Adam Dunn for DH

A dream situation, if you will. Call me irrational, but that's because I don't have to balance the Yankee checkbook at the end of the day. I have always been biased when it comes to the Big Donkey, and it pains me to see him in dead-end Washington. Over the offseason, when Teixeira was a "what if..." free agent, I was rooting for Dunn to come play first for New York. His glove leaves a lot to be desired, sure, but boy can he hit. I could visualize the 6-foot-6 275 pound hefty lefty bombing moonshots in the upper decks of the stands. I wasn't satisfied with Swisher being our first basemen, and I think secretly everybody else was too (don't get me wrong, I love Swish but throwing a 1B mitt on him seemed makeshift to me). I was sad to see him get picked up by the Nats, but of course I was ecstatic when I found out that we picked up Tex at a time when I was sure he was going to be a dastardly Red Sock. Now, one year later, We see a possibility of losing our beloved Godzilla. But with loss comes opportunity... Trade opportunities.

Am I aware of the downsides of Adam Dunn? Absolutely, I am not blind. He whiffs as hard as he swings. He's criticized for his lack of clutch hitting - this past year he was rated -1.12 for clutch by Fangraphs. His glove is atrocious, posting a -35 UZR at first base (which is really really bad). Also, he has a bit of a weight problem, apparently weighing in at around 300 lbs (http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/9/29/1060869/the-two-sides-of-adam-dunn-graph?ref=CBS).

Do those attributes frighten you? Yes, upon first glance it appears we're talking about Adam Dud here. However, not all is as it seems. Dunn has an excellent eye, seeing a lot of pitches and drawing a lot of walks. Last year his swing rate at pitches outside the zone was about 5 points below average (that's good). He consistently draws over 100 walks per year. He walked 17.5% of the time he stepped to the plate as a Nat, which blows away the 9.5% average. His walk-to-strikeout ratio was a 0.66, and his OPS was a .928. I can throw more stats in there, but is that really necessary? Adam Dunn is a superb batter.

Now imagine Adam Dunn minus one glove. He brought in 35.5 runs with his bat. Unfortunately, he sacrificed much more than that with his glove (-36.3). That stooped his WAR down to a 1.2. Adam Dunn has never played in the American League, yet the DH role seems to be tailor-made for him. Adam Dunn has one year left in his contract with Washington. Perhaps it would be unwise to trade for him when we could risk bidding for him if he chooses not to resign. Matsui raked in 13 million bucks DHing in pinstripes last year... Adam Dunn made 8 million out of his 20 million, 2 year contract. Even for a year he'd cost less than Matsui, and clearly has a better bat. I don't know what the Nats would want for him... Probably some of our top prospects and a wheelbarrow of money. Is it worth it? Who is worth it?  That is what I ask you SB Nation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Hjo--wFX0