Is it time to move Young from SS?

by RangerBoy on Apr 14, 2008 4:55 PM CDT Comment 22 comments

Young has looked terrible at SS this season. I could barely watch the pain that was Friday's game (he wasn't the only one - just the one I'm picking on right now). Elvis looks like he could be ready to start as early as next year. Is it time to start planning for the future?

For the record: Andrus is .317/.364/.366 7/2 K/BB and a .729 OPS - average is nice - not much else, but if he can provide better range and prevent a couple runs a week - I say he'd be an upgrade...

Poll

What should be done with Young?

Leave Young at SS and suffer through the rest of the season.

49 votes

Move Young to 3B and trade Blalock.

14 votes

Move Young to LF and make Catt the new full-time ball boy.

25 votes

Move Young back to 2B and put Kinsler in the OF.

14 votes

102 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 22 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Youngs got until andrus is ready

rather its 1 year or two.

Personally ive been promoting the LF idea since Id rather keep hank around then whatever random corner OF wed have out there.

I assume 3b would be an easier transition though.

Gerald Laird is my hero.

by DSheppard on Apr 14, 2008 5:05 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Young's defense

Reminds me of Nomar Garciaparra. He's just not mobile enough to play SS anymore. It's the key position on the infield, and you can't have a guy who's deteriorating over there.

You can't very well move him now, but come september, or the end of the season, we'll need to find a new part-time SS until Andrus is ready. Because there's just no way Young is going to pass the muster defensively in '09 if he can barely pass it now.

A Lonestar in California - 2.0

by lonestarJon on Apr 14, 2008 5:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Come on...

enough of this shit. Talk about beating a dead horse.

He is not switching positions in the middle of the season and Andrus is 19 years old with 41 AB's in AA. Andus isn't ready, period. MY is at SS until 2010 when Andrus comes up.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Apr 14, 2008 5:14 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

I completely agree.

I don't understand how people think less than 15 games into the season we are just going to completely blow up are infield. Maybe next spring, but not now.

White Women!

by nikpin on Apr 14, 2008 6:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

+2

"Hmn [sic] ... pehaps [sic] I've said too much..." - LSJesus

by Chase Irwin on Apr 14, 2008 7:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

have been thinking about this

I think it's more likely that Young is moved to 3B next season, with Arias as a stopgap SS until Andrus is ready in 2010. I don't see the team rushing Andrus before mid 2009 at the very earliest. But most likely is that Young will remain at short.

But that river of tears has dried for all of us.

by trza on Apr 14, 2008 5:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Blalock has a option...

next year which will be picked up if he is healthy. So do you think Blalock is dealt by then?

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Apr 14, 2008 5:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd like to see that happen

Other than having no over-the-fence power, he's got a good enough arm and is probably more mobile than most third basemen. He'd be a plus over there. Blalock is slow but he could maybe try LF. Couldn't be worse than Kevin Reimer, you know.

by Black Francis on Apr 14, 2008 7:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're not thinking about this from an offensive perspective

Young is a sub-800 OPS guy. He doesn't hit for power or take a lot of walks. He's regressed recently. You can't afford to have subpar hitting from your third baseman.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia: The Man, the Myth; The Alphabet.

by BudLight on Apr 14, 2008 8:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

sub-par

Like Hank Blalock?

But that river of tears has dried for all of us.

by trza on Apr 14, 2008 10:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

thoughts

andrus:
this year: AA
next year: AAA (sept call up?)
2010: majors

mike young
this year: SS
next year: SS/some in OF
2010: DH/OF/Backup IF

arias
this year: AAA
next year: UTIL?
2010: UTIL?

question: can arias play 2b? 3b?

by knockoutking on Apr 14, 2008 6:00 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Arias has been playing second

In AAA here quite recently as he builds up his arm strength. I don't know about third, but I know he can play 2nd, and we also tried him in CF at one point.

If he can play third though, he's likely at the very least going to be Vazquez's successor at UT, if not the starting SS next year as a stopgap between Young/Andrus.

A Lonestar in California - 2.0

by lonestarJon on Apr 14, 2008 6:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

"barely watch the pain"

You don't know pain until you take a guy who has a .729 OPS in AA and try to watch them hit in the big leagues.

by JBImaknee on Apr 14, 2008 6:25 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

maybe not

I think Andrus is improving his offense and his professional career so far pretty much mirrors Edgar Renteria whose first 431 AB in the big leagues at age 20 (the same age Andrus will be in 2009) produced a higher OPS than any season in the minors.

by Brandon Wilson on Apr 15, 2008 9:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

this topic is beaten to death already

and it's only mid-April.

Yes, MY has serious defensive shortcomings.

No, Andrus is not taking over this year and probably not next year either.

Really nothing else to say that hasn't been said a thousand times on here.

Pedro: "I wasn't cockfighting, I just have a wide stance."

by tricer on Apr 14, 2008 9:49 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm don't really mean to implying...

that Elvis is ready... I'd just like to see what he can do defensively though. I'm really just trying to stir the pot on this subject since I was at the game on Friday and it was not good. Obviously, I'm still a little frustrated about it.

Kinda like the idea of using Arias part-time next year and using Young in both LF and SS. Maybe Andrus will be ready by mid-season 2010.

by RangerBoy on Apr 14, 2008 9:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

FWIW

MY starting as SS is only at 51% which i think says a lot.

i agree that its been beaten to death, but ive been sick of his act at SS for going on the 3rd season.

.500 or bust!

Bad Vibes Kill Rallies!

"Well, we are one of the cheapest teams in Major League Baseball"
-Tom Hicks 4/8/2008

by Jayslick on Apr 14, 2008 11:09 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I think

the best option might be Kinsler to the outfield and Young back to second when Andrus is ready, but I think that is a year or two away. I don’t like Young at third where you generally have a higher slugging percentage guy manning that position.

Formerly known as OKRangerFan

by B_Black on Apr 15, 2008 9:07 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Review

I understand the traditional power by position thing. However, if you have any six in your lineup with power, including CF, nothing prevents a player like MY from moving to 3B. He has the arm, he comes in very well, his only limitation is lateral range. Even that would be pretty good at 3B. Given my tendency to high value defense, 3B would be logical (if) a move is made. Even DH if Hank Joe does his phoenix from the ashes act.

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

by Ed Coffin on Apr 15, 2008 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Concur

"Hmn [sic] ... pehaps [sic] I've said too much..." - LSJesus

by Chase Irwin on Apr 15, 2008 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I really

go back and forth moving him to third or second. I understand your point about having other guys supply the power in the line up, and I agree with that, and I think he would be a defensive plus at third. I also think that if Kinsler could put up some 25-30 home run seasons, he may be useful in the outfield with his speed. Some of this depends on what happens in the coming year with Blalock and in the outfield, but one day it may be worth trying.

Formerly known as OKRangerFan

by B_Black on Apr 15, 2008 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I guess its something to talk about.

But for the remainder of the season, he will be right at SS. No other option makes any sense right now.

Now, if Andrus has a year that is insanely great, which is unlikely, he might force his way into the picture next year, but for now, any configuration that doesn’t have Young at SS, probably makes the team worse.

By the time a decision needs to be made on where to move Young to, a lot of other things may have happened which will impact where to move him to. Blalock might be traded, Bradley might be dealt, etc. Might as well wait to see what other positions are occupied at the time the decision needs to be made.

"Before I leave, I once again condemn the despicable buffoonery of D.J. Cahill." - Huck

by DJCahill on Apr 15, 2008 11:07 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs