Torii Hunter

[KCBrewerfan34]

If Hall is indeed out 6-8 weeks, DM should get on the horn and try & get TH. His defense os awesome and he certainly can fill in for Hall's bat. Twinks are almost dead(7 1/2 back) and love cheap young players!!!!

 

Get her done DM, this makes too much sense.

[MoneyballMan]

I thought I remembered hearing that Hunter and the Twins were nearing a new contract to keep him there. But I could very well be mistaken and I can't find the reference.

 

It would be intriguing if we don't have to give up the farm for him. Jacque Jones is probably more a possibility than Hunter.

[JoeHova]

Hunter has declined badly defensively. He'll probably keep winning Gold Gloves for a few years because that's how those stupid awards work, but his D is no longer very good. He's having a career year too, so I would pass. Buy low, not high (imo).

[DrWood]

if you want to rent someone for the rest of the year, you better be "buying high". Would you rather hope that someone bounces back after a bad start to the year?

[JoeHova]

Quote:

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Would you rather hope that someone bounces back after a bad start to the year?

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Indeed I would. Regression to the mean is just as likely to happen with guys who have been playing poorly as it is to guys who are playing well.

[qrk10000]

Hunter has declined badly defensively.

 

Do you have any stats to back this up? The guy made less errors last year than "our best defensive outfielder", Geoff Jenkins, and has made all of one error this year. If you are basing this solely on outfield assists, than I would agree that he is throwing out less men than in the past but that is a subjective stat in my opinion. I think he would be a fine defender for the Brewers and certainly several steps up defensively from Hall.

[endaround]

In 2001 Hunter had 22 fielding runs above average. Since then:

 

2002 -12

2003 -1

2004 -3

2005 1

2006 1

2007 -2

 

His glove just isn't that good anymore.

[Boy Jeenius]

He ran down some balls in the gaps against the Brewers and made it look easy. On the other hand, he did drop a ball the other night that just shocked everyone, so you are probably making a valid point about the decline. But to say his glove is no good anymore may be a stretch. If he's in decline, it's from spectacular to way above average. IMO, he'd still be the best outfield defender we'd have if he came here, even in decline.

[qrk10000]

Thanks for the info, Endaround. That stat is a new one for me. Question: does FRAA take falsely reward players (like Carlos Lee) who don't make a ton of errors but also don't do much in the field versus a guy like Hunter who tries to make an out everytime a ball is hit to the outfield? I am sure that he is not as quick as he used to be, but everytime that I watch Hunter, he still looks very good. His fielding percentage and range factor still seem to be above average too.

[endaround]

It probablistic, meaning it compares the amount of plays a person makes versus what the average player makes i that position given the innings played. It jumps around alot so one down year might not mean anything, but a pttern does.

[brettac1]

Just to kind of clarify his declining defense, it's not that he's suddenly dropping flyballs, or anything. I wouldn't really use that kind of thing to evaluate an outfielder. It's more of a fluke when one gets dropped and it happens to the best of them once in a while.

 

The problem isn't dropping flyballs, it's that he doesn't get to as many balls as he used to. I would also say (this is only my subjective opinion) that he takes a lot of risks diving for balls, and the opportunity for a dive has gone up while his range as gone down, so I would be worried about him diving for and missing a ball he doesn't have a realistic opportunity to catch (case in point being Kotsay's liner in the playoffs last year).

 

That's why errors are pretty useless, too, since a player is never charged with an error on a play that they dive on.

[DrWood]

"Quote:Would you rather hope that someone bounces back after a bad start to the year?

 

 

 

 

Indeed I would. Regression to the mean is just as likely to happen with guys who have been playing poorly as it is to guys who are playing well."

 

that makes more sense when you are talking about acquiring a guy in the offseason, not when acquiring a guy to step in and perform immediately.

[litesrn]

If we're going to "rent" a player, why would anyone want it to be Hunter? I'd much rather we do the same with Buerhle than Hunter, and I don't particularly want either - Lofton or Abreu seem to me to be a better options in the OF for what they would likely cost.

[KCBrewerfan34]

So we don't have to watch Tony Gwynn Jr. out there for the next 4-6 weeks. You don't have to throw out softball questions to the board http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[litesrn]

So Lofton or Abreu, according to your "softball" quote, are worse options than Hunter? According to who?

[KCBrewerfan34]

Hunter appears to be on a HUGE contract drive, he would be an awesome addition to the Brew, so would Buehrle. All I can say if you prefer Lofton or Abreu to Hunter I'm sure glad you're not our GM. For one Lfton totally sucks in my opinion and is not the defensive player Hunter is. Abreu appears to be showing his age. Just my opinion.

[UeckerAddict]

Regression to the mean is just as likely to happen with guys who have been playing poorly as it is to guys who are playing well.

 

Which would make it the opposite of regression.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif