Transmogrified Tiger

It kinda feels like Torres getting sat down before getting traded was the first time that trade-specific benching(not being pulled from a game, but absence from the starting lineup) has ever come to fruition. Tough to believe that'll be a leading indicator again.

Yeah, when Grimm throws strikes he's real good.

If he does that then of course it does not matter. The issue is the approach tends to cause players capable of doing great things to not actually do great things. If he somehow manages to flail at a ton of stuff outside the zone but still produce, good on him. The concern is that things even out. I envision Baez at around .270/325/465 right around 800 OPS. I think many people underrate him bc many thought he would be a superstar. But, I think he settles around those numbers with a versatile glove. And I think he's a very valuable part of the future. Let's put this a different way. Baez has a 4% BB% and a 23% K%. In the last 5 years, there have been 11 qualified seasons with < 5% BB% and > 20% K%. No one did it more than once, and only 5 of those seasons were above average offensively. Baez needs to make an adjustment in some direction. His recent performance is encouraging, but there are additional steps to take. EDIT: If you want a mental image to associate with a positive outcome for Baez, think of something like a Mark Trumbo/Starling Marte combo. That type of player fits in perfectly with the Cubs(I'd say a Rizzo/Bryant/Schwarber/Baez sequence could be pretty great), but it's easy to see the downside too from that example. Trumbo has had some down years, and Baez isn't going to carry BABIPs like Marte to keep his production as high.

Quite possible. The other options would probably be demoting Montgomery(possible but a bit counterproductive) or Edwards(he's dominating so I sure hope not), or DFA'ing Wood. Wood I could potentially see, but given the choice between Wood and Cahill at this point in the season, I think they dump Cahill. If Nathan flames out between now and then he could go too, Soriano style.

Why do you say that? He's supremely useful as a reserve infielder(especially on this team that has SS covered and several RH hitting IF), he's not going to start making real money until after next year at the least, and I don't think he has a ton of trade value since teams rightfully won't see him as a starting IF.

Coghlan is unlikely to be gone by Monday. Coghlan hasn't been good this year, but has a larger body of work of being pretty productive, especially in a platoon role where he's hidden from LHP. He's not the best option ever to lead off today, but if it's not going to be Zobrist then your options are Heyward, Baez, Russell, and Ross, and none of them are terribly great OBP guys, especially against a RHP. Plus Coghlan is easily pinch hit for later so there's not a huge concern about him getting extra unwanted PA due to his order spot. It's not a perfect lineup choice, but it's a decision without a huge downside. The Monday thing was more just because we are going to trade for Reddick. At some point Cogs is gone or we are going to be sending even more actual contributors down and waiting until September to bring them back up. Soler and Cahill are both going to be back, which means even tougher roster choices than this one. I figured, I don't think Reddick is all that likely, maybe I'm wrong. Soler and Cahill will both force tough decisions, although with Contreras in a funk he's a demotion candidate, and I doubt we go back to 13 pitchers so while Cahill will force a quality player off the roster it likely won't be a position player.

I imagine he will be gone by Monday. If that is the case, then what is the point of pissing off La Stella (a much better/more versatile player) weakening your roster/flexibility by sending him down...then COMPOUNDING it by not only starting CC but leading him off...? Honest question. Coghlan is unlikely to be gone by Monday. Coghlan hasn't been good this year, but has a larger body of work of being pretty productive, especially in a platoon role where he's hidden from LHP. He's not the best option ever to lead off today, but if it's not going to be Zobrist then your options are Heyward, Baez, Russell, and Ross, and none of them are terribly great OBP guys, especially against a RHP. Plus Coghlan is easily pinch hit for later so there's not a huge concern about him getting extra unwanted PA due to his order spot. It's not a perfect lineup choice, but it's a decision without a huge downside.

So do I, still wouldn't change the fact that it's a bad decision. Even the worst decisions work out now and again. I have to agree. If you're going to give Zobrist a day off, how is this lineup or defense better than La Stella at 3B and KB in LF? Fowler is the one getting a day off, Zobrist is in RF. That doesn't materially change your point, but that bridge is already crossed by demoting La Stella so you don't have to get rid of Coghlan.

Terror walks require not swinging at pitches outside the zone. Baez's O-Swing% is 44%, while league average is 29.8%. He has to make a change. He can and might, but external factors aren't going to drive up his walk rate.

I need to make a Platoon Splits Matter gif or something.

I think the crazy thing is that it's not an incorrect thought. Rondon has been one of the best relievers in the game the last couple years, and Chapman blows save opps *half as often* as he does.

Baez playing well is the other big driver, if he's going to see a bit more playing time against RHP then La Stella isn't going to do much more than pinch hit. Coghlan on the other hand has a chance to play more often, and they don't get rid of anyone by waiting until injury/September to bring back TLS.

I dunno, they've already traded for 2 relievers, which has the obvious effect of fixing the bullpen but also eating up roster spots. So while they could play at the top of the SP market, that likely has insane prices, and now playing on the lower end or getting a guy as a possibility for the 2017 rotation becomes a bit more difficult if it also means doing something like releasing Grimm to make room. On the position player side I've always been skeptical, today's move illustrates that they have more MLB caliber players than roster spots. More likely that they're keeping tabs on outfielders in case they send Soler and/or Almora in a different deal, which now looks less likely than ever.

Poor Tommy did everything he was supposed to. See you in a few weeks, pal.

Playing at a 100 win pace since the all-star break.

Ryan Kellogg since June 1st: 54.1 IP, 2.48 ERA, 48 H, 46/5 K/BB, 4 HR

That's up there with 'procrastinating on answering any more questions about Sale', which is a preposterous thing to say but what else could it be?

Almora is 6 for 18 with 2 doubles, and 1/3 BB/K since his demotion.

I just tried to think of an explanation for that bullpen move and gave myself an aneurysm

very rarely do you see a guy smoke a pitch just foul and then put it in nearly the same spot fair

Someone help me understand the motivation to trade Walker. Montgomery was a little surprising, but if you think of him as a reliever there's a finite ceiling. With someone like Paxton you could at least play the TINSTAAPP game. Walker seems like a perfectly cromulent starter now with a ton of upside, and the Mariners aren't exactly overstuffed with SP, why are they trading him?

correct

Well framed, Willson

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