The Braves became the latest team to beat the struggling Astros tonight, winning a 4-1 result on the back of 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball from Tim Hudson. With the Braves' win and the Nationals' split of a double-header with the Marlins today, Washington is only two games up on Atlanta in the NL East. Here's the latest from around the division…
- With the Phillies looking to keep payroll under the luxury tax threshold, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News looked at Reed Johnson, Jonny Gomes and Scott Hairston as right-handed hitting free agents who could be paired with lefty bat Nate Schierholtz for a productive outfield platoon that would come at a much cheaper cost than what the Phillies would have paid Hunter Pence in 2013.
- The Nationals don't see new catcher Kurt Suzuki as a "rental," GM Mike Rizzo told reporters (including CSN Washington's Mark Zuckerman). Suzuki is under contract through 2013 and the Nats plan to keep him along with regular catcher Wilson Ramos, who will be recovered from a torn ACL suffered in May.
- Fangraphs' Eric Seidman looks at how a Jason Bay for Heath Bell/John Buck trade would benefit both the Marlins and Mets in terms of salary relief and filling lineup holes. The two clubs had some discussions before the trade deadline about such a deal, though talks went nowhere at the time.
A Jonny Gomes/Nate Schierholtz platoon would be fine by me for RF next year. I would actually prefer this. In 2008, when they won, they had the platoon of Werth/Jenkins and that worked out just fine.
Gomes/Nate in RF
Pagan in CF
Brown in LF
Would be fine with me next year, if they spend money on a bullpen and trade for a 3B.
I want them to go after Bourn. Get him into the leadoff spot and finally, Charlie will have no reason to bat Jimmy Rollins lead off anymore.
Bourn
Rollins (or RF/3B depending on the player)
Utley
Howard
Ruiz
Brown
(RF/3B)
(RF/3B)
Pitcher
Obviously not ideal to bat Jimmy 2nd as I feel his bat plays better down in the 6th/7th spot but somebody’s got to separate the lefties.
I’m afraid of his contract. He could command more that 4/60 (which is what I would say he is worth). I just don’t want to see a “Reyes” type contract thrown at him because he’s the best fit for this team.
I would love to have him, but anything over an AAV of 15 million is an overpay for him.
I see him as more of a 4/50 type of player or a 5/65. I’m under the assumption that they’ve targeted him. (I mean, he’s who they had to be talking about when they made those comments about a free agent splash? Can’t be Hamilton).
Pagan’s a down grade from Victorino.
It’s not out of the question that Ruben is thinking about making a 100+ committment to a guy like Hamilton…and as much as I love Josh, he’s simply too much of an injury risk to invest that kind of money. The Phillies have enough money tied up to people that can’t stay on the field this year (Utley, Howard, Doc, Polly, Nix, and so on).
I just don’t question whether or not Ruben will do anything anymore, because more often than not, he does what none of us thought hed do.
It’s not Josh Hamilton’s health that worries me, I’m worried about his history with drugs/alcohol. The desire’s always going to be there for him.
You’re right, but I think his next contract may have something in there about that (if that’s allowed by the CBA, not sure on that one). I’m sure teams will line-up to give him three year deals with a ton of incentives and vesting options, but there will be one or two teams that will throw out big money for him (and I don’t think it will be Texas)
By the time the games got serious, Werth was playing every day in RF
This is true, but that was mainly because Werth started crushing the ball and Geoff was struggling. If one of Nate/Gomes would start consistently hitting bombs and .270, I’m sure they would consider leaving them in.
Mayberry is just fine in the platoon.
Mayberry is awful. He’s had one half of a season and he’s the 2nd coming of Jayson Werth in the eyes of this fan base. (not saying you in particular, I just think generally speaking, the fan base overrates Mayberry).
The fan base thinks Mayberry is awful — which he is.
Going into the season, everyone was calling him the next Jayson Werth and many fans still think he deserves a “shot.”
Personally, I’ve been saying for awhile (and got called out on other websites for saying) that he was nothing more than a 4th/5th outfielder at best. He doesn’t have the plate discipline to tap into his power and be a difference maker.
I’ve wanted them to get Reed Johnson for awhile. Before they traded for Pence, that’s who I actually wanted them to get to platoon with Brown. Cody Ross would be a good fit as well, although given his season this year, I’d be leery of the cost.
I’m actually really curious and kind of excited to see how this off season pans out. The Phillies have some flexibility moving forward. I’m really looking forward to the Michael Bourn sweepstakes as you’re more than likely going to see the Phillies, Nats, and Braves all chasing after him.
Not sure we need any of those guys. Mayberry career vs LHP: .888 OPS. Reed Johnson: .837 Hairston: .835 Gomes: .875. We already have Schierholtz’s platoon mate on the roster at league minimum.
Cody Ross is the best lefty masher at .931 but he will be expensive now.
I don’t want John Mayberry Jr anywhere near the roster next year.
.270/.274/.532 this year, which is an .806 ops
The power’s great but the OBP is awful and he has a BB/K ratio of 0/23. If he could get the OBP up to around .330, he’d be more than capable but I don’t know if I see that happening given his approach this year… he literally swings at everything thrown at him after strike one. He’s sooo ineffective against right handed pitching as well that he really shouldn’t be much more than a 5th outfielder if even in the major leagues at all.
Mayberry has hit lefties extremely well throughout his baseball career, has above average speed and power, and is a plus defender at all three OF positions. And he is dirt cheap and controllable. He is a perfect option as a platoon or 4th OF.
I also don’t get the fascination with Bourne either. He is a fantastic defender but has never been much of a hitter till this year, and his whole game is predicated on speed, which will decline within 2 years. I’d much rather have Vic back for far, far cheaper than Bourne.
I’m afraid Vic is on a serious decline already. I’d go for BJ Upton. He’s just as good on D as Bourn and won’t cost nearly as much.
I HATE BJ Upton, especially after watching him dog it during the ’08 World Series.
That said, I am a value guy, and I can see a good risk/reward scenario a mile away. If BJ’s price tag was within reason, I would be all over him if I were Amaro.
Anytime you can get a BJ with a reasonable price tag you take it.
BJ Upton Ops/OBP since his *1* decent season in 2007:
2008 OBP .383 .OPS .784
2009 OBP .313 .OPS .686
2010 OBP .322 OPS .754
2011 OBP .331 .OPS .759
I think if Upton gets a deal north of 50m, it will come from the Nationals and Rizzo who has been in love with him for years.:
Talk about overrating the guy…
His speed is average. Even if he was an above average runner, he doesn’t utilize it to the point where its an asset. He doesn’t steal bases and he’s an awful baserunner.
“Hits lefties extremely well throughout his baseball career.” Yeah, numbers that he put up in the 2nd half of last year. He doesn’t have enough body of work to have a track record. His numbers this year are awful and there’s no signs they’re going to get better. You can ignore them if you want but part of the reason we’re in last place is the fact the front office overvalued him.
His minor league numbers are pretty bad too. The only thing he really does above average is hit left handed pitchers for power. a BB/K rate of 0/23 against lefties though tells me he’s not very good.
Great move to get Suzuki.
If Ramos can get healthy the Nationals have a great defensive backup catcher who has experience with Gio.
Bay isn’t going to do 1 bit better at Miami than he did at Citi Field. that stadium plays no better to his power he once had than Citi Field does. If the Mets can dump him, he needs to go to a place like Fenway, Wrigley, Arlington, Coors Field, Cincy.. Places that really have no use and only the Cubs that have another bad deal for the same amound of dollars in Soriano who is equally horrid and at least he hits some, so they won’t be willing to swap.
Bell has some upside as-is, Buck has less upside than that does bay as he is what he always was.. A career backup, just getting paid massive dollars at 6m per season.
I do feel sorry for Bay, but he did it to himself signing at such a terrible place for power hitters.
But even power hitters wouldn’t blame the size of the park on why they hit .159. It’s not his power that’s lacking, it’s everything on the offensive end – it’s astounding how bad he’s become.
Ur right on with regards to how far his entire offensive game has slid and his numerous injuries have hampered his games is another issue that has further hurt him.
Maybe some of the problems have become a mental problem.. Massive stadium half of his games, the long fly balls he was hitting at Fenway are “dying” at the warning track at Citi field for outs and it turned into a mental issue with him, it has hurt players before.
I have said since season 1 when he was so horrid that if could “escape” Citi Field that thought he could somehow return into a decent power hitter again *if* he could wind up back at a friendly stadium.
I purposely left out Veterans stadium in my above post, but that would be another place where he could probably do very well, but no chance those 2 deal with the history there. Could u imagine him hitting 25+ HR there the last year of his contract when he barely did that at Citi his 1st 3 seasons? The Phillies actually could use him is the worst of it as a fill in.
It’s a great thing he failed his physical in Boston looking back, though do think he would have done considerably better (had he stayed healthy) at Fenway, much like Nick Esasky did when he had his 1 great year at Fenway as a high flyball hitter, then left. He had vertigo somewhat derail his career a couple years later think it was.
Solano looks to maybe be even better than Ramos power wise anyway (from a Giants fans look). Bit curious to want Suzuki for another year with both Solano and Ramos imo, but this year he’ll lend a lot of invaluable advice from an excellent D catcher. He can show Ramos the proper positioning on a swipe tag which is something even Buster Posey is still getting used to with some rough going so far.
I live in Philadelphia, but I do not think I am showing any bias at all when I say, Murph is one of the best beat writers in the biz. He totally gets it. His articles have substance, thought and objective evidence behind them. I do not think it will be long before he moves on to bigger and better things than a dying union-thug ruled paper like the Daily News (aka Pravda).
” I do not think it will be long before he moves on to bigger and better
things than a dying union-thug ruled paper like the Daily News (aka
Pravda).”
I got a feeling ur gonna take some heat here over this, but not from me 🙂
In hindsight, I should have not said that, but in hindsight, its also true.
Hey, I am the rare Philadelphian who does not think that…………..ah, you’re right. Never mind lol.
He’s should go back to covering high school football in Florida. Not really that good. Tries too hard to be cool. Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly is the only guy who is clued in on baseball and the Phillies. The Daily News should fold. Lousy sportswriters .except for Les Bowen.
He’s the anti Bob Brookover.
Jason Bay would not benefit the Marlins AT ALL.