25
2010
Who’s The Better Fit, Fernando Tatis or Ryan Garko?
An article by 
Mike Puma of the NY Post, opined that Fernando Tatis could be re-signed by the Mets if they decide to take a pass on Carlos Delgado.
The prevailing wisdon is that Tatis would be able to platoon with the left-handed Daniel Murphy at first base.
As most of you know, I’m not thrilled with the idea of bringing back Delgado for reasons that I’v already explained on numerous occasions.
In an interesting post, James Kannengieser of Amazin Avenue, says that bringing back Fernando Tatis for 2010 was never a bad idea, and that it became especially attractive after the Gary Matthews Jr. acquisition. He also writes,
Tatis can play the corner outfield and infield positions ably. This flexibility would make him more valuable than signing an outfield-only player like our beloved Endy, or an infield-only player like Ryan Garko.
In 340 at-bats last season, Tatis hit .282 with eight homers and 48 RBIs. One thing that stood out was his glaring propensity to hit into double plays which he did 13 times last season. James K. considers it an anomaly, as do I. It could very well be that Francoeur or Bay leads the team in that dubious category this season, and it’s just one of those things nobody can predict.
Another option would be free agent Ryan Garko who was released by the San Francisco Giants this off season after being acquired before the trade deadline from the Cleveland Indians.
At the time of the trade, he was batting .285 with 11 homers and 39 RBI in 78 games. Not bad really, but after the arriving to San Francisco, Garko’s performance went into the tank batting just .235 with two homeruns in 115 at-bats.
Garko, who is predominantly a first baseman, but has logged a few games as a corner outfielder, had his coming out party in 2007 when he batted .289 with 21 homers and 61 RBI. He followed that up with 14 homers and a team leading 90 RBI’s in 2008. Despite the terrible finish with the Giants, Garko still terrorized left-handed pitching to the tune of a .308 batting average, a .391 on-base, and a .479 Slugging percentage. He has a career .887 OPS and .392 OBP against southpaws.
Until his short stint in San Fran, the 29-year old Garko was consistently good, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t revert to form.
Tatis has already proven that he can handle the pressure of playing in New York and has provided some memorable moments as a Met, but at 35 he is six years older than Garko and could be in decline.
I thought this would make for an interesting debate. What are some of your thoughts?
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
Went to my first Mets game, a Mayors Trophy game at Shea, in '73. We beat the Yankees 8-4 and I was hooked. I marched in two Banner Day parades, and before the Grand Slam single, there was the "Hendu Can Do" grand slam - I was there. I've collected Mets memorabilia all my life and started Mets Merized Online to feed my addiction.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationals | 26 | 18 | .591 | - |
| Braves | 26 | 20 | .565 | 1.0 |
| Mets | 24 | 21 | .533 | 2.5 |
| Marlins | 24 | 21 | .533 | 2.5 |
| Phillies | 23 | 23 | .500 | 4.0 |
Last updated: 05/25/2012
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I like Tatis, but it might be time to move on!
I like Mike Jacobs for this role. He bats left handed but he can play first and the corner outfield positions and has more legitimate power than Garko or Tatis… Last year in an off-year, he hit 19 homers for a bad team. When he was on a contender, his numbers were much better. He would be perfect for this team. For 1 million or so, he may be the best guy available for that sort of price.
Jacobs defeats the whole purpose. The Mets need a right handed hitter to platoon with Murphy. Additionally, Jacobs is one of the most undisciplined hitters in baseball. The choice is Garko because he’s best suited as a platoon partner for Murph. What in the world would you do with Murphy if you had Jacobs anyway?
I hate to say it but the Nats are going after Jacobs.
METSTEM, wHAT ARE YOU BASING YOUR OUTFIELD ASSUMPTIONS ON RELATIVE TO JAKE? NO EVIDENCE HE EVER PLAYED A SINGLE INNING THERE IN MLB OR MILB. DO U REALIZE HE CONVERTED TO 1B FROM ‘C’? BY DEFINITION THAT TYPICALLY TRANSLATES TO LITTLE SPEED/RANGE, CONSIDERING CIT’S OUTFIELD ACREAGE IS SECOND TO NONE IN MLB. AR U CRAZY? U THOUGH MURPH WAS INDEFENSIBLE OUT THERE. JAKE IN A CORNER MAY MAKE MURPH LOOK GOLDEN.
metsmem, I asked u before if u r Jake’s agent or something ; but now your persistance about he revals u must be his MOM! FESS UP! No one else has ever considered Jake viable to play outfield, likely not even Jake himself.
While I’d prefer Tatis, I wouldn’t discount Garko based upon his NL resume; SINCE i FIND THAT TYPICALLY DESPITE INTERLEAGUE PLAY, MEDIOCRE HITTERS USUALLY SUFFER GREATLY AFTER CHANGING LEAGUES. Since I’m also not a huge Murphy supporter @ 1B or any other position he’s proven inadequate at. I’m one who, only if healthy & capable, wants Delgado in the cleanup hole we desperatly need filled with a LH POWER BAT.
I would take Tatis based on his versatility. The risk of injury is alive at every position on the Mets, we need versatile players not not only due to injury risk but also to give the regulars some rest, We don’t want everyone breaking down towards the end of the season. Also, once the season starts and Tatis does not work out it will be easier to find a replacement. No need to take the risk on an unknown entity in this role. Tatis can get the job done…we have seen him do it.
Rick K, You said: “Also, once the season starts and Tatis does not work out it will be easier to find a replacement. No need to take the risk on an unknown entity in this role. Tatis can get the job done…we have seen him do it.” Better not to find out whether or not he works out by not signing him in the first place. Garko is the younger player and a better choice and is not an unknown entity, but rather he has a demonstrated record. Tatis may no longer get the job done with increasing years and may add to his DP accumulation.
At 6 yrs younger (35-29 does not equal 10 if those ages are correct), I’ll take the younger player. Garko has less downside to him than Tatis. The double play may not have just been an anomaly for the aging Tatis and with his age, his performance is likely to decline. Garko on the other hand is in his prime and will make an exellent choice for the 1B platoon with Murphy, while adding some backup depth to the OF situation while we wait for the return of Beltran. If Garko works out, his presence may even facilitate the trade of Murphy in a roll-up with others to obtain a proven SP as the season develops. I’d like to see the Mets show a little aggressiveness right now and pick up Garko, Garland, and Barajas. With those 3, I’d like to sit back and say LGM!
Oops, sorry mask, I wrote this before breakfast lol. It has been corrected.
Can we choose neither? Lest we forget Tatis had a horrible first half last year. he was virtually invisible. Piling up some meaningless stats in a nothing season? He is, in my opinion, done. We should have bailed after we lucked out the first year. He has an extremely slow bat and is not a very good pinch hitter. I haven’t seen much of Garko, but what I saw against the yanks a few years ago in the playoffs did not impress. We actually need a real first baseman.
Garko. Tatis is not bad. I believe the DP’s to be an anomaly as well. I just feel the more faces that are changed on this team, the better. Sometimes, a team needs fresh blood to change the intangibles and chemistry. If I have Garko/Murphy, Blanco, Matthews Jr., Cora and Pagan (after Beltran returns) on the bench, I’ll take that. Garko also has more upside than Fernando. The age difference alone should be a good reason for Garko.
garko. no question
I think this roster may have to change one way or another, and besides Garko is clearly the better player. His ability to get on base agaisnt lefties, .392 OBP, is amazing.
And he has been a 1B for his career!
And he has been a 1B for his career! If the Mets get him he’ll be the starter by July.
Tatis is the clear choice because he has proven to be a clutch hitter and usually comes through when we need a big hit. He can also play more positions than Garko and provide more versatility. I dont really care that he is older because he has proven to be durable and he has maintained his bat speed. I also think he has more power than Garko. There’s a reason why Garko still remains out there.
Some fans just love their guys. Resign Maine after 2 lost years? What the heck resign both Tatis and Delgado! Many wanted to keep Putz. You still hear some clamoring for Pedro. Next it will be ring back Heilman. sometimes it;s just time to move on! Especially when there are rumors and grumblings about a bad clubhouse and lack of effort.
I love Tatis, but if we keep bringing back the same players we’ll keep getting the same results. We know that Wright, Reyes, Johan, and a dozen others aren’t going anywhere any time soon, so we have to change it up with guys like Tatis AND Stokes and other fringe players. By the way, I think the uproar over Matthews for Stokes is ridiculous. You’re talking about the 24th and 25th players on the roster at best. Sorry for posting that last part of my comment on this thread.
Here is something that people are forgetting we are in NL East. There are a number of left handers who are starters in the East. This would be a Very Big plus in signing Garko. Yes Tatis can play more positions but we have a number of player that way. But I think Garko maybe a better fit. He plays 1st mainly and a little corner outfield that is all you can ask. He is younger the other thing we need to do. When you look at it we need to have young utility players not just older ones. At this point you should be able to get Garko at somewhat of a bargin for one or two year or one plus an option year.
Ryan Garko is the better choice by far. If the Mets bring back Fernando Tatis the roster will not be much different then last year. With Henry Blanco-C age 38, Gary Matthews, Jr.-OF age 35, Alex Cora-SS,2B age 34, and possibly at times during the season Chris Coste-C age 36 the Mets need to get younger and change up their roster to address some clubhouse and lack of effort issues that have haunted them during the past couple of seasons. Ryan Garko should platoon with Dan Murphy and see some action in the corner outfield but with Angel Pagan and Gary Matthews, Jr. I do not think he will play too much outfield. Chris Carter-L OF,1B is someone who should be considered for the bench. Carter was obtained in the Billy Wagner deal with the Red Sox and he seems to have a strong bat.
Based on hitting alone, I’d say Garko, but there is more to this than who would be the best right-handed complement to Murphy. With 13-man pitching staffs, no team can afford to have two players who really only play first base. Remember the roster problem they had when they had Julio Franco? With 13 pitchers, 8 starters, and a backup catcher, that leaves just 3 roster slots. One is the 4th outfielder (Matthews or Pagan, depending upon who starts). One is Alex Cora. That means we are talking about the last roster spot on the team (unless they go with 12 pitchers). So, signing Garko would leave the Mets with Cora as the only backup for second, third, and short and Garko as the fifth outfielder. The advantage of Tatis is that he can play five positions. If they go with Garko (or resign Delgado while keeping Murphy), they’d have to make a roster move if there is even a minor infield injury. If Murphy could play outfield or third for more than an emergency or we really could go with a 12-man staff, I’d be much more receptive to Garko. Otherwise, we are looking at sending down our 13th pitcher every time someone is out for two or three games with a minor injury.
If Murphy (or Delgado) is the first basemen, I’d rather they look at the roster slot as a utility position, not a Murphy platoon partner. He will be the primary right-handed pinch hitter and spell Murphy at first against tough lefties. He could also play other positions. This sounds more like Tatis or Rich Aurilia or even Nick Evans, if he could hit MLB pitching, than Garko.
why Garko isn’t a Met already blows my mind.
Garko. Agree might be time to move on with Tatis. But also on Garko if there is another option Mets should look at it. Or Davis could even be up by July so who knows. And why aren’t we talking about starting pitchers. Isn’t that what the Mets really need.
Xavier Nady, if healthy, is better than either Tatis or Garko…and i believe he can play 1B also.
Question how soon will Xavier Nady be ready to play? Here we go again dealing with a player coming off an injury or surgery and again age is a factor here so were does that but you if Nady is not ready until May or June.
Right, not sure when he’ll be ready. He may be ready by ST. i agree the ‘IF’ is KEY, but IF he’s healthy, he’s the best option of the lot, in my opinion.
[...] MetsMerized Online, Joe D asks, who would be the better fit to platoon with Murphy, Tatis or Ryan Garko? Not that I [...]
[...] a post to Mets Merized Online, Joe D wonders who is the better fit: Ryan Garko, or Fernando [...]
This article, in and of itself, shows how pathetic things are in Mets nation.
We actually have to debate between Tatis and Garko. Ohhh, how far we’ve fallen in such a short time.
One thing I found interesting was that Tatis hit into 9 of his 13 double plays in the span of 18 games from the end of May to the end of June, even having 4 come in 3 of those games.
I’d prefer Tatis overall. He plays first, left and right well and is serviceable at third and second if needed. I also think Evans could do just as good a job as Garko in the role of right handed platoon partner, so why waste that money?
I’d also like to see Evans given a shot, but he’s in Jerry’s permanent doghouse and unlikely to come out anytime soon. He’s just another young promising player on the path to destruction at the hands of the Mets clown field mgr. Will the Gangsta destroy Davis when he comes up because he didn’t tie his shoelaces to Jerry’s approval?
To me, Garko is the better choice between the two. I love Tatis & how he has been able to revitalize his career, but I think it’s just time to move on. Sometimes change is needed & to stop hanging onto the same so-so players every year.
What’s wrong with signing Xavier Nady ? He can play first base and also the outfield. He also bats right handed with power.
John, are u totally out from under that rock u fell asleep under? ‘X’ like Endy is coming off of suspected career ending injury(only played 7G last yr). Besides, am I the only one who prefers his cleanup hitter to be armed with more than a whiskbroom? Beltran out for How long? has Bay ever been effective 4TH? Wright? Is his stroke back to normal? I believe to be better than we were in ’05 we need, at minimum, a 25+ GUARANTEED HR BOPPER BATTING CLEANUP LH PREFERRED. We need to come as close to an Utley,Hward,Werth middle as possible. The only possiblility I see is a HEALTHY Delgado. We were burned once Brews made Fielder untouchable as his swing was perfect solution. We are deinitly in big trouble regarding our lineup flow with no Molina to help nurse our Enigmas through stabilization & improvment and no guaranteed viable cleanup bopper playing in huge acreage we’re headed for entire populations left on base when we could’ve easily had a long & dangerous lineup.
he wants to start, not come off the bench.
Thats to bad because he would be a perfect fit. I bet that our great organization don’t even contact him.