leadpipe wrote:It's the exact same problem at third as first.
Yea, I'd rather have Hanahan's .250 (If he can hit it, which is questionable) and GG caliber D over Chisenthall, if Chisenhall blows. Just like I'd prefer Kotchmann over LaPorta.
But if your team has Casey Kotchmann and Jach Hanahan getting 1200 PA at the corners, for the same team, well, that offense is either A. In deep shit or B. Gonna have to have extraordinary performances other places on the diamond. And with the Indians having a corner outfield slot and a DH slot, which are extreme offensive positions, being manned by guys who are not very good offensive players.....there better be some MASSIVE offensive years by some guys should this be the case.
Or your pitching has to be off the charts good. Like Jumbo's point about the Rays winning with Kotchman. Their starting rotation might be the best in baseball. Their lineup is nothing special.
I know you're down on Hafner, and there are plenty of reasons to be, but he has posted three straight 120+ OPS seasons. It's not the kind of production you want from a DH making 13M per, but the guy isn't totally useless. By no means is it ideal, along with your correct point about deficiencies at the IF corners and LF.
Hafner's productive when he plays. It's just the fact that he can't stay healthy. Still had an .886 OPS off RHP last year.
Not saying I want to enter the season relying on Hafner, which is your overall point, but he's still a contributor.
And this is in an offense that looks like it will have Hafner and Sizemore penciled in as starters - which means there's gonna be about a seasons worth of at bats going to someone who isn't a starting player, cause these guys are gonna miss games. (Personally, I think it's a mistake to go into a season with two guys like this, but whatever)
Agree that the team seems to be expecting too much from both. If Jason Donald can play a reasonable LF, which I think he can, that's a huge lift. Can move Brantley to CF, Santana DH, Marson C, or whatever. Donald's a big piece this year. His health can allow them to do a lot of things.
Again, not here to argue what is. LaPorta blows, and Lonnie hasn't proven anything yet, bu to look at opening day having Kotchman and Jacko in the line-up and saying everything will be o.k.....I'm pretty sure it's not.
Won't dispute that. Definitely not an ideal situation. But, they're operating with what they can. I know we all want real, bona fide players at every position, but economics just won't allow it. I don't have to preach that to you, but you know it's a factor.
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I'll be sick to my stomach if Hannahan gets more PAs than Chisenhall for whatever reason.
It's not even something I considered because if it happens this team likely isn't winning as many games as last season. To go from 80 to 86 or 88 wins they need Chisenhall and Kipnis play run producing parts. Bottom line. A lot to expect? Maybe. But it is what it is. Hannahan can play late inning defense if he makes the club.
God, if you were gonna consider Hannahan as a starter you shoulda just put him at 1B and let Chisenhall play 3b.
If they're healthy, they've got options. I know you're big on Donald. I'm really coming around on him. If you keep guys fresh, you'll get better contributions. If Grady only plays four games a week instead of six or seven. If Hafner can rest twice a week with Santana or Duncan DHing.
I honestly considered the idea of Hannahan as the everyday 1B if they didn't get Kotchman. I don't envy Acta or the front office. What do you do? Play to your pitchers' collective strength and have the best fielding team or sacrifice defense for unproven hitting? Acta will have to be really creative this year with the lineups, getting guys enough rest and still putting a competent fielding team out there.
With a few of these guys, we're stranded in the desert with one bottle of water and trying to ration that as best as we can so we don't dehydrate to death.
All of this being said, I still don't think they're done upgrading the team. Could we see Vlad to platoon with Hafner? Longer the guy sits out there, the more likely he is to take a contract we can afford. I'm thinking 3-3.5M. Big drop from the 8M he got last year. But, teams aren't beating down his door or speed dialing his agent. I don't know how much is left in his tank, but he'd at least give us a decent RH pinch hitting option or a good bat against a LHP to give Hafner a rest.
A God Damn dead man would understand that if a minor league bus in any city took a real sharp right turn, a Zack McCalister would likely fall out. - Lead Pipe
