- Casper Wells has turned into something of an afterthought on the Mariners roster and could become trade bait if the M’s were to add another outfielder like Bourn, writesGeoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Wells struggled when given regular at-bats last season and Baker wonders if the club has given up on the player who was “possibly the front-liner” of the trade package the Mariners received in the Doug Fister deal.
| .246 | .317 | .435 | .752 |
Showing much more promise in a more hitter friendly field in Detroit, Wells’ first two seasons produced
| .286 | .341 | .490 | .831 |
Compared to an astonishingly bad line in Seattle:
| .225 | .304 | .406 | .710 |
What of course sticks out is the difference BA. .286 is very serviceable, .225 is awful. It appears that his BB% has actually increased over the course of his career going from 6.1% as a rookie to 8.2% last season. His strikeout percentage was also slightly below his career averages and his LD% actually rebounded to one point above his career average, 17%, from a very bad 10% the year before. What I also found interesting is that his BABIP also went down significantly once arriving with the M’s. While with Detroit, Wells BABIP was at .340 compared to a .282 with Seattle.
Last bit of random stats. His career splits are rather extreme. VS LH pitching, Wells has a useful:
| .264 | .349 | .489 | .838 |
Compared to a not so useful:
| .230 | .287 | .388 | .675 |
Last season those splits were even more pronounced. As for home and away? Last year Wells’ SLG% was 105 points higher on the road at .452 and his OPS 119 points higher at .761. Still not great. Wells also doesn’t steal many bases but that’s certainly not his role. So far combining playing in Seattle and Detroit he has 25 HR in 656 PA. To put that in perspective, Lucas Duda has 29 HR in 898 PA.
While in the majors and minors Casper has played every OF position while spending most of his time in CF in the minors.
I have no idea what it would take to get Casper or how down the M’s are on him. What I do know is they have a very crowded OF with names up to 9 different players on their depth chart and are still in on Bourn. I also have read they are looking for reliable back end rotation guys so I also wonder if there’s a match?
31 comments
wanny
2/1/2013-1:14pm at 1:14 pm (UTC -4)
You could have commented on this when I posted the suggestion here last week (before MLBTR stole me as its source!) rather than trying to use the thought as your own.
He is definitely capable of being a platoon bat with some power.
The problem is that I still don’t like Baxter as the LH half of that platoon. Baxter should be a 5th OF and #1 LH pinch hitter.
Stick
2/1/2013-1:43pm at 1:43 pm (UTC -4)
well, depending on who does what in the other spots, baxter should already be competing with Spin and Kirk for a job.
Casper? well, he is 28 already. Does he really have that much untapped talent after 3 partial years in the majors at that age to be more than another rotating filler/platoon guy? IOW, isn’t he pretty much just another Andrew Brown?
If he comes fairly cheap, I suppose it can’t hurt, but hard to really see a difference maker this year, or a guy that can be a legit part of the foundation for the next 3-4 years.
and if they are trolling, trying to find someone a bit younger or with more upside potential would be nice!
TRS86
2/2/2013-12:48am at 12:48 am (UTC -4)
Sorry Wanny, I must ave missed it. Hey maybe you will e right again.
Randy
2/1/2013-2:13pm at 2:13 pm (UTC -4)
CASPER WELLS, SEATTLE
CHRIS HEISEY, CIN
JOSE TABATA, PITT
All could be had for a pitcher.
Upgrade over Baxter and a
major league OF under control at least.
TX
2/1/2013-4:02pm at 4:02 pm (UTC -4)
Tabata will cost a little more than the others, but I would be willing to entertain something for him.
I’m not sure I see Heisey going anywhere, though Hamilton could help crowd that OF.
wanny
2/1/2013-4:29pm at 4:29 pm (UTC -4)
Tabata is a long term obligation without having proven anything. He is intriguing because he is young and toolsy and because of his hype but I don’t see that one happening.
Heisey is not Sandy’s kind of guy. Low contact and believe it or not, he has hit lefties very poorly in his MLB at bats.
Wells makes the most sense from the standpoint of likely being cheap in the way of a return and serving a role as a part time player with power.
As I said last week, I would happily take back Franklin Gutierrez (either with or without Wells) as long as Seattle pays a good deal of his contract. He is an ideal platoon player with great defense and a .293 .351 .479 line v. lefties. Only one year left on his deal too.
I would play the OF with Duda LF, Gutierrez/Niewenhuis CF and give Cowgill a shot full time in RF (he did not have minor league l/r splits). Could rotate these 4 guys primarily and leave Baxter as a pinch hitter. I would also want to let Niewenhuis get some at bats v. lefties so he can continue to develop.
Stick
2/1/2013-4:46pm at 4:46 pm (UTC -4)
anyway, not sure if this guy will be. Or Brown. Or Hoffman (don’t snooze on him either). Or any of the guys Randy listed.
but the mets really need to hit, and soon, on some controllable OF. Either Duda finds the fountain of youth (oh wiat, they just raided that in Miami) and becomes a force that is functional in the OF. Or Vaughn finally puts his shit together and becomes a beast. lagares makes some mechanical tweaks and becomes a stud.
Or they get one of the MiL guys (rare, but it happens) that turns our to be a Werth, or Victorino, or a guy the Cards always seem to find.
but damn it, I know there are going to be very few Beltran type FAs in the future (the old one, nt the current one) and the mets won’t pay the freight anyway. So they need to hit the Lotto equivelant of that.
srt
2/1/2013-5:07pm at 5:07 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, I’m not seeing how they’re going to fill the OF holes come next year either. That’s why I wouldn’t mind Bourn if we could get him w/o giving up a pick. At least we’d have a legitimate starting CF for a few years and could concentrate on the OF corner spots come next year.
Really hoping they turn one of Santana or Marcum into a mid season trade for an OF prospect.
TX
2/1/2013-5:41pm at 5:41 pm (UTC -4)
the OF FA market next year isn’t all that thrilling either.
greggofboken
2/1/2013-5:33pm at 5:33 pm (UTC -4)
Carlos Gomez? Chris Young? Nelson Cruz due to be out there as well, though he’ll be 32.
TX
2/1/2013-5:41pm at 5:41 pm (UTC -4)
Nelson Cruz could be in the midst of a banning.
Stick
2/1/2013-7:38pm at 7:38 pm (UTC -4)
I would be good with the return of Gomez.
TX
2/1/2013-6:52pm at 6:52 pm (UTC -4)
MARLON BYRD FOR THE WIN!!!!!
At least it’s on a minor league deal.
darknova306
2/1/2013-6:54pm at 6:54 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah! Looks like this year’s outfield construction will be the classic “throw a bunch of crap at the wall and see what sticks” approach. I’m cool with that. If Byrd’s still juicing, maybe he’ll be somewhat respectable this year :p
Stick
2/1/2013-7:41pm at 7:41 pm (UTC -4)
he is still around? Yet another guy that I thought was out of MLB for a few years now.
guess I should pay more attention.
greggofboken
2/1/2013-9:29pm at 9:29 pm (UTC -4)
This only makes the case to give as much playing time as possible to Cowgill stronger.
He’s the sleeper Met acquisiton of the winter so far, Atchison close behind.
On the other side of the ledger is Brandon Hicks, who looks like the favorite to take Ronnie Cedeno’s old spot, (he’s on the 40 and Quintanilla’s out in the cold). I think that one’s gonna hurt.
Stick
2/1/2013-9:42pm at 9:42 pm (UTC -4)
I am also intrigued by Cowgill. I know he got a lot of grief from the “I hate sandy” sect, but he has a lot of potential IMO and could be primed for a big year if given a real chance to play.
darknova306
2/2/2013-12:57am at 12:57 am (UTC -4)
You think everyone’s primed for a big year. Cowgill is going to be a big cowpie this year.
TX
2/2/2013-11:48am at 11:48 am (UTC -4)
Everyone goes the Cow route and not the Fish route… Interesting.
darknova306
2/2/2013-12:07pm at 12:07 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t know much about fish, so I don’t know the fish reference.
TX
2/2/2013-1:38pm at 1:38 pm (UTC -4)
Fish have gills. Or so says Wikipedia.
Stickguy
2/2/2013-1:41pm at 1:41 pm (UTC -4)
reaching there Tex. Real far.
darknova306
2/2/2013-2:13pm at 2:13 pm (UTC -4)
Right, the gill part. Somehow that connection never crossed my mind.
srt
2/1/2013-6:52pm at 6:52 pm (UTC -4)
Marlon Byrd? Really?
TX
2/1/2013-7:00pm at 7:00 pm (UTC -4)
Can’t hurt, I guess. Can’t help, but it can’t hurt. He does play CF and bats righty, though the whole “RH Power” part of that is lacking, to be nice.
Saltygary
2/1/2013-7:29pm at 7:29 pm (UTC -4)
Couple years too late with this guy
darknova306
2/1/2013-7:34pm at 7:34 pm (UTC -4)
Pretty much, though it’s still just a minor league deal. Doesn’t really hurt to give him a shot in ST.
wanny
2/1/2013-9:00pm at 9:00 pm (UTC -4)
gotta love baron’s writing skills:
His best season was in 2009 with the Rangers when he hit 20 home runs, but he hasn’t done much outside of that year, although he was an Al-Star with Chicago three years ago.
Stick
2/1/2013-9:07pm at 9:07 pm (UTC -4)
don’t look at anything at that site literally. It will make you head explode.
darknova306
2/2/2013-12:52am at 12:52 am (UTC -4)
Wow. My drunk comments are more intelligent than that. Yikes… This is why I bailed on that site years ago…
kingman 26
2/2/2013-2:15pm at 2:15 pm (UTC -4)
Byrd “theoretically has some power”
Just like Baron theoretically has some baseball knowledge and writing ability.