12-04-2008, 12:41 AM
<!--quoteo(post=1153:date=Dec 3 2008, 10:34 PM:name=mindbodyspirit)-->QUOTE (mindbodyspirit @ Dec 3 2008, 10:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><i><b>Not really a question for you, but a question in general... Why do we HAVE to have another left handed bat?</b></i>
The reality is that we do not <i>NEED</i> a LH bat, but we DO need to replace Jim Edmonds' production. His 18 Cub HR and great .OBP are a glaring need to fill. Now, whether we fill it with a LH hitting OF, a lead-off improvement, a RH hitting banger with high .OBP, or a switch-hitting OF line-drive hitter... the fact remains we need to fortify after a loss. Reed Johnson isn't going to become a 25HR presence in the line-up, and though Fukodome will likely improve on his 2008 debut season, we are still a hitter short.
With regard to Marquis, he is going to be easier to move than some think. He is in the last year of a contract, and while he is an expensive #4-5 starter, he was one of the more successful ones in the N.L. last year. Once the Winter Meetings are over and the top-teir FA pitchers get swallowed up, a guy like Marquis will look like (and in reality <i>BE</i>) a fine stop-gap starter for a team on the brink of contention. Remember, in about 2/3 of his starts, he looks dominating for about 6 innings. That's certainly marketable on the market, especially since he is only a 1-year commitment.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Couldn't have said it better myself. If we're going to get another bat, might as well be a LH one, as long as it's a quality bat and not just someone to fill a perceived need.
The reality is that we do not <i>NEED</i> a LH bat, but we DO need to replace Jim Edmonds' production. His 18 Cub HR and great .OBP are a glaring need to fill. Now, whether we fill it with a LH hitting OF, a lead-off improvement, a RH hitting banger with high .OBP, or a switch-hitting OF line-drive hitter... the fact remains we need to fortify after a loss. Reed Johnson isn't going to become a 25HR presence in the line-up, and though Fukodome will likely improve on his 2008 debut season, we are still a hitter short.
With regard to Marquis, he is going to be easier to move than some think. He is in the last year of a contract, and while he is an expensive #4-5 starter, he was one of the more successful ones in the N.L. last year. Once the Winter Meetings are over and the top-teir FA pitchers get swallowed up, a guy like Marquis will look like (and in reality <i>BE</i>) a fine stop-gap starter for a team on the brink of contention. Remember, in about 2/3 of his starts, he looks dominating for about 6 innings. That's certainly marketable on the market, especially since he is only a 1-year commitment.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Couldn't have said it better myself. If we're going to get another bat, might as well be a LH one, as long as it's a quality bat and not just someone to fill a perceived need.