A slightly different approach to Dunn

[registerthis]

What are the odds that the season ends and we find out that Dunn has been playing with some undisclosed injury so as to justify his 2nd half performance?

Well he played with a broken hand last year, didn't he?

[RedsManRick]

So.......... dolllar values anybody? The idea here was how much you sign Dunn for as a FA and what you think the market puts him at.

[Johnny Footstool]

Soriano I agree with, I would like to see another season like this from him. But what has Howard done not to deserve these comparisons? He is almost 5 years younger than Berkman. He has not played for 1.5 seasons and both have been better than anything Berkman has ever done. Pitchers fear Howard more than Berkman (and even Pujols ??). The power is incomparable. IMO, Howard is in a class above Berkman, even this early in his career.

This season, Howard has been better than Berkman, but the margin is not all that wide.

But Berkman has a career .983 OPS, has beaten 1.000 OPS three times, and aside from his rookie callup, has never had an OPS under .927.

Howard still has to prove he can repeat his high level of performance. Berkman has proven it many times.

[BRM]

Berkman was the 16th pick in 1997. The Reds took Brandon Larson with the 14th pick that year.

[GridironGrace]

I like the 3 years AROUND 30 million stage... But the incentives i give are

1. You play where i say.. if you play 50% at 1B cause i want you too u'll get a bonus

2. Less than 100 K's Do this and you get a HUGE incentive say....3million i wanna MAKE HIM wanna get better at the plate and put more balls in play.

3. HR Champ = money as well

with those kinds of incentives you make a great player strive and work hard to do better and to adapt more contact in his swing. You also leave the door open to OFFER 3 years 20 mil first and get him cheaper

[registerthis]

2. Less than 100 K's Do this and you get a HUGE incentive say....3million i wanna MAKE HIM wanna get better at the plate and put more balls in play.

3. HR Champ = money as well

You do realize that these two incentives are contradictory, right?

[Natty Redlocks]

What are the odds that the season ends and we find out that Dunn has been playing with some undisclosed injury so as to justify his 2nd half performance?

If you look at his career numbers, he always has a great July, starts declining in August, and is practically useless by September. That was the pattern before this season.

[jnwohio]

If you look at his career numbers, he always has a great July, starts declining in August, and is practically useless by September. That was the pattern before this season.

That doesn't rule out that he may often play hurt in the last half and possibly even supports that theory.

I wonder if Dunn himself or anybody with the organization have ever considered that less might yield more, i.e. he might actually produce more if he were played less becasue he would experience less wear and tear and not be dead on his feet in the last 6 weeks of the season.

[Natty Redlocks]

That doesn't rule out that he may often play hurt in the last half and possibly even supports that theory.

I wonder if Dunn himself or anybody with the organization have ever considered that less might yield more, i.e. he might actually produce more if he were played less becasue he would experience less wear and tear and not be dead on his feet in the last 6 weeks of the season.

I've wondered that myself. I'd rather have him sit out one game a week all year if it meant he'd keep producing. I just can't see them doing that, though. You have to admit, if he could DH, that would be a big help, which is why I could definitely see him flourishing in the AL.

[mth123]

I could see a team like Baltimore offering quite a lot. Baltimore strikes me as the team that would go the most nuts moneywise. Maybe 5/75. I would think that Seattle, San Diego and the Angels would be after him hard as well. If the question includes taking the current landscape into account, San Diego would have Klesko and Giles coming off the books and they have a CF that can cover for him. Dunn is the kind of guy that has enough power to consistently HR in the big park. Angels are similar with Erstad, Kennedy, Salmon and Weaver off the books but I am making an educated guess that Soriano would be the top target there. Seattle has discussed Ichiro in CF to make room for a big power bat in a corner.

Houston would probably go after him with a home town discount in mind. Maybe 5/65. Bagwell is finally off the books in 2007. (IIRC they didn't really have time to spend the insurance money in 2006 because of the uncertainty and timing of the issues involved.)

If Dunn was a free agent I think it would take at least 4 Years at about $13 Million per year to sign him and that might not get it done unless he is motivated to play in that city. I have no idea if Cincinnati is on that list.

[Maldez]

Berkman knows how to hit. Adam Dunn is just strong as an ox and relies on brute force and the law of averages to get him by. In 90% of his ABs he gives the impression of being absolutely lost up there. He routinely takes the first pitch which is almost always a batting practice fast ball right down the middle. That sets up the pitcher to throw him just about anything else on pitch 2 because Dunn'll be hackin'.....and missin'.

Once Dunn's 0-2 it's a foregone conclusion that he's gonna whiff, even in his own mind. He'll generally wave at the third strike with an almost "who gives a ****" effort.

I don't know if I can take another 15 of watching that ****.

[fearofpopvol1]

Berkman knows how to hit. Adam Dunn is just strong as an ox and relies on brute force and the law of averages to get him by. In 90% of his ABs he gives the impression of being absolutely lost up there. He routinely takes the first pitch which is almost always a batting practice fast ball right down the middle. That sets up the pitcher to throw him just about anything else on pitch 2 because Dunn'll be hackin'.....and missin'.

Once Dunn's 0-2 it's a foregone conclusion that he's gonna whiff, even in his own mind. He'll generally wave at the third strike with an almost "who gives a ****" effort.

I don't know if I can take another 15 of watching that ****.

I completely agree. Additionally, pitchers aren't stupid. They have him figured out and capitalize off of this. His only saving grace are inexperienced pitchers or ones that accidentally mislocate a pitch.

[Johnny Footstool]

Berkman knows how to hit. Adam Dunn is just strong as an ox and relies on brute force and the law of averages to get him by. In 90% of his ABs he gives the impression of being absolutely lost up there. He routinely takes the first pitch which is almost always a batting practice fast ball right down the middle. That sets up the pitcher to throw him just about anything else on pitch 2 because Dunn'll be hackin'.....and missin'.

Once Dunn's 0-2 it's a foregone conclusion that he's gonna whiff, even in his own mind. He'll generally wave at the third strike with an almost "who gives a ****" effort.

I don't know if I can take another 15 of watching that ****.

Then quit watching.

[RollyInRaleigh]

While I would agree, I hope your intellectual weight doesn't get questioned on that response, Johnny.

[Johnny Footstool]

I'm not worried, Randy.