Originally Posted by VAChief:
He definitely worries me more than anyone else on our team regarding what we can expect from him offensively. I would be more worried if he was our 3B option. If we do miraculously get Machado, he goes to SS and Gyorko should play 3B with DeJong our sub at all three positions.
He swings at the unhittable outside pitch like it's a cut center fastball. If he doesn't fix that, he's going to be in the minors faster than Diaz. [Reply]
I think DeJong and Grichuk are comparable. Both showed tremendous power with swing and Miss tendencies; both outplayed their profiles.
I will say, a guy with a 24 percent line drive rate like DeJong recorded in 2017 would logically generate a Babip 110-120 points higher than that LD rate, so a .349 BABiP actually is not crazy.
Question becomes: Can he maintain that LD rate? The rates he showed in 2017 were the highest of his career. If he settles back into a 18-20 LD rate, that BaBIP will normalize.
I know they are going to f us with Longoria because they can't do what they really need so it will look like they are getting an upgrade when in reality they are buying the past (see Tino Martinez).
If somehow a miracle occurs and you can actually get Machado in a trade, would 400 million over 10 years with an opt out at age 30 satisfy his interest? (Front load it for 42 million/per year the first five years) [Reply]
Originally Posted by VAChief:
I know they are going to f us with Longoria because they can't do what they really need so it will look like they are getting an upgrade when in reality they are buying the past (see Tino Martinez).
If somehow a miracle occurs and you can actually get Machado in a trade, would 400 million over 10 years with an opt out at age 30 satisfy his interest? (Front load it for 42 million/per year the first five years)
Not just about money for Machado, IMO.
I think 400 million-ish is the right price point for him, but all the buzz is that he wants to be in NY after his FA shakes out, and they want him there. [Reply]
Originally Posted by VAChief:
That said, I would love to have a defensive wizard there who could get on base at the bottom of or our order with Wong and really help solidify our up the middle defense (something that is way undervalued now).
Originally Posted by raybec 4:
Is it a dartboard thing for you? Do you just blindly throw a dart at the roster and whoever it lands on is who you're going to hate?
You realize i have been spot on every guy i target, right? He's a fine option in the 6 spot. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball:
I have him as a .270 20 homer kind of guy. Last year was a fluke. Not 3 apot material in today's baseball.
I wouldn't be upset with .270 as long as he's still getting on base at a high rate and his history there only shows progression. I'm not expecting a .934 OPS our of him, but I don't think a .870-.890 range is out of the question factoring a drop in BA. At that point anywhere between 1-3 in the lineup isn't a drag. I would prefer he lead off, but apparently Carp and Fowler have it in their heads they can't hit anywhere else. [Reply]
Originally Posted by VAChief:
I wouldn't be upset with .270 as long as he's still getting on base at a high rate and his history there only shows progression. I'm not expecting a .934 OPS our of him, but I don't think a .870-.890 range is out of the question factoring a drop in BA. At that point anywhere between 1-3 in the lineup isn't a drag. I would prefer he lead off, but apparently Carp and Fowler have it in their heads they can't hit anywhere else.
Fowler's hit extremely well in the 3 hole and his bat profiles nicely there, especially as a switch hitter. Carpenter in the leadoff spot is the only place where we may actually get plus value out of him given the fact that he can't play defense or run the bases.
Besides, we only have 3 lefties (including Fowler) so if you put Pham at leadoff, you're pretty much stuck going back to back at some point with Fowler/Carpenter and that seems like a bad idea.
Carpenter - Pham - Fowler - Ozuna goes LRLR at the top of the order with alternating OBP/Power strengths and Pham's speed ahead of a couple of guys that can score him from 1st on a double. Given the present roster, that's an easy call for 1-4.
Carpenter - Pham - Fowler - Ozuna - Gyorko - DeJong - Wong - Molina -P would be how I'd ultimately round out the present roster. Molina's such a damn clog out there that you don't want him higher in the order and DeJong can't move any further back in the order because he'll get more and more slop back there and given his shit discipline, he'll swing at it. He needs some protection on either side of him to get him pitches to hit. By the same token you can't put him any higher because he makes too many outs.
I could actually be convinced to flip Wong and Gyorko pretty easily as well. If I knew what I'd get out of Wong, I'd probably prefer it. [Reply]
