Erik Bedard And Josh Fields For Two Banging Outfielders
July 31st, 2011 by terrybenishChih-Hsien Chiang from the Boston Red Sox Portland affiliate, and Triple-A outfielder Trayvon Robinson from the LA Dodgers are the incoming players.
Look at these numbers: Chiang is hitting .338 (107-for-317) with
36 doubles, 4 triples, 18 home runs and 76 RBI in 87 games for Red
Sox team in AA Eastern League. He has a .399 on-base percentage, is
slugging .647 and has an 1.046 OPS. While
Robinson,a switch hitter, is batting .293 (108-for-368) with 9
doubles, 6 triples, 26 home runs and 71 RBI in 100 games in PCL
with AAA Albuquerque. He has a .375 on-base percentage, is slugging
.563 and has an .938 OPS. Both guys are 23 years old.
Got to be excited about these guys. Very excited.
Let us look at the outfielders on the Mariner 40 man roster:
Ichiro
Gutierrez
Wells
Carp
Peguero
Halman
Chiang
Robinson
There are $24 million tied up in the first two on the list. Neither Ichiro or Gutierrez have played well this year. Ichiro is on the downside slew of his career and Gutie was the best centerfielder in baseball two years ago, but no longer looks like a guy that should hit every day.
Carp is now apparently the dh after playing his ass off and taking the spot in left field. It looks as if Zduriencik does not like him playing left field. But what do you with the other guys? Let them play on a five day rotation in left field until Peguero gets it tuned up and we can go to a six man deal?
We’ve got Ichiro jersey day coming up, if it was not today already and there are probably two or three more Ichiro bobble-head days left in August and September. I wonder if they’ve thought of an Ichiro chocolate figurine day, which would appeal to all the chocolate lovers out there. Could do that two or three times a month. They could get the chocolate figurine for a buck or so.
Jack said today he is accumulating talent and that happened today. Two guys who did not figure to play here much more, due to constant injury and a lack of talent were given up for two great hitters.
I seek not to give dis-respect to Ichiro or all of his fans when I say that he would not be playing on any other team at this point. Salary or not. It just happens this way. He has had great moments and probably the Mariners over-valued him.
It is bad enough that he is out there every day now, but there is this sense that he will be back again next year, which makes these deals pointless.
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August 1st, 2011 at 10:57 am
Yes, the Mariners made some interesting trades and it will be interesting how this will work out over time. Reviewing your outfield list, I understand the point you made. There are many if’s out there.
The three outfielders I look at with interest is Halman, Chiang, and Robinson. All three are working their way up the system and it will be interesting how they progress. Chiang and Robinson are doing great in the minors. But, people need to remember it is the minors.
Ichiro, they will never get rid of. He is the tick of the team. I know that will upset people but at least I did not say leech. I liked your idea on adding more fan days for him. I suggest Ichiro garlic fries night to go along with your chocolate figurine night. A great singles hitter and then …. Guiterrez is interesting, a lot of hype after 1 year of putting up good numbers and now he is back to where he was, a good fielder and a mediocre hitter. I would trade him as well.
Carp as an outfielder. Interesting, I never knew he played the outfield. I followed him when he was in the Mets orginization and he had power at Double A and played first. I would leave him at first. I would have him challenge Smoak who has some pop but can’t hit for average.
Wells, still early. Peguero, a lot of power but no average and the pitchers have figured him out. He needs to adjust and learn how to do it on the fly.
Anyways, always enjoyable reading your thoughts.
August 1st, 2011 at 2:06 pm
They all need at bats at mlb level to get to where they’re going. AAA does not do it. Ichiro retards their development by stealing mlb at bats from them. He is not going to get better or return to where he was.
His value at his prime was hugely overpaid for and reflected a fundamental misunderstanding of what he brought to the table.