One thing you might have noticed is Betancourt getting an even lower number than Ibanez, I think it’s pretty easy to imagine that a below average SS could cost you more runs than a really bad corner outfielder. This’d apply to a 2B/SS comparison on a smaller scale…

Somebody stop me if I’m wrong.

(I understand switching positions isn’t as trivial as just assigning a run value to figure out the difficulty of a position)

Griffey in CF:
02: -9.8
03: -18.9
04: -42.5
05: -22.6
06: -33.8
08: -14.4

in RF:
07: -22.0
08: -24.0

So, if the M’s get Griffey, he should be let no where near the outfield, ever. He can’t be a 4th OF. He shouldn’t be your 5th OF (which Branyan can cover better).

For reference, Raul put up -5.3, -23.9, and -11.0 UZR/150 numbers the last 3 years. So according to UZR, Raul would better than Griffey in the field.

That is, are all players compared against an ‘objective’ standard or graded on a curve of sorts, like the one implicit in the +/- system? Both ways would have an advantage.

For example if the league becomes suddenly flush with superb fielders at some one position it would make sense to recognize that and include it in their value. A run saved, after all, is a run saved.

At the same time if the quality of the average fielder at that position improves, then the relative value of great defense diminishes because it is less rare.

Now I’m just thinking out loud, and that’s never a good thing. All I want to know really is whether a 0 UZR is determined empirically each season.

Rocco Baldelli in CF:
2003: -6.8 in 1322.2 innings
2004: -8.2 in 1047
2006: 10.0 in 749
2007: 9.4 in 162 innings

In 2008 he only played 36.2 innings in the corner OF positions so the data for that isn’t very relavent. The interesting thing for me is that the Rays didn’t trust his body to hold up in the field and used him almost exclusively as a DH. If the M’s get him, it seems like it should be as a DH / 4th OF. For reference, James has him at a wOBA of .345 in 09 and Marcel has him at .336.

Ryan Langerhans in LF:
05: 26.4 in 379.1 innnings
06: 23.5 in 706
07: 18.1 in 233.1
08: 10.1 in 141.2
Career: 21.5 in 1465.1

Langerhans in CF (limited samples)
05: 23.7 in 77.1 innings
06: 4.3 in 116
07: -12.5 in 274.2
Career: -3.7 in 482.1

Langerhans in RF (limited samples)
05: 28.4 in 356 innings
Career: 23.5 in 488.1

Great corner OF who looks like he’d be a league average or so center fielder. For 2009, James has him at wOBA of .343 and Marcel is .310. So you’re getting about a league average hitter who can play league average center or way above average LF or RF.

I am still interested in Gabe Kaper, but that interest has been tempered a bit. His fielding totals are about 14 UZR/150 lower for all positions compared to Langerhans and his wOBA projections are .331 for James and .337 for Marcel. He’s also 4.5 years older than Langerhans and I’d rather take the younger player of the two all else being equal contract wise.

Yuni trend at SS (UZR/150):
05: -0.4
06: -0.5
07: -4.3
08: -14.7

Jose Lopez at 2B:
05: 3.3
06: 3.5
07: 1.0
08: -3.3

eat SS in 04 in 490 innings: 1.8!!! Eat that Yuni!! (actually, don’t eat that, lose 15 lbs instead)

Jeremy Reed in CF:
05: 14.9
06: -9.5
08: -3.5

Ichiro! in RF:
02: 8.4
03: 10.8
04: 8.5
05: 2.3
06: 12.0
08: -0.2

Ichiro! in CF:
06: 0.6
07: -1.8
08: 3.3

Beltre at 3B:
02: 23.3
03: 12.1
04: 25.7
05: 8.6
06: 18.0
07: -3.9
08: 16.1

LaHair at 1B:
08: 13.3

Russell Branyan career numbers (individual season samples are all very small):
1B: 324 Innings, 4.4 UZR/150
3B: 1831.1 Innings, -6.0
LF: 720, 2.7
RF: 357.1, -2.5

I didn’t realize that he’d played so much LF when he came up with the Indians. He also played 328 innings in LF in 2000 and 2001 which are not included in the totals because there is no UZR information for those years. And his 1.6 UZR/150 in 364.1 innings at RF&LF for Tampa in ‘06 is encouraging in that he could make an effective 5th/emergency OF for the team.