NL East Update: The one where David Wright can't stop whiffing
Mets Blog is starting to get worried about David Wrights astronomically high strikeout rate, and (W)rightfully so, up until Monday he was in the midst of striking out in eight consecutive at bats.
Wright was pretty upset Sunday and it is easy to tell that not only he, but also the entire Mets team has been pressing since their 8 game win streak. Wright is the type of player that when he argues a call or gets ejected, you know things are not going well, but seriously, 8 consecutive strikeouts is unacceptable. He is on pace to hit 35 home runs and collect 111 RBI for the season which is a very impressive season, but he is also on pace to strike out 213 times, so just think about how much better those numbers could be if he cuts down on the K's. Now in his seventh season in the bigs, Wright has enough experience and talent that he should at least be able to hit the ball into play, even if it's a weak groundout, because at this point anything's better then leaving the bat on your shoulders.
The Good Phight proposes a hypothetical trade worth looking at, which would shake up the Phillies outfield in a big way.
Obviously when looking at this one has to ask themselves what is the true value of Jayson Werth? The 31-year old is enjoying an MVP type season and has seen his numbers improve on an annual basis. In my opinion, Werth is like the Lamar Odom of baseball, meaning that in the big picture, he is nothing more than a complimentary player who is reaping the benefits of being surrounded by several other talented players that make him better. It would be foolish to sign Odom or Werth to large contracts and expect them to carry a team on their back, that's just not the type of player they are. That being said, there is no way I would make this trade to keep Werth, the timing would be awful and it would be a better situation for everyone to let him play out the rest of the year and see what happens, even if I does mean him cashing in with another team.
The Marlins currently have committed the most errors in baseball with 30 and are considered by many to be the worst fielding team in baseball, but Marlin Maniac is here to prove that this is not the case, by once again using the amazing science that is FanGraphs.
Whether or not the numbers from FanGraphs are a more accurate way in ranking team defense, I feel like baseball is one of those games in which you can come up a statistic for anything that will make your respected team look that much better. For example, when calculating the UZR and DRS, which takes "range/errors, outfield arm, double play turning, and catcher stolen base/caught stealing defense" all into account, and you added another aspect such as "game temperature" to the mix, then we could be looking at completely different results. Although there is absolutely nothing false about the FanGraph results, it all boils down to making the plays...simple as that. If Florida can stop making bonehead plays and committing foolish errors then we wouldn't even have to worry about going to an alternative source to prove that the team fielding is not as bad as it actually is.
Fire Jim Bowden, or FJB, addresses the heavy workload Tyler Clippard has had so far in the early going of the season.
Clippard has always had a place in my heart. I will never forget his major league debut with the Yankees in a nationally televised game against the Mets at Shea where his first three pitches resulted in a Jose Reyes strikeout. I was surprised by the Yankees decision to send him to Washington straight up for someone named "Jonathan Albaladejo" because I honestly believed he had the potential to be dominant in the Yankee rotation. Clippard has found a home with the Nationals and is tied for first with Roy Halladay and Ubaldo Jimenez for the league lead in wins with 6. Clippard and closer Matt Kapps have been spectacular all season by exceeding all expectations and are putting up all-star numbers, but it's the rest of the Nationals bullpen that they need to be worried about. Names like Miguel Batista, Tyler Walker, and Sean Burnett have Washington fans at the edge of their seat...especially Batista, who in yesterdays game against the Mets, gave up a solo home run to Angel Pagan in the 9th that made it a one run ballgame.
Talking Chop plays a little "General Manager" and gives his take on what Atlanta should due at the trading deadline.
The article has me worried when they talk about "going all in" for Bobby Cox's last year, and by "going all in" they mean acquiring a big name like they did with Teixeira a few years back. I am worried because I don't think it would be wise for the Braves to go all in just because it is Cox's final season, whatever move they make needs to be in the best interest of the team, not just to get fans in the seats. Although they are struggling now and likely will throughout the season, the Braves are in good shape for the future so I would be a little hesitant to start shipping out prospects, just to get a big name player.
