NJ Ave and I have kicked around the idea of Shin Soo Choo for a year. Here is Eno Sariss's discussion of what to expect from Choo going forward. He's a heck of a lot lower cost that Ellsbury and does not require the multi-year commitment.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-indians-face-a-choice-with-shin-soo-choo/You’re left with a player that has decent plate discipline, has reliably hit line drives over his career, has an approach that’s conducive to high batting averages, and still has league-average power. His possibly eroding athleticism has cost him some of that power, made him a worse defender, and slowed his wheels to the point that he’s probably a ‘just’ an above-average player.
Choo is in his last year of arbitration, and provided he gets a 50% raise or less on last year’s $4.9 million salary, he should probably have about $5 million in surplus value. According to Victor Wang’s research in 2008, that wouldn’t net the Indians a top 100 pitching prospect, and with inflation, it’s doubtful it would even get a John-Sickels Grade B pitching prospect anymore
