Any back-up type catcher the Giants sign will not be able to produce offensively like Bengie Molina did. Molina was the Giants #4 hitter last season, and finished second on the team in RBI's and homeruns. Not many catchers have that type of ability, and it will be hard to replace such a key part of the lineup. With prospects I usually think it is best to let them develop before throwing them into the fire. However, Buster Posey is not an average prospect. He has potential to be a superstar in the major leagues.
Posey attended Florida State only one year ago, where in his final season he won every award he qualified for. In this past season, his first season in the minors, Posey split time between A and AAA ball. He produced nicely batting .325, 18 homers, and 80 RBI's.
Posey has a rare ability to hit and play well defensively. Any back-up type catcher the Giants sign will not be able to produce offensively like Bengie Molina did. It is really a no-lose situation if Posey starts. If he plays poorly, the Giants will have a veteran catcher that will replace Buster Posey, and play solid baseball. However, if Posey plays well they will have a catcher that can produce offensively, and have decent speed, unlike Bengie. Regardless of how Posey plays this year, he will only improve in future years.
A few year ago, Minnesota was faced with the decision similar to the Giants. Minnesota had a prospect by the name of Joe Mauer. They ended up trading their starting catcher, A.J. Pierzynski, to allow Mauer to play. Now Mauer is an elite player, and MVP of the AL. I'm not saying that Posey will be as phenomenal as Joe Mauer, but he has all the tools to make him into a great player.
I wouldn't call Molina a key part of the lineup. When you look at just HR and RBI, you miss a lot of other stuff.
ReplyDeleteLook for Molina in this ranking by wOBA: MLB Catchers. He's 16th of 23. That makes him a liability with the bat.
I agree with you. I think that Posey should start. I actually think Posey in 2009 will be a better hitter than Molina in 2008, if you use info that effectively rates their production.
(wOBA is "a solid, context-neutral statistic that values hitting properly". You can read more about it here. It's mathy, though. Put simply, if you compare two guys, the one with the higher wOBA had at-bats that led to more runs for the team.)
Do you really think letting Molina go is a good thing? I mean I know that we want Posey to play, but is that really the best thing to right not? I believe Posey still needs 1 to 2 more years of minor leagues. In another note..we should really go after Nick Johnson, I believe with him and Freddy and Sandoval we can score enough because I believe that our starting pitching will be as good if not better!! OHIOGIANTSFAN
ReplyDeleteBengie was the number 4 hitter on the team. Anybody batting in that position is a key part of the lineup. He also led the league in Sac Flys which is key for a team that struggled to score with runners in scoring position. I think losing Molina could be a good thing if the team spends the money wisely.
ReplyDeleteAnybody? Let's say Bochy batted Barry Zito cleanup the entire year. By your logic, he would become a key part of the lineup. I would disagree, because Zito is a horrible hitter, and would try to replace him as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same thing with Molina: he was the 6th or 7th-best hitter on the team. I think losing Molina was a good thing, period. The money is a bonus.