First Base:
Take: Gotta use Zimm but based on what we saw at the end of 2014, train Werth/Bryce to back him up. Sign Daric Barton and let Moore go.
2015 Reality : I actually wasn't betting on Zimm being that injured. He had missed significant time before but had always bounced back to play nearly a full season the year after. I was worried he wouldn't play well. Well it turned out to be the exact opposite. He played fine when healthy but wasn't healthy much of the year. He was playing with a bad foot for the first two plus months hitting .209 / .265 / .346, then sat out six weeks to get healthy.
Not that him being injured was that much of a surprise, though. It just wasn't my first worry. I still thought planning for "Zimm can't play" should have been a priority and it wasn't. However the Nats got kind of lucky as Clint Robinson blossomed and provided the Nats with a passable first baseman when Zimm was out. The Nats gambled with Zimm and lost but found $20 on the floor walking away froim the table.
But don't kid yourself - I do mean passable. For a first baseman Clint didn't hit all that well and the Nats had a below average first base situation this year. This could have been if not expected, then at least seen as a possible outcome. If this were the only failed back-up plan then the Nats might have done ok this season but we'll see it wasn't.
Tyler Moore did fail again in his trials but Daric Barton couldn't hit in AAA. So it's not like I can identify talent any better.
Out of Box : Trade for Edwin Encarnacion!
2015 Reality : Yeah, the Blue Jays weren't going to trade Edwin Encarnacion. They decided to stick it out in an AL East that seemed winnable and after going all in at the trade deadline - they won it. So good for them.
Still he would have been awesome.
What ever happened to Chris Marrero. I seem to remember that he was a pretty good hitter in his brief stint. Is he still in the minors or did the team give up on him for future first baseman.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it crazy to think that we had a "fearsome" lineup in 2012? Werth, Harper, Zimmerman, LaRoche, Morse, Desmond, Ramos, Espinosa, (pitcher) - R/L/R/L/R/R/R/S
ReplyDeleteNow we have what? Werth, Escobar, Rendon, Harper, Zimmerman, Ramos, Taylor, Turner, (pitcher) - R/R/R/L/R/R/R/R
Ouch. "Yeah lets get more pitching." smh
They gave up on him. Baltimore took a run. Gave up. He went to Mexico. Did pretty well. White Sox gave him a chance. Gave up. Now Red Sox are giving him a chance. They might have really signed him though to try to spur on his brother who the Red Sox drafted in 1st round in 2012.
ReplyDeleteLooks like they have a new plan to deal with/prevent injuries...just dismissed the athletic training staff. ..maybe they'll hire someone from the suns staff... They always seem to work miracles with injury riddled stars like Shaq and grant hill.
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