Article: Issues in the Outfield

[PseudoSABR]

So the implication was that Gardy made the call on Bartlett over Presley?

 

Sigh.

Castro wasn't available.

[PseudoSABR]

At the very least, in the case with Hicks and Arcia, the Twins deserve credit for wanting to see the kids play. The problem is that they purchased a very ****ty insurance policy.

I think this threads the needle. If the 25th man, a Bartlett (or Presley), only ever acted as the 25th man, a smiddence of at bats and lots of time on the bench, Bartlett is defensible choice (though with no upside); but the 25th man and the roster spot that player occupies act as insurance against the unforeseeable. You don't have to foresee the injuries to Hicks, Arcia, Willingham, (Fuld), and Buxton, but your insurance policy should be better than Bartlett in Left or Santana in Center.

[cmathewson]

That OPS is largely driven by walks....MLB pitchers throw more strikes. He has one season in his professional career where is BA was over .280. I still hope he can figure it out, but I just don't see it happening until he stops switch hitting.

 

I actually think walking a lot translates better into MLB success. At least you know he didn't get his OPS by luck. But I don't expect him to hit batter than .280/.400/.420 or so. With his defense, I'll take it. He just needs to get there and he's not there yet.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I think this threads the needle. If the 25th man, a Bartlett (or Presley), only ever acted as the 25th man, a smiddence of at bats and lots of time on the bench, Bartlett is defensible choice (though with no upside); but the 25th man and the roster spot that player occupies act as insurance against he unforeseeable. You don't have to foresee the injuries to Hicks, Arcia, Willingham, (Fuld), and Buxton, but your insurance policy should be better than Bartlett in Left or Santana in Center.

 

To add insult to injury, the team seems dead-set on releasing every CF possible at the first opportunity.

 

Losing Presley was a bad call though hardly insurmountable, as they acquired Fuld shortly thereafter.

 

But to release Mastro for Fuld was just dumb. Given the situation they had backed themselves into just weeks prior with Bartlett, you'd think they would have kept both Mastro and Fuld.

 

Like I said in another thread, I won't crucify the Twins for any one decision in this chain of events but when compiled together, they make you want to bang your head on your desk.

[Mike Sixel]

I actually think walking a lot translates better into MLB success. At least you know he didn't get his OPS by luck. But I don't expect him to hit batter than .280/.400/.420 or so. With his defense, I'll take it. He just needs to get there and he's not there yet.

 

he has hit 280 one time in the minors.....you expect him to hit 280 in the majors? He hasn't had an OBP over 400 since 2010 (.401 that year).....I am not a believer at this point. I think we can both agree he's not a MLB hitter right now, and that he's not really showing us anything to make us think some light bulb will go on this year at the MLB level, is he?

[PseudoSABR]

But to release Mastro for Fuld was just dumb. Given the situation they had backed themselves into just weeks prior with Bartlett, you'd think they would have kept both Mastro and Fuld.

That they risked losing Mastro (or the potential Fuld pick up) to give Bartlett a chance to reconsider his retirement wasn't ever going to work out. They should have anticipated Bartlett's level of commitment.

 

The whole thing makes me pine for TR's return. More than lack of planning, what bothers me is the logistical errors and ineffective player-team communication.

[Beezer07]

he has hit 280 one time in the minors.....you expect him to hit 280 in the majors? He hasn't had an OBP over 400 since 2010 (.401 that year).....I am not a believer at this point. I think we can both agree he's not a MLB hitter right now, and that he's not really showing us anything to make us think some light bulb will go on this year at the MLB level, is he?

 

It is absurd that you think not having an OBP over .400 is proof of any sort of failing as a hitter. And again, how many good MLBers have come up and struggled to start their careers? Every day around here I read calls for "bring up the young guy, who cares about the old guy" but for some reason this doesn't apply to letting Hicks struggle...

[Beezer07]

I actually think walking a lot translates better into MLB success. At least you know he didn't get his OPS by luck. But I don't expect him to hit batter than .280/.400/.420 or so. With his defense, I'll take it. He just needs to get there and he's not there yet.

 

Agree totally with what you said. When it comes to stats in the minors, I'll take an 800 OPS driven largely by walks over an OPS driven largely by a .300/.330/.470.

[Mike Sixel]

It is absurd that you think not having an OBP over .400 is proof of any sort of failing as a hitter. And again, how many good MLBers have come up and struggled to start their careers? Every day around here I read calls for "bring up the young guy, who cares about the old guy" but for some reason this doesn't apply to letting Hicks struggle...

 

it does apply.....but I have seen enough to believe he needs to stop switch hitting. Others disagree. I can accept that. And, yes, other hitters have struggled, but we've documented over and over on these boards that Hicks is well below "struggling" compared to others. This isn't struggling, this is legitimately being outclassed imo. YMMV, of course. I have no issue with you drawing a different conclusion, and I hope he turns it around.

 

As for the .400 thing......that was in response to, you know, the post above, pointing out that would be an acceptable line for Hicks. I even quoted what I was responding to in the post you replied to.......

[tobi0040]

On that sliding catch, where he missed it by about 6 feet, I heard from Major League "just a bit outside"

[Beezer07]

it does apply.....but I have seen enough to believe he needs to stop switch hitting. Others disagree. I can accept that. And, yes, other hitters have struggled, but we've documented over and over on these boards that Hicks is well below "struggling" compared to others. This isn't struggling, this is legitimately being outclassed imo. YMMV, of course. I have no issue with you drawing a different conclusion, and I hope he turns it around.

 

As for the .400 thing......that was in response to, you know, the post above, pointing out that would be an acceptable line for Hicks. I even quoted what I was responding to in the post you replied to.......

 

I also think he needs to give up on switch hitting, but I have no expertise to back that opinion up.

[Mike Sixel]

I also think he needs to give up on switch hitting, but I have no expertise to back that opinion up.

 

 

I do not either, I freely admit that.

[TheLeviathan]

I think this threads the needle. If the 25th man, a Bartlett (or Presley), only ever acted as the 25th man, a smiddence of at bats and lots of time on the bench, Bartlett is defensible choice (though with no upside); but the 25th man and the roster spot that player occupies act as insurance against the unforeseeable. You don't have to foresee the injuries to Hicks, Arcia, Willingham, (Fuld), and Buxton, but your insurance policy should be better than Bartlett in Left or Santana in Center.

 

It's not just injury insurance. It also had to be looked at as insurance against "just in case we need to send this kid down to develop him properly".

 

That's the far larger mistake here. Injuries are injuries and can't be predicted easily. A young player with confidence issues and a historically bad start to his career? Not exactly fortune telling required.

[LaBombo]

A young player with confidence issues and a historically bad start to his career? Not exactly fortune telling required.

+10. It's as if they sat down and formulated a plan to perfectly duplicate the 2013 pre-Presley trainwreck in center field.

[jokin]

+10. It's as if they sat down and formulated a plan to perfectly duplicate the 2013 pre-Presley trainwreck in center field.

 

Ah yes, color me misty-eyed, nostalgic and tossing pseudo-kudo-sobriquets in the Twins general direction- who in 2013, were actually ahead of where they are today in terms of CF depth and the actual need for an actual OF or two....man, those were the days, an extra-special vast amount of 2013 additional foresight was in play then...what with secret CF weapons, Clete Thomas and language translation consultant Wilkin Ramirez waiting in the "Wings".....

 

But seriously, how many teams in the history of the MLB have lost....not one....not two....but THREE CFs off their 40-man roster....all in the space of 1.5 months? Well done, Gardy and Antony, well done, indeed.

[Mike Sixel]

Was at the game last night. Those few fans that actually paid attention to the game booed* the "OF" on several occassions.

 

*the crowd could have been at a concert for all they seemed to care. the booing was more groaning with the intermittent person you could hear from sections away

[JB_Iowa]

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