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I've always believed Saunders profiles better as a CF.  If he hits like Grady Sizemore then yes, he can hang out in LF for us, but if he's Aaron Rowand, he can't stay in LF. We cannot run 3 CF-level bats out there in the outfield.  We haven't been able to do that since the days of Boone, a 2B who can club 30+ HR, but we keep trying.
 
  
Our corner power is a slap-hitting RF, a slap-hitting 3B, and a pair of 2nd year players at 1B and LF.  I think the 1B could wind up hitting 30 HRs and 30 2B (though probably not this year), but what if he doesn't?
 
  
Saunders has value, but it's raised significantly in CF.  .250/.310/.430 is acceptable there while it is NOT from LF.  .280/.340/.425 made Gutierrez a star last year at the position when combined with his glove, and I'm with Doc - Saunders can be a plus defender in Safeco.  Not Guti, but by no means embarrassing.
 
  
I've been a bigger believer in Saunders than most, but from the beginning I've stated the only way I see him making a major contribution to the club is in CF where he doesn't have to hit his 90th percentile projection to help in a major way.  I like Franklin, but let's not get carried away on how superior an option he is.  He posted the 2nd worst OPS of any qualified CF option in 2010. His career year of 2010 was 13th of 20.  I know that's not park-adjusted and I know that's not defense, but Guti is not the greatest thing I've ever seen in CF, and I would move him for a LF who ALREADY hits like Grady Sizemore and could be even better.
 
  
I don't think we can require that of Saunders.
 
  
I would trade either of them for another legit power threat, under contract for 5 years and by the end of it would still be in the prime of his career.  Saunders can hit like Guti, that I believe, and he might hit better - but asking him to fill a MOTO role might be a bit much for him.  It's not too much for Upton, and I'd like a legit RH bat so that we're not totally neutered by LHP.  Maybe it would turn out like Beltre who was destroyed by the park.  Trading for Beltre after his Age 21 season would have earned you a world of disappointment.
 
 
But I don't think it will, and after watching everyone from Anderson and Meche to Nageotte and Blackley to Butler and Morrow fail to make the impact we've desired, I think the long odds of Pineda panning out like Felix make it worth looking into whether he can get us more-stable-yet-still-impact production.
 
 
~G