8
2013
Valdespin Is Saying And Doing All The Right Things
An article by 
Updated by Joe D. at 5:00 PM
Here’s a brief update to this morning’s Jordany Valdespin post. Dog-house or not, it would seem like a big mistake to me if Valdespin fails to go north with the Mets when all is said and done.
That said, Terry Collins continues to downplay his chances of making the team, saying, “It’s March 8th. I’ll wait.”
It could be the manger’s way of keeping the 25-year old Valdespin motivated.
Valdespin made his first start of the spring in the outfield today, and he really put an exclamation point on his performance. With the game knotted at 1-1, ‘Spin put a charge into one and launched a solo home run in the seventh to give the Mets the lead. It was his second homer of the Spring and he is now batting .333 through eight games.
The Mets went on to lose the game 3-2 to the Tigers.
After the game, Collins admitted that Valdespin has played well and adds energy to the lineup. “He likes to play. He loves to be on the stage. He plays with some flair,” Collins said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. But he certainly plays with some energy, too. We need that.”
Original Post 6:50 AM
Before the game yesterday, Jordany Valdespin sat by his locker, his eyes glued to a television showing the Phillies-Nationals highlights. However, his mind seemed elsewhere, but apparently not on his quest to be the Opening Day leadoff hitter in center.
“They have a decision to make, and the only thing I can do is keep playing hard and give them something to think about,’’ Valdespin said. “I can’t make the decision. I have to play hard and see what happens in spring training.’’
Valdespin rarely made eye contact, instead kept on watching the television.
Valdespin has several factors working in his favor. He’s able to play second base as well as the outfield, and versatility is always a plus. He hit five pinch homers last season, so he has the ability to jump-start a rally. He can also get things going with his speed.
Whether he’s a starter or role player, he’ll take either. There have been times when Valdespin’s attitude didn’t always endear himself to the Mets’ brass, including being suspended in winter ball. He seems to have gotten the message.
“I’m happy with whatever they want me to do,’’ Valdespin said. “I’ll work hard either way.’’
Valdespin led off and played second yesterday against the Marlins, and as he has been doing in almost all his Grapefruit League opportunities, he stood out with his dynamic play. He has the ability to be a catalyst and a difference maker when he’s in the lineup. I can see that now.
During the game he was robbed of an extra-base hit on a fly ball down the right field line in the first inning. But as I wrote yesterday, what was impressive about the at-bat was not the near hit, but how Valdespin worked the count full after being behind.
“The more pitches I see, the better,’’ said Valdespin, who started at second base and made a running catch down the right field line on a foul ball.
Collins said Valdespin is showing more discipline, and noted his third at-bat when he was unhappy with a strike call, but kept his focus and didn’t give away the at-bat.
“He’s getting better at being aggressive, but working the count,’’ Collins said. “He fought off some tough pitches and hit the ball hard.’’
Thoughts by Joe D.
It was thought originally by some, that Valdespin would be squeezed out because of a numbers crunch on the roster this Spring. The additions of Andrew Brown and Collin Cowgill made an outfield spot difficult to envision especially when you add in how high the organization is on Matt Den Dekker.
Trying to find a spot as an infielder seems to be a more difficult challenge. Justin Turner and Omar Quintanilla are both well liked by Collins, and then you have Zach Lutz, Josh Satin and Brian Bixler all jockeying for a job too.
Valdespin is one of the few Met players who is having a solid spring at the plate and in 20 at-bats he’s made the most of his opportunity with a slash of .350/.381/.500. When he’s on the field there’s an electricity about him that’s easy to see. He’s always moving and looking and waiting for his chance to impact the game and contribute to a win.
It’s becoming very difficult to overlook what Valdespin can bring to the 2013 Mets. Like Jose Reyes before him, he can add a charge to the top of the order and ignite a rally.
He’s letting his play do all the talking now and while he seems to be an outcast at times in the clubhouse, it would behoove Terry Collins and the Mets to remedy that situation and let bygones be bygones.
The talent is there… The desire is there… The high upside is there… The love of the game is there… But will he be there at Citi Field on Opening Day? Only the Mets hold the answer to that question.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 24 | 18 | .571 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 20 | .535 | 1.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 23 | .465 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 16 | 24 | .400 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 32 | .256 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/18/2013
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Valdespin might be the most gifted young positional player the mets have under the age of 25.
I cant think of any other that has the combo of speed, power, and a cannon of an arm. If he learns discipline, at the plate and in front of the media, the sky is the limit.
Maybe Captain Crunch can earn his paycheck by teaching Valdy to say cookie cutter statements to the media, smile, wear only blue and orange met gear at all times, and make more eye contact.
Valdespin is AAAA.
He might be. Just have to give him some time but he’s far from certain the way some make him out to be.
Valedspin is NOT AAAA. He is no doubt,100% going North. He’s playing like a big leaguer right now and he’s not going back. Where he will wind up on the field? I don’t know but he’s a big leaguer right now.
I was pretty fickle about this kid last year, but I really hope he succeeds. Nothing wrong with attitude and swagger as long as it’s focused and in support of the Mets.
All he has to do is be a better defensive 2B than “Brick Hands” Murphy, which is not that difficult. Unlike Murphy, Valdy has most of the tools, except maturity. Murphy is the most over rated player I’ve ever seen in my 46 years on the planet. I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face…Murphy can’t field, run, and has no power. Other than that he’s an all star to so many. He’s a “Punch and Judy” hitter, but because he’s home grown and says the right things, fans over look the obvious. If Collins can over look Murphy’s defense, then why not Valdy’s?
Seems like you are now under rating Murph’s D and pop (racked up a nice number of doubles). You can’t deny Murph’s game is much improved at 2B. The again, you can, but you’d simply be wrong.
I’ll ask you this…if Valdy played everyday, would he have as many doubles as “brick Hands”? If Murphy can do it with his lack of speed, why couldn’t Valdy who clearly is faster and runs the bases correctly (unlike Murphy). Valdy also has MORE pop in his bat than Murphy, who didn’t any homers until he got to a windy Wrigley field and barely got two over the fence mid season. Murphy clearly only beats out Valdy in a popularity contest because people watch the game with their heart and over look all of Murphy’s flaws while pointing out Valdy’s because he’s cocky.
That being said doesn’t he like many Mets players need to prove something as a starter first?
I am not a Murphy lover but certainly Jordany isn’t just going to walk in and unseat him after hitting this as a starter last year:
.254 .288 .373 .661 with 2 HR.
Do I think he has potential to be better than that? Yeah. But I don’t think you can just pencil him in over Murphy at this point either.
Valdy only had 206 at bats vs. Murphy’s 612. Valdy managed to hit 8 homers and drove in 26. Murphy in three times the AB’s had only 6 homers and 65 RBI’s. Don’t forget that Valdy was a rookie. Murphy draws very few walks, so to claim that Valdy doesn’t walk enough is total BS! Is it safe to project what Valdy can do with Murphy’s 600 plus at bats? Think about it.
Again, as a starter V-Spin did absolutely nothing. So while he has promise, he certainly isn’t just going to walk into the position until he proves he can take it.
Only consistent starting status could tell us what Valdy can bring.
A) not impressed watching Valdy flub it up in IF last year
B) the consensus was it was a low power year for Murph–with 40 DBs and a BA better than .290
C) Valdy often looked pretty inept at the plate
D) ST in no way, shape or form serves as a bellwether to the season a player will have
No anointing makes any sense just yet.
“the consensus was it was a low power year for Murph”
Which is not unexpected from a guy coming off his second consecutive Knee Surgery in two years since Power usually starts in your legs….
I bet his power comes back to normal levels this year….
Which lets face it is around 15-20 HRs at best.
As long as the average stays high it’s his job to lose!
I disagree. He has to do more than just be a better defensive 2nd baseman than Murph – he’ll have to hit consistently to take over the every day 2nd base position. And that isn’t happening this spring. More than likely Murph starts at 2nd – unless there’s some late spring trade.
However, I can see Spin making the club over Kirk. He’s got more versatility and so far he’s been better at the plate than Kirk or MDD has been this spring.
He is defintely going north with the big club
It’s good to see Valdespin carry his good hitting from Winter ball into Spring Training. All he can do is continue to have a solid Spring and increase his chances to see if he goes North when camp breaks but as the last sentence in the post says, “Only the Mets hold the answer to that question.”
At this point, Valdespin almost needs to make it.
Assuming he´s over the behaviour issues mostly, he definitely is one of the toolsiest position players on the roster and has above average speed to go with at least average if not above average power.
The one big knock besides maturity had been an awful approach at the plate. A .300 OBP or less is tough to justify unless you´re a good defensive C maybe. And swinging at pitches out of the strikezone won´t help. But at least late in 2012, apparently in Winter Ball and also so far this spring, Valdespin has been working deep counts and has managed to lay off bad pitches.
Now, I´m not sure he´d really be an upgrade over Murphy at 2b at this point offensively. And defensively Murphy has made major strides too and is playable by now.
However, considering the poor outfield, Valdespin should see plenty of action there, besides being versatile enough to spell the infielders.
As of right now, I´d pencil in Valdespin into a “super-sub” role.
Of course, if Valdespin is in the majors, there´s probably no space for Kirk Nieuwenhuis. However, it appears he could use some time at AAA.
And who knows whether Lucas Duda seizes what is likely his final chance or that Marlon Byrd still looks good in May.
My prediction as of now:
C: Buck
1b: Davis
2b: Murphy
SS: Tejada
3b: Wright
RF: Byrd*
CF: Cowgill *
LF: Duda
Bench:
Recker, c
Quintanilla, if
Valdespin, if-of* (frequently spelling Byrd / Cowgill)
Baxter, of-ph
Turner, if (or Lutz if Turner is traded and Mets open a 40-man roster spot that way)
Nieuwenhuis to AAA.
Hicks DFA and to AAA.
Den Dekker & Brown to AAA.
I am almost in agreement. I wonder though if Hicks will be kept because of his pop and Omar Q will wind up in AAA because he isn’t on the 40 man roster.
At least so far, Hicks has looked awful and Q. as good as last year.
Shouldn´t be a problem swapping them on the 40-man. Hicks wont be claimed – and even if so, similar Quad A talents should be availabe.
As of right now, I see those same players making the team as you do.
I wish there was a spot for Brown. I’d really like to see what he might produce with some regular playing time. He’s got a cannon for an arm, some speed and power in that bat. I believe he hit 44 HRs the last 2 years in the minors and another 5 HRs with the cup of coffee he got in the ML last season. At this point, he might be a better option than Duda for LF.
I think just due to the roster crunch guys with options left or not on the 40 man will head to AAA to keep room for guys like Byrd, Pedro, etc.
The roster crunch coming could be interesting. I would much rather lose Turner than Havens or Lutz.
Yes, I agree with you on Brown. Very nice arm and some pop in his bat. Before they brought in Byrd, I thought he was going to be the surprise of Spring Training.
Agreed but he has started slow. Obviously there is a lot of ST left but like I said I think the fact that he isn’t on the 40 man and has options remaining means he is destined to start in AAA and they will ride Byrd and Duda until one flops.
As like most other years, who has options left and who doesn’t will play a big part in who gets those last few bench and BP spots – as well as the 40 man roster.
I am very curious about the 40 man roster crunch coming. Maybe I will do a post about that later in the day.
The 40-man roster crunch shouldn´t be that difficult.
Quintanilla & Hicks can just swap places, so that´s easy.
Atchison – and for now Byrd – seem like obvious additions. So, at least two spots are needed.
Havens seems like an obvious DFA candidate. He still doesn´t look 100 %, turns 27 this year. Murphy, Valdespin and probably Flores are all ahead on the 2b depth chart. And if the Mets are serious about Flores at 2b, that´s where he should play at AAA. If Havens gets claimed and breaks out elsewhere, so be it. That´s one spot.
The other spot gets a bit more difficult.
From what I´ve seen of Gonzalez Germen, his velocity has been lower than expected. He has been hit hard – be it in a small sample. However, his “upside” probably is setup reliever anyway. He´s similar to Josh Stinson or Armando Rodriguez who got removed last spring in that regard. Sure, you´d like to keep him – but if he´s claimed, there are at least a dozen arms with higher ceilings and at least another dozen arms with similar ceiling than him in the system.
Cesar Puello also could be a DFA candidate, depending on how he looks this spring which I can´t tell, not having been there or watched any games where he´s appeared.
Another option is trading Justin Turner for someone who isn´t 40-man roster eligible yet.
If the Mets believe in Valdespin & Lutz as utility players or more, Turner could be expendable as nice as he is. Plus, Turner could be of use as a backup to a contender right now.
Of course, one of the other players on the current 40-man could suffer a major injury over the next two weeks and be 60-day-DL bound. That also isn´t too far-fetched unfortunately.
A 3rd spot could be needed if Feliciano or Rice wins the 2nd lefty job over Carson. However, I assume Feliciano get more time at AAA initially to work himself back 100 % and might as well try Carson first. Gorski probably is AAA bound. The question is whether the Mets like Gorski or Carson better longterm. One of these two could also be a roster crunch casualty.
Don´t think there´ll be room for Laffey or Latroy Hawkins for now, barring injuries.
Same for A.Brown, Hoffman or Bixler. While they have a chance to move up, for now, Byrd seems to be the likeliest candidate to head north.
The real problems loom going forward with candidates like Den Dekker, Mazzoni, Montero or Leathersich approaching the majors fast and possibly being in line for a late-season promotion besides a need to protect prospects like Tapia or maybe Matz, Aderlin Rodriguez, Ynoa, Vaughn or Ceciliani among others next winter, depending on how their seasons go.
The only veteran free agents on the Mets after 2013 are Santana, Marcum, Lyon, Buck and FF for now. Byrd & Atchison too if they are added. Things could get really close this upcoming fall. The Mets may have to become more aggressive in trades and offer 3 for 1 types eventually to avoid losing promising prospects for free.
MOST LIKELY IT’S BEST NOT TO CONSIDER COMPARING HIS ST OFFENSE TO OTHER CANDIDATES, AS ‘SPIN HOLDS THE ADVANTAGE HAVING BEEN PLAYING “MEANINGFUL” WINTER GAMES UNTIL JUST PRIOR TO REPORTINFG TAKING AWAY THE TYPICAL EARLY ADVANTAGES PITCHING HAS OVER HITTING IN ST.
PERSONALLY I’D CERTAINLY KEEP HIM FOR HIS LH POWER BAT OFF THE BENCH AS I’D SUSPECT THE MOST LIKELY OUTFIELD COMPONENTS PACKING WINTER CLOTHES FOR NYC WILL BE:
LF-DUDA
CF-COWGILL
RF-BYRD
RESEREVES-denDECKER AS LATE GAME LFer & VALDESPIN AS UBER-UTILITY INF/OUTF & LH PHer.
that goes for Byrd too. he pretty much came to camp in mid-season form, and early in ST that does mean a lot.
Absolutely hilarious how many people are talking about hope for Brown & Hicks in a thread lauding Valdespin’s chances of making the team. Funny how that works. And funny how it’s mostly the “who me?” people talking about Brown & Hicks in this thread.
Bayonne, when i started seeing the comments, i stayed away from this thread as i feel this is the type of thread that got me sent to the drunk tank, it’s not even worth it to engage with these people. the double standard continues at a higher level now.
I have seen one person in this entire thread say something very negative about V-Spin. Who are you even talking about?
Ohhh, and BTW, when i said hicks is a piece of you know what, and pretty much got into an argument with all the SA lovers, i got sent to the drunk tank by the site owner… Go figure, now the same people are realizing that hicks is exactly that, Apology accepted from everyone including Joe D.
He may suck but I haven’t seen enough of him in 15 AB’s to make that judgment.
There´s usually a reason why players can be had for virtually nothing in terms of Baseball value.
The Mets “bought” Hicks from the A´s. If he gets displaced by Quintanilla who has looked much better, who cares ?
The low key additions I liked this winter were Burke & Brown. Byrd seemed like a waste of money when he was added but has looked surprisingly good thus far.
Basically, what do you expect when you go shopping on 5th Avenue with 7 dollars and no credit card in your pocket ? A 5 star meal or a diamond ring at Tiffany´s or a Hot Dog & a Coke ?
The Mets didn’t have to shop at Tiffany’s. Why does it have to be so extreme? The Mets could have gotten something very nice at Macy’s instead. But remember when Alderson said they had money but he doesn’t necessarily have to spend it?
He neglected this roster. With Harvey here now, Wheeler pitching this season in the bigs too (if he’s the real deal) and possiby d’Anaurd and Ike, Wright, Niese, Parnell, Valdy, Tejad,Murph this roster needed some major league ready presence in the OF NOW and he neglected it. There was absolutely NO REASON to sign all this filler. Terrible job by Alderson.
It’s still too early to be saying Valde has earned his way on the team….
He has an advantage in that he played Winter ball which means he came into ST not as rusty as the other players who stayed home and did marginal workouts to keep in shape…
In fact all of this can change (and WILL) by the last week in ST as it always does.
The early hot hands almost always become the bubble guy later on because the rest of the team catches up to them.
What Valde has done so far is commendable and I hope it continues but there is still a lot of time between now and the start of the season that it’s difficult to say he has earned his way onto the 25 man yet…
Byrd is in the same situation, having been playing right up to ST pretty much (and a lot of winter ABs)
If they are still producing 2 weeks from now, then it could become interesting, if there was a presumed favorite (top of the depth chart) that is not performing and is on the bubble.
Spin has to overcome not having a job pencilled in coming into camp, and in no way is a 100% lock for the OD roster. Will largely depend on what all the other options do, where they have an opening, and where they want him to play (CF, COF, 2B, Utility).
Well the fact tha he has been playing 2B may be an indicator of what their intentions are with him….
What will be interesting is where he plays when Murphy gets back because they are going to give Murphy most of the starts just to get him back up to speed.
It’s never about how you start in ST….
A Good Start only ever ensures you a bubble spot….
It’s what your doing late in spring when the rest of the team is about SEASON ready that determines if you make the Roster or not.
not every decision is made solely by ST results. Yeah, it helps, but the teams already have plans for a guy based on a large sample of “real” games, and just a surprising spring is not necessarily going to change that.
Plus, not every spot on a team is up for grabs.
It depends on how much they have invested in the player….
His Options….
His Salary….
Lots of things….
but for the guys who were not in the plans or have a defined role to fill it is all about the performance….
And truth is really performance is mostly about will a kid give as much as the bandaid or is the bandaid better while the Kid goes down to improve.
not just ST performance though. They are also looking at what a guy did the previous season(s), in a much bigger sample under actual game conditions. And even when it truly is up for grabs to whoever earns it in ST, it will be based on more than just the basic #s you see, since the coaches are looking at defense, work effort, flexibility (where they play) and all the little things that don’t show up in the box score. Including how they are hitting (meaning, you may have one guy hitting ropes right at people, and another guy dinking and dunking his way on). 60 ABs or less is easy to skew the overall #s.
all these guys have expectations and a body of work to be considered also.
Well past seasons is not all that much in play with our team…
Its really all about who is better served as a Bench player and who might be ruined being in that role….
You don’t want to keep some kid who did great sitting on the bench and losing whatever it is he achieved.
You don’t want to have to sit a guy like MDD on the bench where he will have little opportunity to make adjustments to get the bat back….
So you send him down…
Looking at the guys we have fighting for Roster spots hardly any has any past performance that will be in play….
So it’s all about who do they think is still worth developing and needs regular playing time and who is not making them ideal to put on the bench and hope they can change your mind when they get thier chance…
absolutely a different call if you are talking about a young, stud prospect and a bench role. But when you are getting into older, quite likely not FT starter material guys, that really does not matter so much.
“But when you are getting into older”
In general your right but look at our situation and it’s clear Byrd is the only guy who fits that description….
SO unless he completly tanks he is likely a lock for the team until his play says otherwise.
That makes RF a battle between the Kids as to who gets sent down and who doesn’t…
And because of that it may come down to who makes the better Platoon partner instead of who is the best player….
The Best player goes down to the Minors to play everyday or until he can replace the Platoon as the everyday player.
Sorry early post (I missed the bit about Byrd)
What might help Byrd is his lack of options (not sure of his status though)
In the case of a Tie he may get the advantage over a kid that has options to go down.
options are always a huge factor, and sometimes the “better” guy goes down anyway, so the team can keep 2 guys instead of one.
It depends on the importance and thier intentions on his future in those cases….
The Better player goes down (in most cases) merely because he is fighting only for a bench role with someone else and it would be a waste or damaging to not play him regularly.
Which may be the case with MDD….
The glove is obviously ready….
If the Bat seems overmatched vs MLB pitching he will go down (regardless of being better with the bat and glove than anyone else) just to try and work a little more before they throw him to the MLB Wolves.
they actually do it even if both guys made a case, just to have a choice.
use Byrd and brown as the example. Saythey both show promise in ST (that you could argue, just based on ST results to keep either one), and you go with Byrd (Brown to AAA). But, you guess wrong, and by the end of April Byrd is stinking up the joint, and Brown is launching bombs in Vegas. Well, you cut Bryd, and go with plan B.
but if you go to start with Brown, Byrd is gone. If Brown then bombs, there is no plan B.
so IMO for the options guy to beat out the no options (keep or release) guy, there has to be a clear cut difference in what they are bringing to the table. And last season will still come into play.
Yeah, I mentioned this earlier. Bryd came in with an advantage over Brown because Brown has options remaining.
as a tie breaker, you always keep both.
at some point, if Byrd is looking like crap and Brown is crushig the ball, then you just give him the job. Otherwise, the 40 man no option guy will get first crack at the job.
I think though that positionally, Byrd might be the only guy in the no options situation? And if he is not on the 40 man, another complexity.
still, even if Byrd starts the season, would not surprise me at all to see him fade away, in by June replaced by someone else (brown or spin, someone from outside, etc.)
Agreed.
Well better to say would be you try to keep thm ALL!
Only the ones who truly suck ever actually get cut!
And almost never happens with a guy making league minimum….
If he sucks and he has no options you let him go through waivers and if someone claims him you try and make a trade!
Van made a good point I didn’t know about his playing recently as well…
That give him a double whammy advantage….
He is more Season ready than the other players just working off the rust and even (if and when) he falters when they catch up he still has the advantage of being difficult to keep off the roster for fear of losing him…
Sure look at ST results, but every year, there are plenty of ST mirages (good and bad). Just be prepared for the reality of April to be much different than what you saw in March.
well, as a blanket statement of MHO, expect a bit of change this year. Because whatever decision they make at some of the debatable positions (and certain players), don’t expect them to be set in stone.
Brown, Spin, Flores etc. could easily be up and playing ever day by May/June, even if they start the season in AAA. Some of the OD starters (such as Byrd, even Duda) could be on really short leashes if they don’t produce and those other guys are looking like they deserve a shot.
unless they are playing someone that they need to make a full season commitment to (meaning they are considered part of the future core, like say MDD if they hand him CF), then heck yeah, churn things up until someone shows they deserve to keep the job.
Jordany Valdespin homers in 7th inning vs. Jose Ortega to give the Mets a 2-1 lead vs Tigers.
Valdespin!!!!!!!
No doubt he’s going North. He’s on this team!
On the Mets facebook page, they highlight Valdespin showing off his power, but shows a picture of Ruben Tejada.
D’OH!
Ha! I had to see it for myself and your right. Could it be? Has Metsblog begun to run the facebook site?
check with the director of digital media. He should know.
Now leading off, Left Fielder, JORDANY VALDESPIN!!!
I know, I know. What about Duda and his “power potential”? Power bat or no power bat, he’s gotta prove he deserves his spot before anything is guaranteed to him. Mets have made that mistake too many times in recent years.
HITTER, WHY WOULD U DELIBERATELY CHOOSE TO DISCOUNT THE ONLY EXCELLENT PROVEN COMMODITY ‘SPIN HAS SHOWED AS A MLBer? ie POWER HITTING PHer! PERSONALLY AS I’VE SEEN TO DATE MY OUTFIELD SELECTIONS TO TRAVEL NORTH WOULD BE:
LF – DUDA
CF – COWGILL
RF – BYRD
RESERVES: NIEUWENHUIS, VALDESPIN. ‘CAPT’ KIRK PRIMARILY FOR LATE GAME DEFENSE IN THE APROPRIATE CORNER BASED UPON HITTERS DUE UP & ‘SPIN AS A POTENTIAL DEVASTAING POWER PH THREAT.
DENDECKER COULD SUB FOR CAPT KIRK EXCEPT CAPT’S ALREADY PROVEN TO BRING SOMETHING TO A MLB PLATE APPEARANCE & I’D JUDGE THEM EQUALLY ADEPT @ CORNERS GIVING denDECKER EDGE IN CF. NO STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED AS THESE CHOICES ONLY REPRESENT MY PERSONAL RESULTS BY APPLICATION OF MY 50+YRS OF EYE-TESTING MLBers.
I BELIEVE TYHEY’LL NEED THE COMBINED TOTAL EFFORTS OF BOTH DUDA & SPIN TO MAKE UP THE LOST 20 HRs NOW IN CHICAGO (HAIRSTON)
If valdy isn’t on the team I think Collins should be fired! He has more talent and potential than anyone of our so called outfielders and he can play second base too! He’s fearless at the plate! He has power, speed and can bunt for a base hit on top of it all! Other than Cowgil, it not even a competition anymore! No one, not even our “captain” can bring tgAt much to the table! On top of it all he is young! That’s what we are trying to do right? Get younger and better? If I’m gonna gamble in the outfield, which is what we are obviously doing this year, I would put my money on a kid with all those talents and position flexibility over Duda or Byrd any day! If u have him on the bench he can come in late in the game as a pinch runner, pinch hitter or defense too! Can u do that with duda? No u can’t! He’s also 3 or 4 years younger so he will only get better! Let the Dude figure it out in las vegas while Spin helps us win some games in ny!
Wow at this point Captsin Kirk has to go down, still a couple weeks left but valdespin should be the starting right fielder if not the main utility guy who finds a spot in the line up several days a week. Bryd is having a nice camp and should make team as a bench player who fills in vs lefties and pinch hits, but lets face it, Valdespin is 25 and Bryd is 35, take the lumps with Spin now, Bryd will not be here long term, Aldo spin could end up being next years starting second baseman or trade bait with a good year.
why would you want to trade him if he has a good year? Besides you don’t know what type of impact he’ll have. If he shows a dynamic quality and the ability to know how to WIN games then why would you trade him? And we don’t know if Kirk is going down yet unless it’s injury related and we don’t know where UpperDecker is gonna be yet either…easy now.
Remember, he stole like 37 bases in AA couple of years back.
Joe D.,
Agreed. Unless Spin implodes, he needs to be on the 25 man and ay well be their best bet as a leadoff hitter. If he casn get his OBP to a inimum of 35%, that would be absolutely huge for this team in 2013 and beyond. I think he has the talent to do it, if he can aintsin the foc us and discipline through a full season.
I like Valdespin on the field and hope his attitude off the field is adjusted. He falls in line with players like Duda, Cowgill & Kirk to me. This is it. 2013 they either are or aren’t big league every day players.
Valdespin should get a chance and I hope he does. He’s such a roller coaster that you hope you catch him when he’s hot when its most important to the team.
Still – the only way to know if he and the above guys are big leaguers is to see them play at the big league level.