Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kc61
Don’t quite understand why Van Meter would be preferred over Dietrich.
DD has a much better track record as an MLB hitter, five straight years at 100 OPS+ or better. VM hit only 88 OPS+ last season. Obviously DD has more years, more chances, but he’s proven much more offensively.
Neither is a particularly good fielder. VM played more LF than anywhere else last season.
I guess VM is younger and there’s hope he can be better but a team looking to “win now” might choose the more proven commodity.
I agree with this. Even taking into account his second half Dietrich ran a 102 wRC+ while only having a .176 BABIP. His profile screams low BABIP, but that is still historically unlucky. I see no reason why he can't be a great bench piece versus right-handed pitching.
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TommyJ
I agree with this. Even taking into account his second half Dietrich ran a 102 wRC+ while only having a .176 BABIP. His profile screams low BABIP, but that is still historically unlucky. I see no reason why he can't be a great bench piece versus right-handed pitching.
In the second half Dietrich’s BABIP was .086. He had 4 hits in 70 PAs.
How much of it was bad luck v bad performance? DD did have a very low LD rate in the second half, he pulled the ball much more than usual, his hard contract rate was lower, ISO power was way down.
Whatever the underlying reason, that half season of baseball is way out of character for DD. Using the eyeball test, he didn’t look like the same player, whether it was an injury or something else.
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kc61
In the second half Dietrich’s BABIP was .086. He had 4 hits in 70 PAs.
It seems to me that whenever DD did make contact in the 2nd half of last season the results were mostly weak pop ups and slow rollers to 2B.
But I could be wrong.
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kc61
In the second half Dietrich’s BABIP was .086. He had 4 hits in 70 PAs.
How much of it was bad luck v bad performance? DD did have a very low LD rate in the second half, he pulled the ball much more than usual, his hard contract rate was lower, ISO power was way down.
Whatever the underlying reason, that half season of baseball is way out of character for DD. Using the eyeball test, he didn’t look like the same player, whether it was an injury or something else.
Yeah but he’s not the 1.000 OPS or whatever guy he was in those few hundred PAs either.
He’s a streaky role player. Nothing wrong with that, but counting on that April-May performance to become some sort of standard is asking for trouble.
I’m not really counting on either he or JVM making the Reds out of spring training.
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tom Servo
Yeah but he’s not the 1.000 OPS or whatever guy he was in those few hundred PAs either.
He’s a streaky role player. Nothing wrong with that, but counting on that April-May performance to become some sort of standard is asking for trouble.
I’m not really counting on either he or JVM making the Reds out of spring training.
Didn’t mean to suggest DD’s early season heroics were the true player. He just seemed out of sorts in the second half, which led to very little playing time and terrible outcome. I’d expect DD to make the roster based on the current infield group, but hopefully there will be some additions to the bench.
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
I think the likelihood of him making also depends on if the Reds keep 5 or 6 outfielders. If they keep 6 (and use Senzel at 2nd, and maybe Winker/Castellanos as the backup at 1st) he has almost no shot outside of injuries.
If they keep 5 then he becomes more plausible. As you would have someone like Blandino as the backup SS, and DD would be the backup at 2nd and 1b.
One other thing to consider, many times teams will only start the year with 12 pitchers. As everyone is fresh at the start of the year, and usually they have some off days. So you might wait a week or two into the year before any of this becomes an issue.
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NeilHamburger
One other thing to consider, many times teams will only start the year with 12 pitchers. As everyone is fresh at the start of the year, and usually they have some off days. So you might wait a week or two into the year before any of this becomes an issue.
Reds’ opening day is March 26. They then have a day off. They then play six consecutive days. They will need their fifth starter by April 1. If they leave a pitcher behind on OD, it will be for a few days, probably not at all.
They will very likely have a five man bench on OD.
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kc61
Didn’t mean to suggest DD’s early season heroics were the true player. He just seemed out of sorts in the second half, which led to very little playing time and terrible outcome. I’d expect DD to make the roster based on the current infield group, but hopefully there will be some additions to the bench.
His left shoulder was bothering him, and it required surgery in September. It may take awhile for him to revert to Superman status.
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
My prediction: DD will either be great, horrible or somewhere in between the two. You can book it!
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tracy Jones
He seems more of a Frampton comes alive guy to me
More Huey Lewis and the News if you ask me.
I think a lot of his second half issues were dues to his shoulder. He isn't the best of defenders wherever he plays (adequate). He's a body in Louisville. It will be interesting to see if he gets hot in Louisville, one of our young players struggles, what the Reds will do.
But if this team gets to the point where they have to call up a DD ... then they're already in trouble IMO. LOL
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
Quote:
Originally Posted by
GAC
More Huey Lewis and the News if you ask me.
I think a lot of his second half issues were dues to his shoulder. He isn't the best of defenders wherever he plays (adequate). He's a body in Louisville. It will be interesting to see if he gets hot in Louisville, one of our young players struggles, what the Reds will do.
But if this team gets to the point where they have to call up a DD ... then they're already in trouble IMO. LOL
Or conversely, if Dietrich is on the team it means he’s probably playing well enough to have earned it since the depth is better and the alternative options are more plentiful.
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
If it's remotely close DD should get the nod over JVM for his veteran clubhouse presence and comedic value. Those could be as valuable as his on field production.
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
The guy who was responsible for several people on the team getting hit by pitches last season? :thumbdown:
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
I hope DD makes the squad but there are already a couple of relievers in Thornburg, Biddle, and Nate Jones who could possibly make the team and that further limits his chances due to 40 man limitations I think.
Re: Reds re-sign Derek Dietrich to minor league contract
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kc61
Reds’ opening day is March 26. They then have a day off. They then play six consecutive days. They will need their fifth starter by April 1. If they leave a pitcher behind on OD, it will be for a few days, probably not at all.
They will very likely have a five man bench on OD.
Unless they decide to go with a 25-man active roster, the almost have to have a 5-man bench, don't they? IRRC, they can't have more than a 13-man pitching staff (and it would be very un-Reds-like to go with fewer than 13 arms).