The He Needs To Be Up Tracker

[TheHurl]

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

 

that depends on Jimenez's health though.

[TheHurl]

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-

 

Boni was 1.1 WAR in 200 PA's in 2010. 0.4 in 274 PA's in 2012. He's been above replacement level in the past three seasons. I don't believe in Boni at all but I don't believe that Negrych would put up positive WAR seasons for three straight if put into the scenario.

[o2cui2i]

they would have to make a depth move to get another AAA catcher for sure. but that is better than keeping Blanco and gives them a better bat than they have now at second. so, two offense + and no defensive -. right now, as much as some would hate to hear it, DeRosa is their best second base option until they make a move.

 

that is the really ugly truth.

[o2cui2i]

Boni was 1.1 WAR in 200 PA's in 2010. 0.4 in 274 PA's in 2012. He's been above replacement level in the past three seasons. I don't believe in Boni at all but I don't believe that Negrych would put up positive WAR seasons for three straight if put into the scenario.

 

I wouldn't be asking Negrynch to put up 3 plus years. I want 1 out of him and then an off season move to bring in a second baseman that is legit with up side. maybe he only needs to put up + numbers until they can trade JJ for a second baseman???

[Boxcar]

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.

 

His line drive rate is pretty much the same as it's been for the past 5 years.

[GD]

Has Josh Thole been mentioned yet?

 

Also, Kevin Pillar and Joel Carreno are making cases.

[TheHurl]

Carreno looked awful yesterday. His slider used to be an out pitch yesterday not one hitter missed it. wouldn't surprise me to hear a DL trip for him. Why would Pillar get pushed past Gose? Why does no one mention Goins?

[GD]

Carreno looked awful yesterday. His slider used to be an out pitch yesterday not one hitter missed it. wouldn't surprise me to hear a DL trip for him. Why would Pillar get pushed past Gose? Why does no one mention Goins?

 

A.) Was Carreno really that bad? I like the kid. B.) Pillar would get pushed if Rajai/Boni/both got injured, as a 4th OF, so that Gose could keep getting every day ABs. C.) Kid can't take a walk and I'm not sure on his glove.

[KSaw]

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.

 

I meant to say monster year he finished off in Altoona. 2008. Anyway I get where you and others are coming from. That said, players who are actually good at baseball are more valuable than pure athletes who are bad at the game. Bonifacio is bad at baseball. He's physically gifted but is horrible in the infield, takes bad routes in the outfield and isn't a smart hitter. He stands out this year because he's been overmatched at the plate but end of the day, he's a project who's had flashes of success in the past all on his athleticism. I think that it's more likely that he regresses. The pitchers are simply smarter than him. He's a less skilled Cory Patterson, with less power.

[Nox]

He's a less skilled Cory Patterson, with less power.

 

That's a damning indictment if I've ever heard one lol.

[KSaw]

His line drive rate is pretty much the same as it's been for the past 5 years.

 

Surprising but numbers don't lie. I guess they are just better line drives this year-- so far. I get that he's on a silly run that goes back all through Spring Training and runs slow. There does come a point though when results matter. I'm not the most results oriented guy generally but I do like smart hit skill players.

[Jimcanuck]

looks like Davis may be hurt, is it Sierra time?

[KSaw]

2 for 4 with a walk last night.

 

Now hitting .430

[G-Snarls]

2 for 4 with a walk last night.

 

Now hitting .430

 

Git R' Done

[KSaw]

Maybe he needs to hit for the cycle AGAIN.

[RickJay]

Whatever Negrych's BABIP,

 

1. There comes a time when you begin to expose yourself to ridicule by making a personnel choice in defiance of the immediate facts, and this is one of them. Negrych is destroying the International League, and Emilio Bonifacio is embarrassing himself and his team. If we were talking about two weeks' worth of games that's one thing, but it's May, Bonifacio isn't getting any better, and if a guy batting .430 in the IL with incompetent players in the major leagues ISN'T good enough to get promoted, the guys in Buffalo are going to start wondering just what IS good enough to get promoted.

 

2. I simply do not believe Negrych can possibly be a worse player than Bonifacio. He isn't going to bat .430, but he looks like a guy who could bat .260, draw a walk here and there, and play competent defense, three things Emilio Bonifacio cannot do. Bonifacio's OPS+ is what, 30? If Negrych is ever going to play reasonable Major LEague baseball, it's in 2013; he is at the height of his powers, right now. The upside of recalling him is that he could play shockingly well and be traded for something before he turns into Mike McCoy. Suppose he comes up, bats .285 in a hundred games... it'd help the team immensely, win some games, and you could deal him to a sucker organization for a B prospect.

 

2-B. But suppose Negrych fails. So what? What have you lost? Realistically, you've lost nothing. Bonifacio is unwanted; it's not likely anyone would claim him and if they do, oh well. If Negrych blows a game or two, will it really matter to this magnificent 13-24 team? There's basically no downside.

 

3. There furthermore comes a time when the players need to be held accountable and the organization needs to say "Look, we have to start replacing people if we keep losing," and replacing injured players or the eighth guy in the bullpen doesn't count. I'm not suggesting they panic and trade Brett Lawrie; you have to be sane. But if you don't have the stones to replace the utility guy batting .165, just what ARE you willing to do?

[ElNik2013]

Turns out AA made a promise to the Buffalo owner that he'd do everything he could to give them a competitive team, even at the expense of the ML team.

[ElNik2013]

Link?

 

I added the part, "at the expense of the ML team" so I am having a bit of fun, but he did promise to do what he could to give them a competitive. He mentioned getting Mauro Gomez who was Int League MVP. It was in a story by Ken Rosenthal:

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/toronto-blue-jays-gm-alex-anthopoulos-uses-waiver-claims-to-maximum-advantage-at-minimal-cost-042413

[Caper]

Does Boni have options?

[RickJay]

Turns out AA made a promise to the Buffalo owner that he'd do everything he could to give them a competitive team, even at the expense of the ML team.

That understanding implicitly exists between all MLB teams and their AAA counterparts. Many AAA teams have decided to let their affiliation contracts run out specifically because their MLB masters couldn't put decent teams on the field. If Anthopolous told Buffalo he'd give them a good team he wasn't saying anything 29 other GMs didn't say.

 

Look at the rosters of any AAA team; they're all full of marginal veterans who can play decent AAA baseball but have little future as prospects. That's on purpose.

 

If AA is actually keeping players in Buffalo to allow the Bisons to win games knowing it will cost the able Jays games, he should of course be fired. But I don't think that's the case.

[ElNik2013]

That understanding implicitly exists between all MLB teams and their AAA counterparts. Many AAA teams have decided to let their affiliation contracts run out specifically because their MLB masters couldn't put decent teams on the field. If Anthopolous told Buffalo he'd give them a good team he wasn't saying anything 29 other GMs didn't say.

 

Look at the rosters of any AAA team; they're all full of marginal veterans who can play decent AAA baseball but have little future as prospects. That's on purpose.

 

If AA is actually keeping players in Buffalo to allow the Bisons to win games knowing it will cost the able Jays games, he should of course be fired. But I don't think that's the case.

 

 

I agree and I was just having fun with AA's penchant for promises like the one to Vizquel last year and DeRosa possibly Blanco this year. However, we know Thole should've been on the ML team over Blanco since the get-go and given the infield problems, one could make the case that Negrych should've been given a shot, but not that big a deal

[KSaw]

Tonight 2-4 with a walk again.

 

Now hitting .433

[Atothe]

Tonight 2-4 with a walk again.

 

Now hitting .433

 

DFA Izturis and his 3 year contract which btw is ridiculous for 32 year old light hitting average to below average defensive middle infielder.

[GD]

DFA Izturis and his 3 year contract which btw is ridiculous for 32 year old light hitting average to below average defensive middle infielder.

 

How the f*** is 3M per year ridiculous?

[KSaw]

Izturis isn't the problem. He can play short, rarely strikes out and that batting average is creeping up. Bonifacio can't play the infield and Rasmus, Melky, Bautista, Davis, Sierra and Gose are better outfield options. I just don't see the point of keeping a terrific athlete when he's so bad at baseball.

[RickJay]

Yeah, I'm not sure why Izturis should be the first guy on the DFA train. He can at least use a glove, which Emilio cannot, and sad though the comparison is, he's a better hitter.

[GD]

Yeah, I'm not sure why Izturis should be the first guy on the DFA train. He can at least use a glove, which Emilio cannot, and sad though the comparison is, he's a better hitter.

 

His bat is coming around after a terrible BABIP start, too.

[KSaw]

His bat is coming around after a terrible BABIP start, too.

 

Don't be shocked to look up in late September and see Izturis batting .270 with 10 HR.

[GD]

Don't be shocked to look up in late September and see Izturis batting .270 with 10 HR.

 

I don't think he goes Rajai Davis and hits 10 HRs but I think ~.270 with 5 or 6 big flies is reasonable.

[KSaw]

He has 3 already. 10-12 total the way the ball carries at the RC in the Summer at night isn't a stretch.