Future Outfield Options
by RayFanNY on Jul 30, 2008 6:34 AM EDT
13 comments
My guess is we will stand pat with our outfield situation, unless we make a minor move for a "decent" right handed platoon bat to replace Gomes. There are interesting options coming through the minor leagues. One appears to be ready now, others are 1 to 3 years away. Let's take a look at the options and open up commentary on them.
Justin Ruggiano (26)
AAA Durham .911 OPS, 9 HR
Strong outfield arm, decent range, good bat speed, decent power, but a high strike out rate historically. This seems like a no brainer. I cannot imagine Ruggiano not out performing Gomes, so call him up already.
Sergio Pedroza (24)
AA Montgomery .716 OPS 4 HR
Athletic build with moderate power and bat speed. Historically very good plate discipline, but a higher strike out rate than you would like to see. Pedroza is scuffling this season for whatever reason, after posting 2 consecutive .900 OPS seasons. He does not appear to be ready, but everything may "click" soon given his past performance.
Ryan Royster (22)
A Vero Beach .665 OPS 7 HR
What is going on with Royster? After a monster 2007 in which he slugged 30 HR and posted a .982 OPS, Royster is struggling at High A. A strong athlete with good power and bat speed, but poor plate discipline. So far he is not performing at High A and obviously has some holes in his game to close up. But an exciting bat. If he improves his discipline, he could move up fast and be just what we need.
Desmond Jennings (21)
A Vero Beach .772 OPS 2 HR in 85 AB
Good athlete with plus speed. Good plate discipline and bat speed, but not much power. Projects into an excellent lead off hitter. We need more power in the lineup, and it is not likely to come from Jennings. But if he develops as expected, he would be the perfect replacement for Carl Crawford in LF, and would likely deliver better OBP and outfield range than CC. CC would likely command a high price in a trade, as the MLB as a whole overvalues him.
John Matulia (21)
A Vero Beach .759 OPS 2 HR
Matulia is having a fine season and showing up on more radars. Again there is not much power here and that seems to be what the organization most needs to compete with Boston and NY long term. A long way off, so let's see how he develops.
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Outfield options
I don’t think Gomes has been given a fair chance, and unloading him would leave a bad taste in my mouth. Still, his numbers suck. I don’t think anyone presently in the system is a better option.
by pontormo on Jul 30, 2008 7:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Ruggiano is a better option
Even if you think they would hit the same if given a chance (which I doubt because Ruggiano can actually hit a breaking ball), it would still be better to go with Ruggiano because he is younger, faster, and a better defender.
It’s not that I don’t like Gomes, and it is true that he hasn’t had much of a chance to play this season, but Ruggiano just has a greater range of baseball skills.
The artist formerly known as TonyT
by acelion on Jul 30, 2008 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
does Gomes even play the OF?
don’t include Gomes when talking about OF options, as he’s not even and option there at this point.
by davidsmarch on Jul 30, 2008 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Our OF will look quite different next year
Upton of course will be in CF,
Crawford may or may not be in LF ( I really think he will be traded this offseason for an OF prospect and others-before I get thrown under the bus, he has never gotten on base, his numbers are starting to decline and he is about to become expensive- he will never be better than he is right now, or as he was last season)
by Hazleton Jason on Jul 30, 2008 9:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
What do you think is more of a fluke
five straight years of continual improvement or one down year? Maybe he is hurt. Maybe he’s dealing with something in his personal life. Or maybe next year looks a lot more like the last half decade and a lot less like his most current season. It is complete conjecture, but I wouldn’t get rid of a guy who would be a bargain at $8M and a great catalyst for a young up-and-coming team. Just my 2 cents, but with 3 triples, on well stuck balls, in the last 3 games he may be starting to come out of it.
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
by Sandy Kazmir on Jul 30, 2008 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
To me, CC's 5 years of continued improvement is a bit overrated...
Sure, his BA went up over 5 years, and his power number inched up incrementally, but his OBP did not improve at all. Sure, it went up, but only because his BA went up. IMO, CC isnt a .315 hitter liked he was last year. His speed is down, and he isnt legging out many infoeld hits, at least this season. I think he may be a .300 hitter, which is very nice to have. But as a corner OF, with avg to below avg OB skills, and average SSLG skills, what is his value? Sure, he has speed…that’s fun too watch, but IMO, very overrated on the base paths. It helps, but not as much as many would let you believe. His D is good…but lets be honest, we need offense coming out of our corner positions.
I like CC. I always have. But I have grown very frustrated with him this season because he doesnt appear to work hard at his craft. His improvement the past 5 seasons was due to talent. But it is clear to me that he doesnt put in the time to become a better player. I hate when people make a statement, like I just did without backing it up….here is why I can tell CC doesnt work on his game…
Have you ever watched him attempt a bunt? First, a guy with his speed, as a lefty, should be able to bunt. It would help his overall hitting immensely. But what is most frustrating is watching his technique when he bunts. He looks like a high school kid with poor fundamentals. If it were Adam Dunn, I could understand…he doesnt need to work on his bunting game. But CC should at least have the technique down after all this time.
I have a few other examples, that to be honest, I’m just too lazy to type out right now. Just refer to me as Upton from here on out.
by td32 on Jul 30, 2008 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hmm.
Ruggiano is a fourth outfielder for me, I don’t think he’s an effective every-day guy.
Pedroza was always thought of as a guy having success because of his old age relative to league. His lack of tools is getting exposed in AA, and he was a below-average fielder to begin with. Still, he basically won the championship for the Biscuits last year with the HR in the 9th, so he’s cool in my book.
Royster’s “breakout” season was a fluke IMO. His power is his only plus tool, and he really has bad discipline at the dish.
Desmond Jennings is easily the best of the bunch, but he just can’t seem to stay healthy.
John Matulia’s ceiling is Justin Ruggiano with less power and plate discipline. So: pass.
by Kevin Gengler on Jul 30, 2008 12:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Royster
He has been hitting .314 in July and hit .338 in June. He got off to a horrendus start but has a .800+ OPS since June 1st. Is his K:BB ratio horrible? Yes but its 3:1 in July so far. If he could learn to be move selective he’d be more highly regarded. I dont think last year was a complete fluke.
Also, he credited his success since june to gaining his weight back. He said he lost weight to be in better shape for this year and he struggled, but he’s added the weight back on and he’s been good. Its like when Prince Fielder stopped eating meat earlier this year…
by dannythegreat on Jul 30, 2008 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You need to at least mention Fernando Perez, who’s a much better prospect than, say, Pedroza. Perez is a major league level CF defensively, and while he’s taken a while to adjust at each level, he’s shown good patience and intermittent pop.
Pedroza can’t field, pretty much period. Unless his bat makes him an elite hitter, he won’t get much of a shot at the majors.
Also, FWIW, after getting off to a HORRIBLE start, Royster had a .750 OPS in June and an .875 OPS in July. I think something was wrong with him early in the year, but he seems to be coming back around somewhat.
Vogt early, Vogt often.
by Brickhaus on Jul 30, 2008 12:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
CC
I would say don’t underestimate what playing 82 games on astro turf will do to your legs after 5 years. Despite his numbers being astronomical better at home so far just as Torii Hunter about the deference of playing on grass and turf. You also see Torii started complaing about the turf after 5-6 years before constant stints on the DL.
by JBrooks31 on Jul 31, 2008 12:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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