Add new comment

We were the worst OBP team in the AL last year, in fact.
But I believe we can improve that this year simply through subtraction: of plate appearances by disasters.
Gone or not-likely to see a lot of PT:
- Jones (328 PAs, .278 OBP)
- Smoak (276 PAs, .275 OBP)
- Hart (255 PAs, .271 OBP)
- Morales (239 PAs, .285 OBP)
- Romero (190 PAs, .234 OBP)
Almonte (113 PAs, .248 OBP)
That's 1400 PAs of pitiful on-base attempts.
Add to that the expected improvements in Zunino (.254 OBP) and Jackson (.267 OBP last year, .342 previously in entire career) and we don't look that bad off.  Heck, if Miller stays his .288 should bounce back significantly too (.410 career minor-league OBP - mostly BA-driven, but still).
Cruz has a lifetime .328 on-base percentage.  That ain't huge by any means, but it's better by a significant margin than half the Ms hitters last year.  The only hitters better: Cano, Seager, Saunders and Taylor - and the last two didn't play a lot.
Fowler would be good for our on-base, but then we have to figure out what to do with Austin Jackson in center. Melky makes more sense positionally, and I'd be fine with him even though it would mean dumping Saunders (I assume) to provide the position and playing time.
But we should take a large step forward in on-base simply by keeping Hart, Smoak, Morales and some baby-Mariners away from the lineup.
~G