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I have already conceded that the current club is "close" to being good enough to seriously consider Fielder.  So, why am I not all the way into the "buy" column on Fielder?
It starts with 556 - 675.  That's the 2012 run differential, (a 67 pythag which corresponds identically to the 67 win season).
On July 5th, the club was 43-43 and there was still enthusiasm for the season.  Then came the 17 game losing streak. 
Ackley was there for the entire plunge.  Seager took over at third on July 7th and Figgins basically wasn't a part of the collapse.  Carp was there for the last week.  Fister was still in the rotation. 
Yes, things improved in August, (before tanking again in September).  But, the club was outscored by 18 runs in August and 34 in September. 
If the assessment of the current roster is (for example), 75 wins ... then Fielder gets you to 80.  To me, the idea of committing to $150-200 million in salary for a guy to come in and help you win 80 doesn't make any sense at all.
You MUST start with a fair assessment of where you stand - and with this club that is not easy. 
CA) Olivo - liability - the emptiest 20-HR bat in all of baseball - and a prayer that Moore is a new guy after missing a year injured.  At 33, as a catcher, could hit the wall or the DL at any moment, and the odds increase on just that with every tick.  Chance of improving - almost nil.  Change of declining - better than average.
1b) Smoak - leader of the all hype team.  His 489 PAs failed to generate the WAR that Kyle Seager did in 201.   IF Smoak hits .800 in 2012, then Fielder could be a difference maker.  If he hits .690 (again), Fielder is a large check spent to mediocrity.  Projection is up, but for all the hype, after 223 games, he still can't hit .250.  Forget comps to Teixeira.  At this point, becoming Troy Glaus would be a welcome improvement.
2B) Ackley - uber-talent.  Complete fade in September.  Is he REALLY an .800 hitter?
3B) Seager/Liddi/Figgy - Seager was a huge surprise to make the club this quick and perform so well.  But, also faded a bit down the stretch.  What's the confidence level that he improves?
SS) Ryan - The stop-gap for Franklin posted an 83 OPS+ and showed a solid glove.  He's 29 and not getting any better. 
LF) Carp - team leader in returning OPS at .791 (excluding Liddi's 44 PAs).  The brightest spot from 2012 offense.  But, for all the good, still saddled with a 19:81 BB/K split. 
CF) Guti (.534) - Trayvon (.586) - Saunders (.424).  Those are the three returning primary CF candidates. 
RF) Ichiro - (.645) and a year older.  It's nice to hope that Ichiro will bounce back - and he may.  But, who is placing a $20 million bet that he will?
DH) Wells? - (.742) - nice, exciting, productive pick-up.  But, the 3 games (out of 31) that they played him in CF probably suggests how the club feels about his as a full-time CF selection.  His 9:42 BB/K is a little scary.
Out of the ENTIRE lineup, which guys are 'easy' to project?  Olivo and Ryan - (both project to around 80 OPS+.  The rest of the club is a crapshoot. 
But, after Bedard and Fister and Pauley were traded away, what happened to the pitching?  Well, the bullpen actually was BETTER.  The ERA was nearly identical (3.58 in first half and 3.63 in second), but the 6.9 K/9 was a full 1.2 better in the 2nd half.  The pen struggled some in July, but got progressively better in August and Sept.
But, the rotation tanked.  Try 10-11 with a 5.10 ERA in August (offense carried the club) and 7-17 5.05 in September.  The club doesn't have Bedard and Fister on the roster.  They have Beaven and Furbush.  Pineda took his lumps in the 2nd half.  Furbush waffled between pretending to be Pineda and pretending to be Garrett Olson. 
There are certainly a number of "potential" starters lined up for 2012 auditions.  But, like the offense, a number of huge question marks.
It's not that the club is "bad".  It's that the "uncertainty" about the production from so many guys makes the Fielder gambit smell (to me) a lot like the Sexson/Beltre gambit.  The chance of working is dubious - but it'll make the fans happy (for a bit) and help paint the picture of a club trying to win (and obviously, the perception is far more important than the results).
Me?  I'd rather give the kids one more year, see who works out, let Jack continue to do his magic and go after Kemp or Votto or Andrew McCutchen for a 2013 run.  (Noting that if things go well in first half of 2012, that move 'could' be trade-deadline rather than off-season).
Me?  I want to know BEFORE I commit $20 million that I need a 1B more than I need a CF.
 

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