Tag: Player Analysis 2009

As a rule, if you are bringing in a 35-year-old third baseman to take the place of your utility infielder, you’re doing something wrong. Norton isn’t a bad player, or wasn’t — he may be done — but...

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...

Josh Anderson seems extremely likely to make the team, even though he’s not any good. The Braves are likely to carry only one backup outfielder, so they’ll need one who can play center. Anderson has a career .337 OBP...

Everyone says that Manny Acosta is at least pencilled into the bullpen, but I can’t see that he he has it made. The Braves have a lot of guys who are out of options, and while Acosta pitched well last year he wasn’t...

I don’t think that the Rule 5 draft is very good for players. Take Jeff Bennett. Bennett was a guy with a live arm, drafted out of the Pirates organization in 2003, coming off a solid year as a AA middle reliever. (He was...

More than just a LOOGY, from his minor league statistics and brief major league work. The White Sox took Ring, a San Diego State reliever, in the first round of the 2002 draft, the 18th pick overall. (23rd: Francoeur. 24th: Joe...

30 year old LOOGY, pitched poorly last year but fairly well in the role in 2006, very well in 2005. LOOGYing is a tough job, which doesn’t mean it’s not basically a stupid one. Most of the players you face in crucial...

Winner of the 2007 Jaret Wright Memorial “I Did Not See That Coming” Trophy. After 15 uninspiring innings in 2006, Moylan started off the year in the minors, but only threw two innings for Richmond before getting...

I actually like Yates more now, coming off a season in which he put up a 5.18 ERA, than I did last year, when his ERA was 3.96. This is partly because his statistical components were better. He walked 31 men in 2007, same as in...

The Braves started the season with three Closers™ in the bullpen. At the end, there was only one, Soriano, who should start the year as the closer. Since the Braves’ closer role is cursed, something eventually will...

Jo-Jo Reyes should be the odd man out of the rotation picture, unless a move is made. I could be wrong, but I can’t see him actually passing James, and Jurrjens is a better fit stylewise. (Hampton, of course, won’t...

Mike Hampton isn’t going to pitch for the Braves ever again. That is all. Mike Hampton Statistics – Baseball-Reference.com

I really think Jurrjens would benefit from time in AAA, but all indications are that he’s pencilled into the rotation, even ahead of James. Since Mike Hampton will never pitch for the Braves again, there’s really...

A #3 starter is the middle of the rotation, so an average #3 starter should be average. Chuck was essentially average last year — a 4.24 ERA in a 4.26 context — so why is everyone giving him a hard time? One thing is...

So, uh, this guy came up in 1987. In 1991, he… Look, normally I do a bio for new signings, but I think I can skip it in this case. Glavine won 61 games for the Mets over the last five years. Because they’re the Mets,...

See, that was what the Braves are paying him for. Hudson finished seventh in the league in ERA, third in innings, and fifth in wins; he didn’t figure in the Cy Young voting because of a late fade, but was in consideration...

The heart and soul of the Braves pitched as well at age 40 as he ever has, and there’s no sign that he won’t do the same at age 41. You’ve probably seen that Bill James’ projection system had Smoltz...

If history is any guide, will start out platooning and eventually sometime during the summer take over left field more or less full time, probably two weeks too late. At least, that’s how it’s worked the last two...

It seems unlikely that the Braves will go into the season with only Infante as a backup infielder, but there are some options situations that may tempt them to carry five outfielders, and of course carrying “only”...

Really has no business at all making the roster, only he is (a) out of options and (b) the last Canadian on the team. Thorman was handed the platoon first base job and played pretty well in March and April. He started playing...