2-26-13 – Kids Are Alright, Sandy Trades, Jeffrey Loria, Adjusted OF, Lucas Duda

Just a couple of early thoughts on some of the kids coming in during the late innings this first week of spring training. I know it seems that players like OF Juan Lagares, Of Collin Cowgill, OF Matt den Dekker, and 3B Zach Lutz are hitting better than the guys who are on the parent squad playing the same position, but let’s try and remember that the majority of game time they are getting is in the late innings when they are facing pitching and fielder they wiil see at both the AA and AAA level in 2013. It looks good on the surface, but, to a certain extent it’s a baseball mirage.

What we do have to do is add two more “trades” or signings by Sandy Alderson that look like huge upgrades. The Collin Cowgill for Jefry Marte trade looks like a stroke of genius and the signing and immediate placing of RP Greg Burke on the 40-man looks like it will pay huge dividends in2013.

Question to Jeffrey Loria:  “Jose Reyes said you told him to buy a house just days before the trade.

 Loria - What you were told is inaccurate. I never told him to buy a house. He was looking for a house. I will tell you that he came to an ALS dinner which I invited him to. He sat two people away from me, He came late. I asked him what he was doing in the next week. He told me he was going to Dubai. I said. ‘Has your wife been down to Miami? He said yes she has gone down. She is looking for a home. I didn’t say anything after that… three or four days after that, Larry came to me with the trade he wanted to do. I immediately called Jose’s agent out of respect for him and said Jose is going to be traded and I want you to call him before he reads about. He hasn’t bought a house yet has he? ‘No, he is contemplating.’ Just call him and let him know…”

                                    (fuck you, Loria…)

Metstradamus

How about we worry about defense only to start the season and have an outfield of Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Matt Den Dekker, and Collin Cowgill? What is there to lose at this point? It's not like the guy Den Dekker would replace is Tony Gwynn. They'll catch everything, and any offense we get is a bonus. The UZR goes through the roof, Mike Baxter can pinch hit or platoon as he was meant to do, Andrew Brown can look mean on the bench if a left hander even looks at him funny, and Duda can wear his Paul Bunyan costume and chop wood so that the post game spread can be cooked over an open flame.

                        As I’ve said in the past, John Coppinger hides well behind humor, but he does make a lot of sense sometimes… the only problem with this is, if you give up on Lucas Duda one more time, and send him down, he’s gone forever. He will not survive another shot to his fragile lack of confidence.

                        For now, leave the guy alone on the back fields and let him work on his swing. 0-7 is no big deal in games played in February. Hell, spring training isn’t even supposed to start until March. Play him every day in March and this will work out.