Ask Bimbo

[cliffdawg]

I ageee that’s it’s Gimenez’s job to lose at this point. But I also feel like people should be more excited about his breakthrough season but aren’t because of his 2021 struggles. Gimenez is on pace for a 8 WAR season right now.

I’m more excited about Gimenez then any other SS in the system, and I think he still have lots of room to improve……The other ones are nice on paper, with good projections, but we’re seeing Gimenez doing it…….

 

[CDAV45]

I’m more excited about Gimenez then any other SS in the system, and I think he still have lots of room to improve……The other ones are nice on paper, with good projections, but we’re seeing Gimenez doing it…….

Which one doesn't have "lots of room to improve". Offensively, Gimenez isn't likely to keep this pace up, but if he does then it will be hard to replace him with anyone.

The other ones are a little more than "nice on paper". Do you not trust this organizations ability to determine/evaluate talent?

 

[cliffdawg]

Which one doesn't have "lots of room to improve". Offensively, Gimenez isn't likely to keep this pace up, but if he does then it will be hard to replace him with anyone.

The other ones are a little more than "nice on paper". Do you not trust this organizations ability to determine/evaluate talent?

I don’t expect Gimenez to keep the same pace up, but between his glove and solid bat , he showing he belongs….Also I notice the improvement started last year when he got sent down, and was raking at Columbus, so this isn’t a mirage to me…..

 

[CATS44]

Its not just a third of a season.

Gimenez is on pace to put up 4-5 WAR...pick which ever WAR you want...over the course off 600 PAs.

He was a higher rated prospect than any MIF weve had since Lindor....including any we now have. He has generally out performed them all in all around game in his MiLB career.

But like most players who get to Cleveland he suffers in the eyes of many fans from 'the prospect we have is always better than the player we have' syndrome.

Again, its not merely a third of a season. Hes been producing at a high rate since he was sent to Columbus last year...where he outplayed Arias by a wide margin...to now.

Since he returned in early August his slash line is 279/325/470/795. In Columbus it was 287/342/502/845.

In that period he has hit 20 HR, 49 XBH, and stolen 19 bases.

Thats a year of well above average production....more than well above average production. For a GG caliber MIF, thats nearly elite production.

Hes not Omar with a glove and he's not Lindor with a bat, but he's better than Omar by far with a bat and better than Lindor with a glove.

Everybody else is competing with Miller for the other MIF position...whichever it may be.

 

[Otsego Mar]

He does look like an Omar, though.

I think the OP was talking about his 1/3 of a season in New York before coming here and flopping for a bit.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Its not just a third of a season.

Gimenez is on pace to put up 4-5 WAR...pick which ever WAR you want...over the course off 600 PAs.

He was a higher rated prospect than any MIF weve had since Lindor....including any we now have. He has generally out performed them all in all around game in his MiLB career.

But like most players who get to Cleveland he suffers in the eyes of many fans from 'the prospect we have is always better than the player we have' syndrome.

Again, its not merely a third of a season. Hes been producing at a high rate since he was sent to Columbus last year...where he outplayed Arias by a wide margin...to now.

Since he returned in early August his slash line is 279/325/470/795. In Columbus it was 287/342/502/845.

In that period he has hit 20 HR, 49 XBH, and stolen 19 bases.

Thats a year of well above average production....more than well above average production. For a GG caliber MIF, thats nearly elite production.

Hes not Omar with a glove and he's not Lindor with a bat, but he's better than Omar by far with a bat and better than Lindor with a glove.

Everybody else is competing with Miller for the other MIF position...whichever it may be.

He can also switch back and forth between short and second seamlessly and he's 4-for-4 in stolen bases.

I would be careful about projecting his WAR, though. He can't possibly continue to hit .526 with RISP and two out, right? How about .400 against left-handed pitching?

If he keeps hitting like this (.307/.869) and playing great defense for another month I don't see how they can not put him on the All-Star team. And he's just 23 years old.

By the way, at age 23 Jose hit .312/.825 with a WAR of 3.9 (ESPN) or 5.1 (FanGraphs). Andres is already at 2.2 (ESPN) or 1.8 (FanGraphs) and we're not even one-third of the way through the season.

And then there's Oscar Gonzalez and his 0.5 WAR in nine games (ESPN and FanGraphs).

 

[Benway]

I think Gimenez is quite the asset. The Lindor trade was good.

 

[BimboColesHair]

That's a pretty bullish assessment on Arias and bearish on Gimenez.

Not sure why Gimenez still doesn't get much love. Highly regarded prospect, good glove and arm, second best hitter this season, turns 24 by seasons end with four years of control after this year. Meanwhile Arias is sputtering in AAA with reemerging whiff issues, Rocchio can't hit right handers and Freeman has power issues.

Gimenez has earned the benefit of the doubt over the kids at this point. He's top dog both short term and long term until someone else starts producing in the bigs.

"Gimenez will get the first crack to take SS"

Not sure how that is "bearish" on Gimenez. He has a chance to take that job for the long term, but that is far from a certainty people are treating it to be with his start to the season.

 

[BimboColesHair]

No rush on answering this BCH, very much appreciate your insights. Regarding Josh Naylor, does the club view his injury more like a 2-year recovery? I ask because he looks very awkward trying to navigate the bases and even moving around 1B. I'm not sure that he looks any better now than he did two months ago. He has worked so hard to get to this point, would hate to see him re-injure the leg (rare, I know) or get injured in another way compensating for that leg. Granted, Josh was never the most graceful of players, but some days look like a real struggle for him.

Initial expectations were full recovery, mentally and physically, would take 12-18 months. So yeah, pretty much right in line with that 2-year timeline.

Still building up strength in his legs, still re-learning his gait, still getting comfortable shifting weight from 1 leg to the other. Mentally and physically, that can take its toll. I don't think you'll see him as a traditional everyday guy this season for that exact reason. Protecting him from himself understanding he is 24 and hopefully has a long career ahead of himself.

 

[sportscoach]

Initial expectations were full recovery, mentally and physically, would take 12-18 months. So yeah, pretty much right in line with that 2-year timeline.

Still building up strength in his legs, still re-learning his gait, still getting comfortable shifting weight from 1 leg to the other. Mentally and physically, that can take its toll. I don't think you'll see him as a traditional everyday guy this season for that exact reason. Protecting him from himself understanding he is 24 and hopefully has a long career ahead of himself.

So it is a bit of a blessing in disguise that Reyes is hurt right now for Naylor since he can get a lot more DH time?

 

[BimboColesHair]

@BimboColesHair

Floor and ceiling for Valera, Espino, and Williams?

Valera:

Floor - Naquin/Chisenhall, effective RHP only platoon bat
Ceiling - Shawn Green/Christian Yelich

Williams:

Floor - pre-injury Tyson Ross
Ceiling - Gerrit Cole

Espino:

Floor - Danny Salazar
Ceiling - Justin Verlander/Jose Fernandez

 

[sportscoach]

Valera:

Floor - Naquin/Chisenhall, effective RHP only platoon bat
Ceiling - Shawn Green/Christian Yelich

Williams:

Floor - pre-injury Tyson Ross
Ceiling - Gerrit Cole

Valera Espino

Floor - Danny Salazar
Ceiling - Justin Verlander/Jose Fernandez

Double check names...

So as long as they stay healthy, they have averagish minimum floors for the bigs essentially?

 

[Alabuckeye]

That's a pretty bullish assessment on Arias and bearish on Gimenez.

Not sure why Gimenez still doesn't get much love. Highly regarded prospect, good glove and arm, second best hitter this season, turns 24 by seasons end with four years of control after this year. Meanwhile Arias is sputtering in AAA with reemerging whiff issues, Rocchio can't hit right handers and Freeman has power issues.

Gimenez has earned the benefit of the doubt over the kids at this point. He's top dog both short term and long term until someone else starts producing in the bigs.

I’ll take this version of Giminez that we are seeing, and trade Arias, with the understanding that this is sustainable. Gimme a OF who can hit from that Arias/others trade. I’m in

 

[cliffdawg]

But like most players who get to Cleveland he suffers in the eyes of many fans from 'the prospect we have is always better than the player we have' syndrome.

This part is so true, we also overvalued our prospects when it come to either adding or Keeping our prospects in trade talks…..Even on the Cavs board people will trade 2 starter for a player in the draft that might or might not pan out ……If you ask me there really only 2 untouchables players in our system Williams and Espino …..

 

[PocketMonger]

Its not just a third of a season.

Gimenez is on pace to put up 4-5 WAR...pick which ever WAR you want...over the course off 600 PAs.

He was a higher rated prospect than any MIF weve had since Lindor....including any we now have. He has generally out performed them all in all around game in his MiLB career.

But like most players who get to Cleveland he suffers in the eyes of many fans from 'the prospect we have is always better than the player we have' syndrome.

Again, its not merely a third of a season. Hes been producing at a high rate since he was sent to Columbus last year...where he outplayed Arias by a wide margin...to now.

Since he returned in early August his slash line is 279/325/470/795. In Columbus it was 287/342/502/845.

In that period he has hit 20 HR, 49 XBH, and stolen 19 bases.

Thats a year of well above average production....more than well above average production. For a GG caliber MIF, thats nearly elite production.

Hes not Omar with a glove and he's not Lindor with a bat, but he's better than Omar by far with a bat and better than Lindor with a glove.

Everybody else is competing with Miller for the other MIF position...whichever it may be.

Excellent post. People need to let go of his 2021 struggles. He's looking like a legit star but you wouldn't know it. Heck even the Cleveland press has said almost nothing about his breakout campaign until a few days ago. Kwan, Naylor and Miller have gotten more press. It's all very odd. Everyone is looking for the next star in Cleveland or in the farm system while Gimenez plays like an All-Star with no fanfare whatsoever. Baffling stuff.