Comments on: Yanks Get Swisher for Marquez

By: monkeypants

monkeypants — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:20:28 +0000

Count me not thrilled. Swisher is a fun player, but he is a downgrade at 1B from Giambi. If this is insurance in case the team does not sign Tex, color me unimpressed. Yes he is versatile. but I prefer Betemit’s ability to play the IF positions, albeit not all that well. He plays corner OF, but so does Matsui and Nady and Damon. So in the end, we get a not-so-great hitting corner OF/1B. And, he may have already peaked at age 28.

Yawn.

By: Shaun P.

Shaun P. — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:59:45 +0000

Just for the heck of it, BP says Swisher was 101 Rate2 at 1B in ‘08, (101 for his career), and 94 in CF in ‘08 (94 for his career). Betemit was 98 in ‘08, 99 for his career at 1B; Melky 99 in ‘08, 107 for his career in CF.

But is it really a surprise that Melky is (likely) the better glove in CF? I am a bit skeptical about 1B, though, just because of sample size. Betemit played but 36 games there (207 innings) in 2008; Swisher played 71 games (462 innings). So double the games, but more than double the innings. A big difference in putouts, too: 191 for Betemit, 447 for Swisher. Might Betemit’s RZR be skewed by having more flyball-oriented pitchers on the mound than Swisher? I’m just guessing here . . .

Do note that Swisher was at 103 Rate2 in RF in ‘08, 104 for his career – and he’s played more games in RF (201) than in CF (131), but not as many at 1B (229). In contrast, Abreu was 93 Rate in RF in ‘08 (98 career), and Nady was 84 (in only 7 games in NY) and 96 for his career.

By: Mattpat11

Mattpat11 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:18:48 +0000

I’m not a big fan of defensive metrics as a whole. There are so many and they often contradict each other.

By: mehmattski

mehmattski — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:01:27 +0000

It should be noted that Swisher is a downgrade defensively in CF (.904 RZR in 2008 vs .938 for Melky) and a downgrade at 1B from Betemit, believe it or not (Swisher: .759, Betemit .821).

Assuming a) 2008 was a fluke, and b) he’s not the only 1B acquired this offseason, this is a good trade.

By: Shaun P.

Shaun P. — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:20:29 +0000

ms october, yeah, salary dump at least in part. IIRC, Ozzie seemed to sour on Swisher down the stretch; in fact I’m pretty sure (without looking it up) that Swisher barely played in their Sept series vs the Yanks, with Griffey Jr (and Dewayne Wise) in CF more often than not.

That Cashman seems to be trying to sell Swisher as the 1B tells me that he’s working very hard to get Tex signed. Shades of “Bubba Crosby will be our CF” from so long ago.

I am going to miss Betemit though. Yeah he wasn’t all that great in the field, and he did have his issues with the bat, but there was something there. Its funny though, because if Swisher’s low AVG/high SLG ways irked Ozzie (as I’ve read elsewhere), I’m sure he and Wilson will be great friends. ;)

By: Mattpat11

Mattpat11 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:32:49 +0000

Jeter and A-Rod won the silver sluggers BTW

By: Mattpat11

Mattpat11 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:13:10 +0000

The thing with Betemit is he was just no good in the field. People rip on Jeter all the time, but at least I can be relatively sure that he’s going to catch balls thrown to him. It was a coin flip with Wilson. And he moves absolutely glacially after the ball, which left him as a DH who doesn”t hit righties at all and only sort of hits lefties, or a pinch hitter who can’t hit a lick coming off the bench. There was no point.

By: Alex Belth

Alex Belth — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:53:28 +0000

I always wanted Betemit to do well–as if there are Yankee players I want to fail–but he just never seemed to excel in his position. I’m told he can really hit if given the at bats. And he did have some power–I’ll remember him driving the bat into the left center field gap when he hit it well.

Swisher is interesting. First thing that comes to mind is how cocky he seems. I trust Ken’s scouting report on him though, that he’s not necessarily a jerk. I think his cockiness will be good for the Yanks, I think he’s confident, will get on with Jeter, A Rod. At least from a personality point of view, I like the idea of him. The Yanks could use some guys who are full of themselves in that way that Pedrioa is. At least one or two. And considering that he had a down year he still had some pop.

By: Evil Empire

Evil Empire — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:35:43 +0000

I’m psyched. Swish is a grinder AND isn’t the object to always buy low and sell high? In fact most folks have wanted to hold onto Cano for the very reason that trading him now would be selling low. Clearly the Chisox sold Swish low.

AND, he’ll be an adequate first basemen for several years while we back the money truck up to CC’s door.

By: Pete

Pete — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:30:49 +0000

>> A-Rod isn’t some minor leaguer no one’s ever heard of.. I have no idea what some no name could have done to inspire his own ’sucks’ site. >>

Did you click on that site? It’s not *really* a site or a forum for that matter. I bet if you googled a lot of names, they’d all have their own “(this guy) sucks” forum.

Seriously, though, 2nd in the organization in saves? I’m intrigued.