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2018 Spring Training Thread

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Diaz never won defensive player of the year in the minors. He’s been named to multiple all star games and has been named 3rd baseman of the year (which ends up being a silver slugger/best overall 3rd baseman at the level).

Now that being said, yes Diaz is a better athlete, and has potential to be solid at 3rd but his range is not the same at all.

Diaz In 2,551 innings in the minors (remember this is since 14 since he was a Cuban defector) even by basic stats he has had a range factor of 2.29 and a fielding percentage of .941.

Urshela in 6,510 innings in the minors (start playing in 2009 with the team) he has had a range factor of 2.52 and a fielding percentage of .950

Top end players at 3rd hit a little over 3.00 as a range factor and usually in the .950s for fielding percentage.

Diaz is so inconsistent over at 3rd still since he makes some wow flashy plays but messes up some others while Urshela has shown on a daily basis he can do it well over there, but may not make as flashy of a play. Those are basic stats for 3rd base. No one is arguing Diaz can play third, we are just saying overall, Urshela is way, way more trustworthy over there.


I have no idea why you keep disputing this. For the umpteenth time, Yandy Diaz was voted the top defensive 3rd baseman in the Carolina League in 2014, and also in 2016 in the Eastern League.

In 2014. Diaz was voted the best defensive third baseman in the minor leagues. These are not opinions, they are factual.

Urshella is not nearly as good defensively as you and Tito want us to believe. I would suggest that you read my link here and then quit debating me about Diaz' minor league defensive awards.

You come across as such a know it all. I would suggest you do a little research before you make yourself out to look like a such a fool.

About half way down the article, the author is clear about what Diaz accomplished defensively.

https://waitingfornextyear.com/2017/03/terry-francona-yandy-diaz-clevelan-indians/
 
For those who don't want to open the link or read the whole article, this from the author
Michael Hattery.

"Every year Baseball America polls minor league managers at each level who the best defender is at every position. Yandy Diaz was voted by the managers in the Carolina League as the best defensive third baseman at the level in 2014. One time? No big deal, random things can happen. Interestingly, in 2016, Diaz won the same award at AA as best defensive third baseman in the Eastern League as voted by managers."
 
The sad reality is that Diaz will probably start this season in triple A. The right move would be to send Ramirez to left field and then over to center field when Brantley starts playing. Not going to happen with stubborn Tito. I watched him ruin Naquin's 2016 chances of winning ROY by platooning him with Juan flipping Uribe. (2006 batting average when finally released and the worst defensive third baseman in all of baseball)

Some have said Naquin ended that season with a 2 month slump. That's not what happened at all.

On August 19th, 2016. T. Naquin hit a walk off inside the park home run against the Blue Jays. Al Palowski and Jenzen Lewis post game were saying that that performance raised his batting average to 330 for the season and that he was now the front runner to win ROY.
 
In all fairness, his .193 BA in August seriously hurt his ROY chances. He did finish 3rd, despite 112 K's in 321 AB on the season. He was fun.
 
The 14 K's in 24 postseason PA's weren't great
 
I love that the legend of Yandy Diaz has taken quite a turn.

First, he was the best third baseman in minor league baseball in two years.

Now it was just the Carolina League and then later the Eastern League.

That’s quite the correction.
 
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In 2016, even after his August/September swoon Naquin had a BABIP of .411

Over the last 3 years, the highest BABIP of any qualified batter is .366 by DJ LeMahieu, and there's definitely a Coors factors involved.

But, let's just pretend that's where Naquin settles in, as the top BABIP guy in the league at .366. That's still a .045 drop, which is massive. That difference alone drops him from a .296 hitter to a .264 hitter, and that's a best case scenario where he maintains his HR/FB rate that was 3x higher than his career MiLB rate.

Naquin will surely receive more opportunities at some point. He was an excellent MiLB hitter as he came up through the ranks, and hopefully he just needed to be exposed at the MLB-level, and he's made the necessary adjustments to improve his contact rate. Zimmer needs to do the same, but he makes up for it by being a far superior outfielder, and baserunner.
 
Other eligible 3B in the Eastern League in 2015:

Josh Rodriguez
Mitch Delfino
Carlos Asuaje
Oscar Tejada
Wade Gaynor

Carolina League 2014:
Wander Franco
Jake Gatewood
Jesse Hodges
Lucas Erceg
Brady Conlan


I think @thestatman has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Yandy Diaz may be a better fielder than these worthless slugs.

That can't go unnoticed, folks. Those 74 games he played at 3B in the Carolina League in 2014 were motherfucking LEGEND shit. Sure, he made an error once in around every 11 games, but the coaches actually remembered his name when filling out their ballot for best eligible defensive third baseman among the 12 minor league teams in that league.

21 errors in 122 games at 3B in 2015, guy is basically the next Brooks Robinson.
 
@AZ_ @Derek

To start in the left field for the season, Naquin or Allen?

I have a hunch until Brantley is healthy one of those two will have the everyday starting spot and Davis will have the bench spot. We currently will likely have two open 40 man spots (Merryweather to 60 day DL, and the loser of the utility spot). It’s possible we keep both Upton/Barnes and Davis until Guyer is healthy as well.
 
Just poked my head in here as baseball season comes back, and woof... carry on.
 
@AZ_ @Derek

To start in the left field for the season, Naquin or Allen?

I have a hunch until Brantley is healthy one of those two will have the everyday starting spot and Davis will have the bench spot. We currently will likely have two open 40 man spots (Merryweather to 60 day DL, and the loser of the utility spot). It’s possible we keep both Upton/Barnes and Davis until Guyer is healthy as well.
I think Brantley opens the season in LF
 
I think Brantley opens the season in LF

He is a veteran and he knows when he is ready by now, but with the season being slightly earlier than last season, I am not sure if he will get the at bats and time in. I would rather him go 10 day DL to start the season and get a few more at bats in then play, then rush it back too soon.

Either way works for me, but if Brantley and Guyer aren’t ready, which two guys do you want filling in and which one is the final OF on the roster? I think we will keep 5 OFs.
 
He is a veteran and he knows when he is ready by now, but with the season being slightly earlier than last season, I am not sure if he will get the at bats and time in. I would rather him go 10 day DL to start the season and get a few more at bats in then play, then rush it back too soon.

Either way works for me, but if Brantley and Guyer aren’t ready, which two guys do you want filling in and which one is the final OF on the roster? I think we will keep 5 OFs.

I'd go with Naquin and Allen in that scenario. I don't see what Rajai brings to this team that Allen doesn't do better. E-Gon will essentially be our 5th OF'er.
 

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