Bullish On Arroyo

I am not a huge fan of the Evan Longoria trade.  I know that he is getting up there in age, I know that he has declined the last few years, but still there is value in having a face to your franchise.  There has never been a player who has done as much for the Rays.  He got them to their first, and only, World Series appearance.  Many of the franchises best moments in the brief history of the Rays happened with Longoria on the field.

There is no turning back though.  As a baseball card collector, I will still collect Longoria cards.  He is still one of my favorite Rays/Durham Bulls players.  His trade has also provided the opportunity to add a few other promising players to my list of cards that I need to find.  The easiest of the Minor Leaguers in the trade to find is infielder Christian Arroyo.  

Arroyo is ranked in several of those Top 100 prospect lists.  

He also had a stint with the Giants last season.  Arroyo basically skipped Triple A.  Considering his level of performance in the Majors, I am guessing the Rays will probably leave him in Durham for a good chunk of time this year.  Plus, he is still only 23.  

I'm going to stay positive and be bullish on Arroyo's future with the Rays.  

I have even started a small Arroyo collection.  Very small.  It's two autographed cards at this point.  

First up is a very busy Gypsy Queen autograph.  There is so much stuff on the front of these cards.  Still amazed at how they squeezed it all on there.  Arroyo has a really simple autograph.  Not sure I am really digging the C and an A with a some sort of line as his last name.  Maybe too simplistic, but at least it's not a scribble.  

Last one.  This is from Topps Tribute.  Nice product, I am sure that some case breaker or someone who spent a few hundred dollars on this box was probably pissed to see a Christian Arroyo card.  The signature on both cards is pretty consistent.  Not sure I love the blue trim on a Giants card.  

Maybe a few more Arroyo cards later this summer.