OK, as I shouted, Austin Jackson is a few days from returning. It doesn't do much for us, but he'll be back in CF. I am now ready for a 2nd move, to coincide with that one.
We've got $2M wrapped up in Weeks this year and $2.5M in Ruggiano. Ruggiano could probably be traded (because of his CF abilities), I'm not so sure about Weeks. Nobody wanted him in the offseason, as far as I know.
But I'm bringing a Tacoma bat up with Jackson, which means somebody else gets bumped.
We're in a bit of a pickle, moves to be made and a vet has to go. If we assume Romero has infield skills (he has 1 start at 2B this year), then you could let Bloomquist go, but that means that Seager is your BU SS when Miller is DHing. I suppose that isn't any worse than Bloomquist at SS, though.
Montero consumes a spot, but doesn't defend, except at a place where our starter plays everyday.
Trades? The guys we might get are no better bets thant he guys we have.
Pressure is on The Skip to get his lineup right. I'm not blaming him, mind you...not at all...but Z went out and got the vet arms and bats that were called for, now Lloyd has to get the right guys ont he field.
Short and Sweet:
Exclude Cruz and our RHB's are failing dismally vs. RHP.
Here you go, you may want to shut your eyes!
Hits-ABs (Hr's-BB's-K's)
Bloomquist 1-9 (0-0-3)
Sucre 1-12 (0-0-3)
Taylor 3-24 (0-2-9)
Ruggiano 3-23 (0-3-10)
Weeks 2-30 (0-5-14)
Zunino 14-82 (4-4-37)
Jackson 16-70 (0-6-16)
Total 40-250 (4-20-92) .160/.222/.232
Ish!
OK, vs. RHP (about 70% of the AB's) we do run out Miller, Smith, Morrison, Seager, Cano and Cruz. Those guys are pretty impressive, as a group. Ackley, a LHB, was bad of course!
But seeing that other guys above are now getting 33% of the lineup spots, vR (with Ackley finally benched, it seems), we have some problems......
Ruggiano and Weeks have recent histories ('14) of hitting RHP decently, Zunino will always be what he is, Taylor is just up, and the other guys 'might" get better. But none of that makes me too optimistic.....other than Taylor. a bit.
We need another RHB who can hit RHP. So what have we in Tacoma? Guti seems to be broken down again, so Montero-Romero-Kivlehan are left.
Montero keeps mashing lefties (.968 OPS/He was born with that skill set) but his .320 average vs RHP is deceiving. He's K'ed 24% of the time, has only 2 BB's vs his 23 K's and is running a vR BABIP of nearly .400 (28-71). He's popped 3 homers in his 97 vR AB's. His numbers are not as good as they appear.
Romero is killing LHP (1.140 OPS w/4 HR's in 40 AB's). But his numbers decline vs. RHP: .247/.330/.440 He's K'ed 20% of the time, has 9 BB's to go with 19 K's (an improvement) and has 3 HR's in 85 AB's. BABIP is .286.
Kivlehan, at first blush, seems the least ready. But I'm not so sure. He's not hitting lefties, for sure (.220 average with 0 homers), but he will. His .214/.287/.440 line vs. RHP is creamed by a .193 BABIP (12-62). He's K'ed in 18% of his AB's, has 7 BB's to go with his 16 K's and has clubbed 6 HR's in 84 vR AB's.
If you factor out the BABIP differences, Kivlehan is actually the better vR option right now. I don't know what to make of his vL numbers.
I suppose the best thing to do is wait/hope for Weeks or Ruggiano to come back to vR life. I suppose. But I hate waiting when I think a team needs some kind of a spark. At some point you have to say, "Next up!" If Taylor gets his OPB schtick going and Zunino keeps whacking Zuuuumballs at a 25 p/season rate, well then we can carry one or two cruddy vR RH bats in the lineup. But I'm ready for a guy to come up and somebody to move on. Weeks, I think. McClendon like his vets. I'm not sure he can pull that lever.
Saturday morning food for thought guys. Go team!
Comments
Seems like that's the only thing that could save this season. He OPSed .784 vs. right handers as recent as 2013, .856 vs. them in 2012.
We ran Ruggiano and Weeks out there against Clay Buchholz who (Krueger said) pitched a game Felix would have been proud of.
Great article Moe!