Forecasts for Fifteen: Matt den Dekker

[Edgy MD]

Getting passed on the depth chart just as I'm on the verge... IT HURTS!! IT HURTS, LAGARES!! Montero knows what it feels like. Who do you think got passed by deGrom? IT BURNS!!

So I'm taking my little d back out there, where I'm sixth or seventh on a depth chart of five. Oh, the injustice!! IT'S SEARING PAIN!!



What happens with me this year? Will a spot open up? Will the timing be right so the opening happens while I'm playing well? Help me out, here.

[MFS62]

He'll have to soothe that pain in a spa in Las Vegas for the early part of the year. Then he will be recalled mid year and hit .247/.287/.386 in 35 games.

Later

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Kinda sucks being a defensive replacement whose best position is manned by someone who needs no defensive replacement.

But, yeah, if Johnny Lags ever misses a month or two, this guy's churning out Web Gems like Ben and Jerry churn out tortured-sounding novelty flavors.

But, yeah, as it stands, I think he's going for 50 midseason PAs or so, then going as a deadline deal throw-in.

[Guest themetfairy]

[Frayed Knot]

Never mind that, get to the REAL important question concerning MdD (not that it'll matter in most cases): Does he get filed alphabetically under den or Dekker?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Surprised he wasn't traded along with Muffy, Tejada, Gee and Carmine Ronzonni for something we could use some of.

He'll do alright as a reserve CF, with the Twins or maybe the Rockies.

For us, useful only if Lagares gets hurt or starts to suck.

[Edgy MD]

He can certainly provide some Dykstrability to Lagares' Wilsonianness. The problem with that scenario is that Mookie had to rip his shoulder and shatter his eyeball for Lenny to get into the mix.

For now, it's hard to think of him as worthy of getting ahead of Nieuwenhuis. And he's going to be 27. Just one in a series of logjams that Sandy seems to cultivate.

[ashie62]

I can hit better than this guy.

[Edgy MD]

I'll take that bet.

I mean, come on. A .667 OPS is a perfectly viable output by a defense-first bench player in 2014. It's not ideal, but considering he's something like the team's seventh option and he burned down the town in Las Vegas last year, I'm pretty glad we have him.

Definitely understand why folks are surprised he wasn't dealt off. He's in danger of stagnating in our system. And every team needs a ball hawk. He was probably the 51s' MVP.

I'll go with .265 / .335 / .371 // .706 in 44 games. Five-for-seven in steals.

Wife does something attention-grabby. Gets her some ink in the New York Post. It won't be clear at first whether she's just naive or a real piece of work.

[smg58]

Doesn't do enough with limited opportunities, and goes elsewhere in the offseason.

[Lefty Specialist]

Traded in a package with Gee in Spring Training.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I'll go with the part-of-trade scenario.

[Edgy MD]

A buncha yas (including d'Kong again) predicted a midseason trade. But midseason came early this year.

Let no one say that den Dekker isn't in midseason form.