The Indians should get rid of Ryan Raburn, by hook or by crook

UPDATE: Please note that two days after I wrote this post, Ryan Raburn did this:

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We should all retain fond memories of what Ryan Raburn did for the Indians in 2013, but this season has been a different story, and it's time for the team to designate Raburn for assignment, because he's a poor, poor use of a roster spot, especially for a team that insists on carrying as many relievers as the Tribe do.

I wouldn't even wait for Michael Bourn or Nyjer Morgan to be ready to return. Go with Michael Brantley, Chris Dickerson, and David Murphy, put Mike Aviles out there somewhere once or twice a week, call up Tyler Holt or Carlos Moncrief, whatever.

Raburn signed with the Indians before last season, coming off a terrible year for Detroit, in which he posted an awful batting line of .171/.226/.254 in 222 plate appearances. He turned things around in a major way in Cleveland, hitting .272/.357/.543 in 277 plate appearances, the best numbers of his career. Before the season was out, the Indians had signed him to a two-year extension for $4.75 million, with a team option for $3 million in 2016. He'd destroyed left-handed pitching, and entering this year he seemed like a pretty ideal platoon partner for the newly signed David Murphy.

Nope.

Raburn is hitting .201/.247/.274 this year, in 178 PA. Among the 167 American League players with 150+ PA so far this season, Raburn's wRC+ of 44 is third worst. The two guys below him, Jose Molina and Eric Sogard, at least provide plus defense at tougher positions, while Raburn plays bad defense at a relatively easy postion, and is a bad base runner too.

He isn't killing lefties anymore, with an OPS of just .572 against them, and against righties he's been even worse. He's got 65 plate appearances against righties this year, in which he's managed 12 singles, 1 double, and 1 walk, giving him a line of .206/.215/.222, which wouldn't even place him in the top ten among pitchers with 20+ PA against righties this season.

The Indians owe Raburn another $3.4 million over what remains of his contract. That money is gone, and it's time for Raburn to go too.