The rumors about Seattle-Detroit with Tampa Bay in the mix, have made Carl Crawford an interesting topic of discussion this week. 

Carl Crawford is one of my fave players.  He, to me, is the way you play that kind of game (the hit-for-the-cycle game).

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Crawford is one of my favorite players, and if he joined the Mariners, it would become a serious question whether the 2010 M's had the #1 most-effective defensive outfield of all time.

Fangraphs has Crawford as a -15 to -20 run left fielder, a figure that I can believe (for once) in view of Crawford's stunning SX's -- 155 to 180 year in, year out.  The man is running in lower gravity.

Ichiro, Gutierrez, and Crawford would not only provide dominating gloves in each position respectively, but also -- this is important -- they would get a chance to do it in a huge outfield.  Many of history's fastest outfields did their thang in parks that just didn't provide as much room to roam.

Granted, Endy Chavez provided a 50-game look at a similar defensive outfield, but at the cost of playing a substitute.  It's not the same thing, playing David Concepcion and Pokey Reese at middle infield, as it is playing David Concepcion and Joe Morgan.  Crawford would give the Mariners three plus hitters wielding those dominating gloves.

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=== M's 2, Angels Coming to Bat ===

It would be very cool to see an opposing pitcher try to stop Ichiro plus another All-Star table-setter to start off each game. 

I honestly wonder how often the double-steal would be on, after both reached?  Probably never, since one would always be on third... come to think of it, that means the 2B-3B 0 out would be a gimme, right?  You'd be insane to throw through to second, risking the run, in a lost cause anyway.

So after Ichiro's leadoff hit, the pitcher is worrying about him and Crawford, a .300 hitter, singles... Ichiro's on 3rd, Crawford on 2nd with nobody out and boom.  The defense is playing to trade two runs for two outs :- )

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=== Most Comps ===

You can think of Carl Crawford as:

Johnny Damon, minus 30 walks, plus 25 stolen bases, plus a Gold Glove.

For no objective reason, I prefer Crawford's variation on Johnny Damon's "cycle" game -- if you're going to have a speed player, I prefer for the speed to be really devastating.   Crawford gets 10-20 triples, 50-60 stolen bases, who knows how many "poached" first-to-thirds.

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Kenny Lofton, minus 40 walks, plus 5 homers, without enough arm to play center.    (The great) Kenny Lofton was the .400 OBP guy that Crawford is not, but take away 40 walks from the young Kenny Lofton and you've still got a fearsome player.

Lofton, at age 40, had a season that wasn't tons different from any of his other seasons.  Players like him and Rickey are what we talk about with speed players aging well.  I doubt you're risking a lot, committing 6 years to Carl Crawford...

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Jacoby Ellsbury is -- so far -- Carl Crawford if Crawford didn't have any power.   This highlights the difference between a "leadoff" hitter and a "cycle" hitter.  

Baseball has a good number of .300'ish, 60SB guys.  It's when they add walks, or power, or both, that you've got a star.

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What would happen if you took the Ellsbury-type offensive player, who had no power to speak of, but he did get some extra walks?  You'd have Chone Figgins, an OBP-SB guy who slaps the ball around.   Granted, Figgins may be about to decline rapidly.  But he's been effective for Anaheim.

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=== Expensive R/X Dept. ===

Bear in mind that Tampa fans all want Crawford traded, rather than Pena, because of the two $10M men over there, Crawford is the guy they expect to bring back a Felix-type haul.

Crawford's mass kewl, but I fear the price.  We'll see.

Cheers,

Dr D