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One cubicle to the right, we talk about "iguana" ballplayers.  That was partly to set up this piece, claiming that Gordon is one of them.  Prior to 2017, Gordon signed a 5/$50M contract, which is what you would expect to pay for what.  1.5 WAR per year?

Gordon has been healthy three of the last four years: 2014, 2015, and 2017, last year.  Fangraphs sets his bases gained and bases lost as worth --- > $25.1M, and then $38.7M, and then $26.6M.  Counting his injury year in 2016 (79 games played), he's been worth $98.3M in four years.  And they gave him ten million a year for that.

Iguana.

Marc W asked (reasonably) at USSM, If Dipoto isn't going to buy stars in FA, where's he going to get them?  You and i might spend a few minutes asking whether Dipoto just looked across the country and spotted one that other people don't recognize.

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A secondary point, the "PU" parallel universe point.  Supposing there were an All-Star player on the trade market right now, signed for three more years at less than half his value.  Let's say Chris Archer.  You think the M's could trade for him?  You are always told we don't have the prospects, are you not?

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The thought was floated that Safeco is tough on groundball hitters.  This thought is worth debating, but the next stat I see quantifying it will be the first one.  Safeco FOR SURE is tough on backspin hitters (which is why it is so remarkable and beneficial that Cruz and Zunino transcend the park).  Topspin hitters defeat the park; why wouldn't groundball hitters do the same?

Perhaps the Mariners have indeed preferred to cut the infield grass longer; this would make sense with Cano and Segura playing the middle infield.  But Jerry Dipoto is well aware that Dee Gordon is a 2.9:1 groundball freak, and he's not going to trade for a feature leadoff hitter only to tell them to cut the grass high on him.

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As you sleep on it for a couple of days, you realize that Dee Gordon is responding to his position switch with an attack mindset.  The Mainframe is gingerly switching its stock buy from +0 to +5 on Gordon's runs saved in center field.  Which leaves him as a 3.3 to 4.8 WAR player.

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Also one of the first 10 questions James answered, back in 2007, was "can you beat Pythag."  Surprisingly, he answered, Yes you can.  With a great bullpen and ... wait for it ... by playing 1-run strategies.  Dee Gordon drags the bat through the zone, rolls it on the grass, and then puts his legs to work like Rickey Henderson.  This works just as well against Justin Verlander as it does against Joe Blanton.  ... you see the idea here, right?  Lance McCullers does not strike out Dee Gordon, does he?  He does the same thing every other pitcher does:  he hopes the sharp ground ball will hit the shortstop in the mitt.  It's a good way to start a game against a great pitcher, sending Dee Gordon up there.

In Miami, the Marlins were about even against Pythag, though you have a lot of moving parts to consider there.  Dr. D does remember 2001, with the Mariners finishing +7 games above Pythag when they put together (1) a close-it-out bullpen, (2) a good team generally with a high DER, and (3) "rallies that started with Ichiballs up the middle" as Boone put it.

I dunno if there's such a thing as an MLB weapon specialized against killer pitching.  But if there is, Dee Gordon is it.

BABVA,

Dr D