Perhaps someone wiser than me on this issue can answer…I know Branyan has played a substantial amount of 3rd in his career, would it be feasible to stick him there next season and free up some room for a Clement or Carp?

People keep asking this, and the data is as close as fangraphs. As a 1B so far this year, he’s at -1.5 UZR/150 ; his historical numbers at 3B are -6.9 UZR/150 (assuming he hasn’t slowed any). Beltre at 3B is +16 right now (and +13 for his career) so you’re looking at a two plus win swing there. Branyan might not be a complete embarrassment at 3rd, but he would be taking away in the field a big chunk of what he gives with his bat. The guy you plug in at 1B has to be that much better to make up for it.

You know, there’s nothing wrong with “old-player skills” as long as you’re not paying superstar money for them. “Old-player skills” is not shorthand for “crappy” or “done”. Branyan’s a great pickup for that reason. What you want to avoid is seeing those skills in action in the first or second year of a long contract. I’m loving Branyan right now, but I don’t want to see him playing first base here in 2014.

That began to piss me off… but then you totally got what I was saying.

Having old player skills isn’t a bad thing, but it can precipitate a quick fall of a tall cliff.

Branyan is flipping awesome. But so was Boone in 2001. 2 years is a good thank you, and anything more is just stupid. Especially given that 1B is our most stacked position in the minors right now.

Willie was especially precious. Just ask the fine citizens of Port Orchard, WA.

lol.

What is new is the #P stat in the game logs, which shows the total number of pitches each batter saw.

I don’t know about the game logs, but they’ve supplied #P/PA on the individual player cards for several years.

Yeah if he goes out on the market and gets a three-year, $30 million offer we should NOT try to match it. But two years at $6.5 million isn’t going to kill us.
Then you roll the best of Nelson / Carp / Shelton / Clement group into the DH/PH role, or deal them.

Wait, why do you want to sign the old guy and deal the kids?

BTW, since it came up here and Dave mentioned him in the post, so it would seem to be within the bounds of the topic: Drayer reports that Clement has started catching bullpen sessions.

In the meantime, there’s a lot of work to be done: anyone else notice that ESPN is publishing run differential in its standings?

They have been publishing that for a while…shocking to see how far in front the Dodgers are over everyone else, they have been for awhile, and all this without Manny.

What is new is the #P stat in the game logs, which shows the total number of pitches each batter saw.

As far as Branyan goes, I am torn. The guy has been killing the ball, our only true consistent power threat, and the M’s got the off-season signing of the year in getting him for just over a million bucks. He’s going to be offered a ridiculous sum of money for long term deals by more than one team, and, I’m afraid, that isn’t the move the M’s need to make. A 3 year deal to a guy who’s never been given an everday chance before is too high a risk I’d personally be willing to take, even though I love his game.

He says he wants to stay in Seattle, and I believe him. He’s come into his own here. But I wouldn’t blame him if some team offers him a 3 year deal for $30 million that the M’s can’t or won’t match.