Also, I would not take Pods over Coco based on batting average alone either. In my opinion a very overrated stat. When you look at career numbers Pods barely beat out Coco in key leadoff stats and then if you factor in defensive and base running ability (not steals), I would think Coco comes out ahead. If Coco is healthy, not only will he probably be cheaper but he might even be a better option given his defensive advantage and similiar offensive stats. I do agree we need someone like Matsui to offset a Coco's lack of power, but I think IF he is healthy, he is our best option at this point.

 

Career stats

 

OBP SLG OPS OPS+

Pods .340 .381 .720 87

 

Coco .331 .407 .738 94

Around the Winter Meetings: Putz, Crisp, Matsui, and More

Crisp, Matsui and Putz would be nice moves IMO. Matsui fills the LH DH spot with power and RBI's Crisp plays good D and has produced a decent OBP. Putz is Dotel's replacement.

Crisp, Matsui and Putz would be nice moves IMO. Matsui fills the LH DH spot with power and RBI's Crisp plays good D and has produced a decent OBP. Putz is Dotel's replacement.

Speaking of whom, has anyone heard anything about where Dotel is going to end up?

As long as he keeps his attitude in check, I'm sure he'll be gladly welcomed.

We need real players like Granderson instead of guys like Crisp who are broken down or Jones, Omar who are old news or simply old.

Our starting rotation is simply awesome, congrats to KW. The rest of the team ... will keep us at or a little above or below .500.

 

Of course there's always the chance Rios, Lexi, Teahen, CQ, have career years. If they do, then I guess we have a chance to do something special. I'm assuming Kenny will tweak the pen a bit and it will be better than average before he's done.

Granderson is one of the most talented players in the game of baseball, there's only a handful of guys like him and they're all either not available or insanely expensive. Omar is a bench player and should be a fine one at that, his age is irrelevant.

I'd lean toward Crisp over Pods.

So, we'd have Rios, Crisp, Matsui, and Quentin battling for 3 spots?

Ideally you get one of these two guys as a stop gap and Mitchell/Danks will be ready to fill that role in a year or two.

 

 

That is a good point so if Pods is signed to a two-year contract, which is what he is looking for minimum, that still could work in our favor as we transition in some of our farm hands

So, we'd have Rios, Crisp, Matsui, and Quentin battling for 3 spots?

 

 

Matsui would be your main DH and play the OF for a couple days a week and Pods could play DH as needed also.

So, we'd have Rios, Crisp, Matsui, and Quentin battling for 3 spots?

Did we sign a DH while I was gone? And since when is matsui going to be able to play the field again?

So, we'd have Rios, Crisp, Matsui, and Quentin battling for 3 spots?

 

More or less rotating which is what the sox want. I'm sure Matsui would probably DH more-so than Quentin/Crisp.

I long for the day that we're not forced to have to settle for reclamation projects or once productive vets coming off some kinda injury (I.E. being able to draft and develop our own talent), therefore making them cheap gets. Crisp doesn't do much for me. Being a better defender and base runner than Pods is nothing to get excited about.

Matsui would be your main DH and play the OF for a couple days a week and Pods could play DH as needed also.

FWIW, and it seems to change week to week, Terry Boers who has had decent Sox sources before says at this point the Sox have zero interest in bringing Pods back, obviously subject to change if he changes his demands, but last week he said Sox don't plan on having him back

I long for the day that we're not forced to have to settle for reclamation projects or once productive vets coming off some kinda injury (I.E. being able to draft and develop our own talent), therefore making them cheap gets. Crisp doesn't do much for me. Being a better defender and base runner than Pods is nothing to get excited about.

I tend to agree with you, but when he played Matsui posted a good OPS+ which helps take out some of the new stadium factors.

 

I guess it would depend on the money, they need some more pop IMO and a LF, but trader Kenny will at least be beating the bushes to get something done!

When I first read this I couldn't help but think of that American Airlines commercial with that tall guy....

 

"Milosh loves Dallas"

 

"Milosh loves Beijing"

 

"Coco loves Chicago"

I tend to agree with you, but when he played Matsui posted a good OPS+ which helps take out some of the new stadium factors.

 

I guess it would depend on the money, they need some more pop IMO and a LF, but trader Kenny will at least be beating the bushes to get something done!

 

I was referring to Crisp. I'd love to have Matsui.

So, we'd have Rios, Crisp, Matsui, and Quentin battling for 3 spots?

4 spots, DH needs to be included.

Virtually identical offensive players.

 

Crisp .277 lifetime avg, 30 years old, 74% SB success rating

Pods .277 lifetime avg, 33 years old, 75% SB success rating

 

So do you want the older guy, coming off a career year with poor defense who is a fan favorite

or

Do you want the younger guy, coming off of injuries, better defense who may be slightly cheaper

 

 

I think this could go either way.

I would rather have Crisp just due to his defense...forget the Prancer.

I think some of you are overvaluing Coco's defense. Rios I admit looked mighty fluid in center fielder and is a good glove.

Coco did nothing in KC to excite people about his defense and his arm is not good and will assuredly be worse with the shoulder problems.

Virtually identical offensive players.

 

Crisp .277 lifetime avg, 30 years old, 74% SB success rating

Pods .277 lifetime avg, 33 years old, 75% SB success rating

 

So do you want the older guy, coming off a career year with poor defense who is a fan favorite

or

Do you want the younger guy, coming off of injuries, better defense who may be slightly cheaper

 

 

I think this could go either way.

Since 2006:

Crisp: 83/102 in SB = 81%

Pods: 94/135 in SB = 70%

 

Since 2005 Crisp has been picked off 12 times, 22 in his career. 12 of the 22 were picked off caught stealing. (much more forgivable, usually going on first move.)

 

In 2009 alone Pods was picked off 11 times, 53 in his career. 17 of the 53 were picked off caught stealing.

 

There's a significant difference in base running, defense and price.

 

There's no reason to believe that Crisp will only be "slightly" cheaper when all reports have Podsednik asking for a multi-year deal worth at least $6M annually. Crisp is going to get a very low base salary for 2010 since he's coming for 2 shoulder injuries.

Since 2006:

Crisp: 83/102 in SB = 81%

Pods: 94/135 in SB = 70%

 

Since 2005 Crisp has been picked off 12 times, 22 in his career. 12 of the 22 were picked off caught stealing. (much more forgivable, usually going on first move.)

 

In 2009 alone Pods was picked off 11 times, 53 in his career. 17 of the 53 were picked off caught stealing.

 

There's a significant difference in base running, defense and price.

 

There's no reason to believe that Crisp will only be "slightly" cheaper when all reports have Podsednik asking for a multi-year deal worth at least $6M annually. Crisp is going to get a very low base salary for 2010 since he's coming for 2 shoulder injuries.

 

 

I would still prefer that money being spent by another team taking a chance on his health. We have criticized signing players in the past when they have injury issues, but now we forgive Crisp and ignore the healthy Pods? I don't agree with that at all.

I think some of you are overvaluing Coco's defense. Rios I admit looked mighty fluid in center fielder and is a good glove.

Coco did nothing in KC to excite people about his defense and his arm is not good and will assuredly be worse with the shoulder problems.

He's a tremendous defensive outfielder, always has been. He doesn't have an arm, big whoop, rarely does an arm come into significant play from left field. In fact, very few left fielders have very good arms. Left fielders tend to be more rangy as they are speed players where as the right fielders tend to be bigger guys who also possess stronger arms.

 

There are the exception to all rules but that tends to be the case and Crisp is an above average defensive left fielder and at the very least a league average defensive centerfielder.

I think some of you are overvaluing Coco's defense. Rios I admit looked mighty fluid in center fielder and is a good glove.

Coco did nothing in KC to excite people about his defense and his arm is not good and will assuredly be worse with the shoulder problems.

Crisp is light years better than Pods defensively.

I think some of you are overvaluing Coco's defense. Rios I admit looked mighty fluid in center fielder and is a good glove.

Coco did nothing in KC to excite people about his defense and his arm is not good and will assuredly be worse with the shoulder problems.

Or was his arm weakened by an injured shoulder and the corrective procedure will improve his arm strength? I don't know. His 'arm' numbers got significantly worse in recent years, before 2007 they were about average.

 

Can Podsednik play centerfield really at all? No.

 

Can Crisp? Yes.

 

Do they both have bad arms? Yes.

 

You say he didn't impress anyone in Kansas City with his defense yet he's doing incredibly well in Tango's Fan Poll. A 4.4 out of 5 in reaction/instincts, a 4.6/5 in acceleration/first few steps. He's averaging around a 4.4/5 in the categories that don't include arm strength, seems like he's impressing someone. Meanwhile take a look at Podsednik's ratings.

 

Crisp's career UZR numbers are substantially better than Podsednik's and we all got to see his complete lack of natural ability and headiness over the years. Podsednik is incredibly awkward out there.