Juan Pierre and Joe Blanton O's are going after them

[El Gordo]

What's he under contract for and how much are we paying Endy Chavez?

800 K, which would mean by the deadline he would be owed 260 K. I don't get the resistencehere. We need speed anmd OBP at the top of the order. Pierre gives us a better OBP than anyone currentlly on the team, has 20 SB for an 83 % rate. He is a cheap 2 month rental. What's the problem? We would have to give up nothing of great significance to get him, and he would help us to stay in contention. It's not like he is signed for next season and beyond.

[Il BuonO]

Ok, how about as a number two guy in the order? Now it's just annoying, huh?

Man...good question. I'd assumed he was expensive and a potential multi-year burden. He's signed for one year at $800,000.

Good Lord...Chavez is getting almost twice that ($1.5 million).

I need to spread rep.

Well with his high contact % and his low dp rate. Pierre would be a perfect #2 hitter for the O's. I'd be all for leaving Markakis in the leadoff spot if we did get Pierre.

Yes, I knew the answers. Just thought it would be intersting to point out the contrast.

800 K, which would mean by the deadline he would be owed 260 K. I don't get the resistencehere. We need speed anmd OBP at the top of the order. Pierre gives us a better OBP than anyone currentlly on the team, has 20 SB for an 83 % rate. He is a cheap 2 month rental. What's the problem? We would have to give up nothing of great significance to get him, and he would help us to stay in contention. It's not like he is signed for next season and beyond.

You're a little late to the dance, but hop on board....

[Il BuonO]

800 K, which would mean by the deadline he would be owed 260 K. I don't get the resistence here. We need speed anmd OBP at the top of the order. Pierre gives us a better OBP than anyone currentlly on the team, has 20 SB for an 83 % rate. He is a cheap 2 month rental. What's the problem? We would have to give up nothing of great significance to get him, and he would help us to stay in contention. It's not like he is signed for next season and beyond.

Me neither...

[El Gordo]

You're a little late to the dance, but hop on board....

Not really, read the whole thread. I said this at post #19:

Pierre is having a very good year. He has a .344 OBP, hits .300 and is a good base stealer. He is cheap and a 2 month rental, so he allows Avery to stay in Norfolk and be ready for next year. Blanton has a 7.75 K9, a 1.27 WHIP and 110 IP in 17 GS. should be a solid back of the rotation arm. "

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[Il BuonO]

Not reallyt read the whole thread. I said this at post #19:

Pierre is having a very good year. He has a .344 OBP, hits .300 and is a good base stealer. He is cheap and a 2 month rental, so he allows Avery to stay in Norfolk and be ready for next year. Blanton has a 7.75 K9, a 1.27 WHIP and 110 IP in 17 GS. should be a solid back of the rotation arm. "

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I stand corrected, I do remember that post now. I was actually surprised by Blanton's number's.

[LA2]

It makes me a little unsure now that several OH'ers agree on the positive worth of these players. Duquette seems to have the knack for finding players who were either totally off our radar--Thome, Strop, O'Day, Pearce--or whose value we could not comprehend, such as Hammel, Chen, and Lindstrom.

[DallasOsFan]

If Pierre and Blanton are all the Birds are going after, we might as well become sellers and try to pick up a prospect or two.

These two make zero sense.

[Ampontan]

It makes me a little unsure now that several OH'ers agree on the positive worth of these players. Duquette seems to have the knack for finding players who were either totally off our radar--Thome, Strop, O'Day, Pearce--or whose value we could not comprehend, such as Hammel, Chen, and Lindstrom.

I agree with the general sentiment and would add Gonzalez, Pomeranz, and Socolovich, but the Strop and O'Day acquisitions predated DD.

[Va Beach O's fan]

If Pierre and Blanton are all the Birds are going after, we might as well become sellers and try to pick up a prospect or two.

These two make zero sense.

Pierre would make a ton of sense. WE HAVE NO LEAD OFF HITTER. He gets on base, steals bases and puts pressure on a pitcher to watch him at first base even if he doesn't make the steal. The value of a guy like that isn't just found in statistics.

He would bring us a good deal of value for very cheap and give us something we do not currently have which is a real lead off hitter. We have the second worst BA in the league from the lead-off position (I'm sure the OBP is close to the worst in the league as well but I didn't check). Pierre would be an immediate upgrade in the lineup over batting Chavez or Andino leadoff and it would allow Nick to return to a much more natural position as a 2 hole hitter.

This move should be made as soon as it is feasibly possible.

[SrMeowMeow]

I'm fighting down the urge to respond sarcastically because I typically appreciate your commentary. I think it's fair to say that citing the OPS of a slap-hitter after initially making the argument that Pierre can't get on base is basically useless. If you wanted to cite his career (OBP-driving) batting average, well, that's .297. So...hooray for staying on point?

His career .297 average has driven his OBP to a career .344. And that's really his only skill. And it's average. He has a 75% career success rate stealing bases, which means he just about breaks even there. His range is not good and his arm is awful. And he cannot hit for any power. There's simply no reason to think a .297/.344/.363 outfielder with average defense at best is going to be even an average player. And those are his career numbers - he's turning 35. ZIPS projects him for a .287/.337/.348 going forward and that looks about right. He's a fourth outfielder.

[Va Beach O's fan]

Who cares that he can't hit for power, that's not his job! He's supposed to get on base and steal bases and cover some ground defensively in the outfield, all of which he has done far better than anyone currently on this team.

It's not that Pierre is so great, it's that all of our current options to hit leadoff are terrible. Sighting his arm strength and power potential is just an absurd counterargument to why we should not be interested in Pierre. We need a guy who can hit leadoff and can steal a few bags badly and that is exactly what he brings to the table.

Or we could just keep five 1b/dh types on the team and continue to have hardy hit second with markakis first and keep plugging away with our terrible offense. No biggie.

[LA2]

I agree with the general sentiment and would add Gonzalez, Pomeranz, and Socolovich, but the Strop and O'Day acquisitions predated DD.

Thanks for the correction!

Not only do I assume that DD is looking over possibilities of which we're totally unaware, but that the ones he thinks could be difference-makers (as opposed to mere placeholders) are worth the cost--if, in fact, he decides that way. I think he will--I think he's fixated on his prediction of a winning record this year and making and keeping a new promise of postseason play next season.

[SrMeowMeow]

Who cares that he can't hit for power' date=' that's not his job! He's supposed to get on base and steal bases and cover some ground defensively in the outfield, all of which he has done far better than anyone currently on this team.

It's not that Pierre is so great, it's that all of our current options to hit leadoff are terrible. Sighting his arm strength and power potential is just an absurd counterargument to why we should not be interested in Pierre. We need a guy who can hit leadoff and can steal a few bags badly and that is exactly what he brings to the table.

Or we could just keep five 1b/dh types on the team and continue to have hardy hit second with markakis first and keep plugging away with our terrible offense. No biggie.[/quote']

It doesn't matter where he hits in the lineup, a player is the sum of his parts. A leadoff guy who OBPs .300 and slugs .500 is still more valuable than one who OBPs .320 and slugs .300 even though slugging "isn't his job" and getting on base "is". A leadoff guy whose declining range and zero arm cost us runs every game is still a liability. A leadoff guy is the leadoff guy, like, once a game. I'd rather lead off with Adam Jones than Juan Pierre.

[srock]

It doesn't matter where he hits in the lineup, a player is the sum of his parts. A leadoff guy who OBPs .300 and slugs .500 is still more valuable than one who OBPs .320 and slugs .300 even though slugging "isn't his job" and getting on base "is". A leadoff guy whose declining range and zero arm cost us runs every game is still a liability. A leadoff guy is the leadoff guy, like, once a game. I'd rather lead off with Adam Jones than Juan Pierre.

Pierre could be CF insurance for Adam Jones's 'multiple micro fractured' hand. Just in case he has to be DL'd.

I wouldn't pay much of anything for that type of insurance, but I wouldn't mind having it.

Blanton for anything more then a PTLNB and accepting demotion to Norfolk would make this team less good.

[weams]

It makes me a little unsure now that several OH'ers agree on the positive worth of these players. Duquette seems to have the knack for finding players who were either totally off our radar--Thome, Strop, O'Day, Pearce--or whose value we could not comprehend, such as Hammel, Chen, and Lindstrom.

Not that it matters, but Strop was a MacPhail trade and O'Day was a Buck deal.