The real one Sabes let get away...
by NeifiChicken on Sep 23, 2009 4:55 PM PDT
73 comments
I did a search of fanposts and nothing came up so I really, really hope I am not repeating someone else here, but here we go.
Rajai Davis. Yes, Rajai Davis. Have you guys seen what he's been up to across the bay hitting .318/.376/.432 with 40 steals & a WAR of 3.7 in only 380 PA's. To put that in some perspective, on this club that would make him the 2nd best position player and on a per game perspective, out BEST player according to WAR.
Now, clearly there's been some luck on Davis part, that .318 avg is bouyed by a ridiculously high .378 BABIP, which even for a guy with elite speed, is unsustainable. A normalized level for Davis is probably somewhere around .315-.325, so that would clearly take a hit to his offensive value, probably something like .280/.345/.390, which is a lot less impressive but still solid for a guy with his skillset.
Also, so much of his value is tied to his amazing defense, which is absolutely amazing relative to his peers, although I always take run values off defense with a certain grain of salt. Yes, his defense has tremendous value, but whether or not it's been worth exactly 12 runs per 150 games I have less confidence in than his offensive worth. Still, it wouldn't surprise if that figure is in the ballpark.
What WAR leaves out though is baserunning, which Davis also excels at, not only on taking bases on teammate contact, but at stealing bases (40/51 is quite good for a someone who steals at high volume). I think it's fair to estimate the run value of his baserunning allow is close to half a win, if not more.
Bottom line, this guy has been amazing this year (albeit in a lucky career year offensively he is unlikely to repeat) and Sabean pretty much just discarded him after a strong 2007 with us because he was poor in 18, yes 18, at-bats in 2008.
I was pretty displeased at the time (even though a 4 win season was probably the last thing on my mind with Rajai's future) but this one has really come back to bite us, yet I don't see much talk about it. It's not like Bochy would play him anyway, but it was also clear Sabean really never thought much of him since after his strong 2007 stint with SF, Sabean immediately went out and signed Aaron Rowand, who is of similar (if not inferior) value to Davis only at a much steeper price tag and a whole lot of grittiness.
It's stuff like this that I hope Neukom looks out for when deciding Sabean's fate at season's end
This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.
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I've always been a fan of Rajai
and I’m glad to see him having such a good year.
If you’re wondering about baserunning, BP has baserunning numbers.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/sortable/index.php?cid=468149
Davis has been worth +7 runs on the base paths this season. That’s 3rd best in baseball.
by xanthan on Sep 23, 2009 5:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Bengie’s all on his own on a separate page. Hope his feelings aren’t hurt.
Insanity is just a state of mind.
by giants9107 on Sep 23, 2009 7:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is there anything that Utley fellow can’t do?
/autodefenestrates
Young Studs for Old Bats: The Brian Sabean Story
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by Uribe nee Gonzalez on Sep 24, 2009 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Seriously...
I was skeptical about his defense, but when I checked his UZR… He’s been one of the best fielding 2nd basemen for the past 3 seasons.
He steals bases too!
What a player.
by AmorVincitOmnia on Sep 24, 2009 6:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
RAJAI HAD HIS CHANCE.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
"AT LAST I AM A PARENTS." - Buster
by jponry on Sep 23, 2009 5:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
But...but...but..
He hit .056/.105/.056 in his 2008 stint with the Giants! Do you mean to tell me that 18 at-bats isn’t enough information to accurately assess a player by?
by ryanmiles on Sep 23, 2009 5:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
You need at least 30 ABs to properly evaluate a player.
Less than 35, though.
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by groug on Sep 23, 2009 10:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I really don’t see Davis as being a 3 or 4 WAR player, and this year really seems like an outlier to me. I just can’t ever see myself saying “I wish we still had Rajai Davis on our team.”
by Anticon23 on Sep 23, 2009 5:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Well, if he’s a league average hitter, which he probably should be (career wOBA of .335) that plays +5 run defense in CF, he’s got a baseline of something like 2-2.5 wins annually. If you include his baserunning, he looks even better.
by xanthan on Sep 23, 2009 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
For fun, WAR math. wOBA league average is set to .332 in my calculations.
Name wOBA Pos. WAA Defense Rep. PT% WAR $WAR Rajai Davis 0.330 0.25 -0.12 0.5 2 0.8 2.11 9.67
Like I said, baserunning probably kicks him up a few runs overall. I projected his defense conservatively at +5 runs. He’s been closer to +10 runs in CF per 150 games in his career.
by xanthan on Sep 23, 2009 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree
but even at 2-2.5 WAR we basically have Aaron Rowand (if not better) and a lot more money leftover
by NeifiChicken on Sep 23, 2009 5:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rowand was worth 1.4 wins in ’08 and 1.9 wins so far this season.
by xanthan on Sep 23, 2009 5:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah
I looked it up before I made the comment, but I like to leave some wiggle room since over stretches of 300-350 PA’s (aka the first half of each of the last 2 years) Rowand is worth over 2 WAR, so to me I can see the value being similar enough. Plus it helps cover some of that ground between the subjective the objective if I leave it that way.
Nonetheless, it’s clear no matter which way you slice it, Rajai is a better option than Rowand
by NeifiChicken on Sep 23, 2009 5:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was pretty disappointed when Davis was let go. I liked him.
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by Natto on Sep 23, 2009 5:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Me too
I tend to agree with you a lot in this regard…
The baseball Satanist
by thehavenot on Sep 23, 2009 6:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah. Rajai Davis was one of those “I traded you for a player that I desperately needed to get rid of because if people would forget about that player I will look better, but now I can’t keep you on the roster because you’ll remind people of that player I never should have signed so I’m going to let you go for nothing” moves of Sabean’s. There were seriously like 5 of these players in the last couple years. It’s pretty sad….
Context, people. More context is good. Less context is bad. If you're willing to be reductive, then you're willing to be wrong.
by howtheyscored on Sep 23, 2009 11:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
“I traded FOR you for a player…” and so on. You know what I mean. Stop being so whiny.
Context, people. More context is good. Less context is bad. If you're willing to be reductive, then you're willing to be wrong.
by howtheyscored on Sep 23, 2009 11:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I sgree with that. Even looking at things as far back as last spring he would have made Torress obsolete. And probablyt a lot of Space Ghost refrences as well.
That’s it! Katie bar the door for this 79 win team is star crossed! And I am loving it.
by daveinexile on Sep 24, 2009 5:38 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ahhhhh, I loved Rajai...
Better than average arm, much better than average wheels, better than average contact rate…. And his OBP was about the same as his AVG so why didn’t Sabes like him? That’s weird.
He looks better in white cleats, anyway.
Brian Sabean is akin to a treatable form of cancer... just get rid of it before it kills you
by milesntrane on Sep 23, 2009 5:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Rajai's had a nice season, and we could really use a 5.8 WAR per 600 PA player
But, if we’re extrapolating fluke partial seasons, Andres Torres and his 8 WAR pace is better.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
by Bhaakon on Sep 23, 2009 5:26 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Which only emphasizes the dumbness of the Rowand deal.
by Evan on Sep 23, 2009 6:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Actually, I was trying to emphasize the dumbness of over-emphasizing partial-seasons.
Not that Rowand’s contract was brilliant or even defensible, but it wouldn’t look nearly so bad if the market hadn’t collapsed last winter.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
by Bhaakon on Sep 23, 2009 6:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
well...
Davis had 3x the PA’s that Torres has, as well as having been above replacement each of the last 3 years, whereas prior to this year Torres was the definition of a replacement player in the bigs.
And I didn’t say anywhere that this was a pace he would keep up, there are plenty of reasons to see he is playing above himself, however I think it is fair to expect that over a full year he’s probably about, if not more productive than Rowand, which is between 1.5-2.5 WAR
by NeifiChicken on Sep 23, 2009 7:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He’s a lesser Angel Pagan, with more speed.
im telling you guys, if Angel stays healthy, he would be a great signing for us this free agency
by lehmsbobby on Sep 23, 2009 6:04 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Meh
Gary Matthews Jr. with further to regress. Don’t see anybody kicking themselves about this for too much further down the line.
Barry Zito: Mike Hampton with a guitar
by JakeS on Sep 23, 2009 6:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I never understood why we released him like we did. Now, obviously, I don’t blame anyone for not seeing this years performance coming, there was no reason to believe he could produce like this. On the other hand, dude was basically free, plays good D, can run the bases, and takes the occasional walk. He posted an above average OBP in 162 PA’s in 2007 (and had that AMAZING catch against the Pirates), and then after 19 PA’s in 2008 we let him go? At worst he was a perfect bench outfielder with his defense and base running, I just never saw a reason for the move. Good thing we let Dave Roberts play in 52 games and rack up 130 PA’s that season, though. Davis couldn’t have possibly replicated his .224/.341/.280 line.
It’s just another example of how Sabean doesn’t understand shit about baseball. It’s not that bad a move on its own, but it’s mostly a sign that Sabean just doesn’t get why a player like that is a perfect bench player (there’s a reason a good GM, Billy Beane, took a flier on the guy). He was young and free, could have gotten better….
by Missing Barry on Sep 23, 2009 6:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
We didn’t really deserve to have him anyway. I will never understand how the Pirates, being the only team who even came close to considering taking on the Morris contract, decided to give up a player as well. That deal was so ridiculous that I would almost feel bad having gotten something out of it other than unloading Morris and his $14 million before he officially completely fell apart
by ElDuce on Sep 23, 2009 6:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
One of my first posts was about letting Rajai get away.
I wrote that it was a predictable Sabean failure to assemble a team with no consistent offensive strategy in the post Bonds years. Had he stuck with Rajai instead of Rowand, the Giants could have had a Speed oriented offense in 2008-9 until the farm could grow HR power.
by hokysmksbw on Sep 23, 2009 7:04 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Speed-oriented offense is an oxymoron.
Much like this season’s “brainless hacker-oriented offense”
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
by Bhaakon on Sep 23, 2009 7:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'M BILLY MAYS FOR OXYMORON!
Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit... Maybe.
by Mayor of 311 on Sep 23, 2009 7:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
U R NOT BILLY MAYS
U R 5
I WILL SEE YOU AT AT&T PARK, EPEE IN HAND
BRING YOUR SABER
GROUGTHINK ALERT
The first Chester Arthur fanboy ever.
by groug on Sep 23, 2009 10:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I"M BILLY MAYS FOR OXYCONTIN!
Context, people. More context is good. Less context is bad. If you're willing to be reductive, then you're willing to be wrong.
by howtheyscored on Sep 23, 2009 11:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Speed oriented defense is something I like, though.
by Missing Barry on Sep 23, 2009 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Several 80's teams were Speed-oriented.
By Speed I obviously mean base-stealing. The most famous being the Cardinals, but the Astros, the Dodgers, and the Reds could all rob you blind.
by hokysmksbw on Sep 24, 2009 2:27 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The entire national league average 4.08 Run per game in the eighties.
While technically .02 better than the 2009 Giants, that’s not really something to aim for.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
by Bhaakon on Sep 24, 2009 3:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think the Cards were actually astroturf-oriented.
My Bucardo is better than yours.
A hot August weekday, before a small crowd, when the only thing at stake is the tissue-thin difference between a thing done well and a thing done ill. Insofar as the clutch hitter is not a sportswriter's myth, it is a vulgarity, like a writer who writes only for money.
by Roger on Sep 24, 2009 5:27 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
what they were
was OBP oriented. Look it up – when the Cards were good, they were 1st or 2nd in the league in OBP (and high in runs scored)
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
-------
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by zenbitz on Sep 24, 2009 5:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
So this.
They would get on base and wait for the “D” to screw up and take 90 feet from you. Darn near every position player was that way. Yes, they had a couple guys that could , and would steal, 90+ a season but their single biggest weapon was your defensive indifference and brain cramps.
A bit above Bhaakon mentions those Cards scored runs at a rate slightly higher than the ’09 Giants but what is not mentioned is the league was half full with team built like this so a squad that wanted to contend could not skimp on defensive execution or that teams contending hopes would be executed in that kind of an environment.
That’s it! Katie bar the door for this 79 win team is star crossed! And I am loving it.
by daveinexile on Sep 24, 2009 5:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Actually, that was the entire NL, not just the Cards.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
by Bhaakon on Sep 24, 2009 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I sit corrected.
/ makes note to increase the grinds ratio to water for tomorrow mornings coffee.
That’s it! Katie bar the door for this 79 win team is star crossed! And I am loving it.
by daveinexile on Sep 24, 2009 5:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah I know zen. I remember. They were always one of the highest OBP and BB in the NL through the first half of the 80s. I was just noting that they built that team around their turf. They had a bunch of speedy groundball hitters and a turf that played like a cement sidewalk. If I knew where to look it up, I’d bet they had abnormally high BABIP numbers on all those teams as well. (or possibly not abnormal in the sense that all the hard astroturf teams probably had numbers that we think of as abnormally high since the turf played so much faster).
My Bucardo is better than yours.
A hot August weekday, before a small crowd, when the only thing at stake is the tissue-thin difference between a thing done well and a thing done ill. Insofar as the clutch hitter is not a sportswriter's myth, it is a vulgarity, like a writer who writes only for money.
by Roger on Sep 24, 2009 6:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
And, with out looking it up, there were more “larger yards” then as well. The Astrodome was replaced with Whiffle Ball Park. 3 Rivers with the Great Americain Launching pad. The “O” in Montreal is gone. I would say Turner field is a bit less hitter friendly than Fulton County was, and the New Bush a tad smaller ( but not dreadfully so) than the old.
That’s it! Katie bar the door for this 79 win team is star crossed! And I am loving it.
by daveinexile on Sep 24, 2009 6:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Having Jack the Ripper hitting 4th with all those jackrabbits on base helped, too.
"We're in this thing!" My adopted Giant: "Raptor Jesus" Guzman, "Sweet Jesus" Guzman and Jesus H. Guzman.
by Goofus on Sep 24, 2009 9:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Even before they traded us Uribe for The Ripper the Cards, dreafully lacking in power, were just one of those teams you didn’t want to face. It was maddening how often your team’s bonehead player ended up helping them.
That’s it! Katie bar the door for this 79 win team is star crossed! And I am loving it.
by daveinexile on Sep 24, 2009 6:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Late 70’s early 80’s Atros were kind of the same way but with a much more annoying home field.
/ Makes note the have law passed forb idding Huston from EVER designing their own home field again.
That’s it! Katie bar the door for this 79 win team is star crossed! And I am loving it.
by daveinexile on Sep 24, 2009 6:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
On an iphone so can’t expand too much but I disagree with this post completely. Hindsight and all that. I’ll post more later to support my stance.
by AngelWillSaveUs on Sep 23, 2009 7:59 PM PDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs
Ok, but when you post more, include the part where keeping Dave Roberts was a better option than keeping Davis.
by Missing Barry on Sep 23, 2009 8:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was going to wait until the end of the season numbers to post a Davis/Rowand 2009 comparison.
When a young, or new player on the giants starts off slowly, the giants don’t continue to play him, the dump him. Sometimes those moves are made in haste. Although careerwise its hard to argue Davis over Rowand, but looking at 2009, it is not difficult to see Davis instead of Rowand. Less power, but Davis will turn about 40 plus extra bases on steals. His BABIP is artificially high, but with good speed it may be somewhat more sustainable. Look at old timers like Manny Mota. Even if Rowand is marginally better, he is infinitely more expensive. Plus the kind of pressure a true basestealer puts on the pitcher, and the defense is hard to measure. Yes we let him get away, but if we kept him, he probably would not have played anyway. We might be saying the samething about Bowker if we don’t start playing the guy. If he plays regularly, he can hit. And, hit with power.
by bradleybear on Sep 23, 2009 10:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
if we kept him, he probably would not have played anyway
But that point doesn’t matter, because he’s the perfect bench player. A.) He’s cheap, most importantly quality in a bench player B.) Great defensive player for defensive replacements, a good quality as well C.) Fast, with very good baserunning insticts so he can be a very effective pinch runner, another good bench quality D.) He’s young, so if someone gets hurt, there’s the chance he actually gets the chance to do something and improves or somehow breaks into the lineup, and we now have a cost controlled young player for years to give us great value.
It doesn’t matter that Davis wouldn’t have played, it still made no sense to simply let him go. He had a role on the team, there was only upside and no downside there. Instead we chose to let him go to give Dave fucking Roberts 130 PA’s.
by Missing Barry on Sep 24, 2009 7:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
in the NL he’d be Pujols with moar stealz
Thing A
by sam23 on Sep 23, 2009 8:36 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Rajai sucked until the All Star break
Does anyone really think he just “figured it out” at the age of 28.5 because he had 3 awesome months of fantasy stats? Or was it just a fluky hot streak and he will come crashing down to earth next season?
by m34josh on Sep 24, 2009 1:27 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Or was it just a fluky hot streak
Yes, we know this. You’re exaggerating when you say he “sucked” though. Rajai Davis is still a useful player even when he’s not hitting like he currently is. He plays CF, so he doesn’t need to hit all that much to be a decent player. He plays CF well, so his D provides value. He runs well. He’s cheap. He’s playing over his head, but he’s still a useful, cheap player to have around even if he doesn’t hit nearly as well. He has a number of less obvious skills that will help his team win games.
by Missing Barry on Sep 24, 2009 8:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
.248 average and .643 OPS at the break with 10 steals @ the break. Thats pretty sucky
by m34josh on Sep 24, 2009 4:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good D makes up for a lot. Being a CF makes up for some, too. Even that version of Davis has value.
by Missing Barry on Sep 24, 2009 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think that we should necessarily be wringing our hands over losing Rajai… but it was pretty stupid to dump him after 18 bad AB. There’s no denying that.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
"AT LAST I AM A PARENTS." - Buster
by jponry on Sep 24, 2009 9:15 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I agree, it’s not like we lost a player I’d consider a difference maker, but the fashion with which we lost him is disgusting to me. At least with Nathan/Liriano, Sabean was trading for 26 year old all-star who plays in the middle of the diamond.
Plus my huge anti-Sabean bias will look for any excuse to rag on him.
by NeifiChicken on Sep 24, 2009 9:27 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just consider that the alternative was giving Dave Roberts 130 PA’s. That’s what we chose instead of keeping Davis.
by Missing Barry on Sep 24, 2009 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I still lose sleep after the Giants got rid of Randy Messenger. WHY SABES???!! WHYYYYYY?!!!
I know you nerds know NOTHING about the real game of baseball, or any other athletic endeavor requiring teamwork under physical stress.
Mr. F! | comics | art | Nattowear | Unofficial McImage Directory
by Natto on Sep 24, 2009 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Context, people. More context is good. Less context is bad. If you're willing to be reductive, then you're willing to be wrong.
by howtheyscored on Sep 24, 2009 11:12 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You will take any excuse.
GROUGTHINK ALERT
The first Chester Arthur fanboy ever.
by groug on Sep 24, 2009 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He mentioned Randy Messenger! It totally makes sense!
Context, people. More context is good. Less context is bad. If you're willing to be reductive, then you're willing to be wrong.
by howtheyscored on Sep 24, 2009 3:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Context, people. More context is good. Less context is bad. If you're willing to be reductive, then you're willing to be wrong.
by howtheyscored on Sep 24, 2009 3:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
With Bochy managing, Rajai would have just sat on the bench. See: Fred Lewis.
Osiris, Lord of the Dead, and relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants.
FREDEMPTION 2009
by neurofarm on Sep 24, 2009 10:43 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
RAJAI DAVIS IS ON THE A’S?!?!?
WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN
Billy Hayes: His job is better than yours.
by delorean on Sep 24, 2009 11:00 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
The real one? More like the lucky one.
Real one? For maybe half a year of hot playing?
He started hitting in July, was good in August, but really good in September. As late as July 27, he was still only hitting .256/.333/.365/.698 (he started July at .229/.302/.305/.606).
He had a couple of nice hot streaks, July 3 to August 16 (.379/.444/.568/1.013) and August 31-September 23 (.398/.443/.516/.960). And that is sandwiched around August 17-30 (.250/.264/.308/.572).
His current career BABIP is .333. Presumably it is highly biased by his stats this season, but since he really only has a little over a year’s worth of career PA, not a big enough sample yet, we don’t know what is real or what is not for him, so we assume his career is close to the mark.
Assuming that is his talent “norm” and that his extra-base hits were reduced proportionally, here is his new batting line: .284/.325/.391/.716. That’s substantially below average offensively no matter how you slice it, low OBP, low SLG, low OPS, lineup position, fielding position.
Bottom line: whatever “realness” he’s showing this season, unless he has taken a leap forward in skills (and at age 28, soon 29, not really likely), he appears to be having an extreme outlier in BABIP, and scaling back that BABIP for his stats this season would put him smack in the middle of his career stats up to this point, a .716 OPS. Remember, he has had spurts late season before, like with us, when he batted .307/.396/.466/.862 with us for the month of August, before collapsing in September.
I would bet that if the A’s depended on him to be a starter next year, they will be severely disappointed. Why anyone would cry over a journeyman below average hitter, I have no idea, there was no wringing of hands over Calvin Murray or Cody Ransom (who has found a second life on the bench of the Yankees).
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"I'm really proud to be on this team." - Nate Schierholtz
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"Let's go get them in 2009!" - The Kid
by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Sep 24, 2009 2:05 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I wonder sometimes whether OGC even reads the posts he’s rebutting.
by Evan on Sep 24, 2009 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why anyone would cry over a journeyman below average hitter, I have no idea
Saying people are crying about it is a bit of an overstatement, but going off the general idea we don’t think it’s a good move, here’s why…
Because we kept Dave Roberts instead. Because Rajai Davis was cheap and useful as a backup at worst, even if he produced the way your argument expects him to. Because Dave Roberts sucks, and it was obvious at the time and took no hindsight judgment. It was another dumb move from Sabean (surprise surprise), even if a pretty small and mostly inconsequential one. That’s why I don’t like it.
Also note that through his career he’s been a consistently high OBP guy. .375 career minor league OBP (.384 last time he was in the minors in AAA). .342 career MLB OBP (just a tick above average, but for a backup CF, that’s pretty damn good). Also, given the lack of PT he’s been allowed in his stint in the majors, it’s not too unreasonable to think he has taken a step forward in his development at this point. I absolutely think he’s playing over his head at the moment, but that still doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s useful and a good value even if he was playing at a less lucky level.
by Missing Barry on Sep 24, 2009 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm not even a Rajai Davis fanboy
but making a post this long about Rajai Davis and not mentioning defense is like writing a book on the Beatles and not mentioning John Lennon.
If he actually posts a .716 OPS, you can take it to the bank that he will be an above-average MLB starter.
Linda's in the cold ground, won't see her anymore
Somewhere out on the highway tonight, the drunken engines roar
It's just one of those things, one of those things
-- Al Stewart, "Accident on 3rd St."
In memory of Nick Adenhart and all victims of drunk driving
by PaulThomas on Sep 25, 2009 12:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The problem with this is
The Giants already have two outfielders whose value is mostly in their glove: Winn, and Torress (who, SSS of course, is the god of UZR with a +31.3 Runs/150 games)
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
by Bhaakon on Sep 25, 2009 12:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lol, there’s a quote in ESPN the Magazine from Dave Forst….
His production isn’t a surprise, he was a career .300 hitter in the minors.
by Hobbes2d on Sep 24, 2009 3:32 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I always liked Rajai. That catch he made in Pittsburgh was apeshit. He was a good Giant, however short his tenure here was. I was quite pissed when he was DFA’d and tossed for nothing.
The very bad man traded my son...So now I'd like you all to meet my new son, Ryan "Aaron" Garko...Dammit it's just not the same!
by boonitez on Sep 24, 2009 7:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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