Yahoo Sports: Jason Heyward has been a flop. And the Orioles were not wrong to avoid him.

[weams]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fantasy-roto-arcade/closing-time--what-s-happened-to-jason-heyward-142912411.html

At what point do we accept that he's overrated? (I'm as guilty as anyone there; I had him 18th in the outfield - yikes - before the year. I feel extremely fortunate he didn't land on any of my teams.)

Heyward's bat has been wayward for a few seasons now. He slogged through an injury-riddled 2013 season (.254/.349/.427, 14 homers, two steals), and his pop fell off the map during last year?s 149 games (.271/.351/.384, just 11 homers). He's off to a sluggish start with his new team, slashing .217/.261/.349 with a couple of homers, one steal. Heyward's also been dinged up a bit, dealing with a sore groin.

How much of his career slide is attributable to his 2013 beaning? How did his batting mechanics get this far out of whack?

The Cardinals had a hit parade in Thursday?s victory over Philadelphia, piling up nine runs, but Heyward didn't get in on the fun (0-for-4). He struck out once and grounded out three other times, once into a double play.

Ground balls are a big problem with the Heyward profile - he has a 48.8 ground bias for his career, and it's jumped to 66.7 percent (a crazy-high number) through April. Sharp contact? Forget it. Heyward's striking a line drive just 13.6 percent of the time, which largely explains a .250 BABIP.

[Can_of_corn]

What a great writeup, for fantasy baseball.

In the real world defense has value.

I will say that his offensive decline is troubling and unlikely.

[weams]

What a great writeup, for fantasy baseball.

In the real world defense has value.

I will say that his offensive decline is troubling and unlikely.

Absolutely right. His defense is still good. David Lough is on our team because of it.

[ChuckS]

He's a FA after this season. Could come up at a bargain.

Justin Upton, Denard Span, and Dexter Fowler are guys that I think we could target from the 2015 FA class. I like Alex Gordon but he is turning 32 next season and is going to be paid way too much money and get too many years for his age.

Span and Fowler shouldn't come at a crazy cost and would both sure up our OF defensively and give us a quality leadoff hitter. I can see both players going in the 4/50 range.

Upton is the kind of player to go all in on if you are going to do that due to his age and being a true middle of the order bat. It's not like we won't have 50 million of possible budget people. I'd go 6/120 on him.

[clapdiddy]

He's a FA after this season. Could come up at a bargain.

Justin Upton, Denard Span, and Dexter Fowler are guys that I think we could target from the 2015 FA class. I like Alex Gordon but he is turning 32 next season and is going to be paid way too much money and get too many years for his age.

Span and Fowler shouldn't come at a crazy cost and would both sure up our OF defensively and give us a quality leadoff hitter. I can see both players going in the 4/50 range.

Upton is the kind of player to go all in on if you are going to do that due to his age and being a true middle of the order bat. It's not like we won't have 50 million of possible budget people. I'd go 6/120 on him.

And that will not be nearly enough, provided Upton has a good season.

[weams]

He's a FA after this season.

Upton is the kind of player to go all in on if you are going to do that due to his age and being a true middle of the order bat. It's not like we won't have 50 million of possible budget people. I'd go 6/120 on him.

Oh. Yeah. Upton. Ok.

[brooks1083]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fantasy-roto-arcade/closing-time--what-s-happened-to-jason-heyward-142912411.html

Yeah, but he hit a HR in his first MLB at bat.

[DrungoHazewood]

At least I'm comforted that other teams and their writers and fans also are big into declaring players huge flops or unmitigated successes 80 at bats into someone's tenure.

[weams]

At least I'm comforted that other teams and their writers and fans also are big into declaring players huge flops or unmitigated successes 80 at bats into someone's tenure.

Or digging back to find the point where it should have been evident to their incompetent Front Office.

[DrungoHazewood]

Or digging bact to find the point where it should have been evident to their incompetent Front Office.

Only the brain dead acquire players who will one day slump, or have to make adjustments. Good teams just get their hands on players who are consistently awesome. Every single day. Every pitch.

[Redskins Rick]

Only the brain dead acquire players who will one day slump, or have to make adjustments. Good teams just get their hands on players who are consistently awesome. Every single day. Every pitch.

Good GMs also try and deal what players they actually have under contract. :laughlol:

[weams]

Only the brain dead acquire players who will one day slump, or have to make adjustments. Good teams just get their hands on players who are consistently awesome. Every single day. Every pitch.

It always makes me laugh to hear some of the folks rail about failure rates of 60% or 70% percent from the plate. And of pitchers unable to get a swinging or called strike 40% of the time!

[Enjoy Terror]

Players hitting worse than Jason Heyward (min 60PA):

Melky Cabrera

Edwin Encarnacion

Adrian Beltre

Victor Martinez

Carlos Gonzalez

Chase Utley

41 others.

[Loophole]

He'll absolutely end up the best bargain of the offseason.

[ChuckS]

And that will not be nearly enough, provided Upton has a good season.

We will see. Upton's offensive numbers the last few years have been comparable to Adam Jones minus the plus defense. He is an average defender in left. I don't see him as a 25 mil guy. More in the 20 mil a season range, which we will definitely be able afford another player like that with all the money coming off the books after the season.

There are lot of people on this board that think signing journey men off the scrap heat is the way to sustained success. I don't believe that. It can be built through the farm system, but we are very weak at this point positionally and could use a marquee guy via FA. Especially if we don't bring Davis or Wieters back.

Span or Fowler are more likely to be guys we go after, but I would like to see us at least consider a guy like Upton.