Compare them to 2008 Tampa Bay! You can’t tell me this team does not have a shot.

LF: Carl Crawford (.273, 8 HR, 18 net SBvs. Ken Griffey or other mid-level free agent LF (.275 BA, 20-25 HRs)
CF: BJ Upton (.273, 9 HR, 28 net SB) vs. Franklin Gutierrez (.275 BA, 15 HRs, 15 net SBs projected)
RF: Eric Hinske (.247, 20 HR) vs. Ichiro Suzuki (.351 BA, 39 net SBs)
C: Dioner Navarro (.295, 7HR) vs. Kenji Johjima (.287 BA, 14 HRs)
1B: Carlos Pena (.247, 31HR) vs. Russ Branyan/Shelton (.260 BA, 20-25 HRs projected)
2B: Akinori Iwamura (.274, 6 HR) vs. Jose Lopez (.297 BA, 17 HRs)
SS: Jason Bartlett (.286, 1 HR, 14 net SB) vs. Yuniesky Betancourt (.289 BA, 9 HRs)
3B: Evan Longaria (.272, 27 HR) vs. Adrian Beltre (.276, 26 HRs, 12 net SBs)
DH: Cliff Floyd (.268, 11 HR) vs. Jeff Clement/Morse (.280 BA, 15-20 HRs projected)

1. Scott Kazmir (3.49 era) vs. Erik Bedard (3.18 era)
2. James Shields (3.56 era) vs. Felix Hernandez (3.45 era)
3. Matt Garza (3.70 era) vs. Rowland Smith (3.50 era as a starter)
4. Andy Sonnanstine (4.38 era) vs. Carlos Silva (4.19 era)
5. Edwin Jackson (4.42 era) vs. Miguel Batista (4.29 era)

Other P:
Percival (4.47 era) vs. Jarrod Washburn (4.32 era)
Balfour (1.54 era) vs. Morrow (1.47 era as a RP)
Howell (2.22 era) vs. Heilman (3.03 era)
Wheeler (3.12 era) vs. Corcoran (3.32 era)

Probably.

League average, according to Dave’s article, is 36%.

Silva’s been steadily in the 33-34% range for the past three years. In 2008, he saw his GB% dip as his LD% rose.

Did Z get Endy as a platoon player or as a 4th OF?

Maybe he took him because that was the last piece in the deal and he was the highest value of the players the Mets made available. When you’re doing a 12-man three-team deal, nobody is getting everything they want, but you’re trying to maximize the value you get back for what you’re giving up. Now, if you’re somebody like Bavasi who fetishizes “roles” and is bad at valuing talent, you might take a bad deal because it gives you exactly the players you can plug into the holes in your system, even if those players aren’t as good as other choices who would seem to be redundant on your roster. If you’re a smarter GM, you take the best value and see where that gets you. You can always package and flip guys in later deals, or platoon people, or make them fight it out in spring training and send the losers to Tacoma (unless they’re out of options) with a chance to come back up in case of suckage/injury.

Unfortunately, I’m not talented at coming up with nicknames… Franklin Rafael Gutierrez… Any takers?

FRaG? Gooty? (I’m guessing his fellow players/coaches call him that, or Frankie)

“Frankie Good Glove”? “Frankie Five Fingers”? “Frankie Gutz”? Or just plain “Guti”?

no, I just couldn’t figure out why ESPN would be doing 4th outfielder Mariner highlights in December, 2009 optimism or no.

Slow news cycle. The Yankees and Red Sox haven’t done anything big as of late, there hasn’t been any TO/Cowboys drama lately, Brett Favre hasn’t retired again, and Notre Dame still sucks. So yeah, nothing worth covering for ESPN.