Is it time to send Miller to Tacoma to get his stroke back

[wazzu31]

If Franklin does indeed get the call it is because of Hart's injury not to replace Miller. Franklin will play unlike last time. They will probably rotate him in at DH and the corner outfield spots with Ackley and Saunders. Could also see time at short once or twice a week. I wouldn't want to see him there more then that.

What we need to realize is Franklin was moved from SS before last year because he wasn't good there. He's played there sparingly since. I think if Chris Taylor was healthy he may have gotten the call last weak. I don't playing Franklin at SS just because "he's not Miller" or "it cant get worse then Miller" is a smart idea. The organization made their decision regarding Franklin and SS a couple of years ago and I don't see it changing.

Franklin wasn't move from SS because he wasn't a good shortstop he was moved just like Seager was because there was becoming an opening at the major league level and he was red hot. Once Ackley started struggling badly is when Franklin became a full time 2B. If he brings his bat with this then it will not matter, he is not a horrible shortstop, he just isn't a solid one. If Miller was batting .300 no one would be complaining about how bad his defense is.

A. This team, no matter how much they say, do not care about defense with the way they have flopped guys around.

B. Jack always talks about Justin's gold glove caliber fielding, well if he is a gold glove caliber 1B then he should be able to save Franklin or any fielder from 4-10 errors a year.

 

[NWinAZ]

i do appreciate the opinions of those who disagree, btw.

nw has schooled me a couple of times and been good enough to not beat me up too bad in the process. lol.

Too funny. Not sure about schooling you or anyone else. You have always held your own and then some. I still like this site the best because there is about 99% well informed fans on here. We may not all agree on everything, but nobody (nearly nobody) is on here just making uneducated troll comments. I just wish the M' would give us more to talk about....on a positive note that is.

 

[NWinAZ]

Franklin wasn't move from SS because he wasn't a good shortstop he was moved just like Seager was because there was becoming an opening at the major league level and he was red hot. Once Ackley started struggling badly is when Franklin became a full time 2B. If he brings his bat with this then it will not matter, he is not a horrible shortstop, he just isn't a solid one. If Miller was batting .300 no one would be complaining about how bad his defense is.

A. This team, no matter how much they say, do not care about defense with the way they have flopped guys around.

B. Jack always talks about Justin's gold glove caliber fielding, well if he is a gold glove caliber 1B then he should be able to save Franklin or any fielder from 4-10 errors a year.

I agree with all this for the most part except I think Franklin's problem isn't throwing it is lack of range for the position. Totally agree that if a Mariner hits .300 then defense is overlooked.

If Hart goes on DL. then I say bring up Franklin and Montero and drop Gillispie. Give fat boy another chance and let him sink or swim.

 

[Logicallylethal]

I sense the Morales discussions will be brought up again if Hart is to miss significant time.

Since the Mariners were too cheap to pay the 1 year 14 mil. What about half a year for 7 mil.

Having Morales hit cleanup behind Cano automatically raises his game a bit. So not only do you add Morales' bat but you also up Cano's bat as well.

 

[NWinAZ]

Mariners were willing to pay the 1/$14M. It was Morales who turned it down. With that said, he would still look good in our lineup but doesn't seem to want to be here imo.

 

[SeattleCoug]

If Hart goes on DL. then I say bring up Franklin and Montero and drop Gillispie. Give fat boy another chance and let him sink or swim.

No need to keep Montero in Tacoma to learn 1st when he can just DH up here. He isnt ever going to be a 1st baseman, he is a DH or bust.

 

[wazzu31]

I agree with all this for the most part except I think Franklin's problem isn't throwing it is lack of range for the position. Totally agree that if a Mariner hits .300 then defense is overlooked.

If Hart goes on DL. then I say bring up Franklin and Montero and drop Gillispie. Give fat boy another chance and let him sink or swim.

I understand the range as well, but with these stupid shifts, range isn't a huge deal. There are ways to hide it, as well as range is 60% instincts, give the dude a set position for the first time in 2 years and let the feel of the game come to him and just possibly he can get more range. Or look foolish but either way he is a middle infielder and seeing him boot a ball is better than screwing up in the outfield turning a popout into a triple.

Along with it's hard to hide him in the outfield, they can hide him in RF at Safeco but RF is the biggest part of most ballparks.

 

[cezero]

Franklin's DH'ing tonight. Hitting 6th.

 

[Mariners_44]

Franklin has become the new Brandon Morrow, and it'll probably take a trade to a team with coaches that now how to coach the kid and commit him to a position. He will then become an all star as an average fielder with above average hitting. By that time, "The Momentum Killer" will be 28 years old and we'll maybe be ready to move on.......oh.......nope.......one more year.

 

[Turn2]

The same is not true of Franklin who looks worse there this year than he has the past 2 years. Watching him on MiLB.tv coverage, he's just awkward there. It will be magnified at the MLB level.

Could it be that Franklin looks "awkward there" because he is playing next to what many have said is a very smooth SS in Chris Taylor on those MiLBTV broadcasts? Much like what was said about Ackley at 2b, as long as he is getting the job done, who cares how he looks doing it. I'll be the first to admit that I haven't watched much of Franklin at SS but his fielding numbers aren't terrible and they are comparable (going strictly by errors) with Miller and Taylor. It could be that he doesn't have the range (or put forth the same effort getting to balls) that Miller and Taylor do and maybe that is what the M's have seen in their evaluation of the SS situation. I did see a bit of Taylor earlier in his career and he his aggressiveness in trying to make tough plays led to a good bit of his errors... I'm sure the pitchers loved him as he took away quite a few hits but it didn't do his fielding percentage any favors. I think Miller is another "max effort guy" out there so it will be interesting to see what the M's do once Taylor returns from the DL as they are very similar in make up with Miller the stronger bat (up until recently) and Taylor the stronger glove.

 

[cezero]

Could it be that Franklin looks "awkward there" because he is playing next to what many have said is a very smooth SS in Chris Taylor on those MiLBTV broadcasts? Much like what was said about Ackley at 2b, as long as he is getting the job done, who cares how he looks doing it. I'll be the first to admit that I haven't watched much of Franklin at SS but his fielding numbers aren't terrible and they are comparable (going strictly by errors) with Miller and Taylor. It could be that he doesn't have the range (or put forth the same effort getting to balls) that Miller and Taylor do and maybe that is what the M's have seen in their evaluation of the SS situation. I did see a bit of Taylor earlier in his career and he his aggressiveness in trying to make tough plays led to a good bit of his errors... I'm sure the pitchers loved him as he took away quite a few hits but it didn't do his fielding percentage any favors. I think Miller is another "max effort guy" out there so it will be interesting to see what the M's do once Taylor returns from the DL as they are very similar in make up with Miller the stronger bat (up until recently) and Taylor the stronger glove.

I agree with a lot of this.