Making The Case For Jim Thome
Jim Thome jacks a home run against the Royals' Sean O' Sullivan on Monday, Sept. 6th.Whenever I feel inclined to veer away from the pile of existing hot-stove rumors -- credible or otherwise -- and write about an idea that hasn't really garnered much attention from the mainstream media, I like to first ensure that it passes the smell test; in other words, if it doesn't sound logical and doesn't have a prayer of a chance of happening, then it's probably best left ignored. However, this year's overabundance of defensively impaired, DH-suited veterans combined with the Rangers' seeming resistance to an in-house DH rotation means that one could kick around any of the available names and feel as though Texas might yet sign them, and know that Texas has at least discussed them internally.
Two days after the conclusion of the World Series, I made my rather wordy case against bringing back Vladimir Guerrero in 2011, and while I'm still not completely comfortable with the thought of throwing money at a dedicated DH-only solution (particularly since all of the remaining "solutions" have some warts), there is one name that does ease my mind to a certain degree: Jim Thome. Most indications up to this point in time suggest that Texas ultimately will sign Guerrero, but the glut of alternatives, Guerrero's shaky second half, and the unsettling perception that he looks like a racehorse on his last legs have clearly diminished the Rangers' sense of urgency to get a deal done, and until a deal does get done, Thome -- who was first connected to Texas by SI.com's Jon Heyman some three weeks ago -- remains just as viable a possibility as Guerrero.
The very first thing you should note about the idea of signing Thome is that it may be entirely contingent upon the acquisition of a right-handed-hitting first baseman and/or outfielder with some ability to deal damage against southpaws, because Thome, lethal as he might be against right-handed pitching (.302/.455/.698 last season; .294/.430/.617 for his career), will invariably have his overall value undercut by prolonged exposure to left-handers; of course, the Rangers needed to acquire this sort of player in the first place. Regardless, there's something aesthetically appealing about the idea of Thome's still-sweet swing launching fly balls into the Ballpark's home run porch and right-center field power alley, and something tactically appealing about the idea of deploying a Hamilton/Cruz/Thome/Kinsler quadruple-punch in the heart of the order against right-handers, which has absolute nightmare potential for opposing skippers in late-inning situations.
Nearly as intriguing as the potential match-up headache, however, are the cost/playing time considerations. I've stumbled upon some scattered complaints from Twins fans that Ron Gardenhire should have allocated more than 340 plate appearances to Thome last season, but he's probably not a real great bet for anything beyond 350-400 plate appearances in 2011, anyway. Playing in the majors at age 40 with a history of nagging back problems necessitates a realistic self-evaluation, and in Thome you have someone who likely realizes his physical limitations, and is at peace with the fact that he's no longer capable of playing on an everyday basis. There may be no such luck with Guerrero, who amassed 640-plus plate appearances last season and, despite the thought that Thome may be a greater health risk, has outpaced Thome in the disabled-list days department by a 66-0 margin over the last two seasons.
This is crucial, because if Guerrero is seeking another 600-plate appearance campaign, and the coaching staff feels compelled to let him pursue that (which I fully expect would be the case), then there's very little opportunity to give guys like Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, and Ian Kinsler breaks from the playing field while keeping their bats in the lineup; this is particularly important in Hamilton's case, as the organization, while recognizing that his defense is valuable in left field, no doubt comprehends the risk associated with uninterrupted playing time in the field. With Thome, you preserve some of that desirable flexibility and still manage to wield a very dangerous weapon against a considerable number of major league starting pitchers (and have one hell of a pinch-hitting option).
The cost factor appears a bit less significant than it did back when it seemed as though the Rangers might reel in Cliff Lee, because it now appears less likely that they will press up against payroll boundaries (unless, of course, they pull the trigger on Adrian Beltre, which I know Pras would love to see), but everyone loves a good deal, and the cost-conscious fan will probably come to prefer Thome's next deal over Guerrero's. While Thome won't rake in a measly $1.5 million base salary again, something in the $3-4 million range isn't totally out of the question, and of the few American League teams in need of help at DH, Texas could be the most appealing option from the standpoint of offering the path of least resistance to the post-season; players nearing the ends of their careers without a championship to their name generally take this into account.
And for those who would question whether Thome would be a capable substitute for Guerrero in the Rangers clubhouse (for whatever that is actually worth), his reputation in this regard is excellent. Of course, none of this is to say that Thome constitutes a perfect fit with the Rangers the way that, say, Cliff Lee would have, and I've probably involved some amount of wishful thinking into this 900-word exercise, but if Texas really does have its heart set on plucking a middle-of-the-order power bat from the collection of available hit-only talent, I think there is a very legitimate case to be made for going with Thome before Guerrero, or Manny Ramirez, or ...
Analysis, Hot Stove Season, The Off-Season
Reader Comments (47)
Thome would be a good asset to the team as the DH.....while Vlad really produced during the first half of the season in 2010 he failed miserably in the second half and in the post-season games. In fact in the post-season I can't remember seeing any MLB player ever look so bad at the plate. And he absolutely brings nothing to the defensive. While Thome is not much in the filed any longer he could spell Moreland for a game here and there at 1B. A midlle of the order lineup of Hamilton-Cruz-Thome-Kinsler would simply be awesome I believe. You could spell Thome with Hamilton at times to give him a reprieve from playing LF and insert Murphy out there. I believe this would be good for the Rangers in 2011....
The part I love most about this scenario is the Hamilton/Cruz/Thome/Kinsler lineup. Nolan did say in a radio interview yesterday that he wouldn't be totally opposed to bringing 2 DH type guys in so who knows? This may not be that much of a long shot after all.
i would like to see a Thome/Marcus Thames platoon at DH, and have some additional protection in the case of a Hamilton/Cruz Injury
Bottom line is he's 40. If there's no better option, fine, but....he's 40. Back in the days when the players were all taking "mothers little helper" 40 didn't seem a big deal. Now,.....I''d rather have Vlad.
I heard Nolan's comments as well and too me I instantly thought he was talking about Thome. He even mentioned the pitch hitting aspect...interesting.
Good point Joey...
I'm not sure about platooning at DH with another DH-only type guy, but if you bring in Thome and let him get his 350-400 ABs and let Murphy, Josh, Nellie and others pick up the rest, it's not a bad idea. This allows you to remain flexible and rotate guys in that spot for days off from the field, but still gives you a veteran bat with some pop to hit behind Cruz in the lineup. If you bring in another guy as well, like Thames, then he'll need to be able to play in the field some and would preferably hit from the other side of the plate as well (like Thames does). How is Thames OF play? I usually see him DH.
Plus having two guys whose last names start with Th and only make the T sound... very impressive.
A DH platoon would make it almost impossible to have a normal bench. Normally, your nine regulars (including the primary DH) are supplemented by two IFs (1 utility, 1 corner), one extra outfielder, and a back-up catcher. You'd probably have no RHB-platoon with Moreland possible in this scenario. MY had also better stay healthy, because you surely don't want your lone extra infielder playing the hot corner for an extended amount of time. If someone in the infield tweaks something, you probably are forced to make DL decisions more quickly than you like based solely on defensive inflexibilities.
This really sounds like a recipe for having too many innings in the outfield logged by Cruz and Hamilton. Plus, an aging MY or a frequently gimpy Kinsler probably have no opportunities to take a break at DH.
I still believe a full-tme RH-DH fits better with already having Hamilton, Murphy, Borbon, and Moreland available every day. The lineup against the toughest lefties would best include Hamilton and no more than 1 guy out of those other 3. If you don't have other options, you can probably expect to regularly send Murphy out there once again in 2011 against the likes of Lester, Danks, Liriano, and those Oakland lefties -- yuck! Plus, we still don't know who might get some ABs at 1B in place of Moreland. That means we probably can expect about 8 or 9 ABs per game where our LHBs (not including Hambone) are pretty well overmatched in a significant number of important games against southpaws.
I do agree you shouldn't promise Vlad more than 525 PAs or so. It would keep him fresher, and give some crucial breaks to Josh, Nellie, Mike, and Kins. Guerrero's too fragile to hold up to 600+ PAs, and his 2nd-half production in 2010 was probably partially caused by the heavy workload. On average, he rested less than 2 games per month.
Those cryptic "big trade" rumors might mean a very different roster composition before too long. If you ship off Murphy or Borbon and pick up a RH-OF'er return, you make it a lot easier to fit Thome (or probably even make it very desirable).
The only problem I have with this idea (which I generally support, certainly more than bringing back Vlad) is that Thome's days off (against LHP) will probably mean Murphy in LF with Hamilton DHing. So, Murphy will be playing almost exclusively against LHP? That seems sub-optimal.
The name I really like as a compliment is Derek Lee. He is a capable RH bat who could DH and play 1B capably, pushing Moreland into RF and giving Hamilton or Cruz a blow.
I like this idea. In fact, I like the Nolan Ryan theme of bring in 2 DH/hitters. I would like to see 2 of the following: Thome, Derrek Lee, Vladimir Guerrero or Manny Ramirez. Any combo except Manny & Vlad would do. This gives the team additional 1B protection for Moreland and allows more flexibility to get Hamilton or Cruz a day or so at DH.
Nice read. I wonder if there is a preference inside the organization to bring in a right handed bat? I assume that whoever the Rangers bring in will likely hit directly before or after Hamilton, so a right handed bat might be the best fit. To me, Thome on a one year deal would be a decent Plan B if Guerrero prices himself out of the market. The Rangers could certainly make some type of adjustment to separate Hamilton and Thome in the lineup.
The other thing I like about DLee is that he is sufficiently viable defensively as to constitute a reasonable insurance policy in the (highly unlikely, I think) event that the clock strikes midnight and Mitch Moreland turns back into a Pumpkin.
A dugout with Murphy, Blanco, Treanor, Thome and Vlad seems great for switching the DH and for pinch-hitting and the same with D. Lee instead of Vlad seems better for defense. In any case, you've got one less pitcher with this 5 man bench scenario.
Texas won't do this because of so many arms already:
Oliver, Kirkman, Rhodes, Francisco, Ogando and Feliz. That's why I believe one of the latter two must go to the rotation..............
Joey:
the middle lineup of Hamilton, Cruz, Thome and Kinsler sounds great but Young doesn't need to bat second anymore so who do you have at the top? Borbon then Andrus? Young certainly isn't going to bat 8th after Moreland either.
The more I think, the more I like:
Andrus
Kinsler
Hamilton
Cruz
Thome
Beltre
Moreland
Torrealba
Borbon
Scooby, the Lee scenario is one that I could see being good for Texas, but I don't believe DLee would sign with us to be a backup/part time player when teams like the Orioles would guarantee him a starting job. Also I don't want DLee taking many AB's away from Mitch. Marcus Thames is a guy that might not be too expensive. If we got he and Thome both we would be thin at the corners meaning if Mitch or MY went down we would have to hope and pray CD finally hits like he did in '08 instead of the last 2 years.
Wouldn't be a bad idea, although probably if everyone stayed healthy, playing time might be an issue. If they are thinking about Thome, I would almost rather have Damon, a lefty who can play the OF, has a little speed, and is a better hitter for average. An alternative to Vlad might be Manny, as some have mentioned, although the team certainly doesn't need the Manny Circus Show that comes along with him.
Very interesting idea. A bonus item about Thome is that he has a very good reputation around the league as a good guy. That's nice and is obviously based on a long career with several teams. And we know he is a clutch hitter - he has banged out some key hits against us before. The age 40 business should not be viewed as an automatic no-no. Our own Mr. Ryan showed that it is really up to the man - if he keeps in shape, then he can still produce effectively. Generally, I think other needs trump the idea of a full-time DH, so I do not support bringing back Vlad, but Thome is a player... he could fit in nicely.
@ David (in Wis):
That wouldn't be a 5 man bench. Thome/Lee would be. DH platoon, meaning a 4 man bench of Thome or Lee, Treanor, Blanco, Murphy.
@Lfloyd: assuming the money is the same, would Lee REALLY rather be a full time DH for a dreg club like Baltimore than a cog in a winning club like Texas?
Scooby, it is my understanding that the Orioles among other teams are interested in DLee to play first, not just DH. I think he would rather play everyday than once a week at 1st and maybe another game or two at DH. Just my opinion
Troy Glaus is another name that interests me. His overall numbers were down last year but he had flashes of brilliance. If we could add Glaus and Thome for around what it would take to sign Vlad I might be interested.
I was just looking on the board and saw Jermaine Dye's name. I know he didn't play last year, but he is a righty, can play some OF, and if he could get his swing back, he'd be a great bat for the middle of the lineup. I'd almost rather try him than Manny.
Glaus always raked in Arlington from what i recall from his days in LA. Would he be an upgrade over Vlad though?
I would also rather pursue Dye than Manny. Dye isn't a liability in the OF, and has a chip on his shoulder after not getting a satisfactory offer after last offseason. Manny is dangerous when motivated, but only he knows what it takes to motivate him.
JFitz, I don't think Glaus is an upgrade over Vlad by himself, but I can see how a platoon of Thome and Glaus might be. I love Vlad, but his second half was hard to watch. Even if we get Vlad back I think we need to limit his ABs to around 500.
the problem with Vlad from last year was not his fault, he played when asked to play. i cant fault a guy for that. however i do have to place some if not all of the blame on Washington. he over-played him and in the second half it showed. time will tell if Wash has learned his lesson.
with that said i would rather have a motivated Vlad as our DH at a reduced price, than Thome. there is really no need to go out into the market for another DH when we already have so many internal DH canidates that could give Vlad a breather.
on another note, does anyone know if Blaylock has landed anywhere? if he is able to man the hot corner than i would love to have him as our back up 3rd/1st, to give CD some more time to develope in AAA.
I don't believe Vlad got tired. He was a friggin DH! He's used to playing 150 games a year in the field! He's old. He lost a fraction on his bat speed. He has never had any patience at the plate to begin with. The book got out on him mid-season last year: stop throwing him any strikes ever, he can't punush pitches out of the zone the way he used to, and he will get himself out.
Well, if they got Thome and if (big if) they signed Beltre, then they'd have an awful lot of flexibility with Beltre and MY sharing third base, Thome and Moreland sharing first base, and MY being a super-utility infielder with Morland occasionally playing some outfield. Then, Thome, MY, Hamilton, and even Moreland and Beltre could share DH duties. This way, maybe they could save a roster spot. That kind of scenario would leave no room for Vlad, but I have always liked Thome as a guy who can hit tough pitching. I do think Vlad has something left, but I suspect that he can no longer be an everyday player.
Hmmm....love the Jermaine Dye idea.
One thing I wonder about...the haste to fix 1B. I think Mitch Moreland is a star in the making. His defense was much better than advertised. And during the postseason, he began to rake left-handed pitching (as well as right-handed pitching). I think he deserves to be left alone...and to start against ALL pitchers. Please don't sell this guy short.
@ Rockwall Tim:
Mitch did very well in the playoffs and late in the season, and I really like the guy and I think he has potential to be a pretty good 1Bman in this league... but remember the first year Chris Davis was called up? Remember how awesome he looked? Let Mitch get another year or two under his belt before we start calling him a future star. Plus, a 1B/DH type guy would useful if Moreland were to go down or struggle... who else is currently backing up 1B? Chris Davis? It's not so much that people don't think Moreland can handle the job, but it's always nice to have insurance -- just in case.
Good Grief. Jermaine Dye? Seriously? He didn't play last year. Know why? Because he hit .179 in the 2nd half of 2009.
Troy Glaus? Hit .240 for the full season. His 2nd half? .205.
Vlad's 2nd half that everybody's wringing their hands over? .278 with 40 RBI's. Now there might be better alternatives to Vlad, but these guys aren't it.
The only way that you can think that anyone is a better option than Vlad is if you think he is done(Thome notwithstanding). I am not convinced he is done. Vlad is going to help this team a lot if he signs again. As he did last year. With the opinions about Vlad and MY on this board, its very evident it is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately mindset these days. Teams win world series all the time with players that are past their prime but still above average ballplayers even in their senior playing days. Can't do much better than Michael Young and Vladimir Guerrero. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them, and hope to continue watching them; as Rangers.
@Tre I think the problem with Vlad and Young and the way people view them right now is simple. Both are on the wrong side of the age curve and you have to start asking yourself when ever they have a dip or a cold streak if this is the end. Espcially a hitter like Vlad who is more physical then mental. He doesn't have the luxury of having a good walk total to prop up a decline in batting average. Not saying he couldn't be good again next year, but the chances are he will be a little worse to significantly worse next year then he was this year.
I certainly don't wish to bash Vlad. I think he is a great player and a great guy off the field. I do worry about him being able to hold up over a long season. In my eyes it is as simple as no matter how much I love Vlad, I love the Rangers more.
Tre:
Young had a solid offensive year last season, and showed little signs of slowing down. Defensively, we all saw the liability he poses at 3b in the WS, where a number of important balls went by him that more mobile 3b's probably would have gotten to. Still, all things considered, he's not THAT bad - the problem with him is that terrible contract. But I don't think Texas ever really considered trading him, unless someone blew them away with a stupid offer.
Vlad, though, looked terrible at the plate during the last half of the season, and even worse on the basepaths. It wasn't that he was swinging wildly at things out of the zone, but that he was whiffing on fastballs right down the middle, an indication that he's lost bat speed. He's probably the guy they go to again for DH, but we can't realistically expect the overall numbers to be the same. The other problem is that without another big righty bat in there, pitchers are more likely to avoid Hamilton, which hurts the entire offense.
Too bad Max Ramirez hasn't panned out - they just need a righty DH against lefties. Murphy can go against righties.
I think either Thome or Vladdie would be viable DH candidates. I do not think we should take up 2 roster spots with one dimensional players. I can't believe MY is even discussed as being over the hill. Dave(in wisc) did not even put him in a lineup. He may not be the best third sacker in the league but he is not the worse. He can hit to either field, in the gap and has some pop. Some of his misplays at third were bad hops in situations under a magnifiing glass. We see MY and Vlad as players who have made mistakes because we have seen them. These guys we are talking about signing will not be perfect if we can sign them.
@fishbait Young is that bad at 3b. UZR and other defensive metrics spell that out.
The difference between Young and Beltre at 3b defensively is almost 2 wins a year, measuring a win as 10 runs by UZR.
If there was a way to move Young and sign Beltre I would be for it. It would likely make us a better team. I don't think that is likely possible how ever, since Young is a mediocre bat and a poor glove with a high salary. 13 million the next three years with about 3 a year deferred We would probably have to eat at least 6-7 a year to move Young.
From a numbers stand point the best options for next year would look something like Beltre/Vlad or Beltre/Thome. After those I would probably go for the best being Beltre/Young. But my suspicion is that its Young/Vlad for next year.
Beltre is probably good for 2-3 years, but will probably get 4-5 years. But then again that is almost always the way with FA contracts.
I still say Beltre is not worth the money it would take to sign him over MY since we could not trade him and have someone else take over his existing salary. MY is the rangers. After all these years and MY moving to different positions when the rangers asked him, to trade him for a player who maybe I repeat maybe better is not what i think the rangers is all about.
@fishbait The question isn't if Beltre is a better player then Young right now, the question is how much better. And would the amount that he is better be worth the salary footprint.
If we were trying to become a 90 win team there is very little chance that the money would be worth it. But the better your team is when you are trying to improve the harder it is to do it. I wouldn't be an advocate of the contract that Beltre is likely to get, but I think there should be little doubt that for the next two years we would be a better team with Beltre at 3b then Young.
As far as who "is the Rangers", Right now in most fans minds I bet you would hear Hamilton. For years it was Young. Time moves on and the player most identified with a team is usually its best player, though Teixeira was never viewed as Mr Ranger even though he was likely our best player for a year or two.
Michael Young brings a lot more to the table than just runs.... he is "the club".... have you ever heard this about Beltre? .... was he ever identified as a leader? is Beltre's loss even considered in Boston? ...did he ever make a mark anywhere? how can you loose a third base player, and not include him in the eqaision of loosing him, even if you get Gonzales...
You look at Michael Young and he misses a couple of balls, the next morning he is out there practising as if he was a rookie.... do you think Beltre will do that?
You got a young pitcher who is about to loose it and needs a few good words.... who you think will calm that rookie (not really a rookie but you know what i mean) kirkman, hunter, holland, ogando....
You think Beltre will jump in there???
All that said, Beltre is a good player but since we have Michael, we have no use for him.
fishbait, great post.
.......lets ask Beltre (if we sign him) if he wants to move to a different position....lol
Dont like it too many LHB vs Price Lester Lariano Sabathia Romero so many nasty Lefty pitchers in the AL to have a line up with Thome Murphy Borbon Hamilton Moreland altho it might work if Blanco works out as the fifth OF
The way Nolan was talking, ownership really doesn't feel like going after any free agents unless they will sign contracts of 3 years or less.
In that case, we might as well just forget Beltre and do what we can as far as keeping Vlad around one more year. I don't think the front office is very high on Thome, and I guess rightfully so seeing as he is 41 years old and probably isn't going to get 300 PA's.
Aside their diligence in the Cliff Lee merry-go-round spectacular, this ownership group is starting
to piss me off. It kinda feels as if Ranger fans were promised a Cadillac, but given a power wheels. They talked about increasing the payroll to upwards of 90 million, and we've added about zilch to our paltry payroll of '10. They talked about keeping top tier starting pitching in Texas, yet haven't given any thought whatsoever to extending CJ while his stock is manageable, lost out on Lee (although not entirely their fault), failed to interest the Royals enough to get Greinke, haven't as much as kicked the tires on Garza, and have nearly completely ixnayed any notion of Feliz as a starter. Hell, the biggest move, after the greatest season in Rangers history, has been the acquisition of a former ace who hasn't set foot on a major league diamond in a year, and is coming off an extensive surgery to his business shoulder.
Greenburg said on the podium after game 6 of the ALCS, "How does it feel Ranger fans? Let's do it again every year!" Seems like hollow words given the fact that the opposition in our division have taken a proactive approach to fixing the problem areas their respective teams had in 2010. Although the Rangers were the AL champions, they still had some major problem areas: Starting pitching, corner infield defense, catching to name a few. The owners have all this money to spend, it's time to use it and fix our problem areas. In this business you are either getting better or worse. There ain't no third direction.
Vlads numbers vs LHP last year .338 .395 .536 .932
Thomes numbers vs RHP last year .302 .455 .698 1.154
Vlad made 5.5 Million last year Thome made 1.5 Million If they make around the same next year the Rangers would have one hell of a platoon at DH for under 10 Mill. and there would be some balance in the everyday line up for only a one year commitment sounds like a win win to me
@TheNatural,
I agree its been frustrating on the FA front, but there is plenty of time to negotiate contracts with CJ, Josh, and Nellie. JD can't be twiddling his thumbs right now, surely. I think they are probably working on a trade at the moment that will address some of our talent issues.
As far as Vlad, was anybody in RBiA back on April 7th? It was the 2nd game of the yr, and Harden's horrible debut. Anyway, Vlad and Cruz went for back-to-back jacks in the 4th. Vladdy's HR was amazingly powerful into a STRONG 25-30 MPH wind coming in from LF. Sitting in the HR porch, we saw an amazing trajectory on a missile that looked to be headed out of the stadium! The wind got hold of it though, and suddenly the ball was moving almost vertically upward, and finally died straight down into the LF seats about 10 rows in. I couldn't believe how hard he hit that ball. Cruz's follow-up was also a missile, but it never was more than about 15 feet off the ground, and just cleared the CF wall short of the grass area. That was also impressive to see a line drive travel so far, so quickly.
I'll miss Vladdy if he goes.
There are usually more questions than answers. Thome isn't an answer for the Rangers. Ks too much. Hits HRs or nothing at all. It is easy to spend the money but much harder to get real value for it. Wishing it doesn't make it so. The Rangers will no longer sneakup on anyone. It is no longer the Texas Rangers coming to town but the AL Champs coming to town. Beating the Rangers is how their fans tell that their team has improved. All of these FAs look good on paper. The Rangers lost some valuable pieces but this is a deep roster and a lot of talent at all levels. We've seen a lot of bad baseball played in this town. It is a lot better, now. It is going to be harder to repeat than it was to go one and done. There are a lot of very good management people in different aspects of team improvement. Let's not jump ship until at least April 15 or so. Already teams like the Angels are saying 'The Rangers are our BIGGEST RIVALS.' You are talking a team that draws over 3 million and has a past payroll of $110 mil. Vlades numbers are going to be hard to replace even if Vlade returns. Too many career bests on last season's Rangers to expect a repeat w/o others stepping up. This team has more guys now moving into their 'Sweet Spot' of age and maturity. Don't sell them short. Inter-league is going to be tougher this coming season. No more Patsys. Arbitration is going to take a chunk out of that NEW MONEY. Look as far as Feldman to see why they don't jump to extend those they now have. My Christmas wish was for that new pony and Feldman's Slider to return. Well, i got Horse manure under the tree so I know there was a pony now Spring Traning will tell me about that Slider. Maybe Christmas will come in late October 2011.
I see a lot of the Hamilton/Cruz/Thome/Kinsler orders being posed out there. At first glance, I would agree that Cruz in the cleanup spot, as many are predicting Cruz to have a MVP-type year, sounds like great protection for Hamilton and the top of the order. The alternating righty/lefty order is also great.
However, we need to keep in mind that Cruz has something go wrong with him hitting in the cleanup spot. Whether it is how he is pitched to or, more likely, his approach changes when he is batting 4th...he is not the same hitter. Looking at 2009 and 2010 only (he didn't have any ABs hitting 4th in 2008 or 2007), Cruz put up a paltry .224 average in 125 ABs over 36 total games. By comparison, whenever he hit anywhere else other than 4th in '09 and '10, Cruz his a strong .298 in 736 ABs.
So, before we go ahead and slot in Cruz in the 4th spot, he needs to show that he can handle all that is involved to rake in runs as the cleanup hitter behind Josh for the 2011 AL defending champs.
It seems that all anyone can remember about Vlad is that ugly game in right and those ABs against
Bumgarner in the WS.
The guy swings at more bad pitches then anyone ever to play but only averages 75 Ks per 614 ABs.
They sign guys like Werth for 18 mil a year and he will NEVER drive in 100 runs.
A half way descent 2nd half last year and Vlad hits .320 with 34 HR and 130 RBI.
Would that make yall happy?
I would sign him for 2 yrs with an option for a 3rd.
Vlad needs 64 homers for 500 and 573 hits for 3000 which should make him a HOF lock.
Like Nolyn, Vlad would probably burn the Angels and go in as a Ranger.
tom B i totally disagree on your post about career yrs - in fact other than hamilton you can say that everyone of the rangers have the potential to have better years- andrus? weak till last month, young- no question his worst year hammy? we discussed - vladdy- had a terrible second half plus we might replace him cruz? hurt most of year and will respond, kinsler - see cruz Moreland- surely we get more out of 1st base alba_ no question we get more out of catcher then borbon? he had a horrific year
Hey Vlad Backer, I like to think that Vlad would burn the Angels and Rangers and go in as the last Expo in the hall of fame.
Also, while i do realize that Vlad had a miserable July and August, yikes. Just imagine if he ended up hitting .260/20/70 or something, I think you Rangers fans would want his firstborn bastard child as penance.