Level 101 Grok: Marlon Byrd
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Q. What's the bottom line here?
A. No bottom line here. This is just a first impression of Marlon Byrd, WITHOUT any (of my own) detailed analysis driving it.
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Q. So, like we said. What's the bottom line here?
A. For me, Byrd is a cosmetic change. Not unlike the Cheney merry-go-round.
I wouldn't play Byrd in front of Michael Saunders; I sure as shootin' would play him in front of either Chavez or Ackley, or "DH Surprise Stew." :: shrug ::
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Q. Do you agree that he's "Nelson Cruz Lite"?
A. Spectator gives us 4 articles' worth of indisputable facts and figures, and then reasonably concludes two things:
- He's Nelson Cruz lite
- He has chosen to become Nelson Cruz lite
I'm not disputing Jim, of course; Ron Shandler had precisely the same take on Marlon Byrd. "Sacrificed contact % for PWR."
From my seat in section 339, there is a WHALE of a lot of difference between 40-120 upside (like Nelson Cruz always had) and 25-85 upside (which is the ceiling for Marlon Byrd at his age). How many guys do we need with 25-85 upside? Don't Hart, and LoMo, and Smoak, and Montero, and Saunders, and ?, have the potential to hit like that for the two months remaining?
Dr. D only just barely wanted Nelson Cruz as a member of his ballclub, because Cruz represents the extreme of his skill set.
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Q. How powerful are the Byrd shots?
A. Moderately. Corey Hart and Logan Morrison have skosh more torque than Byrd does.
On the HR tracker his average HR is a tadbit below average velocity. The eye? It sees Byrd as having garden-variety corner-OF torque.
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Q. How about platoon differential? Ballpark context for Byrd? Age-arc?
A. I don't trust Byrd's power here, and the RF homers are definitely ex-homers here, but ... he does tend to pull his shots right down the LF line, and we have a new catch-basin in LF.
It wouldn't surprise if he slugged .450 the rest of the way. Without giving it much more thought (than the first 30 seconds' worth), I'd peg the over-under on his SLG at, say, .440.
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His LH/RH splits are no big deal. Jesus Montero's, in sharp contradistinction, are. I don't know whether Byrd would be willing to play 9-to-make-5. The whole rumor scenario is depressing to Dr. D.
You've got the NL-AL transition that is a melancholy one to consider. If Zduriencik wants to call this his Big Move, fine. :: shrug :: It wouldn't be mine, but if he's coming in for Ackley, okay.
Zdruriencik asks SSI for its recommendation on Byrd, it offers back "go with what you got. Why is Montero in AAA?"
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That's my opinion I could be wrong,
Dr D