Jones makes no sense. He doesn't play the IF and he doesn't hit LHP (.547 this year!!---He was at .684 last year, however--still not good). Well, he makes sense if we have TOTALLY abandoned Ackley for the moment. Maybe that's what we've done.
Guti I could live with. But we're still not very flexible in the IF......unless Ackley has become a #25 IF/OF/Utility type; Ackley as Bloomquist, as it were. But then Bloomquist isn't very needed, considering he doesn't hit or field very well. So you could just dump him and get Taylor here.
Kivlehan has played quite a bit at 3B. Romero has just the one start at 2B.
Really, O'Malley makes as much sense as anyone. He's OPSing .799 vs. LHP, Guti is at .801...a virtual tie. O'Mally has the slightly better average and OBP, Guti is .023 ahead in slugging.
Guti, a guy who has a career .646 vR OPS at the MLB level, is at .344-.455-.570 = 1.025 as I write. So his Tacoma combined totals are a bit out of whack. If he comes up, then he's not a platoon guy. LF is his.
It may well be time, BTW, that the big change is in the Manager's office. I like McClendon: I don't think this team looks like it will get it together under him. Sometimes the change in the guy making out the lineups really doesn make a difference. Usually it is a psychological difference, mind you.
But we're a long way into the season and we just tread water. That isn't going to do it. It is likely time to get what you can for Ackley, too. Call it a Mercy Trade: He gets a chance to hit and we don't have to look at the beard.
moe