Mets need a steady diet of Atkins
With the non-tender deadline approaching at 11:00pm eastern time tonight, the list of players being non-tendered by their clubs is beginning to trickle in. One of the first casualties is Colorado Rockies’ infielder Garrett Atkins. According to Thomas Harding of mlb.com, Atkins has been granted free agency. I think the Mets should be very interested.
I can’t claim any knowledge of the type of salary it would take to land Atkins, but depending on how that shakes out Atkins is a player that could improve the Mets offense. The Rockies are letting him go because he made $7.05 million in 2009, and because he had a very rough season at the plate, batting .226 with 12 doubles, 9 HR and 48 RBI in 399 plate appearances.
But prior to 2009, Atkins, who turns 30 today (Happy Birthday Garrett! Here are your walking papers!) Atkins was a quality offensive performer, averaging 25 HR and 110 RBI from 2006-2008 with a slash line of .305/.369/.498.
Atkins’ career numbers are clearly inflated by playing his home games in the thin air of Colorado as his career OPS+ at home is 120 while on the road it is only 82, but his HR rate per at bat is virtually identical on the road (.034) as it is at home (.035). Also, his BABIP in 2009 was under .300 for the first time in his career, at .247, compared to his career number of .311, so he clearly suffered from some bad luck in 2009.
His fielding is nothing to write home about, it has fluctuated from season to season, and is negative overall. He has played primarily at 3B (642 games) with a career UZR/150 of minus 5.0. Atkins also plays 1B (105 games) with a career UZR/150 of minus 6.3. He has also played LF and 2B, but only 3 games and 1 game respectively, and hasn’t played 2B since 2004.
All that aside, the primary reason I recommend that the Mets look into Atkins is to fill a role as backup or possible platoon partner at 1B. For his career, Atkins numbers are far superior against LH pitching. His career slash line against lefties is .301/.384/.486 and his tOPS+ versus lefties is 115.
Is he the greatest thing since sliced bread? No. Will he make the walls at Citi Field blue? Maybe if he brings some paint with him. But as an addition to the bench, coming off a down year, with the potential to help or even step in at 1B should Murphy falter, I believe he’s worth a look. I hope the Mets think so too.
Yes I realize that carbs and Atkins don't mix
35 comments
Kingman 26
12/12/2009-1:19pm at 1:19 pm (UTC -4)
LOL! Great graphic!
His splits recently are abominable indeed, but during his really good year in ’06, they were not that bad at all, and nothing near the splits of Matt Bichette Holliday.
If affordable, this could be a great guy for the bench.
GravediggerHebner
12/12/2009-1:26pm at 1:26 pm (UTC -4)
Mattsblog did beat us to sportspyder with this story by 4 minutes, but maybe that’s how long it would’ve taken them to type the second “t” that belongs at the end of Garrett’s first name. Plus, I doubt they have toast.
Kingman 26
12/12/2009-1:34pm at 1:34 pm (UTC -4)
HAHA!!
Grave, we need to find a salary for you so we do not have to endure another fallow period without your contributions here….
I am passing the hat right now…
CaseStreet
12/12/2009-2:53pm at 2:53 pm (UTC -4)
grave is the cream of the crop at TRDMB
metsfan4decades
12/12/2009-4:51pm at 4:51 pm (UTC -4)
Yes, indeed.
Very clever graphic tying to the post and hey, with all the correct spelling!
CaseStreet
12/12/2009-2:52pm at 2:52 pm (UTC -4)
I’m the cream of the crop
I rise to the top
I never eat a pig ’cause a pig is a cop
Or better yet a terminator
Like Arnold Schwarzenegger
Tryn’ to play me out like as if my name was Sega
gipperpdx
12/12/2009-1:21pm at 1:21 pm (UTC -4)
Definitely worth a flier for the role you laid out. Of course, I’d throw in some incentives if he DID bring a can of blue paint for those damn walls!
CaseStreet
12/12/2009-2:06pm at 2:06 pm (UTC -4)
First, we gotta see how much LaRoche will cost. If it’s more than what it would cost to get Atkins, then bye-bye LaRoche. Can Atkins accept a deal worth less than what he’d receive in arbitration?
The thing with Atkins is that he likely could get a starting job somewhere, so I don’t think he’d come here to sit on the bench and Omar wouldn’t pay 7 figures to have him sit on the bench either.
I’d be fine with Atkins starting at 1B, cause you have some experience there and his defense isn’t too bad at 1B.
That BABIP is horrible. Bill James has him projected to a .312 BABIP and a .801 OPS. Plus Atkins is a career 22% LD hitter.
I say do it.
stickguy
12/12/2009-2:35pm at 2:35 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t see laroche in any case, unless he somehow falls through the cracks and can be had for a deal like Hudson got last season.
royhobbs7
12/12/2009-2:21pm at 2:21 pm (UTC -4)
Sign Atkins, give him an incentive-laden contract and pencil him in as the RH hitting platoon 1B with Murphy.
stickguy
12/12/2009-2:34pm at 2:34 pm (UTC -4)
basiclaly you are talking about Atkins to fill the Tatis role, just for (likely) mor emoney. Hey, why not!
At least I could see him taking over an everyday job if needed. tatis couldn’t
I don’t think you wil lbe getting a strict 1B platoon though, but with Jerry, who knows. At least this is a guy that has hit lefties well in the past.
I like it. Atkins, Carrasco, Navarro and Correia from the non-tender scrap heap would be a nice set of additions.
Hopefully 1 more SP and a LF, and you got a full boat team. And no Bengie!
Kingman 26
12/12/2009-2:43pm at 2:43 pm (UTC -4)
Bengie brings leadership, a ring, several postseason appearances, a history of catching really good pitchers all over the place, lots of XBH for the 7 or 8 hole, and maybe, just maybe, the “clubhouse presence” many fans have been begging for.
The more I think about it, the more pro-Bengie I become.
It is about time we had a Molina on OUR side!
CaseStreet
12/12/2009-2:47pm at 2:47 pm (UTC -4)
Bengie! Bengie! Bengie!
whataputz
12/12/2009-2:50pm at 2:50 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah but at this point with all these catchers getting 2 year deals, we’re not getting him for 1, and if we do, that just shows how little other teams value him.
GravediggerHebner
12/12/2009-2:51pm at 2:51 pm (UTC -4)
Any chance we can have Yadier?
Unrelated, Braves non-tender Kelly Johnson.
CaseStreet
12/12/2009-2:54pm at 2:54 pm (UTC -4)
Kelly! Kelly Kelly!
Kingman 26
12/12/2009-2:54pm at 2:54 pm (UTC -4)
Now THAT’s what I’m talking about!
Damn, it is cold already in upstate NY….
GravediggerHebner
12/12/2009-2:56pm at 2:56 pm (UTC -4)
Eddie Coleman is hosting currently on the FAN and I found this tidbit interesting. I paraphrase:
The Mets have GOT to upgrade defensively at 2B. Daniel Murphy is a DH, but the Mets need to put him somewhere and they’ve decided to put him at 1B. They CAN’T have the right side of the infield be Murphy and Castillo and expect to win. They seem committed to Murphy at 1B. They’ve GOT to replace Castillo.
I wonder, is Eddie Coleman also known as “Stickguy?”
Kingman 26
12/12/2009-2:59pm at 2:59 pm (UTC -4)
Yes!
Can anyone produce a picture of them together??
Didn’t think so….
stickguy
12/12/2009-3:10pm at 3:10 pm (UTC -4)
Danm, I’ve been outed.
I hope I at least get paid well…
For now, I will just chalk it up to great minds think alike.
But, I don’t think (in his small sample) that Murphy is that bad at 1B. He catches everything near him (about all Delgado could do), but he also has vastly better range, so he gets to a ton more balls.
Now, he does need work on the nuances, but that’s what the coaches are for (or so I hear!), and comes with experience.
If anything, a rough around the edges guy with good range like Murhpy is MORE important with Luis on the team, and will be better than a slick statue like Nick J.
I don’t care how good your glove and instincts are, if you can’t get to a ball, you can’t field it!
CaseStreet
12/12/2009-3:19pm at 3:19 pm (UTC -4)
exactly my point on Bay. How do you make errors if you can’t get to the ball? And who wouldn’t have 15 Assists when ur playing 300 feet away from the plate?
Kingman 26
12/12/2009-3:27pm at 3:27 pm (UTC -4)
Manny had more than 11 assists once.
Mike Greenwell never had more than 13 assists.
Jim Rice had 15 assists once and 16 assists once.
Yaz had over 15 assists 5 times, but never topped 17.
Ted Williams had 15 assists once.
That goes back about, oh, 70 years.
GravediggerHebner
12/12/2009-3:34pm at 3:34 pm (UTC -4)
Yaz led the league in OF assists 7 times in his career. That’s the most times any player has led the league in OF assists.
It’s not my intention to malign Yaz, but I have to think the shallow field and giant wall had some impact on those assists, with any Fenway LF able to play closer in than most others, and able to take advantage of wacky bounces off the high, close wall that provide opportunities other parks don’t.
Do I give Yaz, Bay and the other Sox LF credit for taking advantage of those things? Yes, kudos to them. But I believe it does provide them with an advantage.
Kingman 26
12/12/2009-3:45pm at 3:45 pm (UTC -4)
Oh, I agree totally…my perhaps unclear point was that if Bay is so terrible shouldn’t he have had less assists, or maybe shouldn’t someone else have 25 some years?
CaseStreet
12/12/2009-3:08pm at 3:08 pm (UTC -4)
Garrett Atkins, Ryan Church, Angel Pagan, Alex Cora and Henry Blanco. That’d be a fine bench.
Though I wonder if Pagan would get traded to KC or back to the Cubs.
stickguy
12/12/2009-3:12pm at 3:12 pm (UTC -4)
you see that Cora had to leave a winter league game yesterday with a back injury? 2009: the year that keeps on giving!
I am fine with the bench but might like someone more versitile than Church for the last spot. Also not sure he would be a good PH option.
GravediggerHebner
12/12/2009-3:16pm at 3:16 pm (UTC -4)
That ball in Times Square can’t drop soon enough. I’m not quite superstitious enough to suggest that the Mets hold off on signing anyone until 2010, but I’m close…
metsfan4decades
12/12/2009-4:54pm at 4:54 pm (UTC -4)
I’ll second this sentiment.
2009 was the year from hell…..
GravediggerHebner
12/12/2009-3:14pm at 3:14 pm (UTC -4)
Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo is on with Eddie C right now, and his info on Bay is a mixed bag.
First, on the defense. I paraphrase: “I don’t know about all those fractions and percentages that are all the rage these days, I just know when you watch him (Bay) play in the OF you never say ‘Omigod what is he doing’ or anything like that, he’s a good enough outfielder.” Then Eddie aaked “so you don’t need a pith helmet out there?” and Cafardo agreed.
Now, the interesting new development. I paraphrase: “There are some concerns with his shoulder, the Red Sox are aware that he MAY need shoulder surgery at some time during the 4 year deal they offered him.”
First time I’ve heard anything like that. Of course, it’s a rather generic thing to state. Any one of us MAY need shoulder surgery sometime during the next 4 years.
Kingman 26
12/12/2009-3:20pm at 3:20 pm (UTC -4)
Bay has played 199 games in LF at Fenway, which is no picnic, and has one error and 20 assists. How bad can he be??
GravediggerHebner
12/12/2009-3:27pm at 3:27 pm (UTC -4)
I definitely don’t want to start a 12 round heavyweight bout on this topic but I will say that many times outfielders who have lots of assists have them precisely because they are bad outfielders that no opponent has any respect for.
Carlos Lee, Ryan Braun and Alfonso Soriano had 9,8 & 7 assists respectively last season.
Bobby (“oh no the wall”) Abreu had 10. Jermaine Dye can barely move and he had 9.
Assists have as much to do with bad baserunning as they do with OF play.
Kingman 26
12/12/2009-3:48pm at 3:48 pm (UTC -4)
Agreed on all counts, and I also will gladly leave this topic now.
But I think that the current media scene makes constant criticism of absolutely everything take the forefront position, and as soon as Omar offers Bay a deal, it is a fake offer and Bay is the worst outfielder since Timmy Lupus….
GravediggerHebner
12/12/2009-3:21pm at 3:21 pm (UTC -4)
Cafardo goes on to say the Red Sox are in a strong position regarding Bay, that they’d like to have him but they can definitely live without him. Cafardo’s opinion is if the Sox lose out on Bay, they probably won’t go hard after Holliday.
He suggests they have interest in Cameron and have even discussed a possible platoon of Cameron and Hermida. He also says due to pending trade of Lowell, the Sox have the flexibility to play Youkilis at 3B or 1B and can therefore seek slugging at either of those positions as opposed to just LF. They have tendered a contract to Kotchman knowing they can probably trade him between now and opening day.
He seemed fairly convinced that the Red Sox will NOT go 5 years on Bay.
oleosmirf
12/12/2009-3:29pm at 3:29 pm (UTC -4)
I think Atkins would be solid guy to pick up. platooning with Murphy at 1B and spelling Wright at 3B. Maybe some corner OF as well. Would be nice to get someone on the bench with HR power too…
GravediggerHebner
12/12/2009-3:40pm at 3:40 pm (UTC -4)
(Un?)fortunately I have to step out and can’t get into a protracted debate on OF assists and the pros and cons of Jason Bay.
I leave you with this article from 2007, about “feared” current OF, based primarily but not exclusively on arm strength. They list their “top 9″ and then “honorable mention” and “others of note,” covering 29 OF in total. Jason Bay is not mentioned.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=2909515