Willy Stay or Willy Go: Taveras' Future in Doubt

Willy Taveras is widely regarded as one of the fastest players in Major League Baseball. This season was a testament to that, as he stole 67 bases to set a Colorado Rockies record, while being caught only seven times.

Despite his record-setting season, Taveras never could get in a groove at the plate. He ended the '08 campaign hitting .251, with an abysmal on-base percentage of .331—a sharp decline from the .320 batting average that he posted in 2007, his first season in Colorado. He struck out 79 times, far too many times for a leadoff hitter, while only walking 36 times.

Taveras commonly found himself in clutch situations, only to find himself heading back to the dugout after striking out looking. The breaking ball was the biggest hardship for Taveras. 

Early in the season, Taveras was put on the bench in favor of Scott Podsednik, and it was widely reported the Taveras was outspoken in his disapproval of the decision. This behavior resulted in more than one closed-door meeting with manager Clint Hurdle, who let him know that he would need to take a better approach at the plate in order to win his spot back.

Not only did Taveras struggle at the plate, he often did not use his speed wisely in the outfield. He routinely overran balls that hit off the fence and seemed to take bad routes to many flyballs.

The Rockies' organization is extremely high on top prospect Dexter Fowler, who got his feet wet in the big leagues with a September call-up after a phenomenal season at Double-A Tulsa. The word from many Rockies sources, however, is that the organization would like to exercise caution with Fowler and start his 2009 season at Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Even with Fowler most likely breaking camp with the Triple-A club, there is still reason to believe that Taveras' services will not be needed in the Rockies' organization any longer.

Taveras, who is entering his second year of arbitration, has become expendable with the emergence of Ryan Spilborghs as more than a platooning right fielder. Spilborghs, with a strong arm and deceiving speed, proved that he is more than capable of handling full time center-field duty.

With Spilborghs' season, on top of impressive hitting from Seth Smith, an intriguing talent who had three stints with the big club in the '08 campaign, there has become a log jam at the position. 

This could all change in a hurry if the Rockies end up moving Matt Holliday, who will be a free agent at the end of the '09 season. He is represented by super agent Scott Boras, who notoriously has his clients test the open market before signing a long-term deal. 

The Rockies may decide to cut their losses and trade Holliday for a front-line starter. If Holliday is dealt, Spilborghs and Smith may need to fill the gap in left field.

Taveras seems to be the best choice to move. After a season in which he led the major leagues in stolen bases and was successful over 90 percent of the time, he may be seen as a valuable top-of-the-order player. His low on-base percentage and batting average may be seen as a drawback, but he is only one year removed from hitting .320.

Many Rockies officials believe that he is still learning how to steal bases, which could maximize his plus side. If the Rockies could get a good middle-of-the-rotation starter, now may be the best time to put Willy Taveras on the trading block.