Comments on: Lopez, Betancourt are huge problems

By: tuttle07

tuttle07 — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:50:37 +0000

What are the chances that Beltre could play SS? If the M’s already have a below-average fielder, then they might as well put a decent bat there.

By: don52656

don52656 — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:38:20 +0000

Amen, Amen, and Amen. I’ve been wondering about the Lopez love affair. He’s certainly better than last year at the bat, in fact, he’s pretty valuable at the bat. But, he has absolutely no range at 2B and it’s killing the team defense. Personally, I think Sexson was a better fielding 1B than Lopez is at 2B.

I also totally agree about Betancourt. The only above average defensive player in the infield right now is Beltre. Maybe they ought to put him at SS.

By: Dicky Amaral

Dicky Amaral — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:41:13 +0000

WFB should get a legitimate shot as the everyday 2B…

By: Eugene

Eugene — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:32:44 +0000

8 ) or ?
Looks like Willie moved up on the list today.

By: RoninX

RoninX — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:26:52 +0000

…it took me longer than it should have to figure out why Kenji and his 13 extra base deserved a smiley face

By: Eugene

Eugene — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:59:23 +0000

I agree that these guys really are no longer as good as they should be and that they certainly are problems, but these guys are 2nd and 4th on the team in extra base hits. Can we just go ahead and punt the whole team?

Mariners extra-base hits
1) 37 Ibanez
2) 31 Lopez
3) 30 Beltre
4) 27 Betancourt
5) 19 Sexson
6) 17 Ichiro
7) 15 Vidro
13 Kenji
…
14) 1 Felix
…
25) 0 Willie

By: Paul B

Paul B — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:30:12 +0000

Hmm.

Maybe move Lopez to the OF (a la Danny Tartabull).

Put Lopez in left, try this Tug guy out in the infield, put Ibanez at first or DH, release Vidro, put Cairo back on the bench where he should stay since his only value is as late inning defensive replacement.

By: IdahoInvader

IdahoInvader — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:09:03 +0000

My link didn’t appear to work. It was Deivi Cruz fwiw

By: mw3

mw3 — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:07:13 +0000

Lopez is one of the few good young players the M’s have in their entire system, jettisoning him now would be asinine. Lopez could take another ten years to develop the plate discipline to walk fifty plus times but I could easily see him putting up a .320/.350/.425 line with eighty to ninety runs scored and ninety to one hundred knocked in over each of the next three to six years. Betancourt, on the other hand, is garbage. I would look to see him packaged with Washburn, when Wash is traded, in hopes of getting a +10 defensive shortstop regardless of said shortstops offensive skills (ala Tony Pena Jr.). A move like this could also light a fire under Lopez to maybe lose twenty-five pounds so his glove would have a chance of being neutral.

By: IdahoInvader

IdahoInvader — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:06:27 +0000

I've always thought that Yuni is really this guy reincarnated or whatever... http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/cruzde01.shtml