SB Nation - Scott Podsednik

Tigers interested in Scott Podsednik

Eli Greenspan — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:56:24 -0000

FOXSPORTS.com is reporting that the Tigers are interested in signing free agent outfielder Scott Podsednik, but only to a one year deal.

Podsednik, 33, hit an impressive .304 with 30 stolen bases in 2009. He has been pretty inconsistent recently, but is still a strong defensive outfielder who utilizes his speed effectively.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Scott Podsednik	132	537	75	163	25	6	7	48	39	74	30	13	.304	.353	.412

The Cubs and Royals are also interested in the outfielder, who is believed to be seeking an annual salary around 3-4 million dollars.

Who Can Be Minnesota's Fourth Outfielder?

Jesse — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:12:49 -0000

It's been a slow couple of weeks for baseball fans in Twins Territory, as we wait for news of a third baseman sighting or maybe a Joe Mauer extension. But this is something of an under-rated question for the off-season check list: who will the Twins have as their fourth outfielder in 2010?

I'm already assuming that, left to right, Ron Gardenhire's outfield will be Delmon Young, Denard Span and Michael Cuddyer. You could jot Jason Kubel down as the fourth outfielder, but I'm happy to pencil him in as simply "DH". Right now there is no obvious answer for that fourth guy because there's nobody left to backup Denard in center field.

Corey Patterson

Milwaukee Brewers

Height: 5-9

Weight: 175

Born: Aug 13, 1979

Remember this guy? He had a couple of decent offensive seasons with the Cubs a few years back but his value was in his defense. In 2004 he was one of the best center fielders around (33.8 UZR/150), and even outside of that season he was always a guy who fielded his position very well. It seems he should be a lot older considering how long he's been playing, but the guy just turned 30.

Patterson wouldn't have been a bad option, if he hadn't already signed a minor league contract with the Mariners. So who else fits the bill?

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Coco Crisp	49	180	30	41	8	5	3	14	29	23	13	2	.228	.336	.378

Crisp is just 30 as well, and managed to perform a pretty solid disappearing act in Kansas City last year. He's played a lot of outfield over the years, and in general he's done it well. Like Patterson he's not really a threat with the bat in his hands, and he hasn't been able to duplicate the success of his 2005 breakout season, but his value is in his glove and his ability to backup a position that nobody on the major league roster could do for the Twins. At least, nobody that you'd want out there for any kind of an extended period of time.

Unfortunately it looks like Crisp will be off the market shortly, as the Athletics have been tied to him over the last few days.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Rocco Baldelli	62	150	23	38	4	1	7	23	11	37	1	0	.253	.311	.433

Baldelli just turned 28 at the end of the season, and again it's hard to believe after all he's been through. He's lucky to still be playing the game after his medical condition was mid-diagnosed, and he's a long time removed from finishing 3rd in rookie of the year voting (2003) and from his last solid offensive season (2006). In spite of those red flags there is some upside with Baldelli; he's younger than most of the guys on this list, he's versatile and he's likely to come at a bargain rate.

I like Baldelli. If only so I can cheer for a guy called Rocko (hey, no more Boof). But clearly there's got to be a guy out there who doesn't have that kind of a rap sheet on health.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Scott Podsednik	132	537	75	163	25	6	7	48	39	74	30	13	.304	.353	.412

Pods is coming off one of his best seasons at the dish, and in spite of turning 34 in March is probably one of the best free agent players of the profile we're looking for. That career .340 OBP isn't great, but there's a lot worse around. Traditionally his defense isn't a good as most of the guys on this list, but he has two things that play in his favor: he played all three outfield positions in 2009, and he's very fast. Anytime you can close a gap, that's a good thing. And like John Madden used to say, you can't teach speed. Actually he probably still says that.

Podsednik is not a starter. But he does have value as a fourth outfielder, and I think you could do a lot worse.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Endy Chavez	54	161	17	44	3	1	2	13	14	22	9	1	.273	.328	.342

Chavez turns 32 in February and, in spite of being a decent contact hitter, doesn't have a lot of value at the plate. He does have good speed, but (and you might be picking up on a trend here) his value lies in his defense. Over the course of his career he's logged hundreds of innings at all three outfield positions and, as a general rule, he's played all three at a high level.

Obviously because of his offense (career 75 OPS+) this isn't a guy you want to expose a great deal at the plate. Also, there should be some concern over how his knee is after tearing his ACL last June. But as far as defensive options on this list go, Chavez might be the best one.

Joey Gathright

Boston Red Sox

Height: 5-10

Weight: 185

Born: Apr 27, 1982

Gathright is one of those guys who has some good tools, and either hasn't learned how to use them or they just aren't as good as we were told they were. He had a great year in part time with the Royals in 2007, but in general has been underwhelming in terms of performance. But again, he's quick and he plays all three outfield positions. He's good at stealing bases.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Randy Winn	149	538	65	141	33	5	2	51	47	93	16	2	.262	.318	.353

This is a popular guy, and I don't really expect him to sign with a team that won't start him everyday, but at this point in his career I have to wonder if he's at a crossroads. He'll turn 36 in June and, although he put up good offensive numbers for the Giants in '07 and '08, he's clearly not the player he was in his prime.

Winn can play all three outfield positions, and if he's looking to sign with a team with a legitimate chance for October, if he's looking to sign with a good team for a lesser role to get that shot at a ring, then maybe this is something he considers. If the price is right, Winn would be my choice of anyone on this list.

Jason Pridie

#11 / Center Field / Minnesota Twins

Height: 6-1

Weight: 205

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Oct 09, 1983

Then there's the internal option. Pridie is younger than anyone on this list, just turning 26 in August. He can backup Denard in center field, he has a little pop in his bat, and I have to believe he'll be playing with something to prove. But he strikes out way too much at the minor league level, is allergic to getting on base, and has no major league track record to show what he can bring to a club with any certainty.

Would you sign any of these guys? How much of a concern is a fourth outfielder to you at this point?

Making Your '00 Face: Fifth outfielder

KLSnow — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:00:17 -0000

With the '00's almost behind us, it's time to take a look back and work together to make a BCB All Decade team for the '00s. Each day, we'll tackle a new position, and we'll have our 25 man roster complete sometime around the 1st of the year.

The concept here is pretty simple. Each day, I'll give you a list of candidates: For position players, it's the full list of players who appeared in at least 100 games at the position during the '00s. Here are the players we've selected so far:

First Base: Prince Fielder
Second Base: Rickie Weeks
Shortstop: J.J. Hardy
Third Base: Bill Hall
Corner Outfield: Ryan Braun
Center Field: Mike Cameron
Corner Outfield: Geoff Jenkins
Catcher: Damian Miller
Bench IF: Craig Counsell
Bench COF: Carlos Lee

#1 SP: Ben Sheets

Voting for a closer opened yesterday and will close at 4 pm tomorrow. Today we need to select a fifth outfielder. Since Carlos Lee won the voting for the other outfield spot, we need to select an outfielder that can play center, meaning we're down to two nominees:

Brady Clark

Seasons as a Brewer: 4, 2003-2006
Slash line as a Brewer: .284/.361/.393
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -1.1 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 5.8

Scott Podsednik

Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2003-2004
Slash line as a Brewer: .276/.344/.401
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -11.3 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 8.7

Poll

Who should be the fifth outfielder on the Brew Crew Ball All Decade Team?

Friday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:03:38 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

It appears Claudio Vargas was never photographed as a Brewer. He'll get another chance to show up in an AP photo in 2010.

Browse more photos »

Some things to read while simulating a sunrise.

Claudio Vargas is expected in Milwaukee for his physical late in the day today, so we can expect an official announcement on his contract sometime late this afternoon. Vargas had to return from the Dominican Republic, where he just reported to winter ball a few weeks ago and has yet to allow an earned run in four relief appearances, including two saves. Since he's only logged 6.1 innings of work, he might head back down there after the physical.

Until last season, Vargas had thought of himself as a starter temporarily pitching out of the bullpen, but Adam McCalvy has the story of how a late-season matchup against Albert Pujols changed his mind and caused him to embrace his new role.

Once the Vargas signing is official, the Brewer 40 man roster will be full. Tom H. engaged in a little rosterbation and notes the team is pretty much set going into spring training, barring an injury or trade.

With a tight roster, apparently there's no room for Seth McClung. McClung tweeted that the Brewers sent an email to his agent letting him know they're not interested in pursuing a deal to bring him back as a free agent. He's also looking to sell his house in Florida, if you're in the market.

Meanwhile, Adam McCalvy posted a correction to an earlier report on the incentives in LaTroy Hawkins' contract: they're actually tied to appearances and games finished, not saves. As TheJay noted, the collective bargaining agreement prohibits teams from tying incentives to "skill" stats, but allows them for playing time.

Elsewhere in the bullpen, Chuck Lofgren's hometown paper has a story about his opportunity to pitch for the Brewers this spring. They also have this quote, which might remind you of another former Brewer reliever/pinch hitter:

"I don't prepare for spring training like a hitter would, but I do still get in the cage,'' Lofgren said. "I can still hit. I never really lost it.''

Months into the offseason, the market hasn't heated up quite as much as one might have expected for second basemen. FanGraphs has a look at the guys that still remain on the market, including Felipe Lopez, and the possibility that they'll have to change positions to find work this offseason. I still think Lopez would have turned down arbitration in search of full-time work, but perhaps the Brewers knew something we didn't in terms of the market for his services.

Adam McCalvy also picked up on that note, and his ensuing post on Lopez included this note regarding the Brewer payroll for 2010:

Melvin says he still has some flexibility left over to troll the market in January and February for bargains. If he doesn't find any deals to his liking, Melvin could retain that flexibility into June and July to make a pre-trade deadline deal.

I guess the possibility of another signing shouldn't be ruled out.

Have the Brewers done enough to improve themselves this offseason? Reds Blog handicapped the 2010 NL Central, and said the Brewers "may be slightly better than the Reds, but not much."

John Steinmiller and Caitlin Moyer continue to give us looks into the offseason jobs of the Brewer front office staff: Today they have a look at the work being done by Aleta Mercer, Brewers Senior Director of Entertainment and Broadcasting.

Meanwhile, the Timber Rattlers' front office staff still has some time on their hands, as demonstrated by the five minute battle for superiority between ketchup and mustard in this week's episode of The Offseason.

The Timber Rattlers are also looking for your help to select a shortstop for their 15th anniversary team. Follow this link to read about the candidates, then click over to the front page to vote.

Speaking of voting, we have two of the closest races to date for our BCB All Decade Team. You have until 4 pm today to cast a vote for a backup catcher, where Mike Rivera leads Jason Kendall by 13 votes. You also have until 4 pm tomorrow to cast a vote for our fourth outfielder, where Carlos Lee leads Scott Podsednik by 28 votes, with Jeromy Burnitz lurking over his shoulder.

Around baseball:

Dodgers: Signed infielders Doug Mientkiewicz and Angel Berroa to minor league deals.
Marlins: Signed Ricky Nolasco to a $3.8 million, one year deal, avoiding arbitration.
Mets: Signed Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi to a two year deal worth $3 million.
Padres: Signed outfielder Chris Denorfia to a minor league deal.

Here's another research project for a reader looking for something to do: Max Marchi of The Hardball Times looks at the difference in pitches CC Sabathia threw to three Yankee catchers in 2009, showing he appeared to prefer to throw sinkers to Jose Molina. I'd be curious to see if there are any disparities in pitches thrown to Mike Rivera and Jason Kendall last season.

There seem to be enough sites discussing it so I'm not going to turn the Mug into a daily receptacle for notes on Hall of Fame voting, but I did find these notes interesting:

Tom H. submitted his ballot yesterday, and had nine players on it. He didn't name them but based on this argument for Bert Blyleven, it's safe to assume he's one of them.
Followers on Twitter convinced Jeff Fletcher of AOL to change his mind and vote yes for Tim Raines.
Rob Neyer reminded us that some Hall of Fame voters still don't get it.

Speaking of Neyer, earlier this week I mentioned his post on the top 100 players of the decade, which included Corey Koskie (among others), but not Prince Fielder. Tangotiger has a look at Koskie's career, and his somewhat surprising route to 22 WAR in slightly more than five full seasons.

If that's not enough stat content for you today, Big League Stew has everything you always wanted to know about WPA.

There may be snow on the field on or near Opening Day, but at least Target Field will have functional bathrooms. Hall of Famer and Twins exec Tony Oliva was recently trapped in a Metrodome bathroom when the handle fell off the door.

I've heard of players doing all kinds of things to break slumps, but Hee Seop Choi might have topped them all by climbing Mount Seorak.

On this day in 1985, the Brewers traded two minor leaguers to the Giants for Rob Deer. Long before Russell Branyan was king of the Three True Outcomes, Deer was a 3TO Pioneer, hitting .229/.329/.450 with 333 walks, 137 home runs and 823 strikeouts in five seasons as a Brewer. Those 137 home runs were the tenth most in baseball during that stretch.

Happy birthday today to 2009 Nashville Sound Patrick Arlis, who turns 29.

Oh, and I'm hoping Garrett Broshuis will eventually share the plans for his Radioactive Cardboard Catcher.

Drink up.

Making Your '00 Face: Backup Outfielder

KLSnow — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:00:17 -0000

Voting for a our backup catcher opened yesterday and will close at 4 pm tomorrow. Today we need to select a fourth outfielder.

Jeromy Burnitz

Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2000-2001*
Slash line as a Brewer: .242/.352/.480
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: n/a**
WAR as a Brewer: 4

* - Burnitz was also a Brewer from 1996-1999, but those stats aren't reflected here.
** - FanGraphs only has UZR data dating back to 2002, so Burnitz has no data.

Carlos Lee

Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2005-2006
Slash line as a Brewer: .273/.333/.511
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -23 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 2.1

Brady Clark

Seasons as a Brewer: 4, 2003-2006
Slash line as a Brewer: .284/.361/.393
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -1.1 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 5.8

Scott Podsednik

Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2003-2004

Slash line as a Brewer: .276/.344/.401
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -11.3 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 8.7

Poll

Who should be the fourth outfielder on our BCB All Decade Team?

Jeromy Burnitz

84 votes

Carlos Lee

143 votes

Brady Clark

49 votes

Scott Podsednik

102 votes

378 votes | Poll has closed

Future Free Agent Mistake Power Rankings, 12/15

Grant — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:33:51 -0000

The offseason is quickly dividing the fanbase into two camps:

No moves is good moves. The longer we’re not hearing about a four-year deal to Adam LaRoche, the less likely we’re ever going to hear about one.
WHY AREN’T YOU DOING ANYTHING, SABES? THE MARINERS JUST SIGNED CLIFF LEE AND WE DON’T EVEN HAVE AN OFFER IN TO (hitter) YET?

In the interest of ruining that first sentence before I get a chance to back it up, I’m somewhere in the middle. When I watch the Mariners get a one-year rental to drastically upgrade their team, a part of me secretly envies them, even though I wouldn’t want the Giants to follow suit. They have a shiny new toy. I like shiny new toys. Scott Podsednik would be an itchy sweater made out of possum fur, but you knew that.

The big deals aren’t the only ones that are making me jealous, either. The Blue Jays acquired Michael Taylor from the Phillies for Roy Halladay, and then they turned right around and traded Taylor for Brett Wallace. Hot prospect-for-prospect action! The rarest kind! And while I have my guesses as to who came out ahead (the A’s), we won’t know for a few years. But right now, each team has a shiny new toy. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t trade Madison Bumgarner for Justin Smoak, but it’d be interesting, at least. We’re halfway through December, and we’re without any interesting. I could use some interesting.

You know what else is interesting? Scott Podsednik on a two-year deal. That’s interesting like a kitchen fire. Maybe interesting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’m scared of interesting and the Giants.

So with no news directly relating to the Giants, but with plenty of news reducing the options the Giants have in free agency, it’s time for another Future Free Agent Mistake Power Rankings. Who will be the Aaron Rowand of 2011? Well, Aaron Rowand, for one. But maybe he’ll have some overpaid company!

Scott Podsednik -- OF -- ↑

Number one with a bullet. A signing that in the best case provides marginal upgrade while swallowing most of a limited budget? Oh, sure, I’ll take two. I think it’s disturbing that a team could seriously think about Eugenio Velez as a leadoff hitter and corner outfielder. More disturbing? That Velez could outproduce the Podsednik from ’07 and ’08 with his thumbs taped together. But don’t worry: when 34-year-olds drastically improve, those gains usually stick. Or is it the other way around? This baseball stuff is confusing!

Adam LaRoche-- 1b -- ↑

It’s hard to be this high on the list when you’re a player who would improve the team over the internal options, but LaRoche’s ridiculous contract demands, combined with merely decent production, makes this a great chance to rowand the Giants into a corner by the end of the contract.

Marlon Byrd -- OF -- ↓

With Mike Cameron off the market, Byrd is one of the better center fielders, and it’s been almost two years since Sabean has signed a center fielder. His palms are sweaty, his mouth is dry, and his sponsor isn’t returning his calls. Mmmmm. An overpriced center fielder sounds pretty good right about now, especially when you’re still kicking yourself for missing out on Gary Matthews, Jr.

Jermaine Dye -- OF -- ↓

Sabean explicitly mentioned Dye as someone the Giants aren’t interested in. But I think that’s like when I tell my wife something like, "No, I don’t even really find Jessica Alba that attractive. Her earlobes aren’t symmetrical, and you know how I am about that." I have trust issues with our intrepid GM.

Mark DeRosa—3B/LF -- ↑

At the right price, I’d welcome DeRosa. He’s not going to get the right price. DeRosa’s decline last year might have been age related, but it might have been a BABIP-influenced fluke. I sure as heck wouldn’t commit millions to the latter theory, but if he’s starting in left field instead of Velez, I might be able to ignore the horrible contract for a year. And it will be a horrible contract.

Jason Bay-- OF -- ↑

He says he has no interest in the Giants. The Giants say they have no interest in him. There are still rumors floating around that the Giants really are interested. So when I read that Bay said he’s not interested in San Francisco, I’m guessing he said it while doing that money pantomime thing, rubbing his thumb and fingers together while he raises his eyebrows and gives you that look.

Garrett Atkins -- DH -- ↑

I’ll admit, the 2006 and 2007 versions are intriguing, but chasing after past glories only makes sense if it’s cheap. That, and Atkins is the worst defensive third baseman in the history of the game. Would it be in poor taste to suggest that Ron Santo has better range, even today? Yes? Okay, then I won’t write that. But Atkins is an abomination. Maybe he’s better at first, but he isn’t that likely to be a good enough hitter to displace Travis Ishikawa. I’d take Atkins over Ishikawa, but only for a few hundred thousand dollars’ difference.

Inconsequential Sub-Mediocre Free Agent Catcher -- C -- ↓

It’s going to happen, so the exact one – Miguel Olivo, Rod Barajas, Mike Sadek – doesn’t really matter. And as long as it isn’t a two-year deal, I can almost accept it, but you know whomever they acquire will play 150 games under Bochy. In GiantsLand, a catcher can make up for a .290 on-base percentage by calling a good game and handling a staff, so there’s no question that SMFAC will be more valuable than Buster Posey next year.

Johnny Damon -- OF -- ↓

He can probably still hit, and he isn’t Scott Podsednik. Heck, I think I might be in favor of a Damon deal at this point. The only problem is that if he’s going to take two years, he’ll probably just take it from the Yankees.

Hank Blalock -- 3B? -- ↓

No one is talking about him, and that scares me. I can imagine DeRosa, Nick Johnson, and LaRoche all taking other offers on the same day, leaving the Giants in a Garkoless panic.

I guess these rankings are, by design, doom-and-gloom. Maybe that’s not fair. But the Giants and free agency in the past few years have mixed like diarrhea and first dates. So, please, forgive me and the black cloud over my head.

Making Your '00 Face: Final starting outfielder

KLSnow — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:00:18 -0000

First Base: Prince Fielder
Second Base: Rickie Weeks
Shortstop: J.J. Hardy
Third Base: Bill Hall
Corner Outfield: Ryan Braun
Center Field: Mike Cameron

Voting for a catcher opened yesterday and will close at 4 pm tomorrow. Today we need to select our final outfielder. I've narrowed the list a little, removing some players who did not receive significant support in their first time on the ballot:

Jeromy Burnitz

Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2000-2001*
Slash line as a Brewer: .242/.352/.480
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: n/a**
WAR as a Brewer: 4

* - Burnitz was also a Brewer from 1996-1999, but those stats aren't reflected here.
** - FanGraphs only has UZR data dating back to 2002, so Burnitz has no data.

Geoff Jenkins

Seasons as a Brewer: 8, 2000-2007*
Slash line as a Brewer: .276/.348/.496
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: +12.7 runs**
WAR as a Brewer: 15.2

* - Jenkins was also a Brewer from 1998-1999.
** - Data only includes 2002-2007 seasons.

Carlos Lee

Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2005-2006
Slash line as a Brewer: .273/.333/.511
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -23 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 2.1

Brady Clark

Seasons as a Brewer: 4, 2003-2006
Slash line as a Brewer: .284/.361/.393
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -1.1 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 5.8

Scott Podsednik

Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2003-2004
Slash line as a Brewer: .276/.344/.401
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -11.3 runs

WAR as a Brewer: 8.7

Poll

Who should be the third outfielder on our BCB All Decade Team?

Jeromy Burnitz

15 votes

Geoff Jenkins

419 votes

Carlos Lee

67 votes

Brady Clark

4 votes

Scott Podsednik

14 votes

519 votes | Poll has closed

Santana In Venezuela Applesauce - Chapman To Throw, Non-Tender-Palooza and Kendall Tweets

James Kannengieser — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:02:40 -0000

A slow weekend means abbreviated Applesauce.

Meet the Mets

Johan Santana made a trip home to Venezuela to hold his annual Cy Youngazo ("Great Cy Young") event, where he hands out Christmas presents and organizes baseball and soccer tournaments. A nice read on this Monday.

Aroldis Chapman will throw a side session for teams on Tuesday.

Jason Bay's agent says his client has moved on from the Red Sox and at least one team has offered more than four years to the slugging left fielder.

Metsmerized interviews Brian McRae, a good guy whose greatest contribution to the Mets was being traded for surprisingly productive Darryl Hamilton.

Around the NL East

Braves blogs Talking Chop and Capitol Avenue Club provide input on the Kelly Johnson non-tendering.

The Nationals brought back Scott Olsen after non-tendering him.

The Good Phight looks at some low-risk, high-reward free agent targets.

Around MLB

Brew Crew Ball links to some of the funnier Tweets about the Jason Kendall signing.

Garrett Atkins celebrated his 30th birthday on Saturday by being non-tendered. No word if the Rockies will offer him a membership to the Jelly-Of-The-Month Club as a parting gift.

McCovey Chronicles is incredulous about the possibility of the Giants signing Scott Podsednik. The first two paragraphs are gold.

Making Your '00 Face: Center Field

KLSnow — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:00:17 -0000

First Base: Prince Fielder
Second Base: Rickie Weeks
Shortstop: J.J. Hardy
Third Base: Bill Hall

Voting for a corner outfield spot opened yesterday and will close at 4 pm tomorrow. Today, we're looking at center fielders:

Marquis Grissom

Seasons as a Brewer: 1, 2000*
Slash line as a Brewer: .244/.288/.351
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: n/a**
WAR as a Brewer: -1.3

* - Grissom was also a Brewer from 1998-1999, but those stats aren't included here.
** - FanGraphs only has UZR data dating back to 2002, so no data on Grissom is available.

Jeffrey Hammonds

Seasons as a Brewer: 3, 2001-2003
Slash line as a Brewer: .241/.321/.398
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -7.5 runs*
WAR as a Brewer: 0.1

* - Only includes Hammonds' 2002-2003 seasons.

Alex Sanchez

Seasons as a Brewer: 3, 2001-2003
Slash line as a Brewer: .278/.327/.358
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -18.1 runs*
WAR as a Brewer: 1.4

* - Only includes 2002-2003 seasons.

Brady Clark

Seasons as a Brewer: 4, 2003-2006
Slash line as a Brewer: .284/.361/.393
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -1.1 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 5.8

Scott Podsednik

Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2003-2004
Slash line as a Brewer: .276/.344/.401
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -11.3 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 8.7

Mike Cameron

Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2008-2009
Slash line as a Brewer: .247/.337/.464
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: +21.3 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 6.9

Note: Bill Hall was also eligible, but was removed from the ballot after making the team at third base.

Poll

Who should play center field on the BCB All Decade Team?

Marquis Grissom

4 votes

Jeffrey Hammonds

3 votes

Alex Sanchez

2 votes

Brady Clark

61 votes

Scott Podsednik

133 votes

Mike Cameron

224 votes

427 votes | Poll has closed

New York Yankees notes: Much hinges on Damon's decision

Ed Valentine — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:21:46 -0000

Who is in left field? Who is at designated hitter? Those are the basic lineup questions about our New York Yankees right now, and they all hinge -- of course -- on whether Johnny Damon will accept a contract offer from the Yankees much shorter and less lucrative than uber-agent Scott Boras would like.

Meanwhile, there is much discussion of other options should Damon decide to walk. GM Brian Cashman can talk about Juan Miranda all he wants, but we all know that is incredibly unlikely to happen.

By the way, with the Rule 5 drafting of Jason Hoffmann another question seems to be whether or not speedster Brett Gardner will be part of the outfield mix. Seems the Chicago White Sox, and possibly the Kansas City Royals, are asking about Gardner's availability.

Personally, I love Gardner. Some folks think Jason Tyner or Joey Gathright -- speedy slap hitters who have never hit enough to play regularly, when they look at Gardner. To me, he's a lot closer to Scott Podsednik, a guy who can hit enough, defend and wreak havoc on the bases. Obviously, it's not going to be with the Yankees, but I still believe Gardner can play regularly -- and do it well -- for somebody.

I mentioned Hoffmann, the Rule 5 pick, earlier. He seems like a useful reserve outfielder with some tools, and The Baseball Analysts are wondering why the Los Angeles Dodgers seemed to be trying so hard to lose him.

So why wasn't he on the 40 man roster, and why was he DFAed in September? The answer seems to be that he was redundant on the Dodgers. The 4th outfielder role is currently held down by Xavier Paul. Jason Repko also sits higher on the blue totem pole. I would have been surprised to see anyone grab Trayvon Robinson in the rule 5 draft, but if the Dodgers perceived that as a threat, it could certainly be argued that he deserves protection more than Hoffman.

Perhaps it just says more about the Yankees than the Dodgers. The Yankees currently have 4 outfielders on the 40-man roster. The first two, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher, are clearly going to be penciled into most Yankees line-ups in 2010. The other two outfielders would be lucky to be penciled in at all. Melky Cabrera is a glorified backup centerfielder. He simply does not have the production to justify being played in a corner outfield position. With the Granderson acquisition, Melky will be reduced to being a 2nd choice centerfielder, and a last choice corner outfielder. The last outfielder, Brett Gardner is not even a good option for a 4th outfielder. How Gardner has still has a job confuses me.

Hoffman would fit in well as a 4th outfielder. He can play any outfield position, and his production will likely justify his being played on a corner. He isn't a great base stealer, but he has speed on the bases, making him a good option as a pinch runner. So this replacement-level outfielder, the 6th choice outfielder on the Dodgers, would be the starting left fielder on the current Yankees roster. This was clearly a good choice for the yankees. It was also very bad planning on the part of the Dodgers if they had any interest in keeping Hoffman.

Obviously, I disagree about Gardner. I do think, though, that Melky is a better fit than Gardner as a fourth outfielder because of his ability to play the corners and to switch hit. Nonetheless, this is kind of thought-provoking.

If you are in the 'Don't trade for Roy Halladay' camp, otherwise known as the Jesus Montero Fan Club, you will hate this quote from Cashman.

"I’m hesitant to move certain young players because of what they can do for us in the here and now or in the future and the salary off-set they provide. At the same time, for the right player, I’ll move anybody."

That doesn't mean Halladay is the right player. It just means he might be, so stay tuned.

The Big Lead, maybe the best general sports blog on the planet, had a nice interview with new Yankee Curtis Granderson the other day.

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is talking about his team taking a step back in 2010 to be more competitive down the road. Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy isn't buying what Theo is selling. Neither am I.