Cubs Trade Rob Bowen and Jerry Blevins for Jason Kendall

[Mizzou]

Looking at the league average OPS for catchers in the NL this year (699) and his last 7 years (including and starting with this season) he's been way below average, slightly above average, below average, well above average, well above average, slightly above average, and below average.

 

factoring in defense he has come up far short of "solid".

Jesus Christ. Can we stop looking at OPS and OPS+ for two seconds? Is it so hard to admit that (like most players) he's not a power hitter? He hits for average and gets on base at a high rate. Why is this so hard to understand?

 

Because hitting for average and getting on base isn't all that a hitter has to do. He has been average or worse as a player 5 of the last 7 years.

Hate to break it to you, but not every player in the lineup "has" to hit home runs and doubles.

 

You're expecting way too much.

 

no, i would hope my players would be above average in one of the two aspects of the game. He's below average offensively and defensively. I could swallow his normal offensive output if he was anything of a good defensive catcher any more, but he's not.

Okay man, a career 300 hitter who gets on base at a 380 clip is below average. Right.

[CubmanPi]

 

I'm willing to give our scout and our excellent hitting coach a month to see if they made a good choice on Kendall.

 

Me, too.

 

Look at the job the team has done with Marquis.

 

I trust the Cubs with reclamation projects.

 

Hey it worked for the first few months, didn't it? :wink:

 

Jason Marquis' ERA is only 9 points higher than Matsuzaka's. And we didn't pay $100 million for him. Our scouts are good.

Two curves heading in opposite directions have to converge somewhere.

[Deeg]

Looking at the league average OPS for catchers in the NL this year (699) and his last 7 years (including and starting with this season) he's been way below average, slightly above average, below average, well above average, well above average, slightly above average, and below average.

 

factoring in defense he has come up far short of "solid".

Jesus Christ. Can we stop looking at OPS and OPS+ for two seconds? Is it so hard to admit that (like most players) he's not a power hitter? He hits for average and gets on base at a high rate. Why is this so hard to understand?

 

Because hitting for average and getting on base isn't all that a hitter has to do. He has been average or worse as a player 5 of the last 7 years.

 

So he won't be the perfect player, but he can provide us with a solid OBP - which people have been bemoaning the lack of for a very long time. He can't hit for power, ok he never could. But he can set the table either for Lee, Ramirez, Floyd (or potential big bat) or if he's low in the order he can set the table for Soriano and Theriot/Fontenot.

 

Yes, that .260 OBP is solid - something...

[CubFanPhilly]

Those saying Kendall has been decent the last month and a half should take a look at his July. It's just as putrid as his April/May: .229/.229/.286/.514 (yes, 0 walks in 35 ABs).

 

He must have had a CRAZY June because the caption said "Jason Kendall, who is hitting .297 in his last 25 games, is expected to be in uniform Tuesday. (Getty)".

 

I'm willing to give our scout and our excellent hitting coach a month to see if they made a good choice on Kendall. All he does it hit singles I take it from people complaining about his weak OPS+. But I have a bit of faith in our scouting department. Look at how most of our FA's turned out this year.

 

Yeah, he went NUTS in June:

 

June OPS/ML catchers (Rank)

Kendall .758 (19th)

Bowen .733 (24th)

Barrett .714 (28th)

[The Voice of Reason]

Hendry on Comcast - Deal was a "no brainer," "Kendall is outstanding defensively." "On base percentage is off the charts." "His reputation = 10"

 

Lou will bat Kendall in the 7 spot.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I feel bad that nobody knows cheapseats well enough to know whether he's kidding or not, he's a good enough poster that people should realize he's gone all opposite day in this thread.

[nilodnayr]

Ugh. Not CERA. And you're basing Soto's CERA as well? He's been up for a whole 5 games now.

 

cheapseats is in sarcasm defcon 5

[Drew Doughty]

Looking at the league average OPS for catchers in the NL this year (699) and his last 7 years (including and starting with this season) he's been way below average, slightly above average, below average, well above average, well above average, slightly above average, and below average.

 

factoring in defense he has come up far short of "solid".

Jesus Christ. Can we stop looking at OPS and OPS+ for two seconds? Is it so hard to admit that (like most players) he's not a power hitter? He hits for average and gets on base at a high rate. Why is this so hard to understand?

 

Because hitting for average and getting on base isn't all that a hitter has to do. He has been average or worse as a player 5 of the last 7 years.

Hate to break it to you, but not every player in the lineup "has" to hit home runs and doubles.

 

You're expecting way too much.

 

no, i would hope my players would be above average in one of the two aspects of the game. He's below average offensively and defensively. I could swallow his normal offensive output if he was anything of a good defensive catcher any more, but he's not.

Okay man, a career 300 hitter who gets on base at a 380 clip is below average. Right.

 

in the 5 years i've cited, he's done that exactly zero times. he came close last year, but otherwise was well off the mark.

[cheapseats]

Looking at the league average OPS for catchers in the NL this year (699) and his last 7 years (including and starting with this season) he's been way below average, slightly above average, below average, well above average, well above average, slightly above average, and below average.

 

factoring in defense he has come up far short of "solid".

Jesus Christ. Can we stop looking at OPS and OPS+ for two seconds? Is it so hard to admit that (like most players) he's not a power hitter? He hits for average and gets on base at a high rate. Why is this so hard to understand?

 

Because hitting for average and getting on base isn't all that a hitter has to do. He has been average or worse as a player 5 of the last 7 years.

 

So he won't be the perfect player, but he can provide us with a solid OBP - which people have been bemoaning the lack of for a very long time. He can't hit for power, ok he never could. But he can set the table either for Lee, Ramirez, Floyd (or potential big bat) or if he's low in the order he can set the table for Soriano and Theriot/Fontenot.

 

Yes, that .260 OBP is solid - something...

 

Obviously you've never played fantasy baseball. If you had, you'd know that the best way to pick players is to look at the stats they put up in the previous year.

 

Yes, Kendall's OBP is less than average right now, but by the end of the season, he'll be back in the .360 range. A guy with a career .380 OBP doesn't suddenly drop to .260 for a full season.

[E.J.]

Hendry on Comcast - Deal was a "no brainer," "Kendall is outstanding defensively." "On base percentage is off the charts." "His reputation = 10"

 

Lou will bat Kendall in the 7 spot.

 

I don't even think Hendry looks at stats.

[brinoch]

The purpose of any trade is to help your team, either by clearing space for a young player, reducing salary for the long-term, or by acquiring an upgrade at a position of need. You don't deal just to deal. Jim Hendry's responsibility is to improve the Cubs, and he can do it by getting rid of roster-fillers who are inept and sucktastic -- Bowen, Hill, Jones, Eyre and Izturis and promoting from within. Alternatively, you can trade for an upgrade.

 

I don't think this deal particularly helps the Cubs. It might, but then again, it might not. Kendall does have a solid history with the bat. These days, though, he's more of a singles hitter with a decent eye. He has no power, and he's slow. It does clear out a roster-filler in Bowen (and might clear Hill's spot, as well), but blocks Soto, who would probably be a decent upgrade over Hill and Bowen.

 

The Cubs' offensive black holes, as I've said for a while, are going to catch up to them. You can't carry a team for too long on the thin offense of the 2007 Cubs. An injury, or a slump, and this team is done. Frankly, I think Soto is probably capable of producing more offensively and defensively than Kendall -- an nice, cheap, in-house option. Likewise, Theriot seems to have improved, and Cedeno is ready, so I think SS has the potential to be covered. As well, unless A-Rod is magically available, there aren't any SS or C's of quality out there to be had.

 

An OF with some pop, on the other hand, is a lot easier to find. Upgrading in RF or CF was the way to go, to my mind.

 

Look, Kendall might help this team. But he's not enough of an upgrade to fill in the oh-so-obvious holes of this offense.

[dew1679666265]

Looking at the league average OPS for catchers in the NL this year (699) and his last 7 years (including and starting with this season) he's been way below average, slightly above average, below average, well above average, well above average, slightly above average, and below average.

 

factoring in defense he has come up far short of "solid".

Jesus Christ. Can we stop looking at OPS and OPS+ for two seconds? Is it so hard to admit that (like most players) he's not a power hitter? He hits for average and gets on base at a high rate. Why is this so hard to understand?

 

Because hitting for average and getting on base isn't all that a hitter has to do. He has been average or worse as a player 5 of the last 7 years.

 

So he won't be the perfect player, but he can provide us with a solid OBP - which people have been bemoaning the lack of for a very long time. He can't hit for power, ok he never could. But he can set the table either for Lee, Ramirez, Floyd (or potential big bat) or if he's low in the order he can set the table for Soriano and Theriot/Fontenot.

 

Yes, that .260 OBP is solid - something...

 

I've been repeating quite often he's been terrible this year. But, the past four years he's put up a .367, .345, .399 and .399 OBP. That ranges from decent to very good.

Do I expect a .399 this year? Absolutely not, but I'm hoping he can come close to the .367 from last year in the second half.

[tinkerstoeverstochance]

So JK is gonna hit what seventh tomorrow

 

Theriot

Fontenot/Izzy

Lee

Soriano

Ram

DeRo

Kendall

Pagan

Marshall

 

Just a guess!

[E.J.]

Ugh. Not CERA. And you're basing Soto's CERA as well? He's been up for a whole 5 games now.

 

cheapseats is in sarcasm defcon 5

 

I guess my sarcasm detector is off.

[CubmanPi]

Hendry on Comcast - Deal was a "no brainer," "Kendall is outstanding defensively." "On base percentage is off the charts." "His reputation = 10"

 

Lou will bat Kendall in the 7 spot.

 

I don't even think Hendry looks at stats.

When I haerd Hendry on the radio, everything he said about Kendall was about as much as anyone could talk him up. "Grit" and "winner" and a bunch of career statistics. Addressed pretty much everything but his terrible season at the plate.

[dew1679666265]

Looking at the league average OPS for catchers in the NL this year (699) and his last 7 years (including and starting with this season) he's been way below average, slightly above average, below average, well above average, well above average, slightly above average, and below average.

 

factoring in defense he has come up far short of "solid".

Jesus Christ. Can we stop looking at OPS and OPS+ for two seconds? Is it so hard to admit that (like most players) he's not a power hitter? He hits for average and gets on base at a high rate. Why is this so hard to understand?

 

Because hitting for average and getting on base isn't all that a hitter has to do. He has been average or worse as a player 5 of the last 7 years.

 

So he won't be the perfect player, but he can provide us with a solid OBP - which people have been bemoaning the lack of for a very long time. He can't hit for power, ok he never could. But he can set the table either for Lee, Ramirez, Floyd (or potential big bat) or if he's low in the order he can set the table for Soriano and Theriot/Fontenot.

 

Yes, that .260 OBP is solid - something...

 

Obviously you've never played fantasy baseball. If you had, you'd know that the best way to pick players is to look at the stats they put up in the previous year.

 

Yes, Kendall's OBP is less than average right now, but by the end of the season, he'll be back in the .360 range. A guy with a career .380 OBP doesn't suddenly drop to .260 for a full season.

 

I've repeated time and again that he very well could suck the rest of the way. BUT, IF he can reach close to the .367 OBP he put up last year, I'll be happy. Is that a guarantee? No, but it's possible.

[nilodnayr]

The purpose of any trade is to help your team, either by clearing space for a young player, reducing salary for the long-term, or by acquiring an upgrade at a position of need. You don't deal just to deal. Jim Hendry's responsibility is to improve the Cubs, and he can do it by getting rid of roster-fillers who are inept and sucktastic -- Bowen, Hill, Jones, Eyre and Izturis and promoting from within. Alternatively, you can trade for an upgrade.

 

I don't think this deal particularly helps the Cubs. It might, but then again, it might not. Kendall does have a solid history with the bat. These days, though, he's more of a singles hitter with a decent eye. He has no power, and he's slow. It does clear out a roster-filler in Bowen (and might clear Hill's spot, as well), but blocks Soto, who would probably be a decent upgrade over Hill and Bowen.

 

The Cubs' offensive black holes, as I've said for a while, are going to catch up to them. You can't carry a team for too long on the thin offense of the 2007 Cubs. An injury, or a slump, and this team is done. Frankly, I think Soto is probably capable of producing more offensively and defensively than Kendall -- an nice, cheap, in-house option. Likewise, Theriot seems to have improved, and Cedeno is ready, so I think SS has the potential to be covered. As well, unless A-Rod is magically available, there aren't any SS or C's of quality out there to be had.

 

An OF with some pop, on the other hand, is a lot easier to find. Upgrading in RF or CF was the way to go, to my mind.

 

Look, Kendall might help this team. But he's not enough of an upgrade to fill in the oh-so-obvious holes of this offense.

 

Correction Kendall USED to be a sinlges hitter. These days hes an out maker.

 

Now, I know his FB% has skyrocketed this year and is having an adverse impact on his BABIP, he still has an 18.7 LD% and only a 243 BABIP. Hes definitely hurting himself by hitting pop ups and not walking, but hes also getting unlucky. I don't think hes an upgrade, but hes not as bad as hes hitting now.

[RynoRules]

I didn't want Kendall, but I really don't get the upset over losing a guy who projects as middle reliever, the most fungible and unpredictable baseball asset there is.

 

I will be pulling for Jason. Hopefully he can put up respectable nos. I'd take .290 / .360 / .365 and be satisfied. It's still much better than what we have at this point.

 

Also, Jim better not be done dealing.

[Lockes Eye Scar]

Kendall's LD% is down, but he's still been unlucky with a .246 BABIP

[OleMissCub]

Frankly, I think Soto is probably capable of producing more offensively and defensively than Kendall -- an nice, cheap, in-house option.

 

My feelings exactly.

 

I'm wondering in what capacity Lou is going to use Kendall. I still would like to see Soto get a shot at earning the starting spot.

[E.J.]

Frankly, I think Soto is probably capable of producing more offensively and defensively than Kendall -- an nice, cheap, in-house option.

 

My feelings exactly.

 

I'm wondering in what capacity Lou is going to use Kendall. I still would like to see Soto get a shot at earning the starting spot.

 

With Kendall here and Blanco due back soon, I just don't see any scenario where Soto actually gets a shot at earning the starting spot.

[Drew Doughty]

Kendall's LD% is down, but he's still been unlucky with a .246 BABIP

 

yeah, it should probably be like 280 instead, which would still mean he has terrible numbers. if my math is right, and he added nothing but singles to elevate himself to a 299 babip, he would have a pitiful 276/311/330 line right now. considering his current batted ball data, his babip should be something like 280 or 290, so that's a little optimistic, probably.

[RynoRules]

Frankly, I think Soto is probably capable of producing more offensively and defensively than Kendall -- an nice, cheap, in-house option.

 

My feelings exactly.

 

I'm wondering in what capacity Lou is going to use Kendall. I still would like to see Soto get a shot at earning the starting spot.

 

With Kendall here and Blanco due back soon, I just don't see any scenario where Soto actually gets a shot at earning the starting spot.

 

He's trade bait.

 

Soto, Gallagher, Murton and Jones for Griffey and a bit of cash? Probably a bit much for many here to swallow.

[USSoccer]

Hendry on Comcast - Deal was a "no brainer," "Kendall is outstanding defensively." "On base percentage is off the charts." "His reputation = 10"

 

Lou will bat Kendall in the 7 spot.

 

I don't even think Hendry looks at stats.

 

To be completely honest, I'm not even that concerned with his offense. Our catchers right now suck. I expect Kendall to suck as well.

 

It's the defense behind the plate that has me concerned. All things being equal, if we have crappy offensive catchers, I'd at least want the best defensive catcher out there so at least he's bringing something to the table.

[USSoccer]

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't we have to make another roster move to make room for Kendall?