C: Mike Napoli
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
2B: Mark Ellis
SS: Yunel Escobar
3B: Kevin Kouzmanoff
LF: David DeJesus
CF: Adam Jones
RF: Randy Winn
DH: Jason Kubel
SP: Zack Greinke
SP: Hiroki Kuroda
SP: Ricky Nolasco
SP: Ubaldo Jimenez
SP: Andy Sonnanstine
CL: Matt Capps
If you set the replacement level at .292, and add a win above replacement for both the bench and the rest of the bullpen, this team would be expected to win between 90 and 100 games.
It's not the perfect awesome no-name-value team; it's an example of an awesome no-name-value team. And hey look the defense is amazing. Get out.
0 recs | 46 comments
But they have no legit ace!
Good stuff, and im never tiring of the love you give my fellow Andy.
Slica - November 8, 2008
It's amazing that Kouzmanoff could be part of an outstanding defensive team
JI - November 8, 2008
It's hard to find a decent no-name third baseman
Jeff Sullivan - November 8, 2008
Ludwick would be a better right fielder
JI - November 8, 2008
You're probably right
Winn is obscenely underrated, though.
Jeff Sullivan - November 8, 2008
Yes.
JI - November 8, 2008
Can we trade for Winn already?
JI - November 8, 2008
Didn't we used to complain about Winn's rag arm?
chinn - November 8, 2008
I never did.
JI - November 8, 2008
As a CF we did. Because he does have a weak arm for a CF.
It’s fine for a COF though.
Coach Owens - November 9, 2008
Marco Scutaro?
Not a full-time 3B, but the fielding bible has him at a crazy +15 in just 41 games at 3B. That makes up at least in part for swinging a candy cane.
slamcactus - November 8, 2008
I'm not buying that as his true talent
Jeff Sullivan - November 8, 2008
You probably want a RHB on the bench to platoon with Kubel...
…but that’s like shooting fish in a barrel.
The best thing about having an awesome defense is that at the end of the season, your pitchers will no longer be no-namers and you can sell high on one or two them to some unwitting GM who can’t tell the difference between pitching and run prevention.
ubelmann - November 8, 2008
x
that’s hot
alon91 - November 8, 2008
I HATE MIKE NAPOLI
chinn - November 8, 2008
He's a Mariner-killer, it seems.
.Taylor - November 9, 2008
Not only is this comment extremely useful
it has near-perfect Coach replica punctuation to boot.
JI - November 9, 2008
heh
Robert - November 9, 2008
You chose the 25 comments most like Will's? That's dedication!
.Taylor - November 10, 2008
Kuroda is a no name?
Goose - November 8, 2008
He didn't get much credit for being awesome this year.
Teej - November 8, 2008
Seems like it
but feel free to replace him with, I dunno, Wandy Rodriguez or Jair Jurrjens or someone.
Jeff Sullivan - November 8, 2008
You put any stock into Wandy's home-road splits?
Teej - November 8, 2008
Nope
I always look at the overall picture, and besides, there’s no reason for Minute Maid to work like that.
Jeff Sullivan - November 8, 2008
Figured.
I think I even started to notice it evening out toward the end of the year anyway.
Teej - November 8, 2008
Not only is Jair Jurrjens an awesome no-name guy he also has an awesome name
Nick S - November 9, 2008
Replacing Kuroda with Wandy
puts the team cost at under 30MM.
Blicks - November 9, 2008
Or Jair, for that matter.
Personally, I prefer Jair.
Blicks - November 9, 2008
Mike Napoli is the awesome
What do you think the Angels want for him?
Also, Mike Napoli compares fourth most favorably to Rick Wilkins through the age of 26. And in Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball, Wilkins was the man.
Frosty Raptor - November 8, 2008
Yes, that's what we need...more catchers...
Oh wait…no.
SethGrandpa - November 8, 2008
Why not?
Jeff Clement is better served at first base and Kenji Johjima can be used as a DH or backup catcher. Assuming that Rob Johnson isn’t starting material in the majors, who else does that leave that can help Seattle immediately at the catcher’s position?
I don’t see a near-term log jam.
Frosty Raptor - November 9, 2008
I don't have a problem with acquiring more talent at catcher, but a lot of what you're saying isn't really true.
Clement might not be a catcher in the long term, but it’s too early to say for sure. Adam Moore is a factor. Johjima as DH makes me want to curl up into a little ball and cry.
Aaron Campeau - November 9, 2008
Johjima is good for shorter games man! Imagine all those GIDP's, much more efficient.
dpseadv - November 9, 2008
Well I didn't say Johjima at DH was multi-year solution
But given that the front office probably isn’t going to drop the clutch on playoff contention in ‘09, it’s a chance for Joh to restore his offensive prowess (for a catcher) and perhaps be unloaded onto another team.
Also, I thought Adam Moore was still developing.
Frosty Raptor - November 9, 2008
No he's not
Bad defensive catcher with > league average bat vs. shitty defense 1B with > league average bat?
Graham MacAree - November 9, 2008
Has he already hit his ceiling with regards to defense at first base though?
He could improve. He doesn’t have a lot of professional experience at the position. And I know reasonable potential progression in defense is unlikely to offset the loss of transitioning his bat from catcher to first.
That said, is the influence (or lack of influence) of a bad defensive catcher on a pitcher’s performance predictably understood? What if there’s a catching “dark matter” that’s yet to be discovered?
Frosty Raptor - November 9, 2008
And to think...
If Bill Bavasi was better at his job, we would’ve not only had Kuroda, but we would’ve also have been saved from signing that fat piece of shit Silva and possibly making that Bedard trade too. I am thinking, even though the Mariners would’ve most likely overpaid, I think the trade off would’ve been much better.
Fin - November 8, 2008
Jeff
How much money does this team make?
Just curious.
future - November 9, 2008
I get 35.15 MM total
Napoli, Gonzalez, Escobar, Kouz, Jones, Sonny, Greinke, Jimenez all make league minimum. I might have missed someone who’s arbitration eligible, so someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
3,200,000 total among all the players (assuming each get 400K).
DDJ- 3.7MM in 09
Capps – 2.3MM
Ellis- 5MM
Winn- 8.25MM
Kubel- goes to arbitration, made 1.3MM this year (let’s say he makes 5MM next year)
Kuroda- 10MM
Blicks - November 9, 2008
In any case, < $40 MM.
Insanity.
Aaron Campeau - November 9, 2008
Substitute Ludwick for Winn and it gets a bunch cheaper.
JI - November 9, 2008
I'd put DDJ in CF
if this was just a team for this year.
For reasons I cannot comprehend, the Royals have this weird fetish for Joey Gathright and insist on playing him in CF instead of DDJ.
Replace DDJ in LF with Josh Willingham or Fred Lewis?
rfloh - November 9, 2008
I had Willingham in there first but then I got concerned about his defense
Lewis was my DDJ backup.
Jeff Sullivan - November 9, 2008
Yeah, I'm not so sure about Willingham's D either.
rfloh - November 9, 2008
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