Comments on: Where They Rank

By: a.O

a.O — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:16:07 +0000

[32] Makes good sense to me.

By: Joel

Joel — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:58:00 +0000

[31] I just think there is a certain group of baseball people out there that thinks Cano is headed toward MVP-like super-stardom. I don’t see Cano becoming that player. So why not shop him for a legit super-star?

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:24:50 +0000

The more I see of Cano the more I think he’s another Soriano but without the Grade A speed or power but with a bit better stroke. And Sori also looked very good at 26 but not in the post-season.

What about Cano+ for Matt Kemp? Who are other young OF bats that might be available? Ryan Braun? Grady Sizemore?

By: a.O

a.O — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:21:41 +0000

Robbie has a great swing (obviously) and he was impressive, to say the least, with the glove this year. But he is clearly a not a smart ballplayer. He got owned throughout the postseason. He just can’t adjust and he probably is close to his peak regular-season performance.

Although I would not be looking to trade him, he would make a nice chip to get someone like Doc, for example. Available but not actively on the market. I think that might have been the original point, in #10, but I’ll let Joel speak for himself.

As for Leche, he should be actively shopped, especially if Damon is coming back next year. Gardy deserves a shot at CF, IMHO. Whatever you can say about Robbie’s upside, it aint true for Leche.

By: Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO

Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:59:51 +0000

[26]

But if you look at his entire career, every aspect is up and down with no real pattern of improvmentl

Ya Just Can’t…

(my first blockquote! Huzzzah!!)

By: Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO

Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:43:42 +0000

[27] Keep sparkling, weeping. you’re #27!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCLyMxZA1LY&feature=PlayList&p=A15B42631B765BCA&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=11

By: Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO

Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:40:47 +0000

[26] “But if you look at his entire career, every aspect is up and down with no real pattern of improvment:”

Ya just can’t…

By: weeping for brunnhilde

weeping for brunnhilde — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:35:21 +0000

Fuck, I think I’m in serious withdrawal.

How many days til pitchers and catchers?

Oh, dark, dark, dark…

By: monkeypants

monkeypants — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:20:05 +0000

[25] Of course, having an awful year like 2008 shows the ability to decline rapidly. If OPS+ is a precise measure, then yes he had his best year and showed improvement. But if you look at his entire career, every aspect is up and down with no real pattern of improvment:

BA .297, .342, .306, .271, 320
OBP .320, .365, .353, .305, .352
SLG .458, .525, .488, .410, .520
BB 16, 18, 39, 26, 30
K 68, 54, 85, 65, 63

This strikes me as pretty typical for players whose production is tied so closely to BA. In seasons when he hits .320, he’s really good. When he hits .290, he’s less good. I don’t think he’ll ever be able to “control” his BA, and I don’t think he’s suddenly going to learn to command the strike zone. He may add a bit of power.

But I really suspect that this year will be about as good as he gets, and that’s not a bad thing.

By: williamnyy23

williamnyy23 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:09:06 +0000

[23] I think we’ve seen Cano improve defensively, which counts. Also, I think bouncing back off of an awful 2008 also shows an ability to improve. Most notably, Cano did improve his power production, which is something that he can continue to boost. After all, Cano’s OPS+ was the highest of his career, so it’s not like he is really standing in place. Cano is already an all star level player, so any further “improvement” is likely to be incremental. Otherwise, he’ll be entering future hall of famer territory. Basically, I just think Cano needs to tweak a few areas of his game (more consistent defensively, slightly better plate discipline, better hitting with RISP). Continued small improvements in those areas should ensure Cano remains a star 2B for the next 5+ years.