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We would be selling low on Franklin and we don't know what we have yet with him. For sure he's cheaper and younger and under control for longer than Peralta. Sticking Peralta in the OF might be an option.
Jhonny Peralta: Relentlessly Average
That's not a bad thing (and the main idea seems to be setting up a Franklin trade?)
The remarkable thing about Jhonny Peralta is how almost everything about his offensive output is amazingly average.
Sure, his batting average will fluctuate based on BABIP, and his power will fluctuate based on HR/FB, but, for the most part, he's just pretty much right there in the middle.
| HR/PA | K/PA | BB/PA | XBH/PA | XBH/H | K/BB | GB/FB | LD% | HR/FB | |
| Peralta (11 years) | 2.8% | 20.4% | 8.4% | 8.3% | 35% | 2.44 | 0.78 | 20% | 7.6% |
| MLB Average | 2.7% | 17.8% | 8.4% | 7.8% | 34% | 2.12 | 0.80 | 19% | 7.7% |
And where does his career OPS+ end up? 101. Almost right there on the nose.
Now ... not that there's anything wrong with that!
Obviously, a huge part of any player's value is his ability to attain average results. Well, it sure looks like that's what you're paying for with Peralta.
And ... if it's a shortstop, then average offense is a huge plus.
But it appears that Peralta is not being viewed as a shortstop, with apparent good reason.
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Drayer's hint is this: Peralta would keep 3b warm for D.J. Peterson, while Seager goes to 2b, where his value is higher, and where he will go anyway once the Deej is in town. So she says, indicating that the new party-line is that D.J. will not be forced to 1b right away.
Of course, that would remove Nick Franklin and Dustin Ackley from the second-base scenario ... at least as the everyday guy.
So, presumably, Peralta would be part of a multi-part orchestration, in which one or both of the above is trade bait. Since Ackley already seems to be considered an outfielder, then we're probably talking about Franklin.
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Potentially, then, you'd have Peralta at 3b in order to free up Franklin to be used to obtain pitching or an offensive outfielder.
On the Peralta side of that, it looks like he's a very sure bet to get between 85-115 OPS+, since that's what he's been doing. He has some fairly wide swings, as Doc noted, due to BABIP and HR/FB variation, but, at the end of the day, he seems pretty solid at the plate. Not a break-the-bank add at 3b, but solid.
On the Franklin side of that, obviously, it depends on the guy you get back, but I've always been cautiously pessimistic on Nick, despite his obvious upside.
If there's a team that sees him as an everyday SS (which he won't be for Seattle with Miller there), then he certainly seems like a guy with more value to another team than he has to the Mariners.
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So, yes, if Zduriencik is actively seeking pitching or OF help via trade, and Franklin is one of the potential main cogs, then Peralta-3b, Seager-2b is a logical piece to consider.
Comments
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Franklin and Seager should not be on the same team and I've been hoping Seager would be the one we keep.
Guys been holding his own at third but is gonna be a stud at second.
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we're getting. I don't understand why I keep reading about Miller, Franklin, Paxton getting traded. We finally see some promising first returns from our farm system and there's a rush to ship one or two out of town? Are we getting Wil Myers or something?
Really hope Beltran, Choo, Cruz, Granderson, Chris Young like our money.
I'd be content with Cruz, Chris Young, Peralta.
But please, enough with stuff like Franklin + Paxton + Medina for Dexter Fowler + Josh Rutledge + Matt Belisle nonsense. Or Franklin, Saunders, Wilhelmsen, Pike for Austin Jackson and Porcello? Wouldn't trade Saunders for Jackson straight up. Porcello would block a couple cheaper guys with just as much / more potential in Maurer and Erasmo.
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I brought up this very subject in Doc's "Peralta, POTD" thread. If you can swap Franklin/ERam + for something pretty then signing Peralta makes some sense. Seager would certainly play well at 2B. I'm in, if you're getting a Price-like player in return. Eventually, however, Peralta might collide with a rocketing Deej Peterson. I suppose you could worry about that later.
I eventually decided I didn't really like the Peralta get, because I think it's quite likely that Franklin is near his equal with the bat, or better......and the $10M could be better spent elsewhere. That, of course, is predicated on my feeling that we're not getting a bunch of loot for Franklin/Eram +.
But if other GM's see Franklin as a SS (basically a Peralta), then his value is enhanced and we might score in that swap.
Betting against Franklin, and getting Peralta just because of that, is a weird move, however. It means you're also betting against Romero, Ackley AND Taylor (not to mention Kelly). I'm pretty confident we have a Peralta bat in-house now.
But if you lose out in the Tanaka sweepstakes plus if you can find the bright and shining swap to make, then Peralta is a decent add. He'll probably collide with that rocketing Deej in a little over a year (or just under).....fret about that then, I suppose.
You can get the same kind of OPS by just getting Mark Reynolds and the cost is cheaper. He doesn't bring a Peralta glove to 3B, however...and he's less flexable.
All in all, show me the right trade and I'll buy in.
moe
moe
5
I'm not a Peralta fan, too much, but ... I've got to concede that he's way into the "average-solid" territory as a hitter. This is a guy who gets you his 20 dingers and 30 doubles when they matter.
One thing to OPS+ 101, being spotted here and there when you're feeling good, have a pitcher you like, etc. Peralta's a tough stick.
.....
But, with everybody else here (and at the Spectometer), I want a BLINKIN' GOOD reason for trading away Nick Franklin. Much less Brad Miller or Kyle Seager.