Matt Murton does not make Cubs Roster

[molitor fan]

Murton always scared me - hopefully he goes to an American league club we will not face.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-080326-cubs-mike-fontenot-matt-murton-chicago,1,6235088.story

[Gobias Industries]

Murton always scared me - hopefully he goes to an American league club we will not face.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-080326-cubs-mike-fontenot-matt-murton-chicago,1,6235088.story

 

Too bad he isn't stuck to just LF. He would be a much better option than Kapler with the bat.

[JoeHova]

Interesting. Murton projects at about .360/.460, which is pretty good. His defense is weak, to be fair, but he seems like a useful piece.

 

He may not be of much use to the Cubs considering he can't play center and they have two full-time type corner guys who play excellent defense, but you would think they could at least use him as a PH.

 

He's a lot better than a lot of guys who have starting jobs wrapped up.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Wow. .820 career OPS and a .365 career OBP in over 900 plate appearances, and they can't find a use for him. I realize he's no great shakes on defense, but I'm sure there's got to be a handful of teams that can use the offense he provides.

[Fatter than Joey]

He may not be of much use to the Cubs considering he can't play center and they have two full-time type corner guys who play excellent defense, but you would think they could at least use him as a PH.

 

He's probably worth more to the Cubs as trade bait than as a PHer.

[TooLiveBrew]

and they have two full-time type corner guys who play excellent defense

 

That's the funniest Soriano joke I've ever heard!

[JoeHova]

He's probably worth more to the Cubs as trade bait than as a PHer.

 

Maybe, but there doesn't seem to be much market for average players this spring training and Hendry has supposedly been trying to trade him all winter with no success.

 

Also, keeping him as a PH allows them to still have him in case Soriano or Fukudome go down. That's also the case if he's in the minors, but I think he could help the ML club even in just a PH role.

[JoeHova]

and they have two full-time type corner guys who play excellent defense

 

That's the funniest Soriano joke I've ever heard!

 

I don't get the joke. Soriano has played 145 or more games 6 of the past 7 years and every defensive rating system I've seen has him as one of the best defensive left fielders in baseball, if not the best.

 

Unless he gets hurt, he's not being platooned or replaced in the late innings and the same goes for Fukudome.

[Fatter than Joey]

That's the funniest Soriano joke I've ever heard!

 

Yeah -- I thought he was a very decent OFer, probably one of the best corners in the league.

 

Also, keeping him as a PH allows them to still have him in case Soriano or Fukudome go down.

 

Sure -- I bet they just want to move him.

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't get the joke. Soriano has played 145 or more games 6 of the past 7 years and every defensive rating system I've seen has him as one of the best defensive left fielders in baseball, if not the best

 

That's going to be largely due to his assist totals, I'd guess. Teams have run on him to test his arm, which is sound. He's a terrible defensive player that has a good/strong arm - which can be a fit in LF, and that's what we're hoping with Braun. Plus you're cherry-picking stats - he's only played LF for the past two seasons, so not sure what the previous years of him sucking majorly at 2B have to do with him sucking slightly less majorly in LF.

[Thurston Fluff]

That's a lot of confidence in Fukadome considering he has yet to play a major league game. Hopefully it backfires.

[JoeHova]

That's going to be largely due to his assist totals, I'd guess. Teams have run on him to test his arm, which is sound. He's a terrible defensive player that has a good/strong arm - which can be a fit in LF, and that's what we're hoping with Braun. Plus you're cherry-picking stats - he's only played LF for the past two seasons, so not sure what the previous years of him sucking majorly at 2B have to do with him sucking slightly less majorly in LF.

 

 

No offense, but you'd guess wrong. Arms aren't even really taken into account in most of the advanced defensive metrics. Soriano has tremendous range and top level speed.

And how am I cherry-picking? Every defensive stat I've seen says Soriano is an excellent outfielder, which is also what I see when I watch him play. What does him being a bad 2nd baseman have to do with how he plays the outfield? The two are barely connected, if at all.

 

You seem to be letting your dislike for the Cubs and/or Soriano get in the way of your analysis.

[rluzinski]

Soriano embarrassed himself when he was first moved to LF but you should expect as much when you are learning on the job. I'm sure Braun will do the same thing for some time.

[TooLiveBrew]

And how am I cherry-picking?

 

You cited his longevity in playing a bunch of games as a method to reinforce a large sample size, yet the bulk of those seasons he was at 2B.

 

No offense, but you'd guess wrong. Arms aren't even really taken into account in most of the advanced defensive metrics. Soriano has tremendous range and top level speed.

None taken. I'm not convinced that Soriano is a solid LF. I think on the whole he takes poor routes to balls, but his speed and easy position allow him to make up for it.

 

You seem to be letting your dislike for the Cubs and/or Soriano get in the way of your analysis.

This isn't the case at all. When I'm trying to analyze a player, the first thing I do is throw team allegiance/affiliation out the window. I just don't agree that his play in LF reflects the metrics. Maybe I've overstated, and he's not god-awful, but I think the metrics are misleading in this case. He hasn't yet learned to communicate well with the CF, and I think Wrigley's small gap(s) help hide some of his terrible instincts out there (granted, as Russ pointed out, he's learning still).

[JoeHova]

I only mentioned his durability to point out that the Cubs don't necessarily have much use for Murton, who is pretty much limited to left defensively.

[olliegjw]

Soriano broke a finger on his throwing hand, CATCHING a fly ball. He must be so good that he doesn't even need a glove.

[joepepsi]

Murton is a good option for AL team, play a little corner OF, a little DH. A bad team could get good use of him as a regular. I was hoping the Orioles would get him as part of the Roberts trade, but that trade is officially dead.

[clancyphile]

Gee, if I wanted backup LF/1B... Murton would fit.

[JoeHova]

Gee, if I wanted backup LF/1B... Murton would fit.

 

Murton's never played first base.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

but that trade is officially dead.

Thank goodness.

[JohnBriggs12]

Some guys are better suited for the AL and Murton is one of them. He has a solid bat but not quite enough power to be an everyday LF for most teams and that's his only position.

[DrWood]

murton can play rf in a pinch. he did last year for quite a few starts.

He's around average for a corner OF. I'd guess someone will want him.

[Kurt]

I'd would love to trade Gwynn for Murton if the cubs have no use for the guy.

[littledoc83]

and they have two full-time type corner guys who play excellent defense

 

That's the funniest Soriano joke I've ever heard!

It would have been a joke two years ago, now it is not. He made some plays in his first year in LF that made him look foolish, but now I would consider him a top 5 defensive LF'er in baseball.

 

[ELCABALLO45]

I do NOT consider Soriano a top level defensive left fielder. Yeah, he does have a good arm, but thats because alot of teams still test him. He boots around so many balls in left its laughable.