Double Down
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I guess most GM's know a strong power hitting 1B is important and easy to find, and defence at 1B not so hard, so you spend on hitting (Prince Fielder, basic example). At 3B you want solid D and power but don't want to sacrifice D for power, really, and few men play great 3B D and hit with power. Supply/demand says 3B should make big bucks (Beltre) if they can hit/field, but 3B who can hit/field to a top level are rare. Thus you have more guarantees with a 1B. Trumbo may succeed at 3B but you're right, it's cheaper to put him there. Trout and Trumbo need to play their best positions for the Angels to make the most of them, but with Pujols can they?
The HR contest is really batting practice, or close to it. For the fans.
@SorianoJoe Can't say I disagree. Not sure why teams haven't picked up Vlad, after all a lost game or two can cost a team the playoffs, and in the AL this year it's a bit wide open.
A DH/LF who can hit for average and some power. That's Vlad, still. Will Cleveland dump Damon, or Detroit, or someone else in the next month?
I figure in the next two weeks they mat decide to sign Guerrero. Hard to know what they'll do. But a platoon with Guerrero, who has shown he can play LF still, a bit, may work out. Who knows what the future holds anyway?
I'd sign Guerrero to platoon, he seems a very good fit for one year; a guy who's faced pennant pressure for about a decade. Cleveland could use him too, I suppose.
The Pirates? I doubt it. But I'm sure we'll know soon.
This just in: who is Mike Milner? If Guerrero asked for his release it most likely would be to join another team. But real reporters just tweeted that Guerrero ain't retiring. Great triple last night, what a drive!
Too bad they didn't sign Vlad, but such is life. Long season, and healthy teams tend to win more than unhealthy, regardless of talent.
I hope Guerrero has an excellent season, no idea what to expect but given how much how wants to succeed and help is a .315 BA and 15 HR too much to ask? Good luck to the man!
From last year it was Markakis and Jones who gave the most kudos to Guerrero, so no surprise to see both doing as well if not better this year. All Jones has to do to keep staying this way is to keep doing what he's done the last 2 years.
It would be good to see Vlad the Cannon play some OF again, but if DH it is, fine. I'm not surprised at his success so far in being ready, he's not one to act entitled.
Not that bizarre, he's already playing some OF in spring training and other teams may want him now that the Jays have spent the money getting him ready.
Oh, and expectations? I expect him to play, and if he gets in 90+ games I expect 100+ hits, 10 HR's, and his team to gain at least 5 wins.
Well, people had said that Vladimir was in great shape before he reported, that turned out to be validated. They said he was working out to play OF, not DH, that was true. Last year Guerrero said he wanted to make adjustments and do better this year, well the Dunedin people say he's certainly taken steps that way too. Thing is, if he is ready to go, and the Jays don't want him, other teams will jump at the chance to get him, like Detroit and maybe more, especially if he can play OF. So maybe a win-win for the Jays, either get a solid to better player, or trade bait for the near future. Unless they screw up somehow, which is always possible, or he gets hurt.
I find it funny how people keep saying what Vladimir can't do based on one game in 2010 or how he was treated in Baltimore. Great to always use limited facts to back up a statement, not the present. To say he can't succeed somehow is like saying Pujols, Bautista, Lind, and so many more failures this year are all mirages, they are doing fantastic we just can't see it.
Good player, if he is in better shape than when he was an Oriole then playing the field is very possible. Will be great to see him again in the Bigs.
@ChrisHannum Contact hitters with power like Guerrero are very rare indeed. It may be hard to platoon Boesch but it needs to be done. Some guys simply need that, to hit in certain situations only. He may need to.
I doubt they'd go after Vlad, but since all reports say he can still play a solid D in a platoon situation, who knows for sure?
I'm not so sure one can simply base how good a hitting coach is on how he hit when he played. How many hitting coaches has Mark Reynolds had, or Jai Miller, and neither can make contact anywhere close to 50% of swings. I don't know of any hitting coach who, wherever and whenever, could get guys to hit no matter what. It's not like pitching coaches, hitting is so personal, physically and mentally. No hitting coach I recall was in demand every year, pitching coaches sure. In the end, 90% of a hitter's success is his own fault.