So we're going to start Jeff Mathis against lefties? Career .210 hitter vs lefties. Not much better than Salty. Or is Baker gonna catch, too?

 

You are missing the point. I'm saying that a player like Saltalamacchia is someone who should be platooned by a smart team. Of course a team like the Marlins would never do that in part because they have not constructed their depth chart in such a way.

So we're going to start Jeff Mathis against lefties? Career .210 hitter vs lefties. Not much better than Salty. Or is Baker gonna catch, too?

 

Realistically, he's not going to be platooned, and it's because we don't exactly have another viable, productive option.

 

Well, they all suck. So for this season it might not matter. Mathis has a better career OPS vs lefties so he'll get the nod against lefties but at the end of the day he sucks, too. My comment was more about Salty's future years here. Next year they need to have a better platoon partner for him.

Are we starting to see warts on Salty , it seemed in the off-season that many were taking like he walked on water

not so much now and pre-season just started

You are missing the point. I'm saying that a player like Saltalamacchia is someone who should be platooned by a smart team. Of course a team like the Marlins would never do that in part because they have not constructed their depth chart in such a way.

And my point is that he won't be platooned.

Not due to lack of depth, not because of the money, but because there isn't another option.

 

I'll take blame on this one, however, perhaps stating his monetary figure shouldn't have been my leading argument.

Are we starting to see warts on Salty , it seemed in the off-season that many were taking like he walked on water

not so much now and pre-season just started

Compared to Mathis and Brantly, he is Jesus. Catcher offense was arguably our biggest hole. We filled it.

 

And as for the noise or lack thereof made this offseason - small splashes can make big waves. I'm not saying McGehee, Furcal, Jones, et al will lead us to the promised land, but we're obviously not going to be anywhere near as bad as last year, because we filled some holes. This is an assumption of this happening, but McGehee hitting .260 with 15 homers and driving in 60 will be a big upgrade on the offensive side. Jones/Baker may combine to knock 25 out of the park, which isn't farfetch'd, as that is exactly what they combined to do last year in their respective split sides [Jones 15 vs RHP, Baker 10 vs LHP]. Furcal and Solano, probably a push but Furcal is (most likely) the better one defensively, even after surgery.

 

If the pitching is the same (or improves, even, which is a possibility), then this can be a solid, respectable team. I'm excited for the season, but I'm keeping my hopes realistic.

And my point is that he won't be platooned.

Not due to lack of depth, not because of the money, but because there isn't another option.

 

I'll take blame on this one, however, perhaps stating his monetary figure shouldn't have been my leading argument.

 

Well, yeah. In the post I responded to, you said nothing about no other option being available, so naturally I was responding to the money side.

Salty being average, give or take, is a gigantic upgrade over what they had last season. It's only a three year deal. And with no promising catchers in the system, and him being just 28, I have no issue with the deal.

Second, he had a good 2012 season

He didnt have a "good" 2012 by any stretch of the imagination. He hit 25 home runs, but those #s are artificially inflated by Fenway Park. His batting average was .222. His OBP was .288. He struck out in over 30% of his at bats. Those are awful.

He didnt have a "good" 2012 by any stretch of the imagination. He hit 25 home runs, but those #s are artificially inflated by Fenway Park. His batting average was .222. His OBP was .288. He struck out in over 30% of his at bats. Those are awful.

 

For a catcher, that's really not terrible. Most teams will take that from their starting catcher all day long.

For a catcher, that's really not terrible. Most teams will take that from their starting catcher all day long.

 

"Not terrible" is not the same as "good."

:mike So not terrible is the new Marlin standard?

:mike So not terrible is the new Marlin standard?

Only when it comes to offense from the catcher position.

His offense is pretty terrible though. He has one offensive tool and thats power, and he doesn't really have that. His offensive #'s were artificially inflated by Fenway Park. He cant hit for average, he strikes out a ton, and he doesn't draw walks.

 

And you are expecting a guy with one offensive tool to be able to replicate that in one of the harshest parks for a hitter in baseball and that is absurd.

His offense is pretty terrible though. He has one offensive tool and thats power, and he doesn't really have that. His offensive #'s were artificially inflated by Fenway Park. He cant hit for average, he strikes out a ton, and he doesn't draw walks.

 

And you are expecting a guy with one offensive tool to be able to replicate that in one of the harshest parks for a hitter in baseball and that is absurd.

 

Or you should look deeper into the situation and see that Salty is a line drive hitter that uses the gaps constantly. He will be absolutely fine at Marlins Park.

Or you should look deeper into the situation and see that Salty is a line drive hitter that uses the gaps constantly. He will be absolutely fine at Marlins Park.

 

The answer lies somewhere in the middle. Salty isnt very good, but he's a decent starter in his 20's who provides an upgrade.

The answer lies somewhere in the middle. Salty isnt very good, but he's a decent starter in his 20's who provides an upgrade.

 

This is a fair statement. I just choose the optimistic outlook, unlike some of these miserable fucks.

This is a fair statement. I just choose the optimistic outlook, unlike some of these miserable f***s.

Realistic is different than pessimistic. You often take the extreme end of plausibility and call it optimism; that's a pretty stretched definition.

Realistic is different than pessimistic. You often take the extreme end of plausibility and call it optimism; that's a pretty stretched definition.

It's not a stretch to think a 28-year-old coming off a career year is heading into his prime.

It is a stretch to think a guy who will be 29 in a month and has been an awful hitter in the majority of his 2000+ major league ABs will suddenly be not awful because he had a career year in a contract year in one of the most hitter friendly environments in baseball. He can be a gap hitter all he wants, but I fail to see how that helps his most glaring weaknesses which are an inability to draw walks, striking out 1/3rd of the time, and just a general inability to make consistent contact.

 

You take being positive to the most annoying level, as you think everyone in the organization is going to hit their best case scenario.

We will see who's right regarding Salty. By the way, I was one of, if not the first person to advocate his signing early this offseason because I was optimistic about him well before he was in our organization. But being optimistic about your favorite team is a hell of a lot more fun than always assuming the worst.

It's good pick-up the problem is it isn't a great pick-up. The team needs more moves then this FO is able or capable of making. You have to like the young pitching but based on history you better enjoy them before they are gone.

We will see who's right regarding Salty. By the way, I was one of, if not the first person to advocate his signing early this offseason because I was optimistic about him well before he was in our organization. But being optimistic about your favorite team is a hell of a lot more fun than always assuming the worst.

So what if you were the first person to advocate it? You have a pretty lengthy history of making asinine and unreasonable predictions/projections for players.

 

And his stats and history dont back up your ridiculous mancrush on him.

So what if you were the first person to advocate it? You have a pretty lengthy history of making asinine and unreasonable predictions/projections for players.

 

And his stats and history dont back up your ridiculous mancrush on him.

 

How many times are we going to go over this? The past two years he has steadily improved offensively while he moves forward into his prime years. Those two years, and his age, all back up my theory. But that's fine I guess.

We went over it. He wasnt steadily improved in 2012. He was awful at the plate in 2012. He got on base at a .288 clip and K'd over 30% of the time. You are only taking HR's into consideration, and his power #s will not translate from Fenway to Marlins Park.

 

You cannot possibly be this dense.

Or you should look deeper into the situation and see that Salty is a line drive hitter that uses the gaps constantly. He will be absolutely fine at Marlins Park.

 

The new hitting coach has been preaching using Marlins Park to our advantage. Hitting the gaps to get those doubles and triples, instead of swinging for the fences. The "one team" way of thinking. Quick look at ST stats to date seems to indicate that's what they are working on.