M*A*S*H Unit - Duque & Valentin

[Guest Rotblatt]

]A .328 OB% is NOT "decent", unless by decent you mean "below league average"... same is true of his "decent" pop. Easley would be adequate filling in here and there, or platooning against LHPs, but if he's our everyday 2bman for the next 6 weeks or so, we've got another hole in our lineup.

Totally disagree. His career line isn't far off that of the average 2006 2B, which was 275 AVG/.333 OBP/.409 SLG/.742 OPS.

His .143 IsoP is higher than that of the average 2B, and while yes, his OBP & SLG are a little lower than that of the average 2006 2B, it's not like having a slightly below average 2B = a "hole in our lineup."

Unless you mean in the sense of replacing Valentin's bat, in which case, I agree with you. But in terms of carrying dead weight around, well, we won't be carrying around any more than most MLB lineups.

Easley seems like a perfectly adequate interim second baseman, and it didn't cost much to sign him. So as far as I'm concerned, Omar did a fine job backing up Valentin in the offseason. Now that Valentin's down for a while, however, I think it would make sense to try and shore up our MI depth a little.

and just for the hell of it . . .

2007 to date:

Lugo: .242/.330/.326/.657 OPS
Barfield: .154/.185/.218/.403
Loretta: .276/.341/.388/.729
Belliard: .298/.336/.375/.711
DeRosa: .269/.345/.513/.858
Aurillia: .284/.317/.411/.727
Vidro: .315/.351/.393/.744

Valentin: .279/.359/.471/.830
Easley (25 AB): .240/.345/.560/.905

I'd say the early returns are pretty good for us, both in terms of signing Valentin and picking Easley as a back-up. Lots of season left to play, obviously, but I don't think I'd take any of the above over Valentin ($3.8M) for this year, and the only back-ups signed in the offseason whom I'd pick over Easley ($850K) at this point are DeRosa ($4.3M), Vidro ($7.5M), and maybe Loretta ($2.5M).

[Vic Sage]

]it's not like having a slightly below average 2B = a "hole in our lineup."

You're right.

But neither is a slightly below average 2bman "decent" unless (as i said) by "decent" you mean below average. To me, decent means "not great, but ok", ie, better than mediocre. so maybe we're just having a definitional dispute.

And i'll take Barfield, thank you very much. Heck, i'll still take Aurillia or Vidro. The more Easley plays, the more he'll be exposed. Maybe it won't matter, if Wright is finally waking up and everybody else stays productive.

I guess i'm just distressed because a problem we all anticipated (Valentin either getting hurt or declining) has happened, and i don't like our options ... neither in the short-term nor, more importantly, in the long term. I think we've got long-term answers at every position EXCEPT 2b and C.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Just wait till Delgado needs some time off!

[Vic Sage]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: Just wait till Delgado needs some time off!

Lets bring Carp up NOW!!!

[Guest sharpie]

Vidro has yet to play the field for Seattle and, judging from what I watched of him last year, that is a smart move by the Mariners.


If Delgado needs time off, Green moving to first and Endy moving to right is ok with me, plus it improves our outfield defense.

[Guest Edgy DC]

How d'ya like him now?

[metirish]

[MFS62]

Vic Sage wrote: ="Johnny Dickshot"]Just wait till Delgado needs some time off! Lets bring Carp up NOW!!!

I know that was tongue-in-cheek, but FYI, Carp is on the DL with a broken finger.
Maybe when it heals.....?

Later

[Vic Sage]

Edgy DC wrote: How d'ya like him now?

um... i don't know what you're talking about.

Go, Easley! You da man!