The Insult That Made a Man Out of Mac

[Edgy MD]

Is there any currency to be placed on the notion that displacing McNeil from his slot as default everyday secondbaseman — returning him to his prior role as a super-utility/infield-outfield/pinch-hitting guy — might have a positive effect on his game?



You hate to put it on a guy, but he's (a) always played better with something to prove, and ( is demonstrably a red-ass. But despite injury, raccoon issues, extended slumps, and extended periods of head-in-ass syndrome this season and parts of last (to the extent that there was a last season) the guy still gets to wake up in the morning and see a .300+ career hitter staring him back in the mirror. Keith Hernandez can't say that. Neither can John Olerud, Daniel Murphy, David Wright, or Rusty Staub.



And he's playing in a low-average era. He's still an asset, but one that needs to get his mojo back.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Now's the moment for everyone to demonstrate whatever they got. In this case the lindor-Beaz Dream Team would be the catalyst

[Benjamin Grimm]

This is one of the best thread titles that we've had in a long time.

[Ceetar]

I mean, we'll probably find out. It's hard to argue for any other config than J.D. Davis, Lindor, Baez, Alonso.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: This is one of the best thread titles that we've had in a long time.

WAY better than "Memories of Nick Tropeano"

[Edgy MD]

McNeil 1-3 since losing his position.

[bmfc1]

Edgy should write a children's book with this title. Who will illustrate it?

[nymr83]

=Ceetar post_id=75363 time=1629844614 user_id=102]
I mean, we'll probably find out. It's hard to argue for any other config than J.D. Davis, Lindor, Baez, Alonso.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I'm ready to say Khaleil Lee

[Ceetar]

no, Conforto needs to be playing every day. As does Nimmo.



LF is the flex point, Smith and McNeil haven't really been good, but if you could platoon and fix them.. The team really needs another high OBP guy to counter adding Baez back in.

[Edgy MD]

There's no doubt plenty of playing time for McNeil to get subbing for five different guys, without worry too much about a large amount of playing time necessarily falling away from any of them.



My only thought was wondering whether losing his regular assignment would help get him going.

[nymr83]

I don't think anyone was disputing that Nimmo - he of the .400 OBP - should play every day.



I'd go so far as to say "lock him up" long term - he is a better player when healthy than any other hitter on the roster wit the possible exceptions of Alonso and Lindor. The knock with him is the ability to stay on the field.



As for Conforto, he has been barely better than Smith though at least he is an average defender.



This team is still way too left-handed and it shows when trying to figure out if a platoon could get anyone going.

[Ceetar]

Conforto has a 99 wRC+ and a fWAR of 0.3 on the season. Smith has a 84 wRC+ and -0.4 fWAR, and 100 more PA.



For his career, Conforto has a 124 wRC+ and Smith has a 104, with less than half the track record.



For August 2021, Conforto has a 133 wRC+, Smith has a 15!!!!!!! Kevin Pillar has a 28. Drury a 53. They have 127 PA between them, for roughly a -1 fWAR. Short sample WAR isn't really meaningful, but even having an average OFer taking those 123 PA probably has this team a game or two closer.



Pitching was the priority but choosing to bet that Smith or McNeil or Pillar would suddenly play much better was the cheap and easy choice and so far it's backfiring hard.