Prince to Baltimore (off-season proposal)

[Invader3K]

For the record, McGehee looked just as chubby last year in my opinion.

Yeah, I don't think he really looks that much heavier than last year, personally. Anyway, it was probably pretty hard to work out for a while after having knee surgery, so if he did put on some extra weight, that would explain it.

[Ennder]

If Baltimore goes after Fielder it will be in 2012 when he is a FA and they can sign him long term. That would make a ton of sense as the rest of their team will be starting to hit their prime that season and he would be a great person to stick in the middle of the order.

[homer]

I think to ignore errors and fielding percentage is ludicrous. Good fielders don't make as many errors as bad fielders. Sure there's more to it than error totals, but as a rule that statement can't be disputed.

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Scott Rolen had 38 errors his first year in A ball. He turned out OK. So did Aramis Ramirez whose career fielding percentage in the minors was under .900 (his career MLB mark is .949)

[TheCrew07]

Given that Jeter has been a terrible defensive shortstop until last season not sure you want to use him as an example.

Just to be clear, I'm no fan of Jeter, but somehow he's managed to play SS for the signature franchise in the game for over 14 years. I'm sure you're referring to UZR which has only been available since 2002, and Jeter didn't become "horrible" in the field until 2004 at age 30, which shouldn't surprise anyone as he's on the downside of his career.

 

Yes I'm intentionally avoiding another debate about UZR. It has value, but limited value in my opinion. Of course you'd debate semantics instead of the true point I was making which was just because a player made a ton of errors in the minors doesn't mean a position move in his future. I chose Jeter because of the 50 error comment I quoted but there have literally been tons of good to great defenders at MLB who put horrible error totals in a single MiLB season with more than 30 errors. I think the mechanical issues can be worked through if a player has good instincts for the game, and Gamel appears to read batted balls very well off the bat, so there is hope. He's not Braun who doesn't read the ball off the bat any better in the OF than he did at 3B. I'm not suggest that Gamel won't end up in the OF or at 1B down the road, but I think Gamel has all of the necessary tools to become a good defender. He just has to be willing to put in the time as it takes 1000s of perfect repetitions to relearn a movement and create a new instinct, which is a significant hill to climb.

[endaround]

No I'm talking about everyone who's looked at Jeter's defense from day 1. UZR didn't tell us anything most already hadn't seen. Jeter at best was average and most thought significantly below average with the glove from day 1 but his bat and lots of Yankee strike out pitchers made it not matter.

[HiAndTight]

I think people are way overvaluing what Fielder will bring. He'll be paid close to what he's worth on a one year deal and its unlikely that he'll give the receiving team a discount or even a chance to sign him to a long term contract before the season. Why should the Rangers give up 6 years of Smoak for one of Fielder? I think a plus AA arm and a guy with upside is what you'll get, ie what you get in the draft minus having to pay signing bonuses when Fielder declines arbitration.

I agree to a certain extent. I think that Fielder would necessarily return one really good prospect - someone on the level of LaPorta when he was traded for CC. I, personally, would not give up Smoak for him as the Rangers, but they type of return is conceivable. That said, he's not going to return a Texeira-type package for the reason you indicate. It's important not to forget that Atlanta thought they had a really good shot at signing him to a home-town discount when they acquired him (GT guy), but obviously a club-friendly extension never materialized. I can't envision a scenario where Fielder doesn't hit free agency unless he resigns with the Brewers.

 

I don't agree that you can't expect a Texiera type package. Obviously not if you take the players as they're currently rated, but that's the whole point of having a good scouting department.

I also don't believe the reason the Braves made the trade was because they thought they had a good chance of signing him because he went to Georgia Tech. He's from Maryland, so it's really not his hometown anyway. Regardless, the Braves traded for a season and a half of Texira because they thought they were a big power bat away from contending. I also think if their trading for Tex relied upon t hem believing they could re-sign him, they would have at least inquired about that prior to completing the trade(After being given permission from Texas of course).

 

More likely they knew he had Boras, they knew they had a very talented team and they were simply going for it for a year and a half and trading from a surplus(catcher as Salt was easily the key piece at the time) and several very talented, but less revered type players.

 

So I absolutely believe we're going to be able to get a very attractive package for Prince should we decide to trade him, especially if we were to trade him now.