Carlos Quentin

[brewtown82]

I know this isn't really Melvin's style, but Sand Diego is going nowhere, and Quentin is a proven bat. This would allow you to put Corey at first base permanently, and would have a ripple effect on the rest of the lineup. You could even package Morgan or Gomez in the deal to prevent a further logjam out there.

[TURBO]

His bat would be great, but with our current roster, we could STILL place Hart at 1B full time and be fine with the OF we have.

[brewtown82]

But Quentin, Aoki, and (pick) Gomez/Hart for the RF/CF positions is way better than what we have now.

[TheCrew07]

His bat would be great, but with our current roster, we could STILL place Hart at 1B full time and be fine with the OF we have.

 

I do understand that Aoki hit 2 HRs the other day, but our OF OPS is going to be terrible playing 2 CFs every day and Hart at first base, especially with Braun being continually nicked up and missing games here and there.

 

I realize that Nyjer and Carlos currently have different lines but Morgan has a career .710 OPS, Gomez has a career .650 OPS, and if Aoki can sustain his .846 OPS that would be great but looking at his swing I'd peg him around the low .800s which is awesome in CF and pretty average in either corner. If we're talking short term I don't have a problem with Aoki in RF but if I'm building a team I'd like to move him back to CF and hopefully slide Gamel back into 1B.

[endaround]

A OBP heavy .800 OPS is not average for RF. It would be an wOBA close to what Hart/Bruce is producing right now.

[jerichoholicninja]

No. He is made of glass.

[TheCrew07]

A OBP heavy .800 OPS is not average for RF. It would be an wOBA close to what Hart/Bruce is producing right now.

 

It's really hard to project him but I was thinking more in that .340 range? If he can sit in the .360s OBPing like he did in Japan with an OBP 75 points higher than his BA that makes the discussion much more interesting, but I'd still prefer him in CF long-term. I'm pretty happy the Brewers accidentally ended up with him.

[HiAndTight]

His bat would be great, but with our current roster, we could STILL place Hart at 1B full time and be fine with the OF we have.

 

I do understand that Aoki hit 2 HRs the other day, but our OF OPS is going to be terrible playing 2 CFs every day and Hart at first base, especially with Braun being continually nicked up and missing games here and there.

 

I realize that Nyjer and Carlos currently have different lines but Morgan has a career .710 OPS, Gomez has a career .650 OPS, and if Aoki can sustain his .846 OPS that would be great but looking at his swing I'd peg him around the low .800s which is awesome in CF and pretty average in either corner. If we're talking short term I don't have a problem with Aoki in RF but if I'm building a team I'd like to move him back to CF and hopefully slide Gamel back into 1B.

 

 

Not sure how exactly you come to the concusion that we're going to have a "terrible," OF OPS.

 

I think we can safely say Aoki is a legit big leaguer at this point. And I'm not looking at his swing, I'm looking at his numbers. He has a OPS near .850 and it's driven heavily by OBP and hits atop the lineup. A huge plus. Braun either is leading the league in SLG, or close to it(he's been in a slight little funk as of late), but is putting up nearly identical numbers to his MVP season and has missed 4 games, behind only Corey Hart in games played.

 

And I'm not sure what you expect of your CF'er. They play exceptional defense generally, and you don't generally look for an 800-900 OPS from your CF'er.

 

But you're the one who RAILS aganist "short term solutions."

 

I mean, every other post is how Melvin has screwed up this team so badly with his "rentals," despite the fact you can't point to which rentals have screwed this team up, wants to build up the farm system and "only" trade for players you control for 3 years or more.

 

Yet you're advocating giving up prospects, and I suspect they'd have to be pretty substantial prospects for a guy who actually DOES miss games(averages 120 games the last 4 years missing 32, 63, 31 and 44 in the previous 4 seasons) yet still managed to average 27 HR and 80 RBI with an .847 OPS, or almost exactly what Aoki is now giving you.

 

Seems like the type of move that we'd make that you'd rail agains forever.

 

 

Either way, I peg Aoki as an .830-ish OPS type guy. After an early adjustment, he's shown incredible bat control, great speed to take 2nd, good doubles power, and equally important, a guy who gives you exceptional at bats and gets on base at a very good clip.

 

For what it'd cost, the time we'd control him, the position he plays, his health history...this literally goes against every-single thing I'v e seen from you.

[HiAndTight]

A OBP heavy .800 OPS is not average for RF. It would be an wOBA close to what Hart/Bruce is producing right now.

 

It's really hard to project him but I was thinking more in that .340 range? If he can sit in the .360s OBPing like he did in Japan with an OBP 75 points higher than his BA that makes the discussion much more interesting, but I'd still prefer him in CF long-term. I'm pretty happy the Brewers accidentally ended up with him.

 

 

I think it's getting easier to the more we see of him. In Japan he was such a great hitter, his carer .330 BA suggests he was a more aggressive hitter. In the states however, we've seen a guy who has as good of AB's as anyone on the team, fouling off tough pitch after tough pitch time and time again, and has become a guy who walks a lot more while still hitting .300.

 

And while I think he's extremely valuable offensively, I don't think he is defensively.

 

There are too many of these positional rules. Do you really need Jay Buhner in RF? Does it matter how the runs are scored? I'll take a .300/.375/.400 RF'er who plays exceptional RF defense anyday. Especially when we've got a catcher who's a VERY good offensive catcher and a 2nd basemen who HAS been and should be an excptional hitter for his position.

 

So so what if your RF'er doesn't put up prototypical "RF'er," type stats? As long as he's creating runs, and Aoki is more definitely doing that, I'm happy. Now next year with Morgan almost certainly gone and Gomez very possibly gone(though I think they bring him back for his defense as it's such a luxury to have a guy on the bench who can pinch run, steal a bag almost at will and play GG caliber defense for late inning replacements) then maybe playing Aoki in CF exclusively becomes a more viable conversation with Gamel back at 1st and Hart back in RF. But the last thing this team needs to do right now is add an injury prone RF'er who's absolutely TERRIBLE in the OF.

 

 

Anyway, I think this positional production is highly overrated obviously. We're 3rd in the league in HR's despite Weeks atrocious stat, Aram's usual slow start, Gonzalez getting hurt and Gamel likewise.

[brettac1]

I'd rather have Youkilis.

[adambr2]

Yeah not needed IMO. If we're going to give up something for an upgrade I think it needs to be at SS. There's nothing else that we can realistically upgrade for the price that it would be worth paying.

[brewtown82]

good analysis, everyone. Much appreciated