A casual but fair look at the splits, including month to month OPS figures, suggest to me that Wells is indeed a capable 4th outfielder, and the last two seasons he has mashed lefties. I agree that Wells is not the hill to die on, but the numbers suggest a very good platoon half. C'mon: .891 OPS vs. lefties last year. Fluke? It was .831 the year before. SSS? We're talking 261 PAs overall in the past two years. The monthly OPSes are scattered much like you'd expect from any typical player. It's a very normal looking fluctuation.
I would be delighted with a .850 OPSing outfielder, providing right handed power in Safeco, sharing time with a similar .850 OPSIng lefty. Let's not strain out a gnat with these stats, and swallow a camel. Casper has proven in his two years here that he can play defense, and hit lefties extremely well. Seems to me Safeco field can use a guy like that.
But, if you have a Guti, and a Morse, and a Bay, a Wells is superfluous. But c'mon, Matt, let's be fair.
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