Optimizing The End Of The Roster
As we saw yesterday, there’s a downside to carrying a 12th pitcher in lieu of a 14th position player – not having a fifth spot on the bench means that you can find yourself in some bad spots if a couple of position players are dinged up at the same time. The M’s were lucky that they got a great performance out of Felix and the bullpen on a day when they put a line-up on the field that couldn’t score at a brothel.
Seriously, against a right-handed pitcher in a park that is death to right-handed batters, the Mariners ran out a line-up that went L-L-R-R-R-R-R-R-R, and one of the Ls was Endy Chavez. It wouldn’t have mattered if it was James Shields, James Baldwin, or James the VI – the Mariners weren’t going to put up much offense yesterday.
As we mentioned coming out of spring training, the team is too right-handed. Of the 13 position players they’re carrying, nine of them are right-handed bats. They team is currently incapable of playing a LH bat at catcher, second base, shortstop, or third base on any given day. If any of the four LH bats need a day off, for any reason, the team has to replace them with a right-handed hitter. So, frequently, you’re going to see line-ups with just two or three LH bats in the line-up against an RHP, and that’s a pretty big problem.
For instance, this weekend the Mariners will be facing Shane Loux, Anthony Ortega, and Jered Weaver. Here are the career platoon splits for those three.
Loux: .642 OPS vs RH, 1.004 OPS vs LH
Ortega: No Major League Experience
Weaver: .661 OPS vs RH, .767 OPS vs LH
Loux’s sinker is a nice weapon against righties, as we saw last week, but he’s got nothing against lefties. He’s basically Sean Green out there, throwing his sinker and getting torched by opposite handed hitters. They don’t even have to be good – a crappy left-handed bat can look like a star against pitchers like Loux. Ortega is basically the same thing, just with less of a sinker. And Weaver’s stuff plays up much better against righties than lefties.
If the M’s had a LH bat off the bench, they could add a legitimate offensive weapon this weekend, even if that guy wasn’t a great hitter, simply due to the matchups. The right-handedness of the team’s position players is a handicap that is really going to hurt them in series like this.
This team needs a fifth bench player a lot more than they need a 12th pitcher. Shawn Kelley didn’t even pitch in the Tampa Bay series. Miguel Batista is getting used every four days or so. The Mariners run prevention has been excellent, and the team is getting innings from the rotation.
I know Jeff Clement had a bad spring and isn’t tearing the cover off the ball in Tacoma, but he’d be a pretty useful guy to have around right now. Or, just go sign Geoff Jenkins or trade for Adam Kennedy or something. The team needs a left-handed reserve. They can’t keep running out these overly RH line-ups and giving teams easy matchups to shut them down.
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Did any of you guys even read the post? This isn’t a Clement vs Johnson post. This isn’t an argument to make Clement the everyday catcher.
The Mariners have a specific and glaring need for a left-handed hitter on the roster. They also have a pitching staff that has more arms than necessary. Therefore, it would make sense to swap out one of the relievers to make room for a LH bat.
The LH bat could be Clement, if you’re okay with him playing three times a week (I am). It could be Geoff Jenkins or Frank Catalanatto or Adam Kennedy or your pick of numerous easily obtainable veteran left-handers who you could use in a reserve role.
The entire point of the post is that the team needs another left-handed hitter. Unless you can come up with a reason why Miguel Batista or Roy Corcoran or Sean White are providing more value to the team, then there’s no argument here.
… because the Ms have given up on him and they want him down there to raise his trade value…
That is also where I am at- GMZ has basically decided that Clement has no future in this organization, and would rather showcase him in Tacoma than have a really subpar defensive C in MLB, even if his bat more than makes up for the difference between him and Johnson.
I must say that it’s pretty annoying that three picks in the top half of the MLB draft from 2005-2007 have basically netted us a relief pitcher who replaced a SIXTH round draft choice (JJ).
Your entire premise is that playing time has to be earned through recent performance.
No, it’s not about earning, it’s about demonstrating rational hope. Schools today promote 3rd graders, as you evaluated my reasoning skills, to 4th grade, despite failure in 3rd. Some success in 3rd grade shows hope in success in 4th grade, or even reasonable expectation. You have a guy failing in AAA.
Promoting him to the majors and hoping he turns it on, for a team we are all pleasantly surprised that is winning important April games not only risks harming the team, but more importantly harming the development of a bat that needs to swing everyday, and a glove that needs to catch everyday.
I have seen many people promoted too soon in many endeavors and wash out of what could have been promising careers.
I am interested to know why you say Mike Carp needs more time in Tacoma but Clement is fine. What is the rationale for that. He looks ready and is in a position of need.
I still say there’s something more to it than what we know. Wak was a catcher, Wak says he likes the way Johnson calls a game… Perhaps if the organization decided that none of our catchers are going to the all-star game anytime soon, nor winning any gold gloves, or winning any batting titles, they deferred to whomever Wak (and the pitching staff) wants calling games behind the plate?
Purely speculation, yes, but there HAS to be a reason, other than “it makes no sense at all.”
And perhaps it’s good managing to seperate the two issues of a) who’s calling pitches for the 2nd best pitching staff in the American League (currently), and b) who’s going to fill our need for a left handed bat? (Not saying it is, just considering the possibility?!)
Dude, Clement has lit up AAA sans the last two weeks. Last year he slugged something like .700 in 50 games. He can hit AAA pitching.
You have a guy failing in AAA.
Until you get past this, I can’t help you. You really need to stop evaluating players based on recent performance and look at the big picture.
Oh! Oh! Oh!. I read it! I read it!
Because while the idea that “playing time has to be earned through recent performance” is foolish, the converse is not.
Recent performance can only be earned through playing time, and Batista ain’t getting enough playing time to deliver any useful performance, so let’s use his roster spot for someone who might get more playing time.
I would rather see Batista go… they did with sexson last year to eat salary but this year they shouldnt wait this long.
<blockquote>… because the Ms have given up on him and they want him down there to raise his trade value…
That is also where I am at- GMZ has basically decided that Clement has no future in this organization, and would rather showcase him in Tacoma than have a really subpar defensive C in MLB, even if his bat more than makes up for the difference between him and Johnson.
Splendid! Glad to know that you’re right inside Z’s head, on top of exactly what he’s thinking.
You mind readers crack me up.
I’m also not fully understanding the many arguments that Clement is at AAA to build his trade value? The only minor league players I’m aware of that are building their trade values are guys jumping from A or Rookie ball to AAA or AA in fewer years than expected. I think teams/scouts/managements are saavy enough to not get fooled into over rating a guy isn’t able to stick at the major league level on his current team.
Not saying he doesn’t have value, just not sure sending him to AAA jumps his value any (if anything, the fact that he isn’t performing well at AAA is harming his trade value).
Clement
Carp
What Dave has been trying to tell you (I just read the previous messages) is contained in the above two links.
Here’s one real obvious point: one of those guys has over 1000 ABs at AAA, and has been hitting well at that level and probably will learn nothing more about hitting in the minors. The other guy had his first good season at AA last year.
Hmmm, most of that should have been nested in the blockquote tag…up until my “Splendid!..”
Where did that Edit button go?
Heya Red Apple (or anyone)…
How exactly does the “block quote” work… I’m guessing you cut and paste the quote, highlight it, and then hit the “bquote” button?
(Didn’t want to waste post space by experimenting)
(But evidently I’m okay using post space to ask technical questions– sorry all.)
Thats it up and downs
Clement should have been called up before Burke was in my opinion based on the huge need for another lefty bat.
He has nothing left to prove at AAA, he has already shown he can mash down there. Right now would be a perfect time to allow him to split time with Johnson at catcher while Kenji is out and/or get some time at DH if Griffey is hurt or have Clement DH against lefties when Griffey sits.
The lack of left-handed bats on this team was one of the most glaring frustrations I had with Bavasi. Hopefully Jack Z can help correct this issue soon.
At this point I’m resigned to following Clement’s successful, 25 HR/.800+ OPS per year MLB career from afar, just as I do with Adam Jones.
But really, as others have been trying to point out, Clement is just a sideshow here. There are two issues Dave has identified:
Coming out of Spring Training the team was built to be bullpen-rich and bench-poor. That was defensible up to a point, but that point has passed. Even if all those aching backs are fine today, they could get wrenched again tomorrow. The team needs to trade off one bullpen arm for another glove on the bench.
Separate from that. the lineup is also way too right-handed. The team needs at least one another LH bat in the lineup, preferably more. One way to do that would be to swap Clement in for Burke, but that doesn’t address the first issue.
So regardless of what is, or is not, done with Clement, the team needs to find another utility player, or even a fifth outfielder, with a left-handed bat. If they also promote Clement they get another LH bat as a bonus, which is why it makes sense, but that’s not the central point of Dave’s post.
(BTW, Sorry for bringing up Carp — it was mostly so I could link to that picture)
Dammit – I was drinking my coffee when I read that! Now I have to change.