97 ABs is enough for the manager to determine if you deserve another 97.

No, it isn’t.

Shelton’s the better hitter. Not even close.

(FWIW, Russ Branyan’s career minor league OPS: .917)

I find these moves very refreshing. It reminds me of the days when we couldn’t sign the Texeria-types and Sexson-types
[...]
so we looked around and found Luis Sojo and Rich Amaral and Paul Sorrento

Not just Sorrento, but David Segui too … he perhaps wasn’t the bargain that Sorrento was but he still hit serviceably and had a salary that was less than half of the M’s departed free agent Tino Martinez. So in the four years between the (relatively) big names of Tino Martinez and John Olerud, the Ms managed to do okay with relatively cheap first basemen.

Why are we so happy with this signing again? That’s right, because it was cheap and he may be serviceable if you find yourself in a bind. If you think there’s anything more to it than that, then you’re deluding yourself.

I don’t think anyone is looking at this signing as anything more than what you just said, Bill. On paper, it looks as if Jack Z. has signed two low-cost players to fill a gap until a better solution presents itself. I don’t think he signed them to platoon at 1B/DH for years to come. I mean, Shelton’s contract is a minor league deal. If Jack Z. and Don W. don’t think he’s working out during spring training, then they can keep him in the minors. No harm there. If anything, he’ll rake down there and perhaps earn himself another shot at the bigs.

I think you’re reading too much into people’s elation. I think people are just really excited that Jack is actually making somewhat beneficial moves. Instead of selling the farm for nothing, he’s taking a flyer on a low-cost player with some upside, something that Bavasi wouldn’t have done with a gun pressed to his temple.

Ahh, yes, and of course we’ve never heard of small-sample-size theater and think that 97 AB can tell us all we need to know.

97 ABs is enough for the manager to determine if you deserve another 97. He was DFA’ed in June.

Small sample size, my friend.

D’oh.

Um, BillH, are you thinking this through.

What should I be thinking through? You know, it is possible for teams to only hit from one side of the plate at certain positions. Promoting Shelton to a platoon 1B spot in the lineup merely because he’s a RH hitter would be a stupid move if you ask me.

Shelton hit .216 in 97 ABs in a friendly hitter’s park in Texas last year. He had 7 extra base hits. Why are we so happy with this signing again? That’s right, because it was cheap and he may be serviceable if you find yourself in a bind. If you think there’s anything more to it than that, then you’re deluding yourself.