David Ortiz -- 2012-13 Brewer first baseman?

[Mass Haas]

I'm aware we have a "First Base Options" topic, and perhaps this thread will eventually be combined with that thread, but thought this warranted its own discussion.

 

Or maybe I'm way off base. Have at it.

 

David Ortiz Baseball Reference Page

How it could happen --

 

The Red Sox did not want to go beyond his option year this year. It was a very generous option, $12.5 M -- anybody but the Sox would have passed. So it's going to take a two-year offer this winter to entice him away from another Red Sox one-year deal. What it would take over two years ($18-$20 M?) remains to be seen. Heck, if Carlos Pena got a one-year, $10M deal...

 

Ortiz will be 36 in November (well, so says his U.S. paperwork).

 

He may still maintain a home in the Appleton area, where he established roots with a connection to his Timber Rattler days in the Mariners' system (2006 blog). His wife is from the area.

 

Would he embrace the challenge of playing first base? He's looked fine (OK, pretty passable) there in interleague and postseason play in recent years. With Adrian Gonzalez now on board, he'll sit almost completely idle for a nine-game Red Sox interleague road trip next month.

 

He'd love Miller Park. He's left-handed.

 

This would kibosh or significantly alter plans for one of the few remaining minor league chips, Mat Gamel.

 

Consider me self-intrigued.

[brwrsfan]

It's an interesting option. Three things for me:

 

1 - Would he even want to play in Milwaukee? It's quite a bit different than Boston.

 

2 - Could he actually handle first base even adequately? I think he'd be a definite downgrade from Prince at 1b, and that's saying something.

 

3 - Can he hold up playing the field every day? He's a big dude, already showing some signs (mainly last year) of decline...could he stay healthy and productive playing the field 140+ games a year?

 

I have my doubts on all 3...plus, the whole Gamel situation. But it's something interesting to think about I guess. He would certainly provide a power threat and protect Braun in the order.

[monty57]

Definitely interesting, but I would rather save the money by using Gamel as the 1B, so that we could use it on more pressing needs, like upgrading SS and / or CF and extending Marcum and / or Greinke.

 

If we were to trade Corey Hart and move Gamel to RF, then I guess it could be a possibility. Use "Hart's money" to pay Ortiz, and "Prince's money" to upgrade SS/CF. If we signed Ortiz for one year, then Gamel could patrol RF until one of the minor leaguers took over, and Gamel moved to 1B.

 

Because of the makeup of the team, I doubt Ortiz is an option, but if he really wants to play close to Appleton, and he were able to play a passable 1B, I'm sure they could figure something out.

[RockCoCougars]

Pass. It's been speculated that he's quite a bit older than he claims, and his performance at the plate has fallen off the table since the crackdown on PEDs. At least one of the two is likely the culprit for his decline. Yet another guy that doesn't really fit on a team without a DH.

[TooLiveBrew]

David Ortiz hasn't been ranked by Tangotiger's Fans' Scouting Report since 2004 (played 37 games at 1B since then). Here are his scores from '04 & '03:

 

 Overall Instincts First Step Speed Hands Release Arm Str. Arm Acc. Level of Agreement [url=http://www.tangotiger.net/scouting/scoutResults_BOS.html]2004[/url]: 27 35 17 15 28 28 38 37 0.67 [url=http://www.tangotiger.net/scouting/scout_Results.html]2003[/url]: N/A 16 12 14 22 25 40 27 0.81

That is, quite literally, about as bad a Fan's Scouting Report as you will see. In 2004 he played his age-28 season. 2012 will be his age-36 season. Since '04 he's also had a torn right meniscus ('07), & torn left wrist tendon sheath ('08). It's not that I don't think Ortiz could still hit through another season or two, but I wouldn't bet a penny on his being able to play the field & stay healthy... let alone play the field at an acceptable level.

[endaround]

Pass. It's been speculated that he's quite a bit older than he claims, and his performance at the plate has fallen off the table since the crackdown on PEDs. At least one of the two is likely the culprit for his decline. Yet another guy that doesn't really fit on a team without a DH.

That's just not true. He had a bad 2009 and then people wrote him off. He hit .270/.370/.529 last year and is hitting .299/.373/.530 this year. Now I wouldn't want him to try to field and his splits vs LHers are to be more pronounced as he ages but the talk of him being through was highly premature.

[RockCoCougars]

Pass. It's been speculated that he's quite a bit older than he claims, and his performance at the plate has fallen off the table since the crackdown on PEDs. At least one of the two is likely the culprit for his decline. Yet another guy that doesn't really fit on a team without a DH.

That's just not true. He had a bad 2009 and then people wrote him off. He hit .270/.370/.529 last year and is hitting .299/.373/.530 this year. Now I wouldn't want him to try to field and his splits vs LHers are to be more pronounced as he ages but the talk of him being through was highly premature.

2004-2007: 44 HR average

2008-2010: 28 HR average

 

He may not be through, but I don't like the direction that he's moving. Even if he's not fudging his age, he'll be 36 soon.

[JohnBriggs12]

He's a DH. He never was a full time 1st baseman.

 

You want to hedge a little on Gamel, you bring in a veteran RH bat who's not too expensive like a Cantu or bring Glaus out of "retirement" to do some platooning.

[dadofandrew]

Ortiz could play a week at 1B. No way he'd sign to play there full-time. The chance of embarrassment and risk to his legacy is far too high.

 

I can't believe he'd project much higher than Gamel, even ignoring the defense. Fenway has helped him greatly, I'm sure.

[TheCrew07]

I'd rather try to acquire someone like Chris Davis who couldn't stick with the Rangers than a retread like Ortiz if Gamel doesn't pan out.

[davego]

If David would want to come to back-up first, PH and be a veteran leader; sure. I'd suspect that is not real likely.

[GAME05]

he's in whatever degree of decline, but certainly in some decline. and then we'd be asking him to play even more than he does now--no doubt fielding a position every inning is a lot more strenuous than batting four times a game. i'd only think this would exacerbate his decline and he'd end up with mediocre/poor numbers. like davego said, if he'd play here part-time then sure, but he'll get the same offer with Boston next year.

[RockCoCougars]

I'm hoping that next year Gamel develops into a 2004 version of Lyle Overbay. That'd make for a decent 2 hole hitter, and a cheap one at that.