hybrid wrote:BTW Gardenhire retracted what he said basically the same week saying it wasn't fair to Delmon, for all the obvious reasons. Anyways it's a bit laughable that he even said it from the start ... does Gomez get a free pass just cause he is fast and plays CF? He is pretty terrible at the plate and needs more seasoning in the minors. Cuddyer also gets some sort of free pass cause he is with the organization longer and has a bigger contract. If they had a brain it would be obvious what they should do. Span is a nice good all around player but it really took till he was 24 and repeating AAA to break through.
I don't know maybe it's just me but the dealt one of their best young pitchers and they still seem to not really care for Delmon. Call me crazy but I'm going to stick the kid with a .317/.363/.517 stat line in the minors while being real young for each level.
Because 24 is so old for a prospect?
I think in the end Young will need to show that he's one of the 4 best players (3 OF and DH) to be on the field. The Twins are competing this year and can't afford to put a lesser player on the field. If young is the lesser player then he'll sit some. At a minimum he'll be the RH platoon option.
Neato Torpedo wrote:Gomez and Span are likely going to be in CF and RF, with Cuddyer, Kubel, and Delmon competing for LF and DH. Cuddyer hasn't shown any signs of replicating his '06 season, and he's 30 years old with very limited upside. It's not like Delmon completely flamed out, either. .290 AVG, 10 HR, 14 SB, .741 OPS isn't bad for a 23-year-old, and he improved his BB:K ratio from 1:5 in 07 to 1:3 in 08. I'd say it's his job to lose, despite what Gardenhire said 10 weeks ago.
Span will be in LF. LF requires more range and less arm. That exactly matches Span while RF matches Young and Cuddyer (poor range and cannons).
Cuddyer's '07 wasn't terrible either with a .790 OPS. Frankly Cuddyer's '07 (.790 OPS with 16 HR's) is the upper end of my Delmon expectation this season.
BTW Gardenhire retracted what he said basically the same week saying it wasn't fair to Delmon, for all the obvious reasons. Anyways it's a bit laughable that he even said it from the start ... does Gomez get a free pass just cause he is fast and plays CF? He is pretty terrible at the plate and needs more seasoning in the minors. Cuddyer also gets some sort of free pass cause he is with the organization longer and has a bigger contract. If they had a brain it would be obvious what they should do. Span is a nice good all around player but it really took till he was 24 and repeating AAA to break through.
I don't know maybe it's just me but the dealt one of their best young pitchers and they still seem to not really care for Delmon. Call me crazy but I'm going to stick the kid with a .317/.363/.517 stat line in the minors while being real young for each level.
Does Gomez get a pass because he's a phenomenal defensive CF (one of the top 3 in the majors), while Delmon is a horrible defensive corner outfielder (one of the worst 5 in the majors).
Well, yes.
According to fangraphs, Gomez was worth 22.4 runs (combining both offensive weakness and defensive prowess) while Delmon was worth -5.4 runs (combining offensive mediocrity and defensive weakness)
Span & Gomez are their two best outfielders and will play every day. If Delmon is going to play it's either because he's going to get traded or beat out Kubel or Cuddyer. That's it.
Gomez DOES get a pass because he is a great defensive CF.
I can't speak for Cuddyer, though.
Cuddyer will need to show that he has recovered from his hand injury (and later his broken foot, hit by a line drive in his last AAA rehab game ). He OPS'd .865 and .790 in '06 and '07 so he's a pretty good player (with questionable defense like delmon) if he is healthy. I wouldn't be surprised if Young and Cuddyer split AB's as the RF'er and the RH portion of the DH. Kubel (who for the most part hasn't been mentioned) is firmly entrenched as the LH portion of the DH. And in the end it wouldn't be unlikely for someone in the OF to become injured (or even Morneau (please don't happen) with Cuddyer shifting to 1B) such that none of them are sitting.
Curtis Pride wrote:Does Gomez get a pass because he's a phenomenal defensive CF (one of the top 3 in the majors), while Delmon is a horrible defensive corner outfielder (one of the worst 5 in the majors).
Well, yes.
According to fangraphs, Gomez was worth 22.4 runs (combining both offensive weakness and defensive prowess) while Delmon was worth -5.4 runs (combining offensive mediocrity and defensive weakness)
Span & Gomez are their two best outfielders and will play every day. If Delmon is going to play it's either because he's going to get traded or beat out Kubel or Cuddyer. That's it.
So you risk his development just cause you want someone in CF, it's an interesting theory. I haven't watched enough of the Twins to say very accurately and I really don't take defensive stats with out a lot of grain of salt. When Delmon was with the Rays he was a pretty good corner OF, maybe the switch messed with him or something else. I'm just less inclined to believe those stats is all.
If your saying Span & Gomez are the best defensive OF's, I'll agree with you there though.
visgc wrote: Fred Lewis, OF, SF - Lewis had something of a breakout in 2008 when he hit 282/351/440 across 468 ABs. Yet his season totals (81R, 9HR, 40 RBI, 21 SB) leave him off cusp of most fantasy sleeper lists. Yet with 100 more ABs, fulfillment of the rumored slide toward the middle of the order, and one more step up in play, I think he is capable of the type of 5 category #s that make guys like Victorino and Hart popular picks.
Really like Lewis and the Victorino comparison
Dukes, Milledge, Choo are all high on my list for this coming year.
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by hybrid » Sat Feb 14, 2009 7:05 am 
). He OPS'd .865 and .790 in '06 and '07 so he's a pretty good player (with questionable defense like delmon) if he is healthy. I wouldn't be surprised if Young and Cuddyer split AB's as the RF'er and the RH portion of the DH. Kubel (who for the most part hasn't been mentioned) is firmly entrenched as the LH portion of the DH. And in the end it wouldn't be unlikely for someone in the OF to become injured (or even Morneau (please don't happen) with Cuddyer shifting to 1B) such that none of them are sitting.
