Sardinas is a new toy; I think some people are pretty dang enamored of it. He's sparkly and cute. In the end, I think, we will decide he isn't quite as fun as our Taylor or O'Malley toy.
Doc, you're dead on about Sardinas and his slooooow swing through the zone. You can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyWkmtWiZJo
He almost stops the bat on some swings and just waits to flick at the ball. Such an approach should equal some bleeder hits, a few down the line doubles and a bunch of tough outs, Maybe. But in the bigs Sardinas is K'ing 4 times as often as he BB's. That isn't an anomaly as he's K'ing more than 3 times as often in AAA. OK, I will admit that he's only 22, fair enough. But at AA (age 20-21) he K'ed nearly 5 times as often. In the video I linked above, he seems to see a steady diet of off-speed stuff. He's worse from the RH side than he is from the LH side, so he has that bit going for him. However, I'm willing to bet that he gets out in front of slurvey offerings, trying to get the bat in the zone, and then has a hard time not "flicking" at the bendy stuff out of the zone.
He's a career .285-.315-.365 AAA hitter. Was worse in AA.
Chris Taylor? With the bat at the MLB level you have to decide if last season's "Ooops" was nothing to worry about, considering his much more extensive success in '14 AND his really nice AAA pedigree? OK, Taylor strikes out 4 times as often as he walks in the bigs, but at the AAA lever that number is about 1.5. His .313-.394-.460 AAA line is pretty sweet. Compare it to Montero's .302-.360-.506 and you can sit up and take notice pretty quickly.
If we compare bats to bats, it looks like Taylor is the clear winner. But gloves?
Well, there isn't much difference in the numbers anyway. Across all the minors, Sardinas runs a .947 Fld& at SS with a 4.28 Rf/9. Taylor is .950 and 4.48. Sardinas is .966 and (an impressive) 5.05 in the bigs, Taylor .953 and 4.43. Sardinas' 5.05 is a SSS blip, just because it is SO far above his established rate. It is possible that Sardinas is slightly betteer with the glove at SS. Maybe. Taylor seems to make all the plays, IIRC.
There seems to be some mention that Sardinas has the edge as he plays 3B and Taylor doesn't. I think it is more that Sardians has played it some (7 MLB starts/35 appearances) and Taylor hasn't (1 MLB appearance). Surely a glovey SS can pick it a bit at 3B. He started there the other day, remember.
Neither, BTW, plays CF and that is a hole that we also have. And so in jumps (possibly) Shawn O'Malley. O'Malley can hit some, as we've seen (and Dipoto, too....with LAA), plays 2B and 3B. Also had 88 SS starts in AA in '13, 53 more at AAA in '14 and 7 more for Tacoma last year. He had, btw, 10 CF starts for Seattle last year and did just ducky. Ooooh! He plays all the positions, doesn't he. He's Bloomie with a bat.
We're a CF short, unless Marte goes there when Martin sits. Aoki hasn't played CF since '13 (9 innings). He did have 10 starts there in '12. All the same, he's unlikely to get CF time once the season starts. Dipoto really values CF defense, remember. Guti seems to be out of the CF mix. We're in a bit of flux there guys. Too tell you the truth, we are one Aoki and Smith over the limit (if Guti isn't a CF).
His flexiblity gives O'Malley the inside track. That and he's a pretty good stick. Were Sardinas, Taylor, or Marte to get some CF innings in the next couple of weeks then you might see a different equation developing. I said that we would see Romero at 1B AND that he would get some CF look-sees, as well. If he gets any CF times, then we may be seeing a roster move developing.
And if Herschel Mack Powell hits in ST, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a quick call-up and Seth Smith or Aoki finds themselves with a tweaked hammy.
Lind, Guti, Cruz, Aoki & Smith mean that 40% of out glovey, easily predicted 25-man roster ONLY play 1B or COF. It's why Montero isn't making the team. If Lee rakes, then you really are compromised by all the COF/1B spots.
Here's a question to consider: Could O'Malley or Powell get on base 35% of the time AND play a better COF than Aoki (-1.3 AND -0.5 the last two seasons) or Smith (a minus EVERY year of his career)? If so, well then......
I love Aoki's reverse split (.321-.376-.400 vs LHP for his career, better last year), but the .800 vR that you can figure Smith for sure beats Aoki's .720, or so.
But flexability is a concern right now for us. I'm sure Dipoto and Servais are paying it some concern. More than some, in fact.
Unless Lee goes all Matsui on ST, then Romero is making the club. And I'm willing to bet we give more and more consideration to less and less of a platoon role for Guti (and more of a 75% guy), if he looks reasonably whole.
I know that Matt will say, "Noooooooo!" but there remains a path to Seth Smith being swapped out. It wouldn't be short-sighted either (although debatable) as it would allow us to have a fulltime IF utility guy AND a 4th OF who goes (easily) to CF.
Nothing wrong with that. I'm not advocating, really, just pointing out the lay of the land.
Moe