cmathewson

The problem with LeCroy was not his bat. He was so good, Ryan felt confident in nontendering Ortiz to make room for him at DH. But he was never going to be an MLB catcher. Not only couldn't he throw, he was slow to block pitches and just plain slow overall. Pinto has none of those defensive issues. Though you would never project him as a DH, his defense will allow him to stick at catcher. That's not based on a September call-up. It's based on his minor league track record.

If he was just a right-handed batter, he'd project similar to Hunter, IMO. As a switch hitter, he's kind of Hunter from the right side and Span from the left side.

There's no reason to believe he can't stick at catcher. He might not be All-Star caliber, but solid starter is his floor, barring injury.

Also, some of that was directed at a group of Mauer haters led by some radio clowns, who find fault with his game without much evidence ("No HRs!" "He's lazy!" "He's not a leader like Torii or Puck!"). Their followers actually boo Mauer in Target Field. And it's not just a few, the boos can get loud at times.

Pinto should get at least 300 PAs this year. Also, his defense isn't as bad as reports. The Twins often cite stuff like this to motivate players to work on things. They said the same stuff about Ramos. Relative to most other young catchers, he's above average defensively. The main thing he needs to work on is game management. All young catchers have this issue, which is why they picked Susuki to serve as mentor. I think he's every bit the prospect Ramos was. Ramos's power tool was much stronger, but Pinto's hit tool is much stronger. Otherwise, they are on par from where I sit.

The OPS+ numbers strongly favor Mauer, the WAR numbers only slightly favor Mauer. Ergo, Puckett gets more credit for his defense. Yet, when healthy, Mauer was universally regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in the game. Puck had his moments, but he played so deep, his UZR numbers would resemble Hunter's.

From Uncle Jesse's Mullet

He's arguably the best pure hitter in the system. Those guys don't tend to end up as utility players. They'll find a position for him to play everyday and hit behind Buxton and ahead of Mauer.

And another good argument why they still can't figure out how to calculate WAR for catchers.

Damn you Phil Cuzzi!

Sorry, insane is a bit harsh. It just irks me when people say he is not a great leader. He is a quiet and effective leader. My brother was the captain of the hockey team when I was a freshman. Quietest guy in the dressing room. First guy on the ice, last guy to leave. Won every killer. He was the best leader I have ever known. Everybody respected him and looked up to him because he worked harder than everybody else on that dressing room. When he talked, everybody shut up and listened. To me, that's the kind of leader Mauer is. The fact that it hasn't led to a championship or a "signature moment" really isn't about Mauer's leadership. It's about the pitchers we had on the team. Santana was typically out of gas by playoff time. Ditto for Radke. We did not have a Frank Viola, Bert Blyleven, or Jack Morris on those teams. That's the difference. In '87, Kirby was a non-entity throughout the playoffs (.583) and turned it up a bit in the Series (.884). He mostly just rode the wave. In '91, he had a great playoff series (1.197) and a decent, but not great World Series. Then he did two amazing things, and all of a sudden, he's the best leader this town has ever seen? I was at that game. To this day it's the third best day of my life (after my wedding night and the birth of my son). But it was just one game. Take that game away from Puck and what do you have? You have a very good player who was flawed like the rest of us. Joe had a tough series against Oakland in 2006, a very good series against NY in 2009, and a tough series against NY in 2010. But nothing he did was going to change the outcome because he didn't have the pitching staff to beat teams in the playoffs. He can hardly be blaed for that. But I sure hope he does one day.

I would look for an OPS+ in the 90-100 range. UZR at about the water line. Total WAR around 2. Something like. I know "the market" values 1 WAR as $7 million. But I would hope for a bargain at this stage in the offseason. I think Florimon is slightly above replacement level. His bat might be a negative. But, I'd say his glove should carry him up to 1 WAR, or thereabouts. Next year, I expect Santana to be close to a 2 WAR, .5 for bat and 1.5 for glove. But I recognize that I'm higher on Santana than most. I would have to hold my nose more on the draft pick than the money. We're talking about a net gain of 1 WAR, spending 20 million plus a draft pick is definitely a close-your-eyes-and-pray kind of decision.

Baseball was more fun when hackers like Puck were celebrated. But my sensibilities have changed. I used to hate watching Carew hit. Strike, strike, foul, ball, foul, ball, foul, foul, foul, ball, foul, looping single to left. By comparison, Puck took a hack at anything close. Kind of like a right-handed Tony O. Mauer is much more in the Carew line. Thing is, guys who hit like Carew are proven to help their team win more than guys who hit like Puckett. At least that's what these fancy math guys are saying. So, I've developed an appreciation for watching Mauer hit. And I can say it is much more enjoyable than watching Puck hack at an outside slider on the first pitch and roll over to short. Also, I like watching catchers. Center field is easier to grasp. Catching is more nuanced. All things considered, I prefer watching Mauer.

I'm OK with a kid pitching to contact, as long as he puts up a 12 K/9.

Wow. That is insane. Yeah, he isn't a rah rah guy. But nobody works harder. Nobody leads by example better, both on and off the field. As the catcher, he was the quarterback on the field for several playoff teams. He has led teams with vastly different pitching staffs to the playoffs, where they ran into some pretty good Yankee teams. Does that mean he was a sub-par leader? C-mon! Off the field, he brought Morneau under his wing (as a room mate) and got him cleaned up. He had to kick him out when Morney brought his future wife home one night. Joe married his high-school best friend (couldn't even call her a sweetheart because that would be scandalous!). And they conceived Twins on their honeymoon. Since then, he's been a model husband and father. He doesn't get awards for his charitable work because it is secret. He doesn't believe in self promotion of any kind, least of all on his charitable work. Yeah, Puck put his team on his back a couple of times. And he was a rah rah guy on the field. But, as Reusse has written, he was no saint. Life of the party? Sure. Binge drinking? You betcha. He and Gladden were legendary. Affairs? He was a hound. Had a 15-year affair with his limo driver. All this came out at the divorce proceedings, which documented his regular liaisons on the road. And then their was the assault. But let's not drag his character through the mud because he was a great leader on the field. Killer was a saint. Puck put on the saint persona, which was a lie.

I wouldn't draw that conclusion in this case. Yes they're tight, but they are extremely interested in winning. They just take a longer view than we tend to. I wouldn't worry about stop gap signings like Kubel. The real talent is on the way from the minors. In the next few years, this team will be back in the playoffs. Does Drew help that cause? Probably not. If not, is it worth throwing money and a draft pick at him? Not unless the terms are more favorable than he is currently asking for.

Presley is a decent stop gap and fourth outfielder. But he has little long-term value as a starter. Hicks might not be the starting center fielder next year, but he should get his chance this year. As some have said, how soon? My question is, why not on opening day? I don't think you look at history for your decision. You look at the present. Side by side, Hicks is the better player now and the much better player by the end of the year. If he's stronger, he could become the kind of corner outfielder next year that we haven't had since Shane Mack: Great range, arm and a power stick.

I'm much more willing to do a deal like this than signing Drew. 4/40. Which reminds me. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that Drew remains unsigned.

That"s how I would rank it. Puck was great. And he was my favorite player since Carew. But Mauer is better right now. And I think it won't even be a discussion in five years.

I have said one year with an option. As far as terms, I could see 2/20 total, with a sizable portion of that built into incentives and the vesting option. And make the incentives/vesting doable, based on games or PAs or something, not on performance.With these clauses, you're mostly mitigating the risks of significant injury, which is a major reason guys after 30 decline. There's always a way to mitigate risks through terms like this. But I wouldn't be enthused about a straight 2/20. Would he take it? No clue. The Sox are adamant on a one-year deal. So it seems the only competition for a deal like this is the Mets. It all depends on what they are willing to do. Tejada looks like a Florimon clone. And BA doesn't think much of their SS prospects above rookie ball. If I had to place a bet, I'd say the Mets get him for 3/28 or so.

Good luck Zach. Good thing they caught that. It is life threatening if left undetected.

There is this study, which is more generalized, but, as a critique of James' theory, does correct the certitude of the MI claims I have made: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9933 The most relevant quote from it for our purposes is this one from James' famous study: Looking at Drew, who is not that good of a hitter to begin with, I can say he is much more likely to regress from his 2013 season than to hold steady. When you add the Fenway factor, the odds go up even further. So you are paying for past production, not for future production. Whether it is worth overpaying for a guy who will be practically useless by the end of the contract is a matter of opinion. I can say with some confidence that it is not the kind of investment this front office tends to make, nor would I in their shoes. I understand the argument that this team of all teams should make the investment, considering free cash flow and relative dearth of shortstop talent. But I don't agree with it.

He gave some teammates a ride home after a party in which some of them were drinking and smoking pot. By team policy, the whole car was suspended.

He could not have said anything better. At the end I thought he'd use the Nuke stock phrases: "I'm just happy to be here." "I'll take it one game at a time." Etc. Can't wait to see him pitch. Making the Cedar Rapids team, and playing a full season is a good goal for him. Not sure if he'll be able to out of spring training, given the depth of the system. But I would be shocked if he doesn't pitch there at some point this year.