Just FWIW, I can understand Sandy's assertion that the team has 67-win talent...but in this case, I don't think I believe that...if the entire offense+defense were exactly the replacement level...then perhaps we'd have 67 win talent...but the rotation and a few of the releivers, by themselves are probably +20 wins on replacement. King Felix is +6 wins every year, Pineda might be +6 wins his own self. Vargas and Fister look like +3 win pitchers, League is another +1.5, Bedard, if healthy, is +3 wins...and if he falters, we have other pitchers who are above the replacement level who can take his rotation spot.
So no...I don't think we're a 67 win team as currently constructed.
I would also observe that, perhaps other than Texas, all of the teams in the AL west have major flaws. Oakland doesn't hit any better than we do and their rotation is not as deep, especially with Braden now on the DL. Anaheim has two top-line pitchers and three below average ones IMHO...I think the league has booked Pin-Air-O and I'm not a big believer in Ervin Santana...and behind their pitching is an offense that is also flawed...they've got THREE slap-happy infielders hitting way WAAAYY above their norms right now and it's mostly BABIP luck (Izturis especially)...and their outfield is old and not that effective...even once they get Morales back, I still don't think their offense is more than a few OPS+ points better than ours.
Texas is just injury-riddled right now...when they get healthy, they are a handful...that I'll admit...but I think we can compete with Texas if we win when we play them. And that's in the hands of our starting pitching.
Add new comment
1