What does 9 runs saved in RF amount to? Is that 12-13 balls that don't fall in, which might equal 9 runs when you add up bases gained by baserunners,? What is the standard number/formula there? Smith had 91 OF starts last year (61 in RF, 30 in LF) and played a total of 730 OF innings. Our pitchers threw a total of 1457 innings, so Smith was basically (and almost exactly) a half-time player in the OF.
9 run gained in 1/2 a season is quite a bit. But if you add Guti's 400+ COF innings, now replaced by Haniger, then you get somewhere. Guti, BTW, was a -1.2 dWAR guy last season. Not good.
But I think this all indicates, as I've said, just how much we're depending on Haniger's bat not to drag him down and spit him out in Tacoma. Smith and Guti, together, were right at 110 OPS+ with their bats, w/30 HR's in 721 PA's. The M's are certainly hoping that Haniger can gobble up the bulk of those 721, let's say 600 minimum. If his bat falters, ending up at 85, or so, and he hits 14 HR's, we're giving up a lot of runs at the plate. Is there a net gain? I don't know.
We have something riding on Haniger's bat, or Gamel's/Heredia's/Tank's. To reap the full benefit of Haniger's gloviness, he needs to get close to 100 OPS+, as I've been saying all along.