2011-12 Hot Stove Thread

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

I guess I could have saved everyone the trouble and just said "Refer to the Ryan Howard argument." Fielder is better than Howard, but they are both overrated for the same reasons.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Fielder is five years younger than Howard and currently has two healthy Achilles.

He's also at least acceptable against lefties, whereas Howard is a liability.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

He is also a better defender than Rick makes him out to be. See, Rick is one of those statheads who can't accept the fact that the metrics to properly evaluate defense don't exist, at least not yet.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

As I said: better than Howard.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

"Fielder is a better defensive player than the metrics say" is a respectable argument. Not one I agree with, but respectable.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

We're gonna find out next spring, if Martinez comes back and Delmon Young is still on the roster.

In addition, "RF" Brennan Boesch and "SS" (cough cough) Jhonny Peralta are the kind of guys most teams move to 1B.


Discounting the money aspect of the whole thing, teams should,

1) Acquire a meaty slugging first baseman when he is very very young;

2) As long as that player's career lasts as an above-average hitter, never willingly acquire another 1B/DH type player because as time goes on, players will be unexpectedly and probably unavoidably shifted there from other positions.


One of the funniest things about "Moneyball" was making a big deal about how horribly difficult it is to play first base. Anybody who can play any other position at even minimum-replacement level can play first base (with rare idiosyncratic exceptions like Carlos Guillen).

I think as much as anything else the idea of moving Cabrera to 3B is based on the idea of improving his potential tradability in something like 2-3 years.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Okay, stepping aside from the arguments about efficient use of money and player evaluation, that picture alone makes this signing awesome.

I love that he's got Cubs pants and a Giants shirt to go with his Tigers hat.

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

It didn't even take 20 years for people to look back at Zubaz and ask: WTF?

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

And Trammell's got a look on his face like "this fat little tub o' goo thinks he's a ballplayer."

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Her-cah-LEES! Her-cah-LEES! Her-cah-LEES!

 

Re: 2011 Hot Stove Thread

Looks like Oswalt is leaning toward St. Louis:

http://es.pn/z1wmD3

He could probably go anywhere he wants, but it seems he wants to be close to home (Mississippi).