Free Agent 1B by WAR

A nice graph from BtB showing the free agent 1B and their WAR from last year (wOBA and UZR are also displayed separately).

There's only four that make sense to look at: Nick Johnson, Adam LaRoche, Russell Branyan and Carlos Delgado. Obviously the relative cost will determine which ones would be worth going after.

over 2 years ago GiantFan 16 comments 0 recs |

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I really appreciate the effort, but man those target view defense graphs don’t do much for me. I just end up hunting for names in the data table.

Bay City Ball

by xanthan on Nov 6, 2009 8:56 AM PST reply actions

True, they look nice but they’re not as useful as a table of graph would be.

Proud parent of Waldis Joaquin!

by GiantFan on Nov 6, 2009 9:24 AM PST up reply actions

Branyan looks like a good option

also he OPSes about 80 points higher against righties, meaning he might be a great platoon split with Garko

A hearty thank you to Rich Aurilia for all the good memories, and to the Niners for finally getting the uni's (mostly) right.

by wjackalope on Nov 6, 2009 9:00 AM PST reply actions

including 21 dingerz and an OPS of .905 against righties this past season

A hearty thank you to Rich Aurilia for all the good memories, and to the Niners for finally getting the uni's (mostly) right.

by wjackalope on Nov 6, 2009 9:02 AM PST up reply actions

He’s not going to be cheap anymore, though.

Merkin Valdez? Manuel Mateo? A rose by any other name...

by rotorueter on Nov 6, 2009 10:05 AM PST up reply actions

all four players you mentioned are left handed, so it’s obvious you’ve given up on Travis Ishikawa. I have too, but it will be interesting to see if Sabean has.

No Edgar, it's not your fault, it's the fault of the idiot that plays you

by rxmeister on Nov 6, 2009 9:53 AM PST reply actions

I haven’t given up on Ishikawa being a useful player (1 WAR for example). I can’t say i’ve given up on him being anything more than that because i never thought he would be. To me Ishikawa is a “default option” he stops you from desperately needing to sign any 1B but he doesn’t preclude you from needing to sign a good one.

Proud parent of Waldis Joaquin!

by GiantFan on Nov 6, 2009 10:19 AM PST up reply actions

I’d take LaRoche.

Matt Cain: throwing complete game shutouts since 06'. No big deal.

by cain1rstballothof on Nov 6, 2009 9:57 AM PST reply actions

I don’t see LaRoche as a measurable improvement over Garko, though. Both are pretty average, and Garko is younger and already under team control.

Merkin Valdez? Manuel Mateo? A rose by any other name...

by rotorueter on Nov 6, 2009 10:06 AM PST up reply actions

Platoon?

Aaron King is still my homeboy... iffy mechanics and all

McFAQ for all you newcomers out there.

GET THAT VORP AND WHIP SH!T OUTTA HERE!!!

by baetown415 on Nov 6, 2009 4:45 PM PST up reply actions

LaRoche will require at least as much money as F Sanchez. Why spend that on a platoon 1B?

Merkin Valdez? Manuel Mateo? A rose by any other name...

by rotorueter on Nov 6, 2009 6:46 PM PST up reply actions

+1

Though at least he doesn’t have the health issues Fred Sanchez has. Of Coarse LaRoche can’t seem to hit tell it is August either which worries me when over 95% of is playing time is on the club that is out of thing be the trade deadline.

Who’s brain did you bring me?
Brain SabeanOranother.

by daveinexile on Nov 7, 2009 8:21 AM PST up reply actions

What is the argument against Hinske, out of curiosity?

I assume he’d be relatively cheap and sort of falls in the middle of the not too old (Delgado), gets on base at an ok clip, appears to have great defense, which the team says is a priority given our vaunted pitching staff.

"Matt Cain will save the children, but not the Dodger children" - I realize this is someone else's signature but I wanted to emphasize it because it is so damn genius on several levels at once.

by I own a Kayak and I'm not sure why now on Nov 6, 2009 3:47 PM PST reply actions

He has taken the field for more than 500 Innings only once since 2006; though that has not stopped a Sabean Giants team before. He would be viewed as more as a PH a role they might see Nate as filling that need. He is usually very much stronger vs RHP and very much weaker vs LHP.

On a Big Head team I am fairly sure he would play vs. LHP or RHP. As a bench player/insurance play I would have no real issues with him. I just doubt he would be used as such.

Who’s brain did you bring me?
Brain SabeanOranother.

by daveinexile on Nov 7, 2009 8:39 AM PST up reply actions