Comments on: Would you undo the Wallace for Gose deal?

By: Theery

Theery — Wed, 11 May 2011 01:54:49 +0000

I would also like to further add that Wallace’s stats in AAA last year weren’t all that impressive for a 1B. .300/.350/.500 18 HR 1:4 BB:K ratio playing mediocre defense. That doesn’t scream top end talent but that of a mediocre to good 1B.

By: Keith

Keith — Tue, 10 May 2011 23:50:55 +0000

I agree with making this move also. However Matt I think we all have to get realistic about when the Jays will “challenge”. It will likely be 2013 before this team is ready. Why?
1 – too many players need major league seasoning. And at the price of EE and Rivera getting at bats, we are not giving some of our future players at bats. Even looking at the number of AB’s Molina is getting (at JP’s expense) drives me nuts!
2 – a championship team does not have Davis or Patterson playing everyday in their OF. These guys are 4th OF (Davis) and not on the roster(Patterson) on a championship ball club.
3 – Too many unknowns: Starting pitching, 2B and OF (except RF). All of these positions are still unknowns for this team.
4 – players playing under their potential: once again starting pitching, SS, 2B

There is still a huge mountain for this club to climb and they will not be able to climb it in time for next year.

By: siggian

siggian — Tue, 10 May 2011 19:22:08 +0000

BTW, if you look at his stats (obligatory small sample size warning), he improved in 2010 as the season went on and he seems to be doing the same again in 2011:
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=&sid=t463&t=p_pbp&pid=543238

By: siggian

siggian — Tue, 10 May 2011 19:14:32 +0000

I suspect that even if his bat does not come around much, Gose can find value as a Dwayne Wise-type player and hang around a MLB roster as a 4th OF.

That being said, his batting has started to come around in the last couple of weeks and he is still very young for AA ball. I think he will be much better than a 4th outfielder but it’s going to be a couple more years before we see him in the majors.

By: Fungo Freddy

Fungo Freddy — Tue, 10 May 2011 17:36:05 +0000

Nice to see this background analysis. Hopefully AA will have the patience to continue to build with this strategy. Sometimes ownership gets tempted by the addition of a short term arm or bat and the strategy goes out the window.

By: Mat Germain

Mat Germain — Tue, 10 May 2011 12:21:15 +0000

With the love I hold for Michael McDade and Adam Lind as a future 1B/DH combo, I saw no need for Wallace and entirely agree with Scott. Gose’s value will be well beyond that of Wallace in short time. The amount of runners that Gose will gun down from CF with his electric arm, the number of bases that he’s going to steal, and the number of gold glove caliber years he’s going to give the Jays in CF will make the production made by Wallace look minute in comparison.

IMO, Gose is a future super star, while Wallace may be an average 1B overall (D/O).

Just my 2 cents!

By: Theery

Theery — Tue, 10 May 2011 06:02:54 +0000

I would also like to add that even if Cooper continues to struggle at the MLB level…. I want to point Wallace’s debut last year in 159 PA .222/.296/.319

By: Theery

Theery — Tue, 10 May 2011 05:06:39 +0000

To further exclaimate this article, I want you fans to put this in perspective… our 1B in AAA Cooper (now MLB) is hitting .395, our 1B in AA McDade (a better defensive 1b) is hitting around .350.

I myself agree with AA’s philosophy regarding needing great players to compete in the AL East. It was the very thing plaguing JPR’s draft philosophy. Instead of focusing on scouting, he focused on getting players who would make the majors quickly…. the result? a team filled with servicible but not game breaking players.