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If we could mosh off that "Mini Carlos Peguero" thought for just a moment?
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1. Dr. D hasn't seen anything to dissuade him from his impression that we are talking about a 67 OPS+ for King Leonydas. Granted, he's only "seen anything" for like two at-bats. But as you know, two at-bats for the Mainframe is like a Lou Gehrig career's worth for a lesser computer. Even if those two at-bats occurred in the dead of winter.
1a. We did upgrade mightily in the offense, from Mike Zunino's 50 OPS+ to Chris Iannetta to Steve Clevenger. We can't just spit it all away with a 50 OPS+ in center field; Austin Jackson was around 90 for us last year. You'll wind up with a push at best between CF/C the two years.
Nori Aoki is only a stylistic change in LF. The whole offensive upgrade becomes Adam Lind, if Martin gets slaughtered like a hog at Oscar Mayer this April.
2. It hadn't really hit us, for some reason. Franklin Gutierrez wakes up in the morning -- EVERY MORNING -- and tells an M's manager whether he is available that day. Now, it is true that the M's manager will not email the opposing manager with this information. But that would suggest, that many mornings our heroes are playing a man down. Dr. D watches soccer. He knows it is not desirable to play a man down.
3. Let's see what's on the bench here. :: ticks off on fingers :: backup shortstop ... backup catcher ... Dae-Ho Lee ... and the "fourth outfielder" is the platoon between Seth Smith and Franklin Gutierrez. Who on any given day is a good bet to call in sick. :: blinks :: How is this going to work?
4. Luis Sardinas went to CF for an inning on Wednesday. He changed speeds three times before he centered himself under a skyball. I don't know what that translates to in UZR terms, but I think he's leading Florida by -16 points.
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Even IF Leonys Martin bounces back, he's still going to be useless against left hand pitchers. If Guti's sick what do you do?
Boog Powell looked pretty cool the other day. 's a good thing.
Meet me in St. Louie and let's see if a surplus SS = their surplus OF.
If you're not sure Booger is ready, willing, able by May 1, anyway.
When we may desperately need him.
See my comments about Martin in your previous thread.
O'Malley is making this team out of ST.
It is entirely reasonable to assume that Martin is used with a RHB in platoon. Even at his best (.573 in '13, .581 in '14), he remains atrocious vs. LHP. In such an arrangement you would run out to CF a guy who can hit lefties at least 40 times. Aoki can hit lefties (and you would have Guti, Cruz, a vL bashing 1B AND a DH (if Cruz was in RF). But Aoki isn't a very good CF'er. Not good enough to play 40 games out there, anyway.
So you could go with Martin fulltime, figuring that you're vL bats will carry his weakling stick....and some of that weakness is covered up by his glove.
After thnking about it all today, I'm beginining to feel such a solution is the one Servais will go with. I do not agree with it, but what do I know.
If you are all in with Martin and he doesn't hit, then you have a tough lineup decision to make. Demote Martin ordo something with one of the other 3 OFers.
Sardinas has given himself the inside edge at utility IF guy, as well.
And we need BP help.