OK, so heres the real question RE: Kendrick

[nando714]

Pitching

pitching

pitching

[Brent Maguire]

I know the Blue Jays got that 2nd baseman from Detroit, but do you guys think they'll do a Kendrick for Navarro trade straight up?  Let that prospect play in the minors for a season and get Kendrick for a season.  What do you guys think if the Angels do that?

That would be the worst possible value you could possibly get for Kendrick. If you're trading Howie, it's because the other team has offered up a major league ready 3/4 arm or a package of 2 C+/B- prospects who are close to the majors. Navarro can't catch so you're looking at him as a DH. You can find a DH in a much better way than trading your 5 WAR second baseman for him. 

[Second Base]

If the Jays get crazy enough to offer up Hutchison or or Aaron Sanchez I'd do it.  Still gotta pass it through Howie first.  He may not nix the trade, but he has the ability to, which means someone would have to offer him a sh!t-ton of cash as a bonus to get him to accept.  

[Second Base]

That would be the worst possible value you could possibly get for Kendrick. If you're trading Howie, it's because the other team has offered up a major league ready 3/4 arm or a package of 2 C+/B- prospects who are close to the majors. Navarro can't catch so you're looking at him as a DH. You can find a DH in a much better way than trading your 5 WAR second baseman for him. 

 

Howie's not really a 5 Win 2B.  That's like calling him an all-star 2B just because he was once on an all-star team 4 years ago.  The Howie love is well-deserved but let's not over-rate the guy.  Everything about him in his career says he's a 3-win player, not a 5 win player.  5 win players are guys like Puig, Posey, Altuve, and Cano.  Stars.  Not superstars like Trout, Giancarlo or Cutch, but stars. 

[dimitrig]

Howie's a good 2B, but you have to give to get. Angels need pitching. Our freaking collective BULLPEN started games.

[Docwaukee]

Howie's not really a 5 Win 2B.  That's like calling him an all-star 2B just because he was once on an all-star team 4 years ago.  The Howie love is well-deserved but let's not over-rate the guy.  Everything about him in his career says he's a 3-win player, not a 5 win player.  5 win players are guys like Puig, Posey, Altuve, and Cano.  Stars.  Not superstars like Trout, Giancarlo or Cutch, but stars. 

I'd give him 4 wins.  he's averaged that over the past 4 years.  Howie could fall out of bed and hit .280 and because of his natural ability I see him aging well.  Like a guy that plays thru his late 30's and ends up with 2500 hits.  He even showed signs of evolving a bit last year by bumping up his bb rate.  It's really been all about that hard breaking ball that he's been unable to completely adapt to.  Enough to make him very good, but not enough to make him that .330 hitter people thought he could be.  Baseball is an amazing and humbling sport.  

[moccasin]

I kind of think Howie has improved last year, and it seems like it will continue. He isn't terrible at recognizing pitches anymore. It's become pretty average.

He walked a career high 48 times while sustaining the same k ratio.

Heck, he has even started to hit in the clutch too.

 

I've always been hard on Howie, but he might be a keeper.

[Second Base]

As far as Howie's growth, I get the feeling it's temporary. Last years patience/discipline were deceiving, this year he'll be just as good because he's headed into a contract year. Big bucks at stake. Some team will sign him for a lot of money and get exactly what he was before, a good 3-win player.

I do agree with you however Doc in that Howie will age rather gracefully. I could see him hitting .280 with at least average defense for another 5 years.

[arch stanton]

Every time he lays off the slider this year he'll add $100K to his free agent contract.

[ten ocho recon scout]

So what you are saying is you see something that no other gm's or scouts see.

i think hes quietly saying he wants to replace our lone black guy with a white guy. Or i guess a green one is more accurate.