1. Brandon Belt. DOB: 4/20/1988. B-L, T-L. .309/.425/.591, 13 2B, 3B, 9 HR, 179 PA.
2. Wilmer Flores. DOB: 8/6/1991. B-R, T-R. .268/.310/.439, 11 2B, 3B, 12 HR, 213 PA.
3. Chris Shaw. DOB: 10/20/1993. B-L, T-R. DNP.
4. Logan Wyatt DOB: 11/15/1997. B-L, T-R. DNP.
FZ has not made first base a priority in his first two years as GM. That's probably because he actually really likes Brandon Belt and saw an opportunity get more out of him than the previous regime. For his part, Belt seems to be listening to the new voices and responded with the best season of his career, albeit a very shortened one. Belt will be back next year for the final season of his contract. Wilmer Flores who takes a lot of pressure off Belt by more or less platooning with him against lefies will also be back, so there is absolutely not urgency at first base for 2021. Darin Ruf is another RH bat who is a free agent FZ may try to bring back. Buster Posey can also play the position although the preference will likely be for Buster to get complete rest on his off days from catching.
It seems pretty obvious that Chris Shaw is not a favorite of the new regime and it's no lock that he will still be on the 40 man roster come December. It would not shock me if Logan Wyatt is ahead of Shaw on FZ's depth chart. His hitting profile is significantly more typical of FZ targets.
Looking past 2021, I believe 1B is a position FZ will fill with low cost FA's like Flores and Ruf and concentrate his drafting and development resources on up-the-middle talent.
I can almost guarantee that letting Shaw go would be a mistake. He'd be Adam Duvall 2.0, except better. Just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteLet's see....Adam Duvall has averaged just under 1.0 fWAR per season since the Giants traded him. Not sure why we're still crying over that trade. If you take 100 prospects with similar profiles to Adam Duvall and Chris Shaw, Duvall's outcome is probably in the 90'th + percentile. So sure, anything is possible, but the odds are against Chris Shaw having a better career outcome than Adam Duvall.
DeleteThough Belt doesn't get good ratings as a 1Bman, he's passes the eye test especially on his scoops. Flores, well, a sustitute, but not a Belt with the glove.
ReplyDeleteTampa Bay is demonstrating everyday the strength of great defense and sound pitching.
Is Atlanta better than LA? The Braves played a stronger schedule than the Dodgers, the combined East being better than the combined West (IMO).
An All-East World Series has a couple things going for it:
1.Sound baseball teams
2.No Dodgers
OTOH, certainly not what the networks want: no NY, no LA, and no particular national interest.
This is also a zero-sum, rather 40-sum game. If they keep Shaw they will have to let someone else go. You win some you lose some. I would take Yaz over Duvall, and we traded Duvall not just let him go.
ReplyDeleteSo overall we are doing fine.
Agree on up-the-middle talent plus, with the shifting, it's good to have a 3B that can play up the middle, too.
ReplyDeleteThe trade for Duvall netted Mike Leake for 1 memorable start and 19 days on the DL.