pirates interested in Dee Gordon:update

[Neddy]

http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-pirates/2012/12/21/3792542/pirates-trade-rumors-joel-hanrahan-red-sox-dodgers

many sites have pirates looking to dump hanrahan's salary for a young SS leadoff type prospect, and dee gordon's name along with boston's iglesias are mentioned. some foreign sites already have the trade reported as a done deal and it is dodgers getting joel hanrahan for dee gordon.

i like the deal as i don't believe brandon league is worth his salary and will revert back to his usual losing ways. joel hanrahan, despite giving up a lot of walks last season, is a proven quality closer and unlike brandon, he is worth his salary.

dee on the other hand, i would like to hold on to if possible and keep him in AAA for another year to prove himself, but looks like the dodger brass have given up on him already.

hopefully the combo of harang/capuano can net us a quality everyday player to man the hot corner who is an upgrade to cruz. i love luis as a utility player who can fill in when starters are resting or injured, but his OBP is atrocious and BABIP tells a story of a very lucky guy who will crash back down to earth once given enough ABs. love, love, love his glove work, however.

[Neddy]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/12/r ... rates.html


well at least a bit glad to be keeping gordon.

[Quake Griffin]

im not finished with dee gordon man.

luís cruz hasnt proven sh** yet....once luis cruz holds down my 3b bag...i'll consider closing the door on dee gordon.

[Neddy]

yeah i agree that it is impossible to depend on cruz for the long haul from the small sample we've got from him last season. even with respectable BA he gave us along with a few clutch hits, he couldn't get on base unless he made a hit and his BABIP(batting average with balls in play) shows incredible amount of luck with his groundballs that just found the seams. unless he learned to take a walk, he will have dry spells in a long 162 game season and will be atrocious when his bat isn't making contact. on the other hand, dee's speed makes him a true weapon if he can just get on base at juan pierre's OBP... ( god i dreaded juanita) IF dee can get on base somewhere around .330 he will probably steal 100 bases...

here is a fantasy exercise... if Dee can get on base @ .330, our lineup should be

1. L SS dee
2. L LF carl
3. R CF kemp
4. L 1B agon
5. R 3B hanley
6. L RF andre
7. L/R 2B platoon of skip and mark
8. R C AJ

if crawford proves to be a dud, switch him to 7th and place the 2B platoon at 2nd in the lineup. we will destroy right handed pitching for sure

ahhh the "what if"s just never end with baseball......

[Quake Griffin]

i must preface this by saying that i think dee can eventually play a good SS and a 29 y.o Hanley is just who he is at the position

u remember brandon crawford at the beginning of last year?...yikes...it was awful....he played flawless in the playoffs...and he was in his age 25 season like Dee will be.


if Dee is a .330 guy...i mean...yikes
I'm ready to go the other way on this than Ive been going the whole winter.
i'm interested in seeing Dee's plate approach with Mark McGwire.....hearsay on another forum was that his approach is different from most hitting coaches.

and if Mark is gonna help Dee walk and get on base at a higher rate > him helping Luis' Cruz's approach and hanley at SS

[Neddy]

you are so high on bigmac as our hitting coach, and maybe there is some merit to that enthusiasm. my skepticism comes from maury wills already having gone through one on one tutoring with dee the last 2 years and unlike previous rabbits who had maury's teaching, like dave robertson or cezar izturis, dee has yet to learn the art of bunt....... he is a bunt single waiting to happen and that one still alone will increase his value tremendously, god man ONLY IF this young fella can get on base.... last year he posted .280 OBP for 330 at bats and stole 31 bases. a full season with just an average OBP as a leadoff man can do him wonders....

on the other hand, i am actually more hopeful of bigmac's teaching on cruz. if that young journeyman can pickup plate discipline and learn to take a walk or two, his value as our everyday 3rd baseman will cement him to be our regular for years to come.

enough dreaming tho, right now it is most likely Skip/Mark Ellis platoon at 2B that will leadoff. both have a very respectable OBP with Righty-Lefty matches when used exclusively to their strength, but Skip's defense makes me feel uneasy when against a right handed starter as our middle of the infield will sport skip-hanley as our 2B-SS.......