Andy Handy

[Frayed Knot]

No real big point here (mainly I just wanted to experiment with making a table) but the stuff below shows the so-far career of Anderson Hernandez split into his first stint here as a roster-filling auto-out and the time since he was dealt away and re-acquired.
Nothing stunning certainly, but it does show a metamorphous from 'putrid' to 'acceptable for a backup's role' and his 72 ABs as a Met this season are actually slightly better than his combined lower line of DC & NYM put together.

AndyHandy	PA	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	BA	OBA	SLG
2005-2007	89	87	12	1	1	1	2	17	.138	.157	.207
2008-2009	426	384	105	17	3	1	38	62	.273	.336	.341

I suppose there's still a question about whether he can really handle SS since you always need one of those, plus we keep hearing about how much they love Cora and all.
But he's out-hit Cora and will turn 27 this winter as opposed to 34 (I would have guessed Cora was older than that).

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'm hoping it's not about him v. Cora.

I suppose it's nice to have one backup infielder who hits better and one who fields better, but it doesn't always work out as planned.

[metirish]

Perfect for the bench type , I'd have no problem with him back in that role.

[Frayed Knot]

Well I didn't necessarily mean to limit the discussion to just him or Cora.
But the point is that everyone [u:3l74deip]Needs[/u:3l74deip] a backup who can play SS - for a sustained stretch if necessary - and those types are never going to hit much so scouring the wires and trade markets for someone to fill that role is unlikely to turn up someone a whole lot better. The only difference would be if they decide that the spot should go to a glove-first man in which case you probably don't want either guy.

[batmagadanleadoff]

While AH has usually struggled batting from the left side of the plate, he's developed into a respectably efficient batter from the right side, especially by the standards of a backup infielder.

Last year, he batted .366 from the right side, albeit in a small number of AB's (41). Here are his up-to-date career BA/OBP/SLG splits:

batting lefty:.232/.288/.282 (340 AB's)
batting righty: .290/.354/.405 (131 AB's)

[bmfc1]

He also has minimal range and makes "bad baseball decisions" (i.e. is a knucklehead).

[metirish]

He also has minimal range and makes "bad baseball decisions" (i.e. is a knucklehead).[/quote:2motfl6o]

"bad baseball decisions" seems to have been a theme for this squad all season.

[bmfc1]

I almost wrote "Pagan-like" but thought that would lead to a different level of jokes.

[smg58]

He could be a platoon second baseman on a decent club. As shortstop he doesn't cut it defensively, certainly not to the degree that you'd hope for from a guy with a dubious bat. The same could be said for Cora, so they should really think about bringing somebody else in for the reserve shortstop role.

[Frayed Knot]

See, if it's deemed that he can't hack it at SS then he becomes a whole lot less valuable and I become a whole lot less interested. I don't know that I've seen enough of him out there to know yet.
If you need a platoon at 2nd you can get a much better bat - unless you already have a thumper at 2nd in which case he becomes the occasional gloveman/fill-in, but our current 2B man is too Andy-like to begin with.

Ahhh, doesn't matter. This is an off-season discussion anyway and not a real high priority one at that.
But at least he's showing himself to be a better player these days then the one we sent away two years back and doesn't automatically get written out of the conversations.

[MFS62]

He still appears to have problems getting a jump on ground balls to his left.
His hands and arm look ok for short, but still, its that range thingie.

OK backup I guess.
Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

He's interesting to track for trading.

They got him from the Tiggs for Vance Wilson. The Tigers got 0.7 WARs out of ol' Vance for $1.6 million.

The Mets would pay relatively squat and, um, get absolutley squat from him --- -0.8 WARs for about $600,000 including majors and minors salaries.

But they sent him yonder for Luis Ayala. The Mets get 0.1 WARs there for about a half mill.

So we lost the Wilson/Hernandez trade, clearly, thoguh Vance wasn't all that much.

Now, the Ayala/Hernandez trade. Anderson gets into the black as a Nat, and comes up with about 0.6 win shares for about $1.2 million. Um, shit, we clearlly lose there also.

So, if Greg Veloz somehow outplays or outvalues Anderson Hernandez, we could be a three-time loser with this guy. So far, fortunately the Mets lead that one with 0.2 WARs at a few hunnert Gs.