A.L. Central Smack Talk 2014

[mr.hockey4242]

When you're saving your team ~20 runs with your glove (in half a season, nonetheless) and putting up a 111 OPS+? Absolutely.

Gordon ranks 5th in the AL in WAR behind Trout, Donaldson (another great defender), Kinsler and Bautista.

And as everyone knows WAR is extremely flawed even though it is a conversation darling.

Kinsler should have made the team over Gordon that is forsure.

So you bank on him making a nice play as a defensive replacement? Why not just have Melky or Gardner. Two guys who can play D and also are swinging the stick a little better. LF does mostly suck ass though. Not many options.

 

[gandydancer]

Not sure at all on Gordon but love Salvy getting the start and Holland there.

Agree with you completely for first time

 

[broncosmitty]

Didnt bat an eye to Gordon being an AS. Helluva player.(Best Royal position player since Brett IMO) But Kluber not getting a nod annoyed me. He won't win the fan vote either. Which sucks. Glad to see Brantley get his due diligence. (I miss doing my AL Central All Star teams. Only thing ever I did with the blog section at CBS.)

 

[broncosmitty]

Kinsler losing out doesn't bother me much. (Still more than bitter that fucker gets to wear #3) Cano was going to win the vote. Which is automatic and not that far off anyway. And Altuve without a doubt is deserving. Strong showing from AL second basemen this year.

 

[navamind]

And as everyone knows WAR is extremely flawed even though it is a conversation darling.

Kinsler should have made the team over Gordon that is forsure.

So you bank on him making a nice play as a defensive replacement? Why not just have Melky or Gardner. Two guys who can play D and also are swinging the stick a little better. LF does mostly suck ass though. Not many options.

Melky isn't much better offensively than Gordon. And what are you talking about? Melky's bad defensively.

Gardner's a fair choice.

 

[gvsulaker82]

I felt they were the cream of AL before the trade. Jeff Samardzija going to the A's is like Fister going to Detroit. Fister was solid with no support and Jeff was same way. Not that Fister is a top 5 type pitcher.

I would throw Yu Darvish in that mix also GVSU...

Yes darvish, max, and lester as well.

 

[gvsulaker82]

Agreed. Samardzija's best year (prior to this year) was 2012, where he had a 3.81 ERA (107 ERA+) over 174.2 innings. Considering how many innings he pitched, it was about average. Last year, he had a 4.34 ERA (91 ERA+), though he at least pitched 213.2 innings.

He has had some pretty good strikeout and walk rates over the last few years though. And this year, he's been keeping more balls in the park (only 0.6 HR/9, was 1.0 in 2012-13), and he will be moving from Wrigley to O.co, so the home runs probably won't go up (much).

Yeah IVe always thought samardzija is filthy good and this is looking like his breakout year.

 

[gvsulaker82]

It's not that I don't think he's good. I do. But I need a lot more than one season over 200 innings with a mid4's ERA(and a 170's inning solid ERA season ) to view a guy as a determining factor in a division or pennant race. He a solid piece that's been added. Not even sure he's Oaklands #1 right now, might be, could be. But Gray's first full season is definitely looking better than JS's. (which im counting as last year)There certainly are a lot more than 5 guys Id rather have taking the mound for me in the AL. Three for sure in the Central in Kluber, Scherzer and Shields. But Im not going to say Id rather have him going over Vargas, Sanchez, Verlander or Quintana. (Crazy underrated)Masterson hasn't impressed at all this season, but he's capable of putting together 17 starts along the lines of what JS has done in 2014. We'll see how he does against the lineup down state from Oakland before I make any predictions on Oaklands championship chances.

I would take him over gray, kluber, and shields.

If someone lands david price, watch out.

 

[navamind]

I would take him over gray, kluber, and shields.

If someone lands david price, watch out.

Right now, I wouldn't. Especially not Kluber, I think he's going to be a top pitcher for a while.

 

[gvsulaker82]

Right now, I wouldn't. Especially not Kluber, I think he's going to be a top pitcher for a while.

We will have to put a pin in this and revisit it toward the end of the year

 

[StanMarsh51]

And as everyone knows WAR is extremely flawed even though it is a conversation darling.

Kinsler should have made the team over Gordon that is forsure.

So you bank on him making a nice play as a defensive replacement? Why not just have Melky or Gardner. Two guys who can play D and also are swinging the stick a little better. LF does mostly suck ass though. Not many options.

You ever seen Melky play defense?

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

You ever seen Melky play defense?

I have. Every day for almost two years.

 

[da55bums]

Right now, I wouldn't. Especially not Kluber, I think he's going to be a top pitcher for a while.

Thats the same approach said about ubaldo and masterson, Cleveland likes live, accurate and sometimes accurate arms. Kluber is hot, but he could kazmir or kluber.

 

[broncosmitty]

I would take him over gray, kluber, and shields.

If someone lands david price, watch out.

Not me. 29, one year over 200 innings, no post season expierience. I need to see a lot more before I get excited about an NL guy coming to the AL. Id prolly trade Porcello for him straight up, but I wouldn't be doing backflips about it longterm. Price is a whole different story.

 

[gandydancer]

Not me. 29, one year over 200 innings, no post season expierience. I need to see a lot more before I get excited about an NL guy coming to the AL. Id prolly trade Porcello for him straight up, but I wouldn't be doing backflips about it longterm. Price is a whole different story.

I would not do backflips if Tigers landed Price. I would do a lot of forward rolls though. You can make fat roll, jump and flip not so much.

I would take landing a starter and Smyly back to BP as helping the pen out.

It will not be Price though.

 

[gvsulaker82]

I would not do backflips if Tigers landed Price. I would do a lot of forward rolls though. You can make fat roll, jump and flip not so much.

I would take landing a starter and Smyly back to BP as helping the pen out.

It will not be Price though.

Of course then one would have to ask...why trade fister to begin with, if you are going to trade for a starter at the deadline. Tigers do not have anybody the rays could possibly want. I could see price going to the dodgers if indeed the rays are sellers. Dodgers already have the best rotation in baseball, adding price to that? Priceless.

 

[gvsulaker82]

Not me. 29, one year over 200 innings, no post season expierience. I need to see a lot more before I get excited about an NL guy coming to the AL. Id prolly trade Porcello for him straight up, but I wouldn't be doing backflips about it longterm. Price is a whole different story.

Hey he played for the cubs, you cant count the postseason experience against him. He should get plenty of postseason experience this year though to make up for it. I would trade porcello straight up as well.

 

[da55bums]

I would trade Guthrie for him also.

 

[gandydancer]

Of course then one would have to ask...why trade fister to begin with, if you are going to trade for a starter at the deadline. .

DD has made great trades/ good trades/ piss poor trades. Can not hit on everything. I can not defend the Fister trade as anything but the last choice.


With that said, I am not going to slam Smyly as a starter. He deserves his chance. When you are going for a ring or a thoughts of a chance at a ring. You do what is best for the team. I trust Smyly in BP. So if there is a starter, get him.

 

[navamind]

I don't hold postseason experience against anyone (I consider postseason performance a bonus). It's too small of a sample size in most cases IMO (except for guys like Rivera, Jeter and Ortiz, who have at least half a season's worth of postseason action).

But even then, I really don't see how Samardzija is an ace. As long as he keeps this up, this will be his first good year.