Guest ATENEARS Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 PRELUDE TO SPRING TRAINING Outfield centers on Sizemore Friday, February 06, 2009 Paul Hoynes Plain Dealer Reporter Link Source The one thing we know about the Indians outfield for 2009 is that center field is covered. Grady Sizemore led all big-league center fielders last year with 33 homers and an OPS of .876. He scored 101 runs, stole a career-high 38 bases and became the second Indian to top 30 homers and 30 steals in one season. Sizemore has made the past three All-Star games, won two straight Gold Gloves and last year won the Silver Slugger award as the best hitter at his position in the American League. He doesn't turn 27 until August and is signed through 2011 with a club option for 2012. What Sizemore and the Indians need is help from the corners. Last year, Tribe left fielders ranked 16th in homers, 18th in batting average and OPS, and 20th in runs and RBI among the 30 big-league teams. Indians right fielders finished 11th in runs, tied for 14th in homers, 16th in RBI, 22nd in OPS and 23rd in batting average. The good thing is that the Indians' primary corner outfielders made it through their first full season in the big leagues last year and are still around to talk about it. The same cannot be said for Franklin Gutierrez, who opened last season as the starting right fielder, only to be traded to Seattle in December. Ben Francisco hit .266 with 32 doubles, 15 homers and 54 RBI in 121 games as a rookie last year. He appeared in 83 games in left field, 32 in right and two in center. Thrown to the American League pitching wolves in the No. 3 spot because Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez were injured, Francisco led AL rookies in doubles and extra base hits. Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, a left-handed hitter as opposed to Francisco's right-handed bat, took the right field job away from Gutierrez after recovering from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow. If what Choo did in 94 games last year - .309, 28 doubles, three triples, 14 homers, 66 RBI - is legitimate, the Tribe's outfield production could be on the rise. Veteran David Dellucci is expected to be the fourth outfielder with plenty of help developing at Class AAA Columbus. Here are the Indians outfield possibilities for 2009: Big-league center fielder: Grady Sizemore. Comment: No one is irreplaceable, but it would be hard to see the Indians rebounding from last season should anything unfortunate befall Sizemore. Next in line: Michael Brantley and Trevor Crowe, Class AAA Columbus. Comment: Brantley, acquired from Milwaukee for CC Sabathia, can play all three outfield positions. He hit leadoff last year at Class AA Huntsville. Fire down below: With Brantley and Crowe - Choo and Francisco can play center as well - waiting in the pipeline, young center fielders in the organization might want to change positions. Big-league left fielder: Francisco and Dellucci. Comment: Francisco has earned first crack at the job. Next in line: Matt LaPorta, Class AAA Columbus. Comment: LaPorta is the jewel of the Sabathia trade. He has power, but isn't a gazelle defensively. Fire down below: Nick Weglarz, Class AA Akron. Comment: The Canadian-born Weglarz hit .272 with 20 doubles, five triples, 10 homers and 41 RBI at Class A Kinston last year. Big-league right fielder: Choo. Comment: Choo has good power and a good arm, but can he produce for a full season? Next in line: Brantley and Crowe, Class AAA Columbus. Comment: They both can play all three outfield spots. Fire down below: Stephen Head, Class AA Akron. Comment: Head hit .290 with 13 homers and 49 RBI last year at Akron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIMO. Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 I'm hoping that getting back some legit 3-5 hitters will help out Francisco. I think he's pretty good in Left, and showed early last year that he can be a bigtime contributor in the bottom of the lineup. That said, I love the idea of Brantley coming up, eventually letting us slide down Grady to the 2 or 3 hole. And if LaPorta can come up and be our Chris Davis while filling in at LF, all the better. Just having Sizemore already gives us a good outfield, Choo is gravy, and anything out of Left is just icing on the...uh, gravy. Come 2010 I'd like to see Brantley-Sizemore-Choo, with LaPorta as a 1B/DH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanpot Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 And if LaPorta can come up and be our Chris Davis while filling in at LF, all the better. You know, I thought that maybe Davis would be a terrific guy to target in the 8-10 round area of our fantasy draft. And now I remember that he's your find and that there's no chance in hell he'll be there. Beanpot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIMO. Posted February 12, 2009 Report Share Posted February 12, 2009 I think I got Josh Hamilton in about the 10th round last year. Seems like all my Rangers are getting overhyped this year. I think Davis is a lock for 30+ homers this year though. Guess I'll have to look a little harder for my sleepers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosar_For_President Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 I have always been a Juan Pierre fan. He seems to be on the way out in LA if they sign Manny. What about bringing him in to play opposite Grady in center and put him in left field. I know the Tribe has already spent their money this year, but imagine Juan leading off. Move Grady to the 3 spot, Victor at the 4th and Hafner to the 5th. Not a fan of B. Francisco in left. And Dellucci, forget about it. I think that is our glaring weakness right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanpot Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 I have always been a Juan Pierre fan. He seems to be on the way out in LA if they sign Manny. What about bringing him in to play opposite Grady in center and put him in left field. I know the Tribe has already spent their money this year, but imagine Juan leading off. Move Grady to the 3 spot, Victor at the 4th and Hafner to the 5th. Not a fan of B. Francisco in left. And Dellucci, forget about it. I think that is our glaring weakness right now. I'd pass. Pierre has long been a whipping boy of those who really crunch numbers, to the point where his skill-set is often ignored. Or at least only mildly acknowledged. He's always done a couple of things really well - pile up plate appearances and steal a ton of bases. He's also exceptional when it comes to avoiding a strike out. That's been good enough to earn him a bunch of playing time and some serious cake in contracts. Good at what he does, not worth what he's been paid, just my opinion. As for him today, he's not worth a roster spot even if he cost us the ML minimum. He's over 30 (his main asset - speed - is going to continue to evaporate), he's become a poor lead-off hitter (261/293/299 last year), he's not good defensively (which is needed if you're going to burn a corner OF spot on a player who is a specialist - *especially* if he's not special), and he's just not valuable as a player any longer. Prospectus has a stat (MLV) which looks at Marginal Lineup Value of every player in baseball. It's boring and involves math (sign of the cross!) and in their words: is an estimate of the additional number of runs a given player will contribute to a lineup that otherwise consists of average offensive performers. Take it for what it's worth, but they placed a value on Pierre of -10.1 last year. -10.1. Meaning an "average player" would have been worth 10.1 more than Juan Pierre last year. (Here's the math - http://www.stathead.com/articles/woolner/mlvdesc.htm ) I always enjoyed watching the guy chop at pitches and wheel around the bases, but he's not the guy any team wants at the top of their lineup - or in their lineup several days a week. Beanpot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldcrow1945 Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 I thought LaPorta is now being looked at more as a future 1st base prospect due to his lack of speed. I think Left field will without a doubt soon be occupied by Michael Brantley. The Indians are chomping at the bit to see this kid leadoff and have Sizemore hitting in a more natural 2 hole. By 2010 I think We'll see Brantley, Sizemore and choo from left to right. Wes Hodges at third and Laporta at first Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosar_For_President Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 I'd pass. Pierre has long been a whipping boy of those who really crunch numbers, to the point where his skill-set is often ignored. Or at least only mildly acknowledged. He's always done a couple of things really well - pile up plate appearances and steal a ton of bases. He's also exceptional when it comes to avoiding a strike out. That's been good enough to earn him a bunch of playing time and some serious cake in contracts. Good at what he does, not worth what he's been paid, just my opinion. As for him today, he's not worth a roster spot even if he cost us the ML minimum. He's over 30 (his main asset - speed - is going to continue to evaporate), he's become a poor lead-off hitter (261/293/299 last year), he's not good defensively (which is needed if you're going to burn a corner OF spot on a player who is a specialist - *especially* if he's not special), and he's just not valuable as a player any longer. Prospectus has a stat (MLV) which looks at Marginal Lineup Value of every player in baseball. It's boring and involves math (sign of the cross!) and in their words: is an estimate of the additional number of runs a given player will contribute to a lineup that otherwise consists of average offensive performers. Take it for what it's worth, but they placed a value on Pierre of -10.1 last year. -10.1. Meaning an "average player" would have been worth 10.1 more than Juan Pierre last year. (Here's the math - http://www.stathead.com/articles/woolner/mlvdesc.htm ) I always enjoyed watching the guy chop at pitches and wheel around the bases, but he's not the guy any team wants at the top of their lineup - or in their lineup several days a week. Beanpot Wow, very good insight. Changed my mind. But is that -10.1 because he was not a starter, or it doesn't matter how much he played. Does it depend on the team? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanpot Posted February 28, 2009 Report Share Posted February 28, 2009 Wow, very good insight. Changed my mind. But is that -10.1 because he was not a starter, or it doesn't matter how much he played. Does it depend on the team? Thanks Thanks K4P. As for the MLV stuff, all I can add is what I've read. Math and I don't exactly get along so we've agreed to keep our distance from one another. I'm not the guy to defend or argue with the formula but it does incorporate playing time. Borrowing their language, it "give(s) him the same percentage of PA's on the baseline team as he had with his actual team." It also "implicitly assumes that a player gets 1/9th of all" of a teams PA, which doesn't adjust for spot in the batting order. Even if you choose to ignore that model, there are lots (no lie - LOTS) out there that point to Pierre as being seriously overvalued. Criticisms abound for all of this stuff, but I stand by my initial opinion of the guy. Beanpot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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