Comments on: Who’s Down For Matt den Dekker Making The Team?

By: peter

peter — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:46:18 +0000

Wow that is an amazing prediction, first off there is no way he scores 70 runs hitting at the bottom of this order, and yes he will hit there because he will strikeout close to 200 times and that will not happen at the top of the line up. He has options and they will send him down to get time in triple A. From what I can see Cowgill is way ahead with his bat and patience and while he is not as good defensively as DD, he plays good defense and makes the plays, it is an easy decision and by far the correct one.

Den Dekker usually adjusts to each level and starts to hit, so let him do that at triple A and cut down on the strikeouts, it is common sense. Some of you guys sound like this dude I heard on the radio talking about fixing the Yankees problems, he said ” why don’t we just trade Joba and Nunez for Joey Votto and the problem is solved” LOL

By: Donal

Donal — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:13:22 +0000

“Runner on 1st and 3B, 1 out, tie game, 9th inning.

3-2 count….

the weak part of the lineup is coming up…

Lucas Duda is on 3B”

You’re ridiculously specific example is irrelevant. How many times will that actually happen? I’d rather have a guy who is going to make sure we don’t end up in that type of situation.

“ball comes on the outside part of the plate…”

would u rather take a WALK or a take a chance at a basehit or a SAC FLY?”

If it is a pitch he can drive, I want to see him drive it. Last I checked, you don’t walk on the first pitch. Otherwise, why swing at the first pitch if it isn’t something you can drive?

I can easily take everything you said and make it that MDD hits a grounder to 3B, holding Duda or creating a double play. Is that better than a walk?

“a WALK increases your OBP,”

And keep the inning alive. And in your silly scenario, loads the bases and forces the pitcher to give the next guy something to hit.

“a SAC FLY does nothing but add to your RBI total ( and win the game )”

RBI is a garbage stat. It is a by product of a run scoring, not the cause. And a sac fly is a lucky accident. If you are up there trying to make an out, I want you off the team.

And if I see a guy trying to make an out, I want him off the team.

By: oleosmirf

oleosmirf — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:14:37 +0000

If he hits like Davis did then by all means call him up. But he’s done nothing with the bat in AAA or ST, to warrant consideration.

This talk of him making the team out of ST is laughable. He was terrible in AAA last season and he’s shown in ST that his bat is still not ready with his .222/.250 and 10 K in 27 AB

When the Mets fall out of contention again or the current OF suck, then sure call him up, but you don’t give a rookie a starting job out of camp when he’s done nothing to deserve it.

By: van

van — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 02:47:01 +0000

if he even holds his own with the bat, he will pretty much be Bourn. Who really does not do much offensively. The only number that is normally not mungy is steals, and even there, the last few years his CS% has been 25%, pretty much negating the benefit.

and as it relates to the MDD debate, Bourns 1st real year (as a starter) was coincidently when he was 25. and he put up the stellar offensive #s of .229/.288/.300/.588. with 5 HRs and 29 RBIs in 514 PAs.

to put that in perspective, as historically bad Bay was last year, he had a .536 OPS. So Bourn was far from a ML level player outside of his glove. His 2nd year though was quite a bit better, getting up to at least Luis Castillo level! Back when he was not a shell.

Bourns career OPS/OPS+ is still only .704/90, so he really has been living all these years (and now getting paid quite well) off his glove.

By: Valdespin1

Valdespin1 — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:56:27 +0000

So there is BA, OBP, SLG, OPS.

Which are relevant for mdd.

Explain

By: Chicago Days

Chicago Days — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:13:52 +0000

“It is an offensive game, until it is lost with POOR pitching and DEFENSE.” i rest my case. Nobody on this team can carry the kid’s glove. He’ll save 10 games / year. And he’ll hit .220 10 hr / 40 rbi’s, steal 20 bases, score 70 runs, his first year in Bigs. Plenty.

By: Just-Da-Damaja

Just-Da-Damaja — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:27:55 +0000

Runner on 1st and 3B, 1 out, tie game, 9th inning.

3-2 count….

the weak part of the lineup is coming up…

Lucas Duda is on 3B

ball comes on the outside part of the plate…

would u rather take a WALK or a take a chance at a basehit or a SAC FLY?

a WALK increases your OBP, a SAC FLY does nothing but add to your RBI total ( and win the game )

By: Matt Mosher

Matt Mosher — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 23:16:04 +0000

Clearly, NOT everyone can see that he isn’t ready. Typical spring training with people falling in love with pipe dreams.

By: Matt Mosher

Matt Mosher — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 23:14:51 +0000

It’s not an obsession. It’s pointing out a fact.

Show me one good major league hitter, who strikes out 25% of the time. Sure, your power bats like Dunn and Reynolds do, but they hit tons of homeruns as well.

Some of the commenters here have the “anti-stats” approach, which is fine. But Den Dekker cannot be a regular without sabatoging the already weak offense.

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:55:49 +0000

Anyone can see he is not ready with the bat, he can be sent down so that’s what should happen so he can work on cutting down on the montgsstrikeouts. He can up up later in the year. Cowgill will be fine if he can do close to what he is doing in spring training.

By: Hitman

Hitman — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:04:07 +0000

“You are assuming that his struggles in AAA are solely because of an adjustment period and not because of the possibility that he simply isn’t a good enough hitter.”

Or maybe it is because it’s a repeat of last year, where he stunk in AA, but tore up AA going into the next season. If he starts in AAA, he’ll be there as long as Ike Davis was.

By: Valdespin1

Valdespin1 — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:59:54 +0000

Lets see mdd eclipse the player peter bourjous on the angels is.

By: Valdespin1

Valdespin1 — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:55:46 +0000

Agreed and like I said as well what really is the value or cost of 5 – 8 wins if you are not a playoff team. Let us see players who could be keepers and additions to the core.

Lets see what mdd can do, what spin can bring and if cowgill, kirk, duda have game.

By: wasadeyo

wasadeyo — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:53:39 +0000

I mentioned him before when everyone was talking about Bourn being signed. He has always been an elite defensive player that was noticed from his highlight reel catch in college. So when Den Dekker says that he has always made these kind of catches in response to the media he’s not exaggerating…….Den Dekker just might get lucky being on the right team at the right time that could allow for his defense to play while trying to adjust his hitting….Kirk N.and DD strangely are quite similar players in age 25 (both have birthdays in August) and skill set with DD being better defensively and less injury prone but they have similar K%. It remains to be seen who is given a shot between all the players involved. Interesting!

By: jdon

jdon — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:38:20 +0000

**good pop

By: jdon

jdon — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:37:14 +0000

I think he might be th best of the bunch but I do not htink they will do it. His history is that he fails at the next level and then the following year lights it up. He failed at AAA late last year. They may bring himup in June or something. I like him. Got a nice swing and looks like a ballplayer. They are obsessed with Ks. So many successful MLers have horrenous K ratios. He has a quick bat and good op. And he is already a premeir D guy.

By: oleosmirf

oleosmirf — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:34:43 +0000

no you’re missing the point.

You are assuming that his struggles in AAA are solely because of an adjustment period and not because of the possibility that he simply isn’t a good enough hitter.

If he is as ready as you all think, then he should come out really strong in AAA, play his way onto the Mets and by the end of the season he’ll have gone through his adjustments at the MLB level and be ready to be our everyday CF in 2014.

I see no downside whatsoever in having him earn a spot on the team like Valdespin has thus far…

By: Matt Mosher

Matt Mosher — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:10:43 +0000

Nope. I’m not. Love the glove on a great offense. Not the bat with this offense.

By: CB

CB — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:10:09 +0000

If I was den Dekker I would be taking till I get two strikes every single at bat I get this spring. To A) see as may pitches (spinners) as I possibly can, and 2) work on my two strike hitting and discipline. It’s clearly what’s gonna be the difference between him being a bum and being a very serviceable everyday major leaguer.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:09:48 +0000

Your comparison is not even CLOSE to being in the same ballpark…

First off Mejia came up fro AA and played his way onto the team….
MDD has already been exposed to AAA…..

Second Mejia was a starter they tried to make a Reliever against MLB batters…
MDD is going to be doing here what he did in AAA and everywhere he has been in the Minors….Your not changing what he needs to do in any way shape or form.