Okay - I understand everybody believed Kotch was a 95 OPS+ guy before he arrived. I get that. Maybe everyone else is right and I'm wrong. I'll concede that.
But why should Kotch be benched and not Lopez and Figgy. If Kotch "cannot get it done", what about Figgy and Lopez leave them out of that category.
Kotch is hitting 20 OPS+ under norm - Figgy 40 -- Lopez 50. Why is the roster guy regular who is currently 3rd in OPS+ on the team the one singled out for "cannot get it done, long or short?" The guy leading the team in doubles - and second in HR and RBI is the one guy you say must be benched?
Is this a recommendation for Langerhans, with a career OPS+ of 87?
Is it a suggestion that the .192 hitting Carp should be called up?
The team DH and 3B are both hitting 120 OPS under the team 1B results, (and both are hitting 50 OPS under the catcher aggregate).
IMO - benching Kotchman at this point would be a near repeat of the Johjima/Norton disaster -- when they cut the guy who had been hitting up a storm, and rewarded the horridly slumping Johjima with a big contract.
If you're going to bench someone - you MUST "begin" with the worst performers. That would be Griffey ... then Lopez ... then Figgy.
But, as long as Griffey and his .450 OPS continue playing - benching ANYONE else simply compounds the problem. The suggestion is 100% in line with the Bavasi/Hargrove veteran entitlement plan. Benching the 3rd best hitter on the team while continuing to play 6 guys who are worse not only makes the team worse -- it completely disconnects consequence from cause.
My view -- if you bench your 75 OPS+ guy while continuing to play your 28 OPS+ guy (who doesn't even have a mitigating factor of a defensive ability needed) -- then your team deserves to finish behind Baltimore.
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