Grant Green is too good to be sent down

[ukyah]

cowgill-lf

calhoun-rf

trout-cf

pujols-1b

hamilton-dh

green-3b

kendrick-2b

ianetta/conger-c

aybar-ss

 

bench-

cron-1b/dh

navarro-of

mcdonald-if

ianetta/conger-c

 

stewart's gone. i could live with ibanez for a little bit over cron, but not very long without improvement. i don't think i forgot anybody?

rotate positions through dh, as needed. if the angels failed with that lineup and bench this year, then you wouldn't hear me casting stones.

[rafibomb]

Green deserves to be on this roster for his walk-up song alone.

[ScottT]

He isn't too good to be sent down. He isn't a good defensive player and the jury is still out on his offense in the major leagues.

[disarcina]

I thought Grant Green should have been on the 25 man roster out of ST -- since then his versatility has increased with his ability to play a decent LF -- I was at the game when he made that great catch out there about three weeks ago now........

 

Ian Stewart is versatile, had a good ST and then had a good start for the Halos in April sort of working into a platoon with Freese at 3B when Freese's defense and slow footed running (and slow start of the season at the plate)...........but now Stewart's in the 'what have you done for us lately' situation (not much); Freese on DL, his defense and base running hasn't gotten much better but his bat seems to have woken up a bit......

 

so I think Green stays, Ian Stewart gets DFA's having lasted longer than I thought he would when he was in ST as a non-roster guy.

 

Calhoun, Hamilton headed back -- someone is going to be the odd person out -- I see Navarro being sent back down -- that's a fairly easy call.

 

the sort of tougher call is whether keeping Grant Green is whether we still need John McDonald -- and it's not Green's spot in jeopardy (DFAing Stewart opens the spot for Green) but Cron's spot.

 

Cron may be the odd man out (if the Angels decide to keep Raul Ibanez) because I think not only does McDonald stay -- but he should........if Freese is going to play 3B at all, I think we need McDonald (and Green) to spell him in the 6th/7th inning of almost every game........Freese should also get some DH time but with Pujols, Hamilton and Ibanez all DH types, that might be a tough.

 

So, bottom line, Cron probably gets shipped out to get playing time and it's going to be real difficult to explain why a guy who plays pretty well at 1B and has just a great swing, is being sent out.

 

Cron seems to be hitting line drives every time he's at the plate.

[Don]

I don't think I'd say Cron plays 1B "pretty well".

[disarcina]

Well, has Cron been awful down there?  I think he's been OK.

 

He's not Mark Teixeria down there but he's not Raul Ibanez either -- and Ibanez has been able to play some innings there.....not great but OK.

[YouthofToday]

Cron plays 1B as well as Tony Reagins knew how to take advantage of Toronto in trades.

[haloeast]

jmac, ibanez, and stewart ...thanks for the memories ...hamilton, calhoun, and freese ...welcome back ...green (2b, ss, 3b), cowgill (of), and navarro (1b,of) ...the audition is over ...you got the job

[Don]

Well, has Cron been awful down there?  I think he's been OK.

 

He's not Mark Teixeria down there but he's not Raul Ibanez either -- and Ibanez has been able to play some innings there.....not great but OK.

I think Billy Butler is a pretty good comp for Cron. He doesn't walk as much as Butler, but they're pretty darn similar in just about every other way.

[Taylor]

I think Billy Butler is a pretty good comp for Cron. He doesn't walk as much as Butler, but they're pretty darn similar in just about every other way.

 

Just because they're both white?

[Lou]

On second thought...

[Chuck]

Yeah, that's two days in a row he didn't take charge on a ball and left Aybar to backpedal all the way into the outfield. 

[markb]

I think Victor overdid it on just harping on Green there.  No doubt it wasn't a good play, but Trout was a pretty similar distance away and also threw his hands up in the air indicating he had no idea where it was.

[disarcina]

Well, Green hasn't played much LF -- saw him make a great play out there -- but the instinctive stuff that good OF'ers have with respect to reading the ball off the bat -- Green doesn't have it......he hasn't played out there enough.........oh well.

 

Still think Green can help the club with his versatility.

 

Cron- Billy Butler -- I'll check the height and weight chart --- could be wrong -- but Butler seems a bit pudgier than Cron.

 

Cron really drives the ball.......rips line drives.

[disarcina]

as for Victor harping on that play -- would rather have that than a homer not being at all critical......

 

remember REX -- his call would have been "nice try there by Green, he's just adjusting to playing LF and is really doing great out there........"

[disarcina]

c'mon Trout -- make contact.

[disarcina]

made it close -- oh well......wasn't a K

[YouthofToday]

I think Billy Butler is a pretty good comp for Cron. He doesn't walk as much as Butler, but they're pretty darn similar in just about every other way.

That is a pretty big issue then. Players without defensive value, 20-30 speed and little plate discipline don't have a ton of value and are almost always AAAA players.

[Don]

That is a pretty big issue then. Players without defensive value, 20-30 speed and little plate discipline don't have a ton of value and are almost always AAAA players.

That's pretty much my point. If Cron can improve his plate discipline to the point of picking up 60-ish walks per year, then he could become an above average DH. That's the ceiling, IMO. Being a good player is about more than how far you can hit the ball or what your swing looks like.

[Lou]

Mark Trumbo disagrees