Post All Star Break, The Wreck Of Justin Smoak
September 3rd, 2012 by terrybenishSince the All Star break, something that did not seem possible has occurred. Justin Smoak for some reason continues to play. Mike Carp got hurt, and is playing in Tacoma on a rehab.
But Smoak since the All Start break has an OPS of .523, comprised of an on base percentage of .246 and a slug of .277. If Ozzie Smith was incarnate with a young body, that offensive performance would not or should not allow him to play. Now Carp was playing very well in early August when he hurt his groin and then disappeared.
In AA Jackson first basemen Rich Poythress has had a decent season with an OPS of .843 comprised of an onbag of .404 and a slug of .439, mostly built on an average of .304 and 21 doubles in .303 at bats. He’s 6’4 and 235 pounds out of the University of Georgia, the same age as Smoak. His batting average against left handers is slightly better than against right handers, but from the right side .298 is fine.
If the composition of his offense, great onbag, doubles could be sustained at this level it would be plenty good. Far, far better than anything we’ve seen this year. There are so much politics around Smoak and the Lee trade, that this borders on the ridiculous.
There is nobody at Tacoma that plays first that the Mariners will give a shot at the job and I have to think that includes Carp. My Mariner informant says that catcher Mike Zunino makes the team out of spring training. Which means no Olivo (Yay), diminished at bats for Montero and Jaso as catcher. Perhaps, Jaso at first base? He turns 29 later this month which might not get him into that category of players that the front office is aware of, except when Geoff Baker is talking about the Lee trade, Jaso being a product of that trade.
Montero as a first baseman? There may be only three or four players in the American league that are slower than big Jesus.
It is an issue.
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