Rearranging The Line-Up
With the team tossing Milton Bradley overboard yesterday (because they’re Mariners – get it? That will be my last sailor related pun of the year, I’d bet), one thing is for sure – the batting order is going to have to change. Despite Eric Wedge’s insistance that Justin Smoak was going to remain in the #5 spot, that seems to be unlikely, as there’s no more veteran presence to point to who has experience in that role. Now, the team will actually have to use talent to determine who hits where.
So, let’s give it a shot. We’ll start with the line-up against righties, since that’s going to be the one that gets used more often. This is my suggestion for what the line-up should look like, not necessarily what Eric Wedge will go with.
1. Ichiro (L), RF
2. Figgins (S), 3B
3. Cust (L), DH
4. Smoak (S), 1B
5. Rodriguez (S), 2B
6. Olivo (R), C
7. Saunders (L), CF
8. Wilson (R), LF
9. Ryan (R), SS
Bench: Gimenez (R), Kennedy (L), Wilson (R), Peguero (L)
My call for Luis Rodriguez to take over as the starting second baseman only gains momentum now that the team is showing that they’re willing to shift away from veterans who have no future here. Give Rodriguez a few hundred at-bats to see what he can do. I know hitting a utility infielder fifth isn’t ideal, but he’s actually got some pop, and as an extreme flyball guy who makes good contact, he might just collect a good amount of sac flies behind the teams OBP group.
Wilson gets the starts in left by default, even though I’d imagine Peguero will probably get some playing time as well. I’m not a big Mike Wilson fan, but he has fewer holes in his swing than Peguero right now, and if you sandwich Saunders between two RHBs, you might be able to limit the times that an opposing manager will go use an LHP against him in tough situations. Since you can’t really pinch hit for Saunders with this roster, that’s kind of important.
Against southpaws, I’d go something like this.
1. Ichiro (L), RF
2. Figgins (S), 3B
3. Olivo (R), C
4. Smoak (S), 1B
5. Wilson (R), LF
6. Cust (L), DH
7. Rodriguez (S), 2B
8. Ryan (R), SS
9. Saunders (L), CF
For all the talk of getting the team another right-handed bat, swapping out Bradley and Langerhans for Peguero and Wilson didn’t actually do that. The team still only has one RH bat to share time at LF/DH, so either Peguero or Cust will have to play against southpaws. Not ideal, but it is what it is.
Is it a good line-up? No, of course not. It’s probably not even any better than the one that the team ran out over the weekend. But, until Dustin Ackley arrives, Franklin Gutierrez returns, and they import another MLB-caliber hitter or two, this is probably the best they can do.
OBP = a good thing, no matter where in the order.
If all three of those guys were getting on base, that would be a good thing. I’m not worried about where they would hit in the lineup as that isn’t as big a deal.
I would like to think that if Figlet’s performance mandated it, Wedge would have the courage to move him in the order.
If Figgins refuses to bat lower in the order, I would assume the order becomes 1. Ichiro, 2. Ackley and Figgins gets a spot on the bench.
If Dave wrote a Pittsburgh Pirates blog (truly a sad notion, even for an M’s fan) he could employ lines such as, “With the team making [DFA’ed player] walk the plank” or “With the team sending [DFA’ed player] down to find Davy Jones’ locker”. Those would never get old!
Man, I’m tired of watching Saunders bat. With Lopez and Betancourt gone, I was hoping to be alleviated from these types of experiences but watching Saunders flail around up there is just aggravating. I hope some other team sees something in him that isn’t there and gives us something interesting, maybe a catching prospect? I’m guessing the most we can hope for is a RP
You’re right … that’s right! He crossed over and played for both teams in ’85, but he finished the season with KC. I had forgotten about that. I thought Pendleton might have been your #5 as I had forgotten about Herr entirely. Yes, that was a good team with almost zero power and a lot of wheels. Good production, no power … but good production! The game was played a little differently then. Maybe in the future de-juiced era, some of that will come back into vogue.
Leroy, et.al–
Thanks for pointing out those teams, it was interesting to check out their stats, and see the idea succeed. Although, they appear to be the exception to how folks have chosen to build rosters– and require something else the M’s don’t have: a group of OTHER players who perform too.
One more really good bat could make a real difference in this lineup.
We can dream (and hopefully next year it happens).
Eternal-
Cross your fingers that Saunders and Peguero don’t bat next to each other in the order. Could be a painful couple of outs to watch.
Although, I still have hope for both of them– neither appears quite ready for Major League pitching yet.
Smoak batting 3rd, Olivo 4th, Cust 5th today. Saunders 9, per Stone’s tweet. http://twitter.com/#!/StoneLarry/status/68028452867031040
I LIKE IT!!!! Good move Wedge!
Olivo batting cleanup would seem to negate some of the advantage of having Ichiro, Figgins, and Smoak batting 1-3.
Lots of interesting ideas here, with varying degrees of salience, but the one overriding opinion I feel is that if Rodriguez is to start, (and I have no problem with that,) it should be at third base not second. J Wilson is one of the few out-makers who occasionally has productive outs. And his D at second after an uneven start has been excellent. And that BTW is something that all M’s fans should embrace, because the reports on Ackley’s progress in the field are anything but encouraging. At this point (and it is admittedly still early,) some knowledgeable watchers suggest his peak may be at adequate. But the same ones also think he’s going to come out of his offensive slump soon and perhaps spectacularly.
Cool. I wonder if Wedge’s recent quote about not moving Smoak out of the 5 hole had anything to do with not wanting to showing the organizations “hand” in regard to the pending MB situation. He let the hand play out. Now he can tinker without having to worry about stepping on toes, perhaps?
Your comment is spot-on. Some people were even borderline suggesting going in halvies on an outfield glove for Ackley if Guti doesn’t heal … for the very reason you point out. Defense means a lot to this team, because the offense is so bad. You gotta have guys that can catch it and spin it within the infield. Ackley may or may not end up being one of those guys … and yes, it is still too early to tell.
Especially against a RHP.
If it was a LHP, Olivo would be a good choice to hit 4th (with the players the M’s have to choose from).
Lineup selection by color announcer?
You may have a case with the fielding argument, but the hitting one needs a little work.
Wedge should have put Cust batting 4th instead of Olivo. Then switch it up against southpaws.
Don’t look now, but Ackley’s been heating up the past week and got his season up to a .739 OPS. That’s not great by itself, but that’s a huge jump from how he started the season.