PDA

View Full Version : The Left Field Conundrum



The DARK
07-31-2011, 10:58 PM
With the deadline behind us, no impact LF bat added, and Gomes out of the picture, the Reds have quite a few suitors for the left field job. Here's how they stack up:

Chris Heisey- MLB
Advantages: Good defense, capable of leading off, some power, has been waiting for a chance at the job.
Disadvantages: Only hitting .241 on the year; generally considered a better pinch hitter than starter.

Fred Lewis- MLB
Advantages: Capable leadoff/average hitter, major league service time.
Disadvantages: Minimal speed and power, unimpressive defense, signed to a 1-year contract.

Yonder Alonso- MLB
Advantages: Top prospect, disciplined hitter, decent power, potential future cleanup hitter.
Disadvantages: Slow, poor defense due to recent move from 1B, new to MLB, numbers slightly down from last year.

Todd Frazier- MLB
Advantages: Solid power hitter, decent defense, experience in cleanup role, recommendation from Rick Sweet as the best LF on the Louisville team.
Disadvantages: New to MLB, struggled in minors last season, more useful as a 3B or utility player, high K rate.

Juan Francisco- AAA DL
Advantages: Raw power, rocket arm, acceptable average, has nothing left to prove in AAA.
Disadvantages: Defense beyond arm strength is suspect, currently on DL for 2nd time this year, high K rate.

Dave Sappelt- AAA
Advantages: Outstanding hit tool, some pop, good defense, leadoff experience, some speed, league leader in AAA, numbers good despite oblique injury.
Disadvantages: Not a heralded prospect, not on 40-man, poor stealing ability, new to MLB.

Jeremy Hermida- AAA
Advantages: MLB service, league leader in AAA, generally consistent .740 OPS throughout MLB career.
Disadvantages: Signed to a 1-year contract, struggled in brief MLB stint this season, below-average defense.

So what, Redszoners, would you do? Who should be the one to get most of the starts to finish out the season? Would you groom one of these players long-term for the job, or allow widespread competition? Who screams "trade bait"?

DocRed
07-31-2011, 11:01 PM
Lewis and Heisey most of the time. Start making Yonder take groundballs at 3rd base lol.

FireDusty
07-31-2011, 11:07 PM
Alonzo.

We've had bad defensive left fielders througout Reds history, and I don't think he would be any worse than most.

This guy will be an impact hitter and change our lineup if given the chance.

R_Webb18
07-31-2011, 11:14 PM
id try alonzo until i see a few mistakes. his swing over the limit at bats ive seen looks nice.

sdwagers
07-31-2011, 11:17 PM
Lewis has decent speed IMHO, but is a subpar defender. Frazier is best at 3B I think. Hermida is a AAAA player. I d rather have Edwin "E5" Encarncion over Francisco who projects better as a DH.

Platoon Heisey and Alonso with a Frazier in the mix every two weeks in LF just to keep him fresh there. (make them all take balls at third in BP too.)

LeDoux
07-31-2011, 11:17 PM
In a perfect world Votto would volunteer to try LF to open a spot at 1B.

R_Webb18
08-01-2011, 12:10 AM
Francisco

id love to give him a chance. hes played 59 game in mlb (obv not all starts) hitting .295. not huge amount ab but still. hes a lifetime .300 hitter in minors and thats better than alonzo also. + hes gotten better every yr it seems.

Stray
08-01-2011, 12:16 AM
Lewis is weird because he has plenty of speed but he sucks at stealing bases and playing defense lol.

I think Dusty may have been onto something earlier this year when he explained why Heisey wasn't the everyday LFer. His reasoning then appears to have been spot on. Still though, at this point I'm OK with giving him his chance. Lewis will get his starts here and there and that is cool too.

With Alonso I honestly have no idea, but it appears that Dusty does not believe he is capable of playing LF at this level. I doubt he's the only one either, but it begs the question, why would Walt bring him up? Maybe they're not on the same page. A lot of guys can look really good in limited playing time so I will withhold all judgement on him till I see what he can do over a period of time. I just have no idea how or where that will be.

partisan
08-01-2011, 02:01 AM
Sappelt. The only negative you have listed that I think has any legitimacy is his lack of mlb experience and he's certainly not going to fix that in Louisville.

Players that hit .300+ with a low K%? More please.

RedsFanIN
08-01-2011, 05:04 AM
I think they should platoon Heisey and Alonso. This way they get some experience for next season. Plus it gives us a chance to show case them for any potential off season trade.

Old NDN
08-01-2011, 09:59 AM
I would try Sappelt. As stated in another thread, waaaay too many K's with an OF of Heisey, Stubbs and Bruce. A leadoff man, speed, contact, above avg. defense. Allows Stubbs to hit lower in the order. Sorry, I just don't see anywhere Alonso fits on this team, in spite of his potential bat.

brm7675
08-01-2011, 11:05 AM
With the deadline behind us, no impact LF bat added, and Gomes out of the picture, the Reds have quite a few suitors for the left field job. Here's how they stack up:

Chris Heisey- MLB
Advantages: Good defense, capable of leading off, some power, has been waiting for a chance at the job.
Disadvantages: Only hitting .241 on the year; generally considered a better pinch hitter than starter.

Due to Walt removing Gomes from the picture Heisey will be the almost everyday LF here on out. Not a bad idea, but should be used in all positions in the OF and allow the Reds to see what Yonder can do.

Fred Lewis- MLB
Advantages: Capable leadoff/average hitter, major league service time.
Disadvantages: Minimal speed and power, unimpressive defense, signed to a 1-year contract.

Dusty still not really sold on this guy, will be used in limited appearances.

Yonder Alonso- MLB
Advantages: Top prospect, disciplined hitter, decent power, potential future cleanup hitter.
Disadvantages: Slow, poor defense due to recent move from 1B, new to MLB, numbers slightly down from last year.

Unless pushed by Walt will see very little playing time this season for the Reds. A total waste of a young talent due to Dusty's view of him as nothing more then a 1st basemen who is stuck behind the MVP. Walt should either have traded him or needs to step in and inform Dusty he is to see playing time in LF


Todd Frazier- MLB
Advantages: Solid power hitter, decent defense, experience in cleanup role, recommendation from Rick Sweet as the best LF on the Louisville team.
Disadvantages: New to MLB, struggled in minors last season, more useful as a 3B or utility player, high K rate.

Will be back in AAA once rolen returns, not viewed by Dusty as really major league talent


Juan Francisco- AAA DL
Advantages: Raw power, rocket arm, acceptable average, has nothing left to prove in AAA.
Disadvantages: Defense beyond arm strength is suspect, currently on DL for 2nd time this year, high K rate.

Really no shot at ML level until he can stay healthy at AAA and even then no position to play on major league roster.

Dave Sappelt- AAA
Advantages: Outstanding hit tool, some pop, good defense, leadoff experience, some speed, league leader in AAA, numbers good despite oblique injury.
Disadvantages: Not a heralded prospect, not on 40-man, poor stealing ability, new to MLB.


Will probably get a sept callup to ride the pine and be told he got his shot and didn't produce.

Jeremy Hermida- AAA
Advantages: MLB service, league leader in AAA, generally consistent .740 OPS throughout MLB career.
Disadvantages: Signed to a 1-year contract, struggled in brief MLB stint this season, below-average defense.

Average ML player at best, shines at AAA, but can't produce on major league level.

So what, Redszoners, would you do? Who should be the one to get most of the starts to finish out the season? Would you groom one of these players long-term for the job, or allow widespread competition? Who screams "trade bait"?

mrherd05
08-01-2011, 11:13 AM
In a perfect world Votto would volunteer to try LF to open a spot at 1B.

Another reason why i think Votto is a selfish teammate.

brm7675
08-01-2011, 11:16 AM
Another reason why i think Votto is a selfish teammate.

why in the world would you move the MVP? Plus just like Yonder Dusty would only see Votto as a first basemen.

TheBigLebowski
08-01-2011, 11:40 AM
why in the world would you move the MVP? Plus just like Yonder Dusty would only see Votto as a first basemen.

Pretty sure both people were being facetious.

Sign me up for a heavy dose of Sappelt if and when we officially fall out of contention. In many ways, this sweep of SF might serve to do nothing more than retard a good opportunity to build for next year.

DocRed
08-01-2011, 03:39 PM
Another reason why i think Votto is a selfish teammate.

Hmmm...dunno about that. Why would you move your MVP and potentially get in his head and possibly affect his hitting?

Vottomatic
08-01-2011, 03:43 PM
I want to see Sappelt. But as I said in another thread......Dusty probably would view him as a baseclogger. :D

Old NDN
08-01-2011, 06:54 PM
Many, many years ago, Pete Rose moved to 3b to get George Foster into the lineup. Not saying that Votto should move, but it has been done before, for the good of the team.

LeDoux
08-01-2011, 07:00 PM
Pretty sure both people were being facetious.

Sign me up for a heavy dose of Sappelt if and when we officially fall out of contention. In many ways, this sweep of SF might serve to do nothing more than retard a good opportunity to build for next year.

I was halfway kidding. I think that Votto would do well in LF. I also think it would help Votto to show he can play the outfield. It could increase his salary potenial. At the same time, the chance of this experiment happening on Dusty's watch are about one in ten thousand.

Billy Hamilton's Legs
08-01-2011, 07:05 PM
Many, many years ago, Pete Rose moved to 3b to get George Foster into the lineup. Not saying that Votto should move, but it has been done before, for the good of the team.

This is the example that comes to my mind when people bring up Joey, Yonder and LF. I agree with this in that I'm not sure joey should move, but you know Pete would in a heartbeat. I do love those "I'll do ANYTHING to help this team win" players. That's why I always had a soft spot for Jonny Gomes; you knew you were getting his absolute best effort in every facet. I don't remember the exact quote, but Gomes said once "I'm going to give everything I got and if I get benched in favor of another guy in order to win (referring to Heisey), I'll be cheering him on all the way." Need more of those guys around the league...

lidspinner
08-01-2011, 07:17 PM
put me down for Sappelt and Yonder....we would be young but they would both be learnign on the fly and I can live with that....get ChrisH out of here...trade him in the off season for whatever talent you can get....guy strikes out to much for me...he has power and plays a decent LF, but I want guys who make contact and can give pitchers something to worry about when they get on base....Sappelt is that guy...Yonder cant run but he hits. .Heisey just k's at to high of a rate to expect him not to turn out like Stubbs...and I think this team can only have one Stubbs

webbbj
08-01-2011, 09:31 PM
Another reason why i think Votto is a selfish teammate.

yea so selfish. he should volunteer to be an utility player and fill our voids at SS, 3B, LF, and throw in 5th starter in the rotation.