Disagreeing With The Smartest Man In The Room

[weams]

Just saying if hitting is at a premium then doesn't that change the math?

Right handed power as well.

[Can_of_corn]

I don't think anyone wants to play mahjong. Or soccer. Something happened out there. I have no idea what. I guess we can't answer those questions until we see how it ends up. Statistically, the current model is less than the one of 40 days ago.

The Milone and Sam Fuld fetish are the things that make me think you are right.

I think Fuld was acquired so he wouldn't have to play Gomes in the field all the time. Milone just seems a high price for that. (yes I know Milone isn't a gamebreaker, he is however cheap and reasonably effective)

[Can_of_corn]

Right handed power as well.

Be nice to pick some of that up for 500K, even if it had flaws.

[DrungoHazewood]

Just saying if hitting is at a premium then doesn't that change the math?

When you're in a depressed run environment all the break-even points drop. You can steal at a lower rate and have it pay off. You can sac bunt with a .550 OPS guy and maybe it makes sense.

When the game changes certain types of players thrive, others go extinct. Maybe Beane thinks the strikeout craziness will continue unabated, and he's picking and choosing a strategy he thinks will be viable when everyone else still hasn't quite gotten over 5-run-a-game baseball? I don't know, I'm throwing darts here.

[Can_of_corn]

When you're in a depressed run environment all the break-even points drop. You can steal at a lower rate and have it pay off. You can sac bunt with a .550 OPS guy and maybe it makes sense.

When the game changes certain types of players thrive, others go extinct. Maybe Beane thinks the strikeout craziness will continue unabated, and he's picking and choosing a strategy he thinks will be viable when everyone else still hasn't quite gotten over 5-run-a-game baseball? I don't know, I'm throwing darts here.

To me, having a guy that can get hot and do some damage over the span of a week has tremendous potential value in the current environment.

I just keep thinking if I am the only one seeing it then I have to be wrong.

[scOtt]

When you're in a depressed run environment all the break-even points drop. You can steal at a lower rate and have it pay off. You can sac bunt with a .550 OPS guy and maybe it makes sense.

When the game changes certain types of players thrive, others go extinct. Maybe Beane thinks the strikeout craziness will continue unabated, and he's picking and choosing a strategy he thinks will be viable when everyone else still hasn't quite gotten over 5-run-a-game baseball? I don't know, I'm throwing darts here.

As always, biting insight from Drungo. Makes you wonder... :scratchchinhmm: Is he smarter than ALL of us?

[scOtt]

To me, having a guy that can get hot and do some damage over the span of a week has tremendous potential value in the current environment.

I just keep thinking if I am the only one seeing it then I have to be wrong.

You mean Cespedes I assume. I'll take Lester every fifth day. Added to their staff scares the hell out of me!

[DrungoHazewood]

I think Fuld was acquired so he wouldn't have to play Gomes in the field all the time. Milone just seems a high price for that. (yes I know Milone isn't a gamebreaker, he is however cheap and reasonably effective)

The only halfway reasonable explanation I've heard for that deal is that Beane was being a nice guy. He and Milone knew that Milone was about 8th on the starting pitcher depth chart, so far down that he's a MLB-average starter relegated to the PCL with no callup in sight. So he sent Milone to a place where he'll pitch every fifth day. Yea, he likes Fuld, but in a normal situation he wouldn't have done that deal.

[Barnaby Graves]

There has to be some kind of angle with the possible relocation of the team, stadium issues, idk. Almost like a marketing gimmick. Not only were the A's already the best team in baseball but he wanted to make huge moves that were suboptimal because it was intimidating. Like the deep stack betting and raising to scare people off.

[weams]

Be nice to pick some of that up for 500K, even if it had flaws.

If only he could play second.

[Can_of_corn]

If only he could play second.

He couldn't even play first.

He can hit tho.

When he's healthy.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I tend to think Corn is right on this one. Cespedes was a solid all around everyday outfielder and they knew that Crisp was injured when they made this deal? Now they have Fuld and Gomes picking up their slack? Granted each can be decent bench/platoon players but still a pretty questionable move imo.

[weams]

Everyone that has been here for a while knows that I have some rather strong views on a number of baseball topics.

I find more and more disagreeing with the moves made by one Billy Beane who is generally regarded as the most forward thinking GM out there.

1- Trading for Johnson. I understand the concept of using a rent a closer to keep the arbitration value of his bullpen core down but if Doolittle signed that extension this season then that couldn't have been the primary motivation. Johnson isn't suited for the park and was an obvious regression candidate.

2- Collecting Starters. The more I look at the flexible rosters and multiple off days of the MLB playoffs the more I think the future is in getting the ball to the pen as soon as possible and not riding a horse for the first eight innings. Starters are pricey, skittish beasts, easily damaged. And yet here we have Beane, picking up an extra #1 while sending a perfectly serviceable starter to Minnesota to reacquire someone they threw away.

3- Beane seems to think that, in a low run scoring environment that it was a good idea to trade a flawed but productive bat in order to double down on pitching. To my eyes in an environment where runs are scarce holding onto the bat is clearly the better play.

Is Beane losing his touch, or am I simply in over my head here with my crazy ideas?

http://m.mlb.com/news/2014/08/02/87558310/royals-blank-as-as-ibanezs-homer-provides-offense

[Stotle]

To me, having a guy that can get hot and do some damage over the span of a week has tremendous potential value in the current environment.

I just keep thinking if I am the only one seeing it then I have to be wrong.

I think Beane and his team are a big believer in the ends over the means. I don't think that makes you wrong. Beane & Co. believe Cespedes isn't integral to their offense, and they can come pretty darn close to replicating his CURRENT output by piecing together a couple other performances. That in exchange for Lester as an upgrade for the CURRENT year is worth it for purposes of a World Series push.

Where he is sacrificing value is next year. But I really believe he looks around baseball and thinks 2014 is the best opportunity the A's will have to win a World Series, and he isn't holding anything back.

[weams]

I think Beane and his team are a big believer in the ends over the means. I don't think that makes you wrong. Beane & Co. believe Cespedes isn't integral to their offense, and they can come pretty darn close to replicating his CURRENT output by piecing together a couple other performances. That in exchange for Lester as an upgrade for the CURRENT year is worth it for purposes of a World Series push.

Where he is sacrificing value is next year. But I really believe he looks around baseball and thinks 2014 is the best opportunity the A's will have to win a World Series, and he isn't holding anything back.

So, you think he will get Rios then.