Pedro Florimon

[twinsfan34]

With the pending retirement of Derek Jeter after the 2014 season the Yankees appear to be happy with the possibilty of Brendan Ryan being their backup plan for the Yankee's captain in 2014 as well as the STARTER in 2015, despite Stephen Drew being available. Brendan Ryan being a far inferior hitter to Pedro Florimon and by SABR standards, an inferior fielder.

 

ESPN - Source: Yanks still not interested in Drew

[Monkeypaws]

I want to see what Florimon learned last season, which was his first full season in the majors. I liked want I saw in the field, and occasionally at the plate.

 

Just modest across the board improvement, fewer errors and strikeouts, more hits and walks, makes him a pretty decent old-school MLB shortstop.

[Seth Stohs]

Congrats to Florimon on the first of his child.

[eLee612]

Congrats to Florimon on the first of his child.

 

I am both extremely happy for him and slightly depressed. My biggest Twins crush!

[Thrylos]

Congrats to Florimon on the first of his child.

 

On the birth of his first child too

 

(Daughter) Elodie Casey Florimon. She was born in the Twins Cities February 1st

[Otto von Ballpark]

With the pending retirement of Derek Jeter after the 2014 season the Yankees appear to be happy with the possibilty of Brendan Ryan being their backup plan for the Yankee's captain in 2014 as well as the STARTER in 2015, despite Stephen Drew being available. Brendan Ryan being a far inferior hitter to Pedro Florimon and by SABR standards, an inferior fielder.

 

ESPN - Source: Yanks still not interested in Drew

 

I am pretty sure this is just posturing. They are a year away from that decision, and Ryan is on the roster, what are they supposed to say? "No, we don't think our guy can start. We need to sign or trade for someone else within 12 months." Not a good negotiating strategy...

 

It does highlight one of the pitfalls of taking one more look at Florimon: there will always be other teams looking to sign or trade for shortstops (or extending their own). In any given year, especially a year when the Yankees are looking for that position, we may not even have the opportunity to get someone.

 

So even if Drew isn't perfect, and/or signing him isn't an urgent priority for 2014, he could at least mitigate the possibility of getting shut out next offseason, or the following one. (Although I understand most anti-Drew folks are also pro-Florimon, and think Pedro could mitigate that possibility too.)

[cmathewson]

According to Sabermetrics, Florimon is in the discussion for the #2 defensive SS in baseball. Simmons is nearly better than the next 4 guys combined.

 

 

Gold Glove winners in BOLD. 2nd Tier Shortstops are in blue, only 2nd tier because Simmons creates his own tier, otherwise they're be 1st tier or '1st Division'.

 

That said, for $500k, I like Florimon. I think he can improve too.

 

Also, he likely would have finished higher in this if he had played more games, he only started 127 games. Tulowitzski also only played 126 games. Komza had 143 and Escobar had 158.

 

[TABLE=width: 316]

Player

Team

SDI

Andrelton Simmons

ATL

29.3

Pete Kozma

STL

8.7

Troy Tulowitzki

COL

8.5

Alcides Escobar

KC

8.1

Pedro Florimon

MIN

7.6

Yunel Escobar

TB

6.2

Elvis Andrus

TEX

5.3

Jean Segura

MIL

3.7

Zack Cozart

CIN

3.6

Jhonny Peralta

DET

2.7

Brandon Crawford

SF

2.6

J.J. Hardy

BAL

1.6

Alexei Ramirez

CHW

0.4

Stephen Drew

BOS

-0.8

Everth Cabrera

SD

-2

Ian Desmond

WSH

-2.5

Adeiny Hechavarria

MIA

-2.8

Starlin Castro

CHC

-5.2

Jimmy Rollins

PHI

-6.1

Asdrubal Cabrera

CLE

-7.6

Erick Aybar

LAA

-7.9

Jed Lowrie

OAK

-11.4

[/TABLE]

 

For all results, please go to: http://sabr.org/latest/sabr-defensive-index-2013-results

 

 

That chart seems right to me. He has the best range at the position I've seen around here since Gagne. Guzman showed flashes of it early in his career, but he had energy issues or something.

 

As to his improving, he did improve greatly on the unforced errors as the season went along. They were prevalent early, and much less common late. So it is not out of the question that he could fight for #2 this year.

[meister]

Torpedro has a lot of talent with room to improve. I hope we keep him around for a long time.

 

Those are my exact sentiments from watching him play. I know the analysis of his past performance metrics coupled with his age "indicate" that he is very unlikely to improve significantly. However, watching him play, off and on since 2010 in Bowie, I see a slower development pace with this talented SS than with most players. His current defense makes him an adequate everyday #9 hitting SS now, while I believe that Florimon has additional defensive savvy/merit in his future, as well as modest+ gains to be had in power and approach.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Those are my exact sentiments from watching him play. I know the analysis of his past performance metrics coupled with his age "indicate" that he is very unlikely to improve significantly. However, watching him play, off and on since 2010 in Bowie, I see a slower development pace with this talented SS than with most players. His current defense makes him an adequate everyday #9 hitting SS now, while I believe that Florimon has additional defensive savvy/merit in his future, as well as modest+ gains to be had in power and approach.

 

If he's poised to improve (even modestly), I'd like to know why he posted a .636 OPS in the first half of 2013 and a .576 OPS in the second half of the season. The numbers tell us that he is not learning and that he is not getting better at the plate.

 

Sure, he's a good defender. I don't see anyone arguing that... But to expect him to improve offensively seems more and more like wishing upon a star, crossing your fingers, and avoiding walking under ladders than it does legitimate, fact-based analysis.

[Craig Arko]

I suppose the legitimate, fact-based analysis is that the manager has implied he's the starting SS, and the manager's vote is the one that counts.

[ashbury]

I suppose the legitimate, fact-based analysis is that the manager has implied he's the starting SS, and the manager's vote is the one that counts.

 

If the question is what his capacity is to improve, another fact-based analysis is that his previous team exposed him to waivers.

[Craig Arko]

If the question is what his capacity is to improve, another fact-based analysis is that his previous team exposed him to waivers.

 

I wonder if he caught appendicitis from that. Weren't those experiments terminated in the 90's?

[Brock Beauchamp]

I suppose the legitimate, fact-based analysis is that the manager has implied he's the starting SS, and the manager's vote is the one that counts.

 

That same manager ran out Juan Castro for what seemed like an eternity. The front office should give that manager better players and remove his ability to choose between the lesser (or, as Gardy is fond of doing at times, greater) of two evils.

[Craig Arko]

That same manager ran out Juan Castro for what seemed like an eternity. The front office should give that manager better players and remove his ability to choose between the lesser (or, as Gardy is fond of doing at times, greater) of two evils.

 

They were already taken.

 

[cmathewson]

That same manager ran out Juan Castro for what seemed like an eternity. The front office should give that manager better players and remove his ability to choose between the lesser (or, as Gardy is fond of doing at times, greater) of two evils.

 

Can I like this twice? I understand it's tough to develop or acquire shortstops. But it is tough to watch the team that routinely fields one of the worst shortstops in the league. And the manager hasn't helped. He was reportedly the one who expressed his disappointment in Hardy, leading to that horrible trade. Shades of the Bartlett/Castro fiasco; or his love for Punto as an everyday player (to whom we paid everyday shortstop wages after a half a good year at the position). And who can forget Brendan Harris, who literally tripped over his own feet trying to cover the hole?

[Richie the Rally Goat]

He may be done, he may be toast, but remember, only a rookie last year, and only 27 this year. With even a little overall improvement across the board statistically, not unreasonable for a second year player, combined with his defense, I'm very happy with him at SS and #9 in the order.

I agree with you if Florimon is the only weak link offensively. I disagree if you have a glaring gap at center and catcher and have 3 number 9 hitters, also if you have terrible defense in the outfield in general. You need to make up the run differential somehow.