I do like the depth the lineup has with Kendrick playing 2B 120-130 games, rather than Utley/Kike splitting it, Kike has so much more value playing 5 days a weeks at 3 or 4 different positions. Vs RHP CF Pederson 2B Kendrick 1B Gonzalez 3B Turner SS Seager RF Puig LF Ethier C Grandal Vs LHP CF Hernandez (Could play some SS if Seager's splits normalize after 2015) 2B Kendrick 1B Gonzalez RF Puig SS Seager 3B Turner LF SVS C Ellis Just a guess, leadoff man is always a crapshoot.
Utley took a big hit to his reputation with that big hit he gave out in the playoffs. Maybe we just paying the dude for taking one for the team.
With deals like this they could keep propping up Turners/Kikes/Howies and the like at 2B and use Micah as trade bait.
Vs RHP 2B Kendrick RF Puig 3B Turner 1B Gonzalez LF Ethier SS Seager CF Pederson C Grandal Vs LHP LF Hernandez RF Puig SS Seager 1B Gonzalez 2B Kendrick 3B Turner CF Pederson C Ellis Truth is that we dont have a legit leadoff hitter on our team. Carl Crawford does not count. We would hope that Micah Johnson or Tray Thompson turn out to be viable leadoff men. In the meantime Kike is versatile and will attack any role you give him with attention and care. While Howie is a true pro who can earn his new contract doing whatever it takes to win. Kike should not even be involved in the discussions for 2B. Leave that to Howie and Chapman warming the seat for Micah. Hopefully Micah can beat both veterans for the starting spot by the end of the year like Corey did last season. Howie Kendrick as a veteran pinch hitter and utility man for the rest of his career on reasonable contracts sounds pretty good. Other than Ethier in LF Kike is our best option from all of the current dudes. Let him platoon with Ethier and also spell Joc and Puig. He should be our 4th OF until we can replace all of them with a legit starting LF.
Kendrick, who will average $10MM a year for the next two years, turned down a $15.8MM qualifying offer from the club earlier in the offseason. ouch
just looking at the 25 man shaping up (at full health) Gonzalez, Howie, Seager, Turner, Grandal, Ethier, Puig, Joc, Crawford, Ellis, Utley, SVS, Kike Kershaw, Kazmir, Maeda, Anderson, Ryu Wood, Blanton, Jansen, Hatcher, Howell, Avilan, Yimi No room for Guerrero, so bye felicia. Doesn't seem like their is much room for position player roster flexibility barring injuries and dumping Crawford's ass.
FO was enamored with the draft pick and who da thunk the price would this affordable back then when Utley was signed. Howies agent and the FO overestimated the market for his services. Utley is cheap so he can be released without much of a hit so I'm not so outraged by having him here. He may even be so bad in the spring that he retires.
Beggars can't be choosers...I guess that is what applies here. But who ever figured this is the way it would all turn out? I think it is a good solid signing, and as done after no one else, incredibly, seemed to want him...at least not for what he wanted was a win win situation for us, and gives a full measure of competence at 2b, which, no matter what 'depth'charges/mish-mosh were planned to play there, just don't equal HK at this point. I do wonder, however, about so many of the "fuck Howie-rather have the draft pick" individuals, are now touting how great it is to have him back.
I wanted to re-sign him all along because he is so very consistent and he wore out that right field line before he got hurt. I also believe if he didn't get hurt the demand for him would have been greater. Can't believe that the Angels didn't sign him back.
I don't get what you mean ,Rube..." a big hit to his reputation"... he was always a...how should I put it diplomatically and reserved...uh...a cheap shot cocksucker from day one. Well known, I think. Anyway, I think the Nerds don't reward anybody, per se, for anything they do...heart is a muscle missing from their anatomy. I kinda think if Greinke didn't deserve a reward contract ( no matter what), no one did. I think they figure Chase has got a last hurrah in him-- a blaze of glory-- a last gasp, so to speak. And for some unknown reason...so do I.
Not saying this has gone on here (it hasn't to my knowledge), but another benefit to this deal is we don't have to deal with people bitching about trading Heaney (who is still relatively unproven) for 1 year of Kendrick, while they completely ignore the contributions of Hatcher/Kike/Barnes.
vs. RHP preliminary (ideal; probably later in season): Pederson CF Puig RF Gonzalez 1B Turner 3B Seager SS Kendrick 2B Grandal C Ethier LF Pitcher vs. LHP preliminary: Pederson CF (hoping Joc figures his shit out; if not Kike or Trayce Thompson are good platoon options) Puig RF Gonzalez 1B Turner 3B Seager SS Kendrick 2B Grandal C Van Slyke LF Pitcher either way you order it, there are 8 above average hitters in there every day. looks good.
I would still like another legit back end reliever type. Not that I don't have some faith in our bullpen, bit because I'm a bit greedy. Maybe that can wait until June or July though I guess.
Some saying the Rox made the McGee trade partially because they just plan on flipping him at the deadline...