majors in 2009 hit .247/.317/.386 against left-handed pitchers, the worst OPS of any of the four L/R matchup possibilities.)

Wallace has an unusual shape, with wide thighs that limit his lateral agility and have the Blue Jays planning to use him only at first base, although he’s a fringe-average to average runner and shouldn’t have any trouble handling that position. Wallace is going to hit for average and get on base at a high clip while providing average to above-average power, a combination that will have value at any position, and he’s ready to step into a major league role right away.”

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