What about platooning Lind / Davis (Kinda)

[Hendrix]

So here's the career splits against RHP's and LHP's for Lind, Davis, and Edwin.

Code: Select all

         right     left
lind     0.842     0.615
rajai    0.663     0.76
encarn   0.768     0.846


Why not put Edwin at 1st against LHP, and Rajai can play DH or LF (w/ Thames playing DH).

It just seems so awful to have a 0.615ops bat 'protecting' Bautista, ever. Lind's put up 56.5 runs, and 79 rbi's over the last 2 seasons while batting cleanup behind one of the best obp guys in the league. If we could platoon Lind we could always have a .840+ career ops guy batting behind Bautista. Not only would that get more production out of the 4 hole, but I imagine it would help Bautista's Rbi, and Run #'s as well.

That way the meat of our order would be.

Vs. RHP`s
Bautista .1025ops
Lind .842ops
Edwin .768ops
Lawrie .983ops


Vs. LHP`s
Bautista .1156ops
Edwin .846ops
Davis .760ops
Lawrie .786ops

And the current vs lefties is.

Bautista .1156ops
Lind .615ops
Edwin 760ops
Lawrie .786ops

Obviously some of these numbers have a questionbably small sample size, but it`s all there is to work with really (re: Lawrie)

[flatjacket1]

I think within a few weeks Lind won't be batting cleanup anymore. Either Lawrie or E5 should be batting cleanup, with whoever isn't batting cleanup batting 5th.

I like the idea of a platoon but Raja platoon robs us of a pinch runner and E5 handles lefties just fine. I think this is just an overreaction the Raja having a good game today. He is still a pinch runner who can hit occasionally.

[Hendrix]

I think within a few weeks Lind won't be batting cleanup anymore. Either Lawrie or E5 should be batting cleanup, with whoever isn't batting cleanup batting 5th.

Even if you just shuffle up the order, having a .760ops bat in the order instead of a .615ops bat seems benificial to me.

I like the idea of a platoon but Raja platoon robs us of a pinch runner and E5 handles lefties just fine.

I'm not sure robbing ourselves of a pinch runner is a big deal. You would get the benifit of his speed for 3+AB's each game which I would think would be worth than the runs he could get in pinch running situations. And plus, while you lose a pinch runner, you also gain a pinch hitter in Lind if a RHP comes in later in the game.

I think this is just an overreaction the Raja having a good game today.

Not really. It's a reaction to career stats, and I've wanted Lind to be platooned for quite a while.

[flatjacket1]

I'm not sure robbing ourselves of a pinch runner is a big deal. You would get the benifit of his speed for 3+AB's each game which I would think would be worth than the runs he could get in pinch running situations. And plus, while you lose a pinch runner, you also gain a pinch hitter in Lind if a RHP comes in later in the game.

In my opinion you will get Raja on base once per game. If we pinch run him he will also get on once. Hes not good enough at getting on to be worth not being a pinch runner.

Not really. It's a reaction to career stats, and I've wanted Lind to be platooned for quite a while.

Fair enough, I also want Lind platooned but I think Raja is the wrong decision. Edwin yes.

[Hendrix]

In my opinion you will get Raja on base once per game. If we pinch run him he will also get on once. Hes not good enough at getting on to be worth not being a pinch runner.

So if he gets to use his speed on the basepaths once a game anyways (and I kinda doubt he's going to pinch run once a game), why not get the added benifit of a .760ops bat vs. a .615ops bat?

Fair enough, I also want Lind platooned but I think Raja is the wrong decision. Edwin yes.

I really wanted to go after Ortiz this year so we could platoon Ediwn/Lind, but the reality of the situation is we don't have a guy like that to let us do that. With the tools we have to work with it seems to me Davis may be one of the better options to improve our lineuep vs lefties.

[flatjacket1]

I really wanted to go after Ortiz this year so we could platoon Ediwn/Lind, but the reality of the situation is we don't have a guy like that to let us do that. With the tools we have to work with it seems to me Davis may be one of the better options to improve our lineuep vs lefties.

Okay you have me sold. Davis DHing for Edwin and Edwin playing 1st when we face LHP might improve in this team.

[CrymeTime]

Has there ever been a posision player that played 100+ games in a season, and not start one of them?

[satyr9]

When we first signed Francisco, I thought maybe it was to enable a double platoon for Thames and Lind, but after watching how they've used Rajai in just the first two games, I don't think that's what will happen.

Maybe it will change and you'll see the double if Lind continues to be an abject failure against LHP, but my guess is the move was designed to keep Davis around for late game substitutions rather than a platoon. In a crucial AB he's there to pinch from the other side and if it's RHP, he doesn't have to get himself on base, he can run for someone else.

Now, maybe it's better to double platoon, but I think that's the bonus and they're willing to give Lind one more shot to prove he can be an everydayer (not saying that would be my choice) if that was what they had in mind there were more interesting cheap RHP mashers to fill the DH spot and play Rajai in LF rather than Francisco in LF and Davis DHing. If that's the plan rather than a double platoon, I would still shift Lind to DH against LHP instead of 1B though. That just makes your substitution possibilities easier to handle and you're less likely to end up with Jose or Vizquel manning 1B in a weird game.