2018 Spring Training Thread

[CBBI]

A lot of judgments being made on guys over 25 spring training at bat sample sizes...

Dangerous.

 

[AZ_]

There's a long list of things the team will consider before deciding between Gonzo and Gio.

Spring training batting average will likely not be among them.

 

[sportscoach]

I don't know why the tribe doesn't at least consider moving Ramirez to the outfield in order to get Diaz' bat in the line up. Especially if Brantley is not ready to go at the outset. Having a stud right handed bat in lieu of light hitting Zimmer should be tabled for discussion.

An outfield of Brantley. Jose and Chisenhall/Davis/Guyer could be lethal. Infield would be Diaz. Lindor, Kip and Alonso. Late inning defense would move Zimmer to center and Jose back to third. Or Ramirez to second and Urshella to htird.

Zimmer should have a solid year so I wouldn’t worry too much. Also I don’t think they are going to move an All-Star to play a rookie. They moved Ramirez to replace an all star in Kipnis since there best available players can play 3rd base. Since Kipnis is healthy and they have solid OFs in the minors that they need to develop anyways since Brantley and Chisenhall are free agents for next season, why put Ramirez in the OF so Diaz can play when Brantley and Guyer will be back sometime this season and have to send down Diaz and move Ramirez back to 3rd.

Ramirez will be at 3rd, barring injuries to Lindor or Kipnis. He will slide over to cover for them while we bring up Diaz to replace him.

 

[sportscoach]

There's a long list of things the team will consider before deciding between Gonzo and Gio.

Spring training batting average will likely not be among them.

I haven’t gotten to watch a ton of games since I’ve been working a ton. Do you think either of them has taken the lead overall?

 

[AZ_]

I haven’t gotten to watch a ton of games since I’ve been working a ton. Do you think either of them has taken the lead overall?

Not really, it's just going to come down to position flexibility more than anything else.

EGon provides speed off the bench and the ability to play outfield.

Gio is easily a better defender but has limited offensive skills.

 

[sportscoach]

Not really, it's just going to come down to position flexibility more than anything else.

EGon provides speed off the bench and the ability to play outfield.

Gio is easily a better defender but has limited offensive skills.

Has Gio’s swing look the same or has he made any adjustments?

 

[AZ_]

Has Gio’s swing look the same or has he made any adjustments?

His swing really isn’t the issue. His lack of plate discipline and inability to control swinging outside of the zone have been his biggest issues.

Not sure he’s the guy you want playing 2B or SS full time in the unfortunate event an injury happens.

-.6 WAR with his defensive skills is very bad.

 

[AZ_]

Almonte loses out on the job to be in the outfield on Opening Day.

 

[thestatman]

Zimmer should have a solid year so I wouldn’t worry too much. Also I don’t think they are going to move an All-Star to play a rookie. They moved Ramirez to replace an all star in Kipnis since there best available players can play 3rd base. Since Kipnis is healthy and they have solid OFs in the minors that they need to develop anyways since Brantley and Chisenhall are free agents for next season, why put Ramirez in the OF so Diaz can play when Brantley and Guyer will be back sometime this season and have to send down Diaz and move Ramirez back to 3rd.

Ramirez will be at 3rd, barring injuries to Lindor or Kipnis. He will slide over to cover for them while we bring up Diaz to replace him.

Diaz is a rookie? Don't think so. This team has a hole offensively with Zimmer. Peter Gammons calls Diaz the mist likely to bust the league this season. I agree with Gammons, but he won't do that unless he plays.

 

[thestatman]

A lot of judgments being made on guys over 25 spring training at bat sample sizes...

Dangerous.

Hopefully the sample size will reach 50 AB's by the end of the ST season. If the numbers remain the same, then Urshella should win the job. And for the record, Gonzo is not all that great defensively the way Tito makes him out to be.

 

[thestatman]

Yesterday. Diaz made 2 unreal plays that Gio would not have made. Diaz is wayyy quicker than Urshella. Another "fake news" by Tito that Gio is a better defensive third baseman. I can see why Diaz won defensive third baseman of the year twice in the minor leagues...something Gio never did.

Finally Francona has listened to me and farmed iut the PED cheating Almonte. They don't need him at Columbus either. He stinks and will always stink.

 

[sportscoach]

Yesterday. Diaz made 2 unreal plays that Gio would not have made. Diaz is wayyy quicker than Urshella. Another "fake news" by Tito that Gio is a better defensive third baseman. I can see why Diaz won defensive third baseman of the year twice in the minor leagues...something Gio never did.

Finally Francona has listened to me and farmed iut the PED cheating Almonte. They don't need him at Columbus either. He stinks and will always stink.

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.

 

[sportscoach]

Diaz is a rookie? Don't think so. This team has a hole offensively with Zimmer. Peter Gammons calls Diaz the mist likely to bust the league this season. I agree with Gammons, but he won't do that unless he plays.

He had 150 ABs last season and 130 is when you lose your rookie status, so by default I guess he isn’t a rookie anymore, but at the same time, you had two injuried former All Stars last season and Diaz did well the second time around for the Indians at the end of the day. We all want to find a way to get Diaz at the pros since he has such a nice bat, but it’s hard to keep him over Kipnis and Ramirez right now, who are All Star and 4+ WAR players when healthy. At the moment we have a log jam in the infield at every spot but 1st who is likely going to go to whoever develops better between Nellie and Bradley at first in due time. Diaz is the future but he couldn’t play well in the OF which was his chance to be in the pros right now at the end of the day and he couldn’t cut it there.

 

[Derek]

Yandy's biggest problem is that despite his frame, he has developed zero in-game power.

Despite finishing last season with a .263 average and .352 OBP%, which is pretty damn good, he ended up with an wRC+ of 86 which puts him 14% below league average as a hitter. This is because he had all of 9 XBH in 179 PA leading to an absolutely paltry SLG% of .327, which would have ranked 4th worst in the majors last year out of 145 qualified hitters.

Now, he was much better with his glove last year than most of us anticipated. But, he needs to at least find the power to be a doubles hitter if he wants to be an everyday player. I'd like to see him in a platoon with Alonso to start the year. I know he doesn't play 1B, but you can either teach him or put EE there when a lefty is on the mound while DH'ing somebody else, and sliding Diaz into the lineup.

In terms of the Gonzalez/Urshela battle. Looking at their MLB numbers, Gonzalez has the edge. Their defensive metrics are similar enough, Urshela definitely has the edge, but Gonzalez still grades out very well. The difference is that Urshela has been absolutely putrid in his 453 MLB plate appearances.

So, I guess it comes down to what you're looking for out of that spot. Urshela's defense at 3B is better than any one thing Gonzalez brings to the table, but Gonzalez brings a lot more things to the table. It comes down to whether or not Tito is going to value the one elite skill or Urshela, or the versatility of Gonzalez.

Personally, I value Urshela more as a late inning defensive sub, but Gonzalez more as a guy who can fill in if someone is hurt or needs a day off. I guess it comes down to what Tito wants out of that role.

 

[AZ_]

Yesterday. Diaz made 2 unreal plays that Gio would not have made. Diaz is wayyy quicker than Urshella. Another "fake news" by Tito that Gio is a better defensive third baseman. I can see why Diaz won defensive third baseman of the year twice in the minor leagues...something Gio never did.

Finally Francona has listened to me and farmed iut the PED cheating Almonte. They don't need him at Columbus either. He stinks and will always stink.

Something Diaz never did either.