So, yeah Brendan Ryan! In an off season where people are watching Cliff Lee and have already seen big signings, this one will definitely not get anyone overly excited. However, it's another "solid" signing.
First off, he was cheap. Ryan has been with the Cardinals since being drafted in 03' and currently makes the league minimum. While he is eligible for arbitration, he won't be getting a giant raise due to a poor offensive year. In order to get Ryan, the Mariners gave up pitching prospect Maikel Cleto, who has never pitched above High-A in the minors and has an ugly 5.17 career ERA in the low minors.
Secondly, Ryan is primarily a shortstop, having played there in 312 games at the big league level, but he also has 59 games at second as well. Essentially, he can fill in at second base should Ackley not be ready for the bigs coming out of spring training, and when Ackley is ready, Ryan can start stealing time from the oft-injured, rapidly declining Jack Wilson.
Third, Ryan is a great defensive shortstop, having been #1 or 2 for the last two seasons in the following defensive categories: total zones runs as a shortstop, range factor per 9 innings as shortstop, and range factor per game as a shortstop. He's only 28, so he could hold down this spot for a while.
All in all, a good move.
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