Good bat for a second baseman, bad glove. Gotay was a 31st-round pick of the Royals in 2000. He pretty much demolished rookie ball at 18 and A-ball at 19, hit a bit of a speed bump at High-A at 20. At 21, in 2004, he hit .289/.368/.440 in AA and earned a promotion to the majors — well, Kansas City — and didn’t play too badly, .270/.315/.375. However, he didn’t hit well at all in 2005 for the Royals — .227/.288/.344 — playing about half the time and on the major league roster most of it. He was puttering along in AAA in 2006 when the Royals and Mets made a “What the Hell?” trade, Gotay for Jeff Keppinger.
Gotay puttered along in Norfolk for the rest of 2006. Last year, he spent some more time in the glamorous Tidewater region but mostly was on the Mets’ bench, where he hit well, .295/.351/.421, and hit .288 as a pinch-hitter. He played five games (two starts) at shortstop last year, as the Mets neglected to have a backup shortstop, which is one of the reasons why Jose Reyes nearly died in September. (Remember this if Escobar falls apart down the stretch.) Gotay had only played five games at shortstop in his minor league career entering last year. I don’t know what Gotay’s defensive reputation is, but his stats don’t look good to me.
In case anyone on the Braves was thinking he could platoon with KJ, they weren’t thinking. Gotay was just horrible from the right side in 2007, .194/.286/.222, and struck out 13 times in just 42 PA. In his career, he’s hit .219/.315/.266 righthanded. His minor league splits are mostly similar, and he probably shouldn’t be switch-hitting. He’s a poor basestealer, caught six times and successful five in his major league career, and a 57% base thief in the minors. Slow, but doesn’t make many mistakes running the bases, and has only been thrown out trying to take an extra one once in his career.
good job with all the info today Mac. You’ve been busy. I’m getting the awful feeling of some weird playing time for Infante, Gotay, KJ, and Prado this year. I wonder whats going through Bobby’s brain
San Fran has removed all images of Bonds
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3315212
The Mets fans are in full gnashing-of-teeth, rending-of-clothes mode. It’s fun. From what I read, Gotay’s problems against lefties were the main reason that the Mets dumped him in favor of Fernando Tatis. HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!!!!
I’m sorry, the whole “Mets think Fernando Tatis is the savior” thing is just hilarious. If he fails, I think the next option is either Wil Cordero or Russ Davis.
I wonder whats going through Bobby’s brain
Holy Platoons Batman!
He’s a double agent, a more appealing version of Woodward. We’re screwed.
It’s only my opinion but I’d rather have Gotay than Prado, Infante, et al.
At least he has done SOMETHING at the MLB level. I mean hitting .295 must count for something . Hell we have several that couldn’t hit .295 in A ball.
If Tatis fails? Fernando Tatis! Good grief. I love when the Mets make crappy moves like this.
Again, Bobby isn’t nearly stupid enough to think that a guy who can’t hit lefthanded should get most of his PA lefthanded. If we didn’t have KJ, a Gotay/Prado platoon would be pretty decent.
ESPN reports that Arizona pitcher Doug Davis has thyroid cancer.
FJM is making fun of Furman Bisher!
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/uga/stories/2008/03/28/shultz_0328.html?imw=Y
I like Roger Schultz. But that’s funny.
DOB seems to think Thorman being gone gives Joe Borchard a chance to make the team to start the season. Still happy Thorman is gone?
Dan,
You couldn’t name a player that I would not be happy Thorman is gone.
I mean for all the “raw power” he has, he just never will make enough comment to hit more than .220.
20 years ago some poor team would have given him 500 ABs and he’d have put up a line like .222 26 HR 72 RBIs. You just don’t see many guys like that anymore. Jonny Gomes is one, of course Adam Dunn, but Adam is 5X the player as Thorman.
A little off topic – Stephen Curry is really good.
csg,
you brought up Bonds and AT&T Park in SF removing all Bonds images from the stadium.
I eat that stuff up with a spoon. It’s nice to see even the folks that pull the strings in SF won’t endorse Bond’s “home run king” status. Can’t wait until he’s in jail.
By the way, anyone wanna make a bet what the Giants park will be named this year?
JB in ATL
It’s nice to see even the folks that pull the strings in SF won’t endorse Bond’s “home run king” status.
They certainly endorsed it while he was playing for them and earning them millions in attendance revenues.
yes Stu, good point.
I guess what’s nice to see is that Bonds has been left with less support to stand on even back in SF. I just want to see his “title” officially stripped.
Of course they want to cash in and I’m not giving merit to their pull out now. it’s just the division is fun to watch from ATL.
I’m beginning to think I’m Martin Prado’s only advocate in all the world. I see that Gotay may have something to offer as a bench player — he can hit a little, and his defensive stats for KC in ’05 don’t look too bad.
But Prado has a good glove by all accounts, and his ’07 AAA stats along with his spring training results show someone who’s getting stronger and beginning to drive the ball enough to contribute in a bench role.
I think whatever negative perception that exists about him is based on 1) poor performance in a spot role last year, 2) the lack of a particular plus-plus talent on which to hang his hat, and 3) underestimation of the results he’s had because he’s been young for his level.
I admit that Prado is someone I’ve watched for a few years as a below-the-radar guy, and so I’d like to see him succeed in part just to justify my attention. So I’m frustrated (just a little — I’m not crazy) at seeing roadblocks like Gotay being imported to get in the way of seeing whether or not Prado can get something done.
Liking the new tag line.
Prado has a nice glove, but he’s a righthanded hitting infielder who can’t play short and doesn’t have power. Basically, this sort of player doesn’t have a whole lot of value unless he’s at least being platooned, and he can’t hit as well against lefties as KJ does.
sansho,
What do you think will happen when Infante comes back?
I know Prado is getting some looks at first but now that Thorman is in Richmond we need someone who play first and Infante can.
AJC:
“josh Anderson was cut lillibridge and borchard to richmond ridgway was cut, sammons was cut”
That brings it down to 26 supposedly.
To be totally honest the fact that Gotay, Prado or Infante are our options isn’t good at all.
None of the three have very much if any upside. Of course our bench always is pretty much inept so c’est la vie.
Upside isn’t a big deal for bench players. If they really had upside, you’d want them playing every day. Lillibridge has plenty of upside. I like typing “upside”.
I’ll check on the cuts. I seriously doubt that they released Anderson. I don’t know the last time I did four posts in one day.
Upside.
Sammons certainly wasn’t released–cut must mean sent down not released
Dan, do you have a link?
I don’t see anything on ajc–where’d you see the roster moves Dan?
It’s a comment on current blog entry. My commentary is now up.
Spent the day bassin’ it up on the lake and I miss all the action in Bravesland.
Sooooo glad Thor is gone from the big league roster. Birdman has done a good job of jettisoning pretty much every player I hated on last years roster. With any luck Thor will tear up Richmond and gain enough value to be an extra piece in a mid-season trade.
Gotay is addition by subtraction. The fact that it pisses off the Mets fans is also big plus. If he does anything for the Braves this year as a pinch hitter, especially against the Mets, it is a good move.
Also love the new tag line, Mac. That’s a hoot.