Because what Jesse Winker is known for is figuring out defensive positions.Originally Posted by Larkin90
Because what Jesse Winker is known for is figuring out defensive positions.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
membengal (04-09-2021),RedsfaninMT (04-09-2021)
Sure, Naquin is hot, but Senzel isn’t much further behind, and has a ceiling and a future with the team.
I’d basically expect Naquin to perform to his career stat line on any given next game while Senzel has a lot more to prove. If push is coming to shove, Senzel should be in the lineup 10 times out of 10. He hasn’t really been able to get on a roll since being called up really at all, and now that he’s on one I’m not benching him for a journeyman. Not saying it’s going to stunt the rest of his career, but I’m giving Senzel every single chance to break out humanly possible.
If you absolutely HAVE to get Naquin in the lineup, then move one of Winker or Castellanos to 1B for a game and put Naquin and Senzel both in the lineup.
Who cares? I’ve never seen anyone bring this up until the last year or so when it comes to Winker. Any jabroni can play first base.
Welsh even mentioned a few days ago that Winker is considered by the team to be a backup 1B option too, so it’s not just some pinhead on a message board suggesting this either.
There may not be any perfect solutions, but hopefully the team can figure out something better than having a couple of worst-defense-in-the-league guys starting every game at 1st and SS with a combined batting line that would make Willy Tavares blush. At least stop batting them 3/4 every night, sheesh.
The Reds have played any number of backup catchers at first base who have no experience at the position at, sometimes for extended periods of time too. Barnhart, Hernandez, Brayan Pena. They also put Jay Bruce there with zero notice and he was firmly in “just a guy” territory by then.
I promise you Jesse Winker can play first base. Especially when the bar we’re talking about surpassing is current day Joey Votto.
Votto's going to be fine at 1B. People blow up the one bad month he had last season because apparently they need something to do. And I don't know if you got the memo on Votto, but he's known for hitting the ball.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
I get the idea of moving an OF to 1B, but why Winker. Castellanos played 3B for a while and has experience in the IF. He's at least got some experience with ground balls coming at him. It also is a bigger help to the OF defense. It gets Naquin in the more important RF spot and Winker looks like a better OF than Castellanos to me.
Last edited by mth123; 04-09-2021 at 06:33 PM.
All my posts are my opinion - just like yours are. If I forget to state it and you're too dense to see the obvious, look here!
Zeep (04-09-2021)
I actually probably would put Cast there first, but IIRC he’s objected to playing it at all where Winker has mentioned being open to it.
Hell, put Naquin at first if you absolutely have to get his bat in the lineup. He’s the guy at the end of the roster fighting for a spot, I’m sure he could find the motivation to pick up the position pretty quickly and he’s not a particularly small dude either for a target there.
Or even put Senzel there, he’s a natural infielder anyway and that’s one less game of wear and tear of running around the outfield. Lots of preferable options out there compared to this one tbh!
Last edited by Wonderful Monds; 04-09-2021 at 06:38 PM.
Blandino never played 1B until the Reds played him there in 2019.
That said, it’s far easier for an infielder to move there than a outfielder. I would actually move Cast there before Winker, he seems a tad more athletic.
Hoping to change my username to 75769024
M2 (04-09-2021)
All in all, this is a minor gripe, but I feel like this is a spot where the Cardinals would be forward thinking compared to the Reds. Votto can’t hit or field for the moment, he’s the obvious candidate to be benched if you need to get creative with a lineup, especially when it’s just for a few games until Naquin comes back to earth. And it’s just 1B, it doesn’t take an Ozzie Smith level defensive wizard to figure out how to play the position passably for a few games.
I think it's what KC said about lefty bats killing this pitcher. Votto is also a lefty so leave him in. All the Reds OF have been hot, so a hot player was going to be benched with Winker coming back.
All my posts are my opinion - just like yours are. If I forget to state it and you're too dense to see the obvious, look here!
I looked over Widener’s minor league stats. I’d put aside 2019, when Widener was destroyed by all PCL hitting, 8.10 ERA. Otherwise he was tough on RHH. At AA, in 2018, he allowed .560 OPS against RHP v .707 against LHP.
Looking at the whole record, majors and minors, it strongly suggests Bell wants Naquin in there over Senzel in a L/R percentages play against this pitcher. He can’t substitute similarly in the IF - no LHH bench IFers.
This is just Bell’s style, he’s very much influenced by L/R percentages. I tend toward that as well so can’t complain much. I’m sure Nick will be back tomorrow and likely play at some point tonight as well.
Last edited by Kc61; 04-09-2021 at 06:50 PM.
malcontent (04-09-2021)
Yeah it’s one of the things I can’t stand about him lol, especially when it hasn’t ever especially worked out well as a strategy for him. This team has had an extremely hard time going on winning streaks as long as he’s been manager, and if I had to theorize, I’d guess pulling guys out of the lineup based on small sample size matchup plays is part of the reason why they’ve had issues getting on a roll. It’s one of the things that led to, say, Peraza getting starts over Winker in LF back in 2019.
It’s a trade off. Continuity is important, play your best guys. But there are matchups that suggest using opposite handed hitters.
Notably he didn’t platoon RHH Castellanos, a high level established hitter. He has no LHH backup infielders. So his one move toward the percentage play is Naquin, who has been hot.
Assuming that’s what’s gong on, I’ll give Bell a pass - unless he does the same thing tomorrow. I understand why some feel differently - this guy isn’t Walter Johnson, just play your regular lineup.
Last edited by Kc61; 04-09-2021 at 07:02 PM.
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