Halfway Point-- Biggest Surprises and Biggest Disappointments

[dupree]

Hope the Red Sox resign Ells. I dont like the idea of Choo manning a corner spot if Ells does walk and they put Vic or JBJ in center. I would rather have a Matt Holliday type player in LF and if JBJ is in center then Vic will be in RF. With Nava and Gomes filling in from time to time. Hope they s

 

Maybe if Ryan Kalish can stay healthy he will be that Matt Holliday type that we need in LF. I just want a middle of the order hitter to fill LF field.

[dupree]

I hope they stay away from Choo.

[User Name]

Comparing Kalish to Matt Holliday in even a best-case scenario projection is ridiculous. Also, why should they stay away from Choo other than money? His skillset is excellent.

[User Name]

Also, since we're talking about "Matt Holliday" type bats:

 

Choo average season: .289/.387/.466 .853 OPS 20 HR, 38 2B, 20 SB

 

Holliday average season: .310 /.385/.531 .915 OPS 28 HR, 42 2B, 12 SB

 

If you compare their numbers since Holliday stopped playing in Coors, they're significantly closer. I don't understand how you're asking for a Holliday type bat, then saying you don't like one of the guys in the league who has the most similar numbers to him with better defense and very little home/road splits.

 

Choo's only problem is his production against lefties and, unlike Carl Crawford, he's actually slightly improved in that department over the last few seasons.

[italstallianion]

Choo is one of the more balanced OF's in terms of overall production in my opinion. Kind of like a Nick Markakis (at Markakis best) Probably the ideal #2 hitter.

[User Name]

Markakis is not "balanced", he's average at almost everything, which is mediocre. Choo is better in every aspect.

[italstallianion]

I meant balanced in terms of consistent skills, defense, power, stolen bases, on base etc. He won't lead the league in any but he's pretty consistent in many areas. A lot like Choo, however Choo is better in many aspects, but that does not mean that both players aren't "balanced" in terms of not being 1 dimensional.

 

Assuming he is average at almost everything, that still makes him balanced imo.

[User Name]

If you're league average in a bunch of things, you're just a league average player. If you're consistently bad, are you balanced but bad?

[Spitball]

With Ellsbury and Choo both being represented by Boras, I'm pretty sure both will be difficult signings. It should be interesting to see how Boras plays it this year with the qualifying offer concept that screwed things up for Michael Bourn and Kyle Lohse. I am sure The Sox will offer Ellsbury the qualifying offer but not so sure Cincinnati does the same with Choo. Edited July 18, 2013 by Spitball

[italstallianion]

If you're league average in a bunch of things, you're just a league average player. If you're consistently bad, are you balanced but bad?

 

Yes...

 

Edit: Consistently as in in terms of many categories, not in terms of year in and year out.

[BornToRun]

Markakis is not "balanced", he's average at almost everything, which is mediocre. Choo is better in every aspect.

 

Are we maybe being a little hard on Markakis? He's pretty bleh this year but he's got a career .812 OPS with a .362 OBP, and a 116 OPS+. Not MVP numbers and Choo is better but Markakis has been a solid player for quite a while now, this year excluded.

[Thunder]

Are we maybe being a little hard on Markakis? He's pretty bleh this year but he's got a career .812 OPS with a .362 OBP, and a 116 OPS+. Not MVP numbers and Choo is better but Markakis has been a solid player for quite a while now, this year excluded.

 

Basically anyone on the Orioles has been overshadowed by Crush, but some are having middle of the road years. Markakis, Hardy (don't know why he was an All Star), Jones, and Weiters included.

[Palodios]

It'll be interesting to see how the Red Sox deal with draft picks and big free agents this year. If they stay where they are in the standings, a #28 draft pick might be not much more valuable than Ellsbury's compensation pick, and they'll just dive into free agency. Or, maybe they'll put a big offer out for Garza since he probably won't even cost a draft pick. Michael Young could also be worthwhile because he fills two different holes for the Red Sox, first and third.

[User Name]

Are we maybe being a little hard on Markakis? He's pretty bleh this year but he's got a career .812 OPS with a .362 OBP, and a 116 OPS+. Not MVP numbers and Choo is better but Markakis has been a solid player for quite a while now, this year excluded.

 

Meh numbers for a corner OF. Other than a decent OBP, he's nothing to write home about.

[User Name]

It'll be interesting to see how the Red Sox deal with draft picks and big free agents this year. If they stay where they are in the standings, a #28 draft pick might be not much more valuable than Ellsbury's compensation pick, and they'll just dive into free agency. Or, maybe they'll put a big offer out for Garza since he probably won't even cost a draft pick. Michael Young could also be worthwhile because he fills two different holes for the Red Sox, first and third.

 

Young would fill no hole for the Red Sox, because he's not very good anymore. He can still hit for average, but his power is all but gone. Not what you want out of a corner IF unless he plays GG defense, which Young also doesn't do.

[Palodios]

Young would fill no hole for the Red Sox, because he's not very good anymore. He can still hit for average, but his power is all but gone. Not what you want out of a corner IF unless he plays GG defense, which Young also doesn't do.

 

You can't get an All Star / GG type on a one year deal to hold down the fort for a trio of top corner infield prospects.

 

Young would be a stopgap, with world series experience, average production and positional versatility. Best case scenario, he ends up sitting on the bench at 2014's end for $5 million.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Honestly, you're not going to be able to find a short term 3B that gives you much more production than either A) Drew gives you at SS (moving Iglesias to 3B), or Bogaerts would give you at 3B.

[User Name]

Honestly, you're not going to be able to find a short term 3B that gives you much more production than either A) Drew gives you at SS (moving Iglesias to 3B), or Bogaerts would give you at 3B.

 

^This. Why waste money on a guy who's clearly declining when you've got better in-house options? That's like selling your car to buy a shittier model that's actually more expensive.

[italstallianion]

Honestly, you're not going to be able to find a short term 3B that gives you much more production than either A) Drew gives you at SS (moving Iglesias to 3B), or Bogaerts would give you at 3B.

 

I'd rather have Young's bat than Drew/Iglesias/Holt/Snyder for the rest of this season. Next year may be another story.

[User Name]

We're talking about next year, and you'd have to actually give up prospects to trade for him. He can barely hit anymore and can't catch the baseball either. Why is he an option people are talking about again?

[Bellhorn04]

I'd rather have Young's bat than Drew/Iglesias/Holt/Snyder for the rest of this season. Next year may be another story.

 

Young's numbers for 2012-13 aren't better than Drew's. He's a lot more durable though.

[italstallianion]

Young's numbers for 2012-13 aren't better than Drew's. He's a lot more durable though.

 

Drew is .233/.313/.409/.722

 

Young is .288/.344/.414/.759

[italstallianion]

Going forward I'd trust Young's bat over Iglesias/Holt/Snyder/Drew and probably even Middlebrooks. I'd def want him for the rest of this season, although I'd probably elect for Iglesias/Bogaerts for next season.

 

(Just because I value Young's bat over Iglesias doesn't mean I'd put Young over Iglesias. I'd put Iglesias at SS and Young at 3B and Bench/send down Drew/Holt/Snyder.

[User Name]

Prospects + money for a guy that's barely outhitting Drew? No thanks.

[italstallianion]

If it weren't for Drew's reasonable slugging despite a poor average and on base it wouldn't be close. His average and on base body Drew's existence this year, not to mention his durability. It all depends on what the Phillies want, but I don't think we see eye to eye on Young, or Markakis based on yesterday's discussion.

[User Name]

Young's OBP is BA-fueled, and BA, like BABIP (or because of actually), is flukey. At a league average BABIP of .300, Young's hitting less than Drew because he doesn't walk. He is more durable, but he offers little offensive value and has a -16.6 UZR at 3rd and -1.6 at 1B. Yuck.

[italstallianion]

I think BA is flukey season to season but not necessarily over the years. I don't think Drew's .263 average and Young's .301 average for their careers are a result of flukes. I genuinely believe Young is, has been, and will be a better hitter than Drew.

 

Drew also has a much bigger lefty/righty split this season, hitting .593 vs. lefties and .779 vs. righties (OPS) as opposed to Young at .702 vs. lefties and .781 vs. righties. Young has a .54 difference for his career whereas Drew's is at .93

[mvp 78]

Yeah, Young isn't a 3b anymore. I'd rather have Drew's solid glove. Young would be nothing more than a bench guy.

[Bellhorn04]

I think BA is flukey season to season but not necessarily over the years. I don't think Drew's .263 average and Young's .301 average for their careers are a result of flukes. I genuinely believe Young is, has been, and will be a better hitter than Drew.

 

Drew also has a much bigger lefty/righty split this season, hitting .593 vs. lefties and .779 vs. righties (OPS) as opposed to Young at .702 vs. lefties and .781 vs. righties. Young has a .54 difference for his career whereas Drew's is at .93

 

Young's OPS for 2012 was only .682. Any way you look at it the guy is aging out and a mediocre hitter at this point.

[rjortiz]

We probably could get Young for a nothing