2017 Spring Training Thread

[sportscoach]

Which defensive numbers are you looking at?

Just the basic stats, not the advanced ones to be honest aka Fielding% and range factor. I am not sure which place to go to get the data on the advanced stats for the minor leaguers. If you can get the advanced metrics go ahead and put them up between those two, but I do know Diaz has a lot better potential than his numbers dictate

 

[BMAN]

Just the basic stats, not the advanced ones to be honest aka Fielding% and range factor. I am not sure which place to go to get the data on the advanced stats for the minor leaguers. If you can get the advanced metrics go ahead and put them up between those two, but I do know Diaz has a lot better potential than his numbers dictate

And how do you know that?

 

[AZ_]

He doesn't, so there's really no point in furthering the discussion.


But here is some good news:

 

[sportscoach]

And how do you know that?

I go to baseball reference and get player profiles to get their numbers, but they don't have advanced numbers on the minor league players really. Then I have watched both Chisenhall and Diaz play in the field. It's easy to tell Diaz is potentially better from watching how they play, but he also needs to work on some of his fundamentals and stop some boneheaded plays.

 

[Lee]

Just the basic stats, not the advanced ones to be honest aka Fielding% and range factor. I am not sure which place to go to get the data on the advanced stats for the minor leaguers. If you can get the advanced metrics go ahead and put them up between those two, but I do know Diaz has a lot better potential than his numbers dictate

I think the only defensive stat that matters is our very own Tito's opinion on his defense. Our skipper has an incredible handle on this club and thinks Diaz's defense isnt up to par yet based on comments.

I am hopeful because he is hinting he thinks Yandy will get there.

As a casual baseball fan I tend to over value offense so it nice to come on here and hear the more in depth debates.

 

[BMAN]

I go to baseball reference and get player profiles to get their numbers, but they don't have advanced numbers on the minor league players really. Then I have watched both Chisenhall and Diaz play in the field. It's easy to tell Diaz is potentially better from watching how they play, but he also needs to work on some of his fundamentals and stop some boneheaded plays.

So no proof? Just your opinion...got it

 

[sportscoach]

So no proof? Just your opinion...got it

No one on these boards are scouts/professionals so if they say anything about a player, it is their opinion. So saying anyone on this board saying Urshela has issues with his swing, is their opinion, which if you watch on film, seems to be correct since he is not the guy who is not making this team, but with your logic is incorrect because it is an opinion. No offense man, but at least treat everyone the same. If you don't like my posts then ignore them, like I will for yours from now on. I don't want to me mean about it. I am here to talk sports and if one couldn't say their opinion on a sports forum, then this site would never exist to begin with.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/chiselo01.shtml

http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=diaz--000yan

Going by the basic stat number, Lonnie has had a career in the pros with a .943 fielding percentage and a range factor of 2.55, while Diaz's career is at a .936 with a range factor of 2.4. League average is at like a .956 and 2.57 (at least according to the years Chisenhall was playing 3B) so both guys are average/below average in that sense.

Now that being said, multiple scouts, and many people who know baseball have said Diaz is better than his numbers, which tells me that he has more potential than his numbers show from their opinions and watching film, Diaz is potentially the better of the two defensively, now it is up to him to figure out how to put it all together.

 

[AZ_]

I go to baseball reference and get player profiles to get their numbers, but they don't have advanced numbers on the minor league players really. Then I have watched both Chisenhall and Diaz play in the field. It's easy to tell Diaz is potentially better from watching how they play, but he also needs to work on some of his fundamentals and stop some boneheaded plays.

Guessing you've not only watched a great deal of Yandy Diaz minor league footage, but went back into the vault and pulled some Chisenhall film from 2015.

You don't need to bullshit your way through these answers.

Pro Tip: Just say, "I think he'll be better."

You're not kidding anyone here.

 

[AZ_]

No one on these boards are scouts/professionals so if they say anything about a player, it is their opinion. So saying anyone on this board saying Urshela has issues with his swing, is their opinion, which if you watch on film, seems to be correct since he is not the guy who is not making this team, but with your logic is incorrect because it is an opinion. No offense man, but at least treat everyone the same.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/chiselo01.shtml

http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=diaz--000yan

Going by the basic stat number, Lonnie has had a career in the pros with a .943 fielding percentage and a range factor of 2.55, while Diaz's career is at a .936 with a range factor of 2.4. League average is at like a .956 and 2.57 (at least according to the years Chisenhall was playing 3B) so both guys are below average in that sense.

Now that being said, multiple scouts, and many people who know baseball have said Diaz is better than his numbers, which tells me that he has more potential than his numbers show from their opinions and watching film, Diaz is potentially the better of the two defensively, now it is up to him to figure out how to put it all together.

People don't get treated the same because they haven't shown their opinions to be deserving of equal weight.

For example, nobody respects the above opinion because few people respect anyone who cites fielding percentage and Range Factor you pulled off the internet as a means for being a better defender.

Nobody has said "Diaz is better than his numbers," because no scout pays much attention to fielding percentages.

You haven't been watching film.

Honestly, give it a rest.

 

[sportscoach]

I think the only defensive stat that matters is our very own Tito's opinion on his defense. Our skipper has an incredible handle on this club and thinks Diaz's defense isnt up to par yet based on comments.

I am hopeful because he is hinting he thinks Yandy will get there.

As a casual baseball fan I tend to over value offense so it nice to come on here and hear the more in depth debates.

I mean in hindsight it can be easy to question someone, but Francona is one of the best managers in baseball and he knows what he is doing. We have a chance to make another run like we did in the 90s with this roster and with him at the helm. Even if I don't agree with all the decisions he has made, I side with him since one, There is not choice and two, because he is there cause he knows what he is doing and we are here writing on these boards cause we aren't scouts nor apart of the pro teams lol

 

[Lee]

People don't get treated the same because they haven't shown their opinions to be deserving of equal weight.

For example, nobody respects the above opinion because few people respect anyone who cites fielding percentage and Range Factor you pulled off the internet as a means for being a better defender.

Nobody has said "Diaz is better than his numbers," because no scout pays much attention to fielding percentages.

You haven't been watching film.

Honestly, give it a rest.

I brought up Chisenhall to you before though as he stuck out like a sore thumb in the outfield when I went to the game. I dont think sportscoach is off comparing the two even though you dont value his opinion, I do think he is getting better at this and we should give him a break now.

Where do you see Diaz having to play to stick? 3rd? And you dont see him sticking past Kipnis coming back because of rule 2 or something like that? Isnt Diaz getting a bit old for a minor leaguer or does that not matter just team control and what we need at the major league level?

 

[sportscoach]

People don't get treated the same because they haven't shown their opinions to be deserving of equal weight.

For example, nobody respects the above opinion because few people respect anyone who cites fielding percentage and Range Factor you pulled off the internet as a means for being a better defender.

Nobody has said "Diaz is better than his numbers," because no scout pays much attention to fielding percentages.

You haven't been watching film.

Honestly, give it a rest.

Actually it was Bimbo that said it awhile ago, and another gentleman on a different forums, that lives for minor league baseball. Also the scouts in the minors have had high praise for Diaz's defense even though his numbers haven't been good. So something there tells me they would say ignore his numbers if asked about it. I mean I would give you better numbers and stats if I knew where to get them.

 

[sportscoach]

Where do you see Diaz having to play to stick? 3rd? And you dont see him sticking past Kipnis coming back because of rule 2 or something like that? Isnt Diaz getting a bit old for a minor leaguer or does that not matter just team control and what we need at the major league level?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yandy_Díaz

Diaz was a Cuban defector who signed with the Indians a couple seasons ago. So yes he is older, and I cannot find out why there is no playing time for him between when he left Cuba and he signed with the Indians in 2013. So he wasn't even in the pros long enough to become Rule 5 eligible

This season once Kipnis comes back, he is likely back to the minors unless he can show he can play half way decent in the OF and a guy like Jackson has struggled. It's quite possible he plays until Kipnis is healthy and then will be optioned out.

Position wise long term, in my opinion, is actually very up in the air. Some guys like @D-Wreck want Brantley to get moved to 1B creating an opening in LF (which I believe he wanted to give to Zimmer). So the only position spot next season open is Santana's and Jackson's backup OF spot, otherwise everyone else is signed/under team control. Personally I feel we need to trade Chisenhall next season to make room for Zimmer to platoon with Guyer, but that is next season.

 

[AZ_]

I brought up Chisenhall to you before though as he stuck out like a sore thumb in the outfield when I went to the game. I dont think sportscoach is off comparing the two even though you dont value his opinion, I do think he is getting better at this and we should give him a break now.

Where do you see Diaz having to play to stick? 3rd? And you dont see him sticking past Kipnis coming back because of rule 2 or something like that? Isnt Diaz getting a bit old for a minor leaguer or does that not matter just team control and what we need at the major league level?

I'm not saying he can't play third. I'm saying the method to which people are saying he plays third well is getting ridiculous.

We've got a John Sickels scouting report and maybe Fangraphs, I guess.

Francona is telling people straight up how hard he needs to work to get there, but we're talking about minor league fielding percentages and the gut feeling of some dude who puts 'lol' after 80 percent of his posts.

It's fucking painful to read, is all.

 

[7foot3]

Which, is great.

But you're taking Sickels sampling of games against Francona and Sarbaugh?

I'm not sure I am.

Am I taking the scouts who get paid to evaluate minor leaguers over a guy who is paid to motivate major leaguers and really hasn't seen said player before this spring all that much? Doesn't seem unreasonable. Especially considering Francona's infatuation with Martinez and Aviles, he might have a bit of a blind spot here.