Ryne Sandberg - Keep or Drop?

[voovits]

An injury reveal earlier in the season has revealed Sandberg to have either his 85 or 88 seasons.
He has a batting average of .258 through 155 ABs (Kingdome is home stadium) and is doing much better vrs lefties than righties. I'm assuming it's his worst year.
Earlier in the season I dumped him briefly for Steve Sax who did not last very long. I had the cash to get him back and I did.
So should I keep him or not? I know there is not much talent available at 2B.
As far as FA's who haven't been on a team before, we're looking at the likes of Robby Thompson, Davey Lopes, Howe, Thon, Barrett, Backman, Garner, Dauer and Gantner. I will not play a 4 defense at 2B.
Whitaker was recently dropped hitting .215 through 121AB but only 19 walks.
I'm 32-28 and am in first by 2 games. My offense is OK, but is pretty much being carried by Murphy, Mattingly and Bonilla. Pitching is surprisingly doing well.
Oester is my backup, but none of his years are as good as Sandberg's '88
So what would you guys do with a 1988 Sandberg? Drop him and take a chance on a lesser guy, losing the defense and probably even more offense, in order to get some free cash (which I may not even be able to use)? Or hold on to him because nobody else will likely end up being better?

Thoughts?

[YountFan]

I'd cash him in for Lopes who plays well in the kingdome. Robby T is solid, but Davy has a nice collection of BP# on his cards and will feast in LHP You can use the extra money to additional upgrades if needed.

[chess2899]

Keep him awhile longer. You should give top players at least 200 at bats if you are not sure on year. Is he hitting homers? Lopes will be on the free agency wire for awhile. He can hit lefties but blows vs righties, so I would wait and hope for the better year.

[LMBombers]

I agree with YF. Lopes hits RHP BETTER than Sandberg's worst card 3 out of 5 years. It is worth the gamble. At the very least Sandberg is not worth his salary on his worst card anyway. If you don't get one of Lopes' top 3 cards you can always just go for defense and pick up Barrett or Gantner, etc for a lot less than the cost of Sandberg.

[voovits]

Sandberg's stats:
Vrs lefties: .351 avg 57AB 1 2b 1 3b 5HR
Vrs righties: .204 avg 98AB 1 2b 0 3b 0HR

Looking at his actual percentages in the CDROM game he does hit pretty well vrs lefties in '88. I'm fairly convinced it's his '88 year.
I'm going to give Lopes a try.
I had considered Whitaker even though he had been dropped figuring even his worst card is better than Sandberg vrs righties, but we'll se how Lopes does.
Thanks.

[gutter huggers]

Lopes doesn't really blow as much as you'd think. Even when he doesn't hit the great card, he still gets on base. Has good speed, and bunts well. That's not much good in the Kingdome though. Depends on your ballpark.

[voovits]

Well so far Lopes is holding his own.
He's hitting .274 through 73ABs with 5 HR's
The best part is that 4 of those HR's have come vrs righties in only 57 ABs to the tune of a .263 avg
vrs lefties is 1 HR through 16 AB and a .313 avg.
The power vrs righties is encouraging, but the sample size needs to get bigger.

[YountFan]

Glad to hear the nice report on Lopes

[gutter huggers]

I think that's what Lopes did in the 80's... He may have become a pull hitter, with RHP, (is there a push hitter?), and got quicker on the bat, and would still get some HR's against RHP, even as the average dropped. LH pitchers were frightened on him, after the '79 season, baseball, is a head game. Lopes is a great card, for the price. I always play it. The guy played, till he was 43 years old. I think he batted 4th for the Oakland "A"s, and knocked 17 Homeruns, in that miserable hitter's ballpark. The Lopes card, will do whatever you need it to do. Even when when don't have what you want, you can move it around the lineup, and end up with a second baseman, with power and speed.