Anyone Have Any Idea Why AM Won't Add the Desperately Needed Big Bat?

[Old#5fan]

I disagree completely. 3 scenarios are possible:

1. Our current young players regress - this means its time to look at alternative options (inhouse or outhouse. hehe, outhouse).

2. Our current players show little to no gains - this also means it's time to explore alternative options. Moves that I was against this offseason, I'd be game for next offseason.

3. Our current players show big gains - few big moves need to be made.

We will always have some questions. Very few players have careers where they put up the same numbers year after year. So you have to go into every season w/ as much depth and ability at each position as possible. Players get hurt, players have junk years, and some players step up. That being said, our OF is stacked and the biggest names in the FA market this offseason were OFers and some good pitchers - which we may still make moves on. So it's hard to be too disappointed in our signings this offseason.

What about a fourth scenario which I think is more realistic than any you have here and that is our young players show modest gains while our older players either regress or don't get any better at all. To me this is where a proven bat would have helped greatly and possibly prevented from happening. Its called protection in a lineup for hitters not used to the pressure of trying to produce in the heart of a lineup.

[GoldGlove21]

What about a fourth scenario which I think is more realistic than any you have here and that is our young players show modest gains while our older players either regress or don't get any better at all. To me this is where a proven bat would have helped greatly and possibly prevented from happening. Its called protection in a lineup for hitters not used to the pressure of trying to produce in the heart of a lineup.

I see your overall point, but I am failing to see where said "pressure" is coming from. If we were competing for anything other than a mediocre record then I would agree, but we are not. I think the lineup will do its fair share of hitting, if anything I would think it would be our pitching that could struggle. We need a proven middle of the order bat about as much as we need an ace right about now IMO. We could use them both, but we are playing for very little in 2010.

[jmmarvel]

What about a fourth scenario which I think is more realistic than any you have here and that is our young players show modest gains while our older players either regress or don't get any better at all. To me this is where a proven bat would have helped greatly and possibly prevented from happening. Its called protection in a lineup for hitters not used to the pressure of trying to produce in the heart of a lineup.

OH WOW! I totally NEVER thought of that idea as a scenario. Oh wait. Read scenario 2 again. Thats what it says. And I doubt that "a proven bat" would have "greatly" done much for us this year. Some? Yes. Put us over the top? No.

[Frobby]

What about a fourth scenario which I think is more realistic than any you have here and that is our young players show modest gains while our older players either regress or don't get any better at all. To me this is where a proven bat would have helped greatly and possibly prevented from happening. Its called protection in a lineup for hitters not used to the pressure of trying to produce in the heart of a lineup.

Are we coddling these younger players a little too much? I'm pretty sure I could come up with some good offensive teams that had young players in the middle of their lineup. For example:

2006 Twins

Mauer (23) batting 3rd

Cuddyer (27) batting 4th

Morneau (25) batting 5th (MVP)

[Old#5fan]

OH WOW! I totally NEVER thought of that idea as a scenario. Oh wait. Read scenario 2 again. Thats what it says. And I doubt that "a proven bat" would have "greatly" done much for us this year. Some? Yes. Put us over the top? No.

Well unlike you and a lot of others here I view the progress of the team in stages. To me one of the most important stages or milestones is to get to 500 or above. I think that will never happen until we get that big bat. So why delay what should and could be possible now, if we only had an Ace and a Bat?

[Old#5fan]

Are we coddling these younger players a little too much? I'm pretty sure I could come up with some good offensive teams that had young players in the middle of their lineup. For example:

2006 Twins

Mauer (23) batting 3rd

Cuddyer (27) batting 4th

Morneau (25) batting 5th (MVP)

Yeah, but they don't regularly have to face AL East Division pitching either. You put the Twins in the AL East and they would be fighting for third place.

[jmmarvel]

Well unlike you and a lot of others here I view the progress of the team in stages. To me one of the most important stages or milestones is to get to 500 or above. I think that will never happen until we get that big bat. So why delay what should and could be possible now, if we only had an Ace and a Bat?

I seriously doubt on 1/11/10 that we are only an ace and a bat away... Make a poll if you disagree.

[osfan83]

I disagree completely. 3 scenarios are possible:

1. Our current young players regress - this means its time to look at alternative options (inhouse or outhouse. hehe, outhouse).

2. Our current players show little to no gains - this also means it's time to explore alternative options. Moves that I was against this offseason, I'd be game for next offseason.

3. Our current players show big gains - few big moves need to be made.

We will always have some questions. Very few players have careers where they put up the same numbers year after year. So you have to go into every season w/ as much depth and ability at each position as possible. Players get hurt, players have junk years, and some players step up. That being said, our OF is stacked and the biggest names in the FA market this offseason were OFers and some good pitchers - which we may still make moves on. So it's hard to be too disappointed in our signings this offseason.

So let's say #2 takes place. Jones has a season simalar to 2009, Pie shows some flahes but over all is mediocre, Reimold, hits a bit better in 2010, Weiters is the #6 hitting catcher in the AL, Matusz and Tillman pitch to an ERA about 5.00 and the team finishes with 74 wins.

What do you do? You can say these players are still young and showing some progress, so let's give them another season and wait on FA's...and that will put you right where you are right now.

Only the extremes will make things drastically different next off season. If the kids have a great year and we finish with 81+ wins, or if they fail completely and we finish 60 some-odd wins. Anything in the middle (which is most likely) we will be having the same conversations. It will be hard to argue next year that 2 big FA's will put a 74 win team over the top...so why sign them? And it will be hard to argue that it's time to give up on Wieters/Reimold/Pie/Jones/Matusz/Tillman. So the best thing to do will be wait another season for molre info.

[ScottieBaseball]

Well unlike you and a lot of others here I view the progress of the team in stages. To me one of the most important stages or milestones is to get to 500 or above. I think that will never happen until we get that big bat. So why delay what should and could be possible now, if we only had an Ace and a Bat?

Beltre didn't want to come here. No dice there.

Holliday fleeced the Cards. That contract will be an albatross little more than halfway through.

Vlad's a shell of his former self. Luke Scott's a better option right now.

Delgado's 38 years old. Much like Vlad, he's not the same guy we coveted 5 years ago.

Maybe a dozen teams in baseball have true "aces" and they're not parting with them anytime soon.

So then who? This free agent market is thinner than an Olsen twin. What "big", available right-handed hitter wants to come here and can bolster the middle of this lineup? If you said Vlad or Delgado, you're grossly mistaken.

[larrytt]

So why delay what should and could be possible now, if we only had an Ace and a Bat?

And if we had five Aces and nine Bats, plus five Closers, and all Gold Glovers, we'd be the best team in history. I can't believe Andy MacPhail doesn't see this, and instead chooses not to gather these Aces, Bats, Closers, and Gold Glovers. I mean, all he has to do is just sign them!!!

-Larrytt

[Sports Guy]

What big bats are available?

[jmmarvel]

Well unlike you and a lot of others here I view the progress of the team in stages. To me one of the most important stages or milestones is to get to 500 or above. I think that will never happen until we get that big bat. So why delay what should and could be possible now, if we only had an Ace and a Bat?

So you're saying that if we never get the coveted "big bat", we will never be above 500? Wow. If this is true, then we will never contend. A sub par team with an all star or 2 doesn't make it to the playoffs, or even finish 500. We had Bedard and Tejada. We sucked. Without a strong core, you won't win in this division. I thought we learned this already this decade. We aren't talking ancient history here.

So let's say #2 takes place. Jones has a season simalar to 2009, Pie shows some flahes but over all is mediocre, Reimold, hits a bit better in 2010, Weiters is the #6 hitting catcher in the AL, Matusz and Tillman pitch to an ERA about 5.00 and the team finishes with 74 wins.

(I cut the quote to save some room.)

If we are in the same place 365 days from now, I will be on the other side of the argument... like I said in "scenario 2". I never suggested waiting 5 years to see how these guys do.

[Old#5fan]

I seriously doubt on 1/11/10 that we are only an ace and a bat away... Make a poll if you disagree.

From being 500? :confused:There are some here ( a minority no doubt) who think it is possible even without an ace and a big bat.

[Hank Scorpio]

From being 500? :confused:There are some here ( a minority no doubt) who think it is possible even without an ace and a big bat.

It's definitely possible that this team wins 81 games.

[Old#5fan]

Beltre didn't want to come here. No dice there.

Holliday fleeced the Cards. That contract will be an albatross little more than halfway through.

Vlad's a shell of his former self. Luke Scott's a better option right now.

Delgado's 38 years old. Much like Vlad, he's not the same guy we coveted 5 years ago.

Maybe a dozen teams in baseball have true "aces" and they're not parting with them anytime soon.

So then who? This free agent market is thinner than an Olsen twin. What "big", available right-handed hitter wants to come here and can bolster the middle of this lineup? If you said Vlad or Delgado, you're grossly mistaken.

If I was GM I would have gone after any of the following, Vlad, Delgado, Bedard and Sheets. I would have gotten at least one of these pairs (bat and ace).