Yesterday, during the game, I tweeted the following after Marlon Byrd launched his 17th home run of the season:
Marlon Byrd > Michael Bourn X 2
Marlon Byrd > Justin Upton + BJ Upton
Marlon Byrd > Scott Hairston X 10
Marlon Byrd just freaking rocks!
— Metsmerized – Joe D (@MetsmerizedJoeD) July 21, 2013
Anybody disagree with me?
This afternoon, Marc Carig of Newsday ties it all up rather succinctly:
As the trade deadline approaches, the Mets have gotten more production out of Byrd than the Indians have from Bourn.
Entering play on Sunday, Bourn posted a .290/.332/.367 line with 2 homers and 21 RBIs in 70 games. By contrast, Byrd has posted a .274/.319/.509 line with 16 homers and 55 RBIs in 81 games.
Bourn, in the first season of a four-year, $48 million deal with the Indians, has a been a 1.5 win player. Byrd, who is making $700,000, has been worth 2.1 wins above replacement and has emerged as possible trade chip at the deadline.
When the Mets rolled the dice on the 35-year-old Byrd, they expected a solid platoon partner. Instead, they have enjoyed a steady cleanup hitter to position behind David Wright after watching both Ike Davis and Lucas Duda struggle with under-performance and injury.
“I didn’t think that was going to happen,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “With the fact that Ike’s been struggling and Lucas has struggled in that fourth spot, he has really picked up the load.”
No disagreement from me here…
