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2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Luis Castillo

2 votes

Brad Emaus

2 votes

Daniel Murphy

2 votes

Justin Turner

0 votes

Murphy-Emaus platoon

12 votes

Murphy-Turner platoon

0 votes

Other

0 votes

Benjamin Grimm Feb 23 2011 01:15 PM

Back in September, I asked us to predict who we thought would be the 2011 Mets second baseman. 21 votes were cast, and the winner was Ruben Tejada with 8, followed by Murphy 6, Castillo 6, and Turner 1. Now that we're a few weeks away from finding out, let's try this again. Remember, this thread is for who you PREDICT. I'll post another one for you to proclaim your rooting interest.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 23 2011 01:18 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited) Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Feb 23 2011 01:20 PM

It's been open season on Limpy for a week now... and it seems like that's for a reason other than "late" arrival. I don't see him outcharming or outperforming anyone enough-- barring freak injury-- to undecide the brain trust's minds. OE: Murphy-Emaus.

Benjamin Grimm Feb 23 2011 01:19 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

I voted for the Murphy-Emaus platoon.

Ceetar Feb 23 2011 01:36 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

I teeter between Murphy and Castillo on this. I picked Castillo based on Murphy not really having played 2B for Collins yet. I think it's unlikely that they'll chose a platoon over Luis though. I don't seem them starting the season that way. I think if Emaus looks good enough to play, they'll let him play. I think they may be hoping for a righty.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 23 2011 04:14 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

As if DosManos needed another ill portent. Asked if a No. 1 factor existed in determining who wins the second base job between Brad Emaus, Daniel Murphy, Luis Castillo and Justin Turner, Terry Collins again stated offense is the priority, which would not seem to bode well for Castillo. “Second base, to me, has become an enormous offensive position,” Collins said. “Why? I’m not really sure, except some of the guys that have been playing there recently [Chase Utley, Dan Uggla] have put up huge numbers at second. But it’s become an offensive position, so to me that’s a big piece to the puzzle, especially when you’ve got that guy [Ike Davis] playing first base that can eat up so much ground over there. It helps out."

Ceetar Feb 23 2011 04:19 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: As if DosManos needed another ill portent. Asked if a No. 1 factor existed in determining who wins the second base job between Brad Emaus, Daniel Murphy, Luis Castillo and Justin Turner, Terry Collins again stated offense is the priority, which would not seem to bode well for Castillo. “Second base, to me, has become an enormous offensive position,” Collins said. “Why? I’m not really sure, except some of the guys that have been playing there recently [Chase Utley, Dan Uggla] have put up huge numbers at second. But it’s become an offensive position, so to me that’s a big piece to the puzzle, especially when you’ve got that guy [Ike Davis] playing first base that can eat up so much ground over there. It helps out." Depends how they value OBP. Unless Collins means he wants a guy who can hit it out. I don't really think that the Mets are necessarily lacking in that regard (if Bay regresses anyway) so maybe that OBP helps Castillo in the race, whereas his age on defense doesn't hurt as much? (Not that I'd classify any of the contestants as a wiz at second..)

Ashie62 Feb 23 2011 05:56 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Murphy,every effing day.

Edgy DC Feb 26 2011 10:07 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

All of the above, plus Hu and Satin and probably someone else. Murphy will play opening day.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 10 2011 09:29 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

David Waldstein, in the New York Times, says: PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — After two weeks of exhibition games, it appears that the 35-year-old Luis Castillo, in the final season of his often-belittled four-year, $24 million contract, has the early lead for the Mets’ second-base job. He is in front somewhat by default, having nosed ahead of a modest group of players who have not stood out in any particular way this spring training.

Ceetar Mar 10 2011 09:32 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Benjamin Grimm wrote: David Waldstein, in the New York Times, says: PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — After two weeks of exhibition games, it appears that the 35-year-old Luis Castillo, in the final season of his often-belittled four-year, $24 million contract, has the early lead for the Mets’ second-base job. He is in front somewhat by default, having nosed ahead of a modest group of players who have not stood out in any particular way this spring training. I think there are reports out there for Emaus and for Murphy too as being 'leading'.

HahnSolo Mar 10 2011 09:40 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Just started another thread about a Harper article that suggest Luis Hernandez(!) has a shot.

smg58 Mar 10 2011 12:21 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

It's still to early to tell. Emaus has been getting fewer ABs than the others, which might mean they want to look at the other guys first and rule one or two out before giving him a closer look, or it might not. Castillo's game yesterday was the first big game that any of them have really had, but I figure that as the "known" commodity his spring performance will count the least. Not that I think he doesn't have a chance, but I think the others will be judged on whether they can do better than what we can reasonably expect from Castillo based on past experience. (And if we could reasonably expect much, we wouldn't be having this discussion.)

Benjamin Grimm Mar 15 2011 08:01 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Is a dark horse emerging? Mets to tab unheralded Hernandez for second base By MIKE PUMA Last Updated: 9:40 AM, March 15, 2011 Posted: 1:46 AM, March 15, 2011 PORT ST. LUCIE -- The Mets are ready to shred their final four bracket and chart a different course at second base. Disenchanted with what he has seen from Luis Castillo, Daniel Murphy, Brad Emaus and Justin Turner this spring, manager Terry Collins is preparing to name Luis Hernandez the starter at second base, a source with direct knowledge of Collins' plans told The Post yesterday. The move will be contingent upon Collins convincing the front office to find roster space for Hernandez. The 26-year-old Hernandez played 17 games for the Mets last year before breaking a toe on Sept. 18. He has appeared in six games this spring and is 5-for-12 (.417) at the plate. Hernandez began camp on the periphery of the second-base derby and has gained traction almost by default. Though Castillo is having a solid spring offensively, the source said Castillo's limited defensive range is problematic for the new regime. The Mets still do not view Murphy as an everyday second baseman, and many in the organization are not convinced Emaus and Turner are major-league players. Hernandez is considered the best athlete and defensive player among the group. As the organization's minor league field coordinator last season, Collins saw plenty of Hernandez. The 35-year-old Castillo, who is owed $6 million this season, could be dumped by the end of the week. On Sunday, Castillo told The Post he has already informed Collins he wants to be released if he isn't going to be the starting second baseman. "I know I can still play," Castillo said. But Collins' plan to install Hernandez at second base could hit a snag if the front office insists upon keeping Emaus, a Rule 5 selection last winter. Emaus must remain on the Mets' 25-man roster for the entire season or be offered back to the Blue Jays, who left him unprotected. If Collins is told he must carry Emaus, the Mets would then likely have to decide between Hernandez and Murphy for one roster spot. Murphy is viewed as a solid lefty bat off the bench and utility player who could occasionally start at second or third base. Emaus can also play third base. Collins, the source said, is confident he will have final say in the matter after hearing opinions from his coaching staff, general manager Sandy Alderson and special adviser J.P. Ricciardi, among others. But Ricciardi was also the driving force behind selecting Emaus in the Rule 5 draft and could provide a roadblock to Hernandez's ascent. The Mets signed Hernandez before spring training last year -- he was released by the Royals in January 2010 -- and summoned him to the majors in August after he had split time between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Buffalo. In 265 career at-bats with the Orioles, Royals and Mets, he is a .245 hitter with three homers and 20 RBIs. Hernandez's career highlight came in his final at-bat of last season. After fouling a pitch off his right foot and breaking his big toe, he homered against Atlanta's Tim Hudson.

Edgy DC Mar 15 2011 08:20 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Fuckin' Mike Puma with the scoop. Seriously, though, hasn't the guy had like eight at-bats?

Benjamin Grimm Mar 15 2011 08:23 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Twelve! He has appeared in six games this spring and is 5-for-12 (.417) at the plate.

Edgy DC Mar 15 2011 08:54 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Mets Leaning Toward Dark Horse For Second Base by Rob Neyer • Mar 15, 2011 10:30 AM EDT Who's going to play second base for the New York Mets on Opening Day? According to Mike Puma (via the Post), The Mets are ready to shred their final four bracket and chart a different course at second base. How different? Apparently the manager's favorite candidate wasn't a candidate two or three weeks ago ... Disenchanted with what he has seen from Luis Castillo, Daniel Murphy, Brad Emaus and Justin Turner this spring, manager Terry Collins is preparing to name Luis Hernandez the starter at second base, a source with direct knowledge of Collins' plans told The Post yesterday. The move will be contingent upon Collins convincing the front office to find roster space for Hernandez. It's hard to exaggerate just how much Hernandez can't hit. In 120 major-league games (290 plate appearances), Hernandez has a .245/.286/.298 line. In 187 Triple-A games, he's got a .247/.286/.319 line. And he fared little better in the lower levels, either. This is just who Luis Hernandez is: a fine fielder (we're assuming) who couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat. You can live with a shortstop like that, maybe. But second base is a little tougher. If Hernandez does win the job, I will consider him something of a symbol. There are new sheriffs in town, and for a while they're just going to walk around, making sure everyone understands things are different. I can promise you, with metaphysical certitude, that by the time the Mets do get serious about winning baseball games, Luis Hernandez will be a vague memory.

sharpie Mar 15 2011 08:57 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Making Luis Hernandez the starting second baseman reminds me of the Mets making Anderson Hernandez the starting second baseman.

Edgy DC Mar 15 2011 09:26 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Well, Anderson was coming up fresh out of the minors. Luis is more of a bubble journeyman. I think Puma is really jumping the gun here, and this is the furthest thing from a done deal.

Frayed Knot Mar 15 2011 11:01 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Certainly not a done deal, but I also have no problem if this turns out to be the case. Not that I've got any particular reason to pine for Luis Hernandez, but the biggest mistake fans tend to make about this time of year leading up to opening day assignments is to act as if they're somehow chiseled in stone for the remainder of the season. If naming Hernandez allows them to cut Castillo and maybe buy more time to work out solutions for Emaus, Murphy, Turner, Harris or whoever than it's not a bad thing.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 15 2011 11:04 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

I was thinking pretty much the same thing. If Luis Hernandez wins the job, he'll only keep it for as long as he demonstrates that he's the best option. Emaus may end up back in Toronto's organization, but there will still be Murphy and Turner and Tejada and Valdespin and others.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 15 2011 11:04 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Yes, but naming Hernandez also means they're either cutting Emaus after seeing him for three weeks of part-time duty OR going short in another area while carrying three middle-infield backups.

Edgy DC Mar 15 2011 01:15 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Tracksuit to the rescue. From talking to people today, definitely do no[t] get sense TC has decided on Hernandez for 2B. He's in mix, but this is a fluid situation. about 2 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® .SurfingTheMets Andy Martino

MFS62 Mar 16 2011 08:01 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

I posted in another thread about Lius hitting a homer and limping around the bases after breaking his foot. You can't just look at numbers. As I mentioned, anybody who does that can play for my team any time. If Jeter had done that, forget the Hall of Fame. Some NY writers would be pushing for his inclusion on Mt. Rushmore. We hear/ read things about how TC has/ hasn't come out in favor of Luis. Those are sometimes followed by things like "Sandy and his front office are numbers guys". Alderson is an ex-Marine. While Luis may not fit Sandy's statistical model,I feel he certainly fits his model for the kind of player he would want, too. Later

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 16 2011 09:31 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

MFS62 wrote: While Luis may not fit Sandy's statistical model,I feel he certainly fits his model for the kind of player he would want, too. Guys who can't hit, you mean? Over 290 career PAs, he's put up a sub-Tejadan .245/.286/.298 slash-line with okay speed and a decent glove. More telling? He's put up pretty much the same performance (.255/.302/.331) over 3000-plus minor-league PAs. It was a great moment, and I went around that afternoon/evening blabbing about it to people who probably didn't care, that's how much I liked it. It's probably instructive about how much to weight said moment in evaluating LH to remember that the Mets lost that game. It's probably also instructive to remember that one Kirk-Gibson-moment-minus-the-drama doesn't change the fact that he's Chin-Lung-Hu-minus-the-offensive-upside, and that any team he plays on is either really bad or really desperate or both.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 16 2011 09:39 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Gimme a break. Luis Hernandez sucks.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 16 2011 09:58 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Yeah, that's probably the more efficient way to put it.

bmfc1 Mar 16 2011 12:08 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/w ... index.html "Collins has no say whatsoever."

Edgy DC Mar 16 2011 12:13 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

So says "one person familiar with the Mets' situation."

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 16 2011 12:16 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

It almost seems the change in regimes has resulted in more anonymous blabbermouths running around making half-assed speculative remarks that become provocative hooks in print, doesn't it?

Edgy DC Mar 16 2011 12:23 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

It does, but if he can't come up with any better descriptor than "one person familiar with the Mets' situation" (hi, Steve!), I'm not going to sweat at night worrying about it being anyone with real access to the braintrust.

HahnSolo Mar 16 2011 12:33 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Even better at the end of the piece he came up with: "One person somewhat familiar with the Mets' thinking"

Ashie62 Mar 16 2011 04:36 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

None of the options at 2b are terribly appealing.

The Second Spitter Mar 17 2011 01:28 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

A Guide to Sources of Mets news Person familiar with the Mets situation = former Mets employee of some importance Person somewhat familiar with the Mets' thinking = former Mets employee of some importance out of the loop for more than 5 years or Steve Phillips. Person familiar with the Wilpons = Also Steve Phillips Person close to the Wilpons = Steve Phillips under a delusional misapprehension the Wilpons still keep in contact with him. Mets insider = Mets clubhouse assistant. Member of the Mets’ organization = lowly Mets employee or story was made-up by the journo. Ex-Mets staffer = lowly Mets employee that was fired or Tony Bernazard. Former Mets executive = Jim Duquette Long-serving former player = John Franco Key member of 1986 championship winning team = Rick Darling Person no stranger to the Mets = Bobby Valentine Media personality no stranger to the Mets = Tim McCarver (may also refer to Valentine) Source close to the Mets = bottom-feeding journalist of ill-repute covering the Mets Well-respected journalist covering the Mets = Bob Klapisch quoting himself Leading baseball author = Jeff Pearlman Several people in the know = Employees of the sports section of the Bergen Record, New York Daily News or New York Post. Mets fans = WFAN callers Other baseball executives = New York Yankees front-office. Mets internet sources = Mets blogger of ill-repute Feel free to add your own.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 17 2011 05:11 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

The Mets will have two openings for reserve infielders, and of course there will be the guy who ends up as the starting second baseman. So who will these three players be? I'm thinking either: Murphy-Hu-Emaus, Murphy-Hu-Hernandez, or Murphy-Hu-Castillo. If the Mets are determined to keep Emaus, it's not inconceivable that Hu ends up doing a Warren G. Harding thing, winning the starting job.

Edgy DC Mar 17 2011 06:25 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

I'm renaming my band. We are no longer "Flesh for Lolich." We are now "Sources Familiar with the Mets Thinking."

Frayed Knot Mar 17 2011 06:57 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

"Sources familiar with the Mets thinking" never fails to crack me up. That phrase gets a lot of work around draft time as the basis for speculation on early round picks, something which, as far as I can tell, could mean nothing more than someone opining about who'll they'll select based on previous years picks and trends. Hell, I could be cited as a source "familiar with Met thinking" based on that logic.

TransMonk Mar 17 2011 07:23 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

avi (Where have I been?)

Benjamin Grimm Mar 17 2011 03:00 PM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Mike Puma of the Post is apparently now saying that the Mets might allow Luis Hernandez to bump Hu from the roster, and go with Murphy and Emaus as the reserve infielders.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 18 2011 11:53 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Depending on how you look at it, this fun studylet from ESPN's Mark Simon using Pitch f/x data could indicate one of two things about Luis Hernandez: he's got some not-unachievable upside... or he's like Francoeur without the arm and PR skills. This system gives Hernandez a chase rate of 47.5 percent.—meaning he swung at nearly half of the ‘slow’ pitches thrown to him out of the strike zone. That’s not good. That’s how pitchers frequently finished him with two strikes. It explains why he has lots of strikeouts, but very few walks. A typical major league lefty hitter, in this same time span, had a chase rate of about 30 to 35 percent (depending on if you wish to include pitchers) against those pitches. If we rated every player’s chase rate against these pitches, Hernandez would be at the bottom of the list, a significant contrast to Luis Castillo, who is among the best at laying off such pitches.

TransMonk Mar 23 2011 07:47 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Per Metsblog: Justin Turner has been optioned to AAA.

smg58 Mar 23 2011 09:13 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

When you have options, you can't leave any room for doubt. Neither Turner nor the Mets will be hurt by his getting full-time work at Buffalo.

Edgy DC Mar 23 2011 09:25 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

So it looks like three infielders from among Murphy, Emaus, Hu, and Hernandez, with Murphy the only one effectively having options. I'd try to carry the first three.

Ceetar Mar 23 2011 09:49 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

smg58 wrote: When you have options, you can't leave any room for doubt. Neither Turner nor the Mets will be hurt by his getting full-time work at Buffalo. Interesting though, I'd almost consider trying to get Turner some more SS time and being a candidate to replace Hu (or Murph) as a more versatile utility guy. but this is all just temporary too, things change pretty fast when you don't, or do, perform.

The Second Spitter Mar 24 2011 04:30 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Nice write-up on Emaus by Brian Costa -- Mets Fans, Meet Brad Emaus With Plate Discipline, No-Name Rookie Appears to Have Won Second-Base Job LINK JUPITER, Fla.—For a professional athlete, Brad Emaus is a little bit doughy. He is barely 6 feet tall. He runs at a plodding pace. He doesn't hit for much power. And his next highlight-reel defensive play will be his first. "He's not glamorous to look at," said J.P. Ricciardi, the Mets' head of pro scouting. Mets second baseman Brad Emaus turns a double play against the Braves in a March 5 exhibition game. What Emaus does well is this: He gets on base. He works the count. He wears pitchers down. He avoids fundamental mistakes. He does these things as well as anyone on the Mets. And for that, he will likely be their starting second baseman. The release of Luis Castillo last week left Emaus, 24, as the front-runner for the job. And the Mets' decision to send Justin Turner to minor-league camp Wednesday makes it all but official: Emaus will start at second. Daniel Murphy will be the utility infielder. No one with the Mets is saying that publicly just yet. But no one is denying it, either. General manager Sandy Alderson pointed to the fact that Emaus started at second in Wednesday's exhibition game against the St. Louis Cardinals, while Murphy started at third. "I think the lineup card is probably as revealing as anything I can say," Alderson said. When Emaus makes his major-league debut on April 1, he will be among the most anonymous starting position players in baseball. He was assigned No. 68 for his uniform this spring, the kind of high number usually reserved for players with no shot of making the team (he plans to wear No. 4 once the regular season starts). His initial locker location put him next to players who have long since been sent back to the minors. But Emaus is not a surprise pick for the job. And his selection is indicative of the traits that Alderson and his staff will value as they look to remake the roster in the years ahead. The Toronto Blue Jays drafted Emaus in the 11th round in 2007, when Ricciardi was their general manager. But because he had yet to be called up to the majors, he became eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December. At Ricciardi's urging, the Mets took him. "I think the appealing thing for us is, he sees a lot of pitches," Ricciardi said. "As we go forward, that's the type of team we'd like to have, guys that do get on base, guys that grind out walks." In 87 games with Triple-A Las Vegas last season, Emaus reached base in 39.5% of his plate appearances, the 10th-highest mark in the Pacific Coast League. He walked just as often as he struck out. And while there are no statistics available on how many pitches he saw per plate appearance, his plate discipline is an asset the Mets need. The Mets swung at 31% of all pitches outside the strike zone in 2010, according to FanGraphs.com, the sixth-highest mark in baseball. It was no coincidence that their team on-base percentage (.314) ranked just 25th in the majors. Emaus may not be a prodigious hitter, but he takes pride in making pitchers work for outs. "It's an advantage to our entire offense and defense in the sense that, the more pitches you get out of that guy, the more quickly he's going to get out of the game," Emaus said. "He might get tired or throw some pitches over the plate to the other guys." The only concern with Emaus is that, for as much as the Mets like his track record in the minors, he hasn't done much to impress them this spring. Alderson and Ricciardi may be wary of making too much of small sample sizes, but Collins wants to see Emaus' ability for himself. After going 0 for 3 Wednesday against the Cardinals, Emaus is batting just .216 this spring (8 for 37), though he also has six walks. He will start at second in the majority of the Mets' seven remaining spring games. But Collins said he might not name an Opening Day starter until the last day or two of camp. "I want to see, when he's out there every day, is he going to be able to make the adjustments?" Collins said. "How's he going to handle it when their pitching starts to make adjustments to him? I want to see what kind of a defender he's going to be." Collins may not be enamored with Emaus, but he has little choice. Murphy's defense is still a work in progress, to put it politely. And though Collins threw a minor-leaguer named Luis Hernandez into the mix a couple weeks ago, the front office doesn't view him as a serious candidate. Perhaps the most revealing comment Wednesday came from Turner, who said as he cleared out his locker in Port St. Lucie, "I'm sure Brad is feeling pretty good about himself right now."

MFS62 Mar 24 2011 08:01 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Emaus hasn't exactly blown the other second base candidates out of the water. I'm wondering if settling in on him as the second baseman isn't just a case of JP and his Toronto guys trying to prove that they are just as good talent evaluators as Omar was supposed to have been. Later

Benjamin Grimm Mar 24 2011 08:03 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

Keeping a guy who isn't any good doesn't prove that you're a great talent evaluator. I don't think there's an ulterior motive here. I think they like his potential, and want to keep him.

Edgy DC Mar 24 2011 08:11 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

I think what we fail to realize is that the evaluating going on in spring training isn't limited to just the 32 plate appearances and 45 innings of defense we're privy to. If it were, then Murphy would be winning this competition running away.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 24 2011 10:37 AM Re: 2nd Base 2011: Who do you PREDICT? (Revisited)

It's not about who's wearing the uni on Opening Day, most likely; it's resource conservation. If they're not handing the job to Murphy outright-- and it doesn't seem they are-- then it's a question of having Turner and Emaus in the organization or just Turner. If there's a difference between Turner and Emaus, it apparently isn't big enough to mitigate losing Emaus (or, say, Evans).