The He Needs To Be Up Tracker

[KSaw]

Jim Negrych (2B)- also plays 3B & LF

 

.427/.477/.677 (OPS 1.154)

 

-108 plate appearances

-41 hits

-10 BB

-11 K

-3 HR

-1 triple

-13 doubles

-1 SAC fly

-1 SAC bunt

-8 for 22 (.364) RISP

 

His OPS is actually higher v LHP and he bats left.

[KSaw]

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=&sid=t422&t=p_pbp&pid=502145

[Hemingways007]

I'd like to see him up, since it can't hurt. Is he on the 40 man or would we need to drop someone off of it to call him up?

[G-Snarls]

I will give Izturis some credit. He's been quite decent the past week. I'd prefer him as 5th IF but if he can keep this up he's not terrible.

[KSaw]

Izturis at short, Negrych at 2b, Kawasaki off the bench and Bonifacio to wherever-- who cares!

 

I know the numbers are AAA stats and sure, he's not a .427 hitter but the team has no leadoff hitter without Reyes and Jim fits the mold of a 2-hitter and that's close enough for now.

[KSaw]

Negrych has a .458 BABIP, which is driving ALL of his stats.

 

Many things have happened that were supposed to be a "spark" for this team, there's no reason to believe this will be the magic fix. If Izturis goes back into a slump maybe it would make sense, but it's irresponsible to believe Negrych would do anything more than go 1-14 with a single and slew of groundouts before getting sent back down.

 

Have you seen any Bisons hilights? There's a reason for the BABIP. Almost everything he hits is a line drive. It's hard to fly out or ground out that way. And yes I get that the numbers are unsustainable but line drive hitters with a good eye get on base. Negrych has done exactly that at every level.

[Arkadium]

We are desperate, I'd take him over DeRosa / Boni... Izturis has looked good lately and basically never strikes out.

[KSaw]

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=&sid=t422&t=p_pbp&pid=455921

 

Luis Jimenez

 

There's a difference. Luis is a classic fastball mistake pitch hitter. He also has a long swing and has failed at the MLB level. Is the definition of a 4-A player. He's in his 30s and is too good for AAA and can't hit or lay off MLB breaking stuff.

[Dr. Dinger]

I just assumed this thread was going to be about Gose, should have known better with Cup Of Coffee Kirksaw. Negrych is not a major leaguer, folks.

[KSaw]

Yep, I saw Anthony Gose steal home!

 

I'm always open to seeing if minor leaguers can stick in the big leagues, and Negrych has never played in MLB. Maybe he does have enough to get on base at an above-average clip. But stating that because of his recent numbers he's a better option than Izturis or Bonifacio is a little reactionary.

 

I actually mentioned him when he was acquired and a few times in March. I remember him from when he was with Altoona. He's just a guy with a good hit skill that seems to get better. He was a Pirates organizational player of the year and is a multi time all-star in the minors. He's just never been viewed as a great athlete and he can't play shortstop so he's never been up.

 

I'm not reacting just to what he's doing this year, it's the body of work, the marked improvement and the being silly hot enough to earn a shot. His being a hit skill first guy, something the Jays have few of, doesn't hurt either.

[KSaw]

I just assumed this thread was going to be about Gose, should have known better with Cup Of Coffee Kirksaw. Negrych is not a major leaguer, folks.

 

Exactly what was said again and again about Craig Counsell, David Eckstein, Junior Spivey and others time and again. Counsell and Negrych share similar paths actually. The left handed hitting infielder Counsell didn't really get much of a glance until he was about the same age as Negrych.

[KSaw]

Bonifacio would have to come off the 25-man roster and he has no options so it would be Boni. Where does he fit on this club anyway? DFA him and then trade him for a AAA depth type starter that won't be missed by the trading team but might be useful in Toronto with the depth concerns.

[Nox]

Have you seen any Bisons hilights? There's a reason for the BABIP.

 

Lol, man you're clueless.

 

A BABIP over .450 is not someone's true talent level period. It doesn't matter how hard you think he's hitting the ball.

[GeorgiaPeach]

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=&sid=t422&t=p_pbp&pid=502145

 

baseball-reference has player splits and game logs for years back in the minors now

[theblujay]

I'm on board. Call him up! Then at least we'll have something interesting to watch.

[KSaw]

.450 is unsustainable. I'm very sure that I said so. It's not clueless to say that line drives over ground balls and fly balls result in more hits. Lately he's hitting line drives and that would explain the inflated numbers. How does that not make sense?

[Nox]

The fact that you think his line drive rate in the past 20 games is more indicative of his true talent than the previous 10 years of his career is the confusing part. Line drive rate is just like anything else, it takes a while to stabilize.

 

This all said, I don't see the harm in giving the guy a shot. If he can wOBA something close to .300 with ok defense, he's a usable bench/depth piece.

[KSaw]

Well I think that I'm more saying that he's always hit. He's a hit skill player. He has always hit line drives but since his monster year in Altoona, he's hit them with more authority. IMO this is a good at baseball type player who just doesn't have the physical skills that blow scouts away. He hits well and gets on base and does everything else just ok. Sounds like Craig Counsell to me, just shorter and without the range to ever play any shortstop. Lets be honest, if he could play short we wouldn't even have him. He'd of been held onto.

[Dr. Dinger]

Bonifacio would have to come off the 25-man roster and he has no options so it would be Boni. Where does he fit on this club anyway? DFA him and then trade him for a AAA depth type starter that won't be missed by the trading team but might be useful in Toronto with the depth concerns.

 

DFA Boni to call up Negrych? Thank god you're not our GM.

[Nox]

He has always hit line drives but since his monster year in Altoona, he's hit them with more authority.

 

What monster year in Altoona?

 

2008: 112 wRC+ (Age 23 in AA)

2009: 107 wRC+ (Age 24 in AA)

2010: 104 wRC+ (Age 25 in AA)

 

That's entirely the stuff of an org guy.

[The_DH]

I'm sure Boni could find his way to the DL somehow. Negrych would be a logical fill in.

[TheHurl]

In a way he's not wrong Negrych is locked in right now and the line drive rate is at 20.7 same as it was for 324 PA's in Syracuse last year. However given long term at the MLB level he's going to be replacement level at best, he's got a great eye and doesn't miss many balls but he's also below average on the basepaths, below average defensively. He would make a good 25th man, injury replacement guy. That's it. Bonifacio is useless (can't say I didn't warn you) however he has proven at this level that he too can go on a run much more valuable than what Negrych would do. If they had an ability to get something of value out of Boni, I'd say go right ahead, deal him and go with Negrych for a short term spark but it's a move to please the casuals again, not a good baseball move.

[TheHurl]

I'm sure Boni could find his way to the DL somehow. Negrych would be a logical fill in.

 

That is correct but what do you do when he comes back? Negrych isn't clearing waivers. He is a major league 25th man. The issue isn't as much with Negrych himself it's that he doesn't fit with this team as we already have two 25th men.

[Chappy]

I don't know what if anything AA could get for Boni. Maybe take a flier on a lower level prospect or something. But at this point, its painfully obvious he needs to go. He has little value on the bench other than pinch running. He can't start either, so where does he belong? Some NL team might be interested in his so called position flexibility that turned out to be absolute BS. Playing multiple positions and actually being decent at it are two very different things.

[TheHurl]

but is Negrych the guy that you dump him for? 2011 Bonifacio had a major league season better than any minor league season other than this one that Negrych has had. He batted .380/.466/.450 in July that year. You don't make a reactionary move for a guy that should be a bench player on your team, even if the guy he's replacing is below bench level. Even in 2012 he had a .370 OBP when batting from the left side. I noted that 9 of his 63 hits were bunts last year...why hasn't he attempted a bunt for a hit yet? You can't bring in a guy and take away his most successful weapon.

[The_DH]

The true problem is that he is not an infielder and we have two right handed speedy outfield backups. I say we dl him and send him to an infield coach. I don't think Rivera is doing the job.

[Chappy]

Boni should definitely be traded at the deadline, regardless of whether they're buying or selling. Get another guy like Happ.

 

If they can flip him for a useful arm or even just a lower level prospect I am all for that. He just doesn't have much value to this team, but he could be decent for an NL team.

[Chappy]

The true problem is that he is not an infielder and we have two right handed speedy outfield backups. I say we dl him and send him to an infield coach. I don't think Rivera is doing the job.

 

Just flip him, I am sure someone will bite.

[o2cui2i]

.450 is unsustainable. I'm very sure that I said so. It's not clueless to say that line drives over ground balls and fly balls result in more hits. Lately he's hitting line drives and that would explain the inflated numbers. How does that not make sense?

 

DFA Blanco and bring up thole. that clears up a place on the 40 for Negrynch.

[o2cui2i]

but is Negrych the guy that you dump him for? 2011 Bonifacio had a major league season better than any minor league season other than this one that Negrych has had. He batted .380/.466/.450 in July that year. You don't make a reactionary move for a guy that should be a bench player on your team, even if the guy he's replacing is below bench level. Even in 2012 he had a .370 OBP when batting from the left side. I noted that 9 of his 63 hits were bunts last year...why hasn't he attempted a bunt for a hit yet? You can't bring in a guy and take away his most successful weapon.

 

Boni's 2011 is the anomaly, the rest of his career is barely avg to really below avg. he's been a negative war player 5 of his 7 years. if he had 5 good and 2 bad, I'd buy the argument, but he's just bad-