Disheartening quote from Duquette in this article

[atomic]

We don't have a solid defense.

Besids corner outfielders it is very solid. In the playoff game we had Bourne in right field he is pretty solid. Left field was the only weak spot.

[oriole]

Most of the pieces are still here so why not keep the same formula?? It's not like any of our starters are going anywhere so that can't be upgraded except by Bundy and Gausman getting better and Jimenez and Gallardo drifting back towards career norms.

[Can_of_corn]

Besids corner outfielders it is very solid. In the playoff game we had Bourne in right field he is pretty solid. Left field was the only weak spot.

You think Wieters at Catcher and Jones in Center were "very solid"? I'm not certain I would rate Schoop as "very solid", he's a great tagger and turns the double play well but he isn't exactly rangy.

[Redskins Rick]

You think Wieters at Catcher and Jones in Center were "very solid"? I'm not certain I would rate Schoop as "very solid", he's a great tagger and turns the double play well but he isn't exactly rangy.

Not sure about rangy. Ive seen him get very dang deep on popups, and into COF terrority, not to mention the ground ball he got the other night that hit 2nd base, when he wasn't close to 2nd.

Adam has 4 GG, and those are not Derek Jeter's GGs.

I know you are not a Wieters fan, but most baseball people in MLB believe he is a dang good catcher.

[atomic]

You think Wieters at Catcher and Jones in Center were "very solid"? I'm not certain I would rate Schoop as "very solid", he's a great tagger and turns the double play well but he isn't exactly rangy.

Yeah I rate Wieters and Jones as very solid. What plays have you seen Jones miss that he should have made?

[CanadianOriole]

Duquette's quote about their being no fielders on the other side of the fence is of course true. He just needs to extend that line of thinking ever so slightly to something he used to know - "there's also nothing any fielder can do about a hitter who takes ball four". If he can add a few guys who get on base with some regularity to go with the power - then we'll be in business.

[Can_of_corn]

Not sure about rangy. Ive seen him get very dang deep on popups, and into COF terrority, not to mention the ground ball he got the other night that hit 2nd base, when he wasn't close to 2nd.

Adam has 4 GG, and those are not Derek Jeter's GGs.

I know you are not a Wieters fan, but most baseball people in MLB believe he is a dang good catcher.

Where do you get that from?

I was in favor of the QO and wasn't upset when he accepted it.

The only issue I have with him is that his defense has been in decline since he won the fielding bible.

I just don't think he currently rates as "very solid".

As for Jones, they are not Jeter awards but I don't think he was the absolute best choice in any of those years and he certainly struggled this year.

The only player we had on defense that I would say unequivocally had superior range was Machado.

[Redskins Rick]

Yeah I rate Wieters and Jones as very solid. What plays have you seen Jones miss that he should have made?

Jones is solid, he missed plays this year, he wasn't perfect, but he overall quality of work was very solid.

[Aristotelian]

Not sure about rangy. Ive seen him get very dang deep on popups, and into COF terrority, not to mention the ground ball he got the other night that hit 2nd base, when he wasn't close to 2nd.

Adam has 4 GG, and those are not Derek Jeter's GGs.

I know you are not a Wieters fan, but most baseball people in MLB believe he is a dang good catcher.

Solid doesn't mean gold glove or even above average. It just means...solid. I would describe all of the players you listed as solid. I would definitely describe them as solid if I was DD talking in public.

[Can_of_corn]

Yeah I rate Wieters and Jones as very solid. What plays have you seen Jones miss that he should have made?

There were a number of balls he didn't have the range to make plays on that other Centerfielders would have made plays on.

[Redskins Rick]

Where do you get that from?

I was in favor of the QO and wasn't upset when he accepted it.

The only issue I have with him is that his defense has been in decline since he won the fielding bible.

I just don't think he currently rates as "very solid".

As for Jones, they are not Jeter awards but I don't think he was the absolute best choice in any of those years and he certainly struggled this year.

The only player we had on defense that I would say unequivocally had superior range was Machado.

My apologies. I guess I got my posters, messed up.

Jones had some troubles, I dont remember he had that many, and overall, he had a solid year, IMO.

I think he showed us, that last series in New York, and the Wildcard game, he can still patrol CF, just fine.

[Can_of_corn]

Jones is solid, he missed plays this year, he wasn't perfect, but he overall quality of work was very solid.

Is there any reason to expect the situation to improve as he ages?

Or is it more likely to get worse?

Ideally Jones should get moved to right.

[sportsfan8703]

We don't have a solid defense.

Maybe the OF. The infield defense is great.

[Redskins Rick]

Is there any reason to expect the situation to improve as he ages?

Or is it more likely to get worse?

Ideally Jones should get moved to right.

I agree, ideally, a move to right.

So whom do you have patrolling CF, when you move Jonesy to RF?

MASN mentioned during the WC, that in 2 years, Jonesy has had to play with 20 different COFs, thats a lot of adjustments to make.

[atomic]

Duquette's quote about their being no fielders on the other side of the fence is of course true. He just needs to extend that line of thinking ever so slightly to something he used to know - "there's also nothing any fielder can do about a hitter who takes ball four". If he can add a few guys who get on base with some regularity to go with the power - then we'll be in business.

In fairness to DD he went after Cespedes and Fowler both of whom had good OBP this year. They both wanted opt out clauses which he is not allowed to give due to team policy.