Collin Cowgill

[markb]

The negative attention directed at him in the last couple days has got me wondering, as someone who doesn't follow the minors as close as some others, about why he's seemingly been treated as a throwaway player over the course of his career.

 

Watching him play, he's pretty quick and seems to be a solid defender.  And from a statistical standpoint, it looks like he's shown promise in the minors, posting a .285/.360/.464 line in AA in '10, and then a beastly .354/.430/.554 line in AAA in '11.   

 

Oakland gave up on him pretty quickly last year after only 104 PAs and a .269/.336/.317 line, and after naming him their starting CF this year, the Mets gave up on him after only 63 PAs.  

 

I know he's "old" now at 27 after all the bouncing around, but it seems like he should've been given more opportunity than he's seen.  Is there some red flag I'm unaware of?  

 

[ettin]

No Mark it just seems like he hasn't found the right opportunity on the right team. He has skills but his previous teams didn't have the patience or playing time to give to him it seems.

[jshep]

It's cause he's weird looking.

 

And his name is ridiculous, cows don't have gills.

[The God of Runs]

Keep him around and we might be able to flip him for the 2014 version of Grant Green, when we're 16 games out on July 29, 2014

[gotbeer]

The negative attention directed at him in the last couple days has got me wondering, as someone who doesn't follow the minors as close as some others, about why he's seemingly been treated as a throwaway player over the course of his career.

 

Watching him play, he's pretty quick and seems to be a solid defender.  And from a statistical standpoint, it looks like he's shown promise in the minors, posting a .285/.360/.464 line in AA in '10, and then a beastly .354/.430/.554 line in AAA in '11.   

 

Oakland gave up on him pretty quickly last year after only 104 PAs and a .269/.336/.317 line, and after naming him their starting CF this year, the Mets gave up on him after only 63 PAs.  

 

I know he's "old" now at 27 after all the bouncing around, but it seems like he should've been given more opportunity than he's seen.  Is there some red flag I'm unaware of?  

 

Shhh.  Quiet.  Don't you know, when there is a witch hunt going on, if you speak up, you are a witch?

[SoWhat]

He's taking Calhoun's playing time who's already 25 and isn't getting any younger. Since we aren't competing and Bourjos is on the DL, Now is the time we should let him play everyday to see what we have in him.

[NJHalo]

If this guy couldn't keep a spot in the Mets OF, then he sucks.

They are still three guys short of fielding a MLB OF

[markb]

He's taking Calhoun's playing time who's already 25 and isn't getting any younger. Since we aren't competing and Bourjos is on the DL, Now is the time we should let him play everyday to see what we have in him.

 

I wouldn't argue Cowgill should take playing time from Calhoun -- I agree Calhoun has more upside at this stage.  I was thinking more along the lines of Shuck.  Shuck has had plenty of time to show us what he is: a defensively inept, zero power guy who has produced 0.1 WAR in 271 PAs.  I don't know if Cowgill could do any better, but given his minor league numbers make him look like Barry Bonds in comparison, I'd rather see if he could be a better 4th OF for us.

[Angel Oracle]

Cowgill > Shuck in everything except walking so far.

Sample size though

[katie]

[shellback]

no stick

[Second Base]

I tohonestly makes me wonder what Dipoto's infatuation with under-performing 4th and 5th OF's is.  Guys like Cowgill and Shuck, they have a place on a major league team somewhere.  But when that team already have the likes of Trout, Hamilton, Bourjos, Trumbo and Calhoun along with Witherspoon and Grichuk in the minors, well, it leaves the other guys with little role at all. 

 

I think we can all agree that while Cowgill and Shuck are nice little tools to have in the cupboard, under no circumstance should either be playing above Kole Calhoun. 

[shellback]

sociosia. thats why these boys play over calhoun. this is a long, established pattern by him to play very marginal vets over promising rookies.

ill stop now.

[fan_since79]

He's one of only 56 position players in baseball history who bat right-handed and throw left-handed. That's reason enough to keep him on our roster.