White doesn't need to platoon. Tucker offers no defensive value off the bench. You want to keep Tucker around for the couple of pinch hit ABs he might get a week? The team isn't going to dump Valbuena 13 games in. He could go the bench, and Moran could be the everyday starter. Meanwhile Preston Tucker continues to get regular ABs in AAA, until such time that Moran looks overmatched, or Valbuena continues to struggle.
He doesn't... but he won't be hitting at POW level forever (and is going to face some regression, hell he already has). Tucker would get more AB's/week to counteract the expected downturn from White. But you basically just make Valbuena a useless option on the bench... one who doesn't have the PH pop that Tucker would have. If somebody has to go away to make room for Moran, I'd prefer it be Valbuena... but I agree its too early to give up on him, hence why I felt bringing up Moran right now would be more of an adjustment.
#1 - Valbuena has defensive value #2 - Tucker's career OPS against RHP is .811, Valbuena was .811 in 2014 and .808 in 2015.
Right... so you're arguing for Valbuena to continue to play the field... and continue to get AB's... which would effectively argue against Moran coming up to be the everyday 3B. I'm under the presumption that they wouldn't be calling up Moran to be just the DH. I'm also under the presumption that Tucker has more upside in production value than Valbuena does. (but maybe he doesn't... and that would make the logjam between White-Reed-Tucker-Gattis a little easier to figure out).
Singleton @ Fresno 2016 http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=single001jon .139 .279 .222 He is on our 40 man why?
Moran would be the starting 3B, with Valbuena being a pinch hitter (his numbers the last 2 years are very similar to Tucker) and late game defensive replacement.
Yeah, I don't see much of a difference between that and Tucker... who's a better pinch hitter (even with similar numbers, you just expect more from Tucker at this point... who's been squaring up the ball with regularity, even in his recent slump), and if you really need defense, Marwin can fill that role. I just think having Moran-Valbuena-Marwin is more redundant, and overall less potential production, than having Reed-White-Tucker.
Frankly, I don't know who will be better between Valbuena and Tucker. Just seems whatever your view is of Valbuena, Moran should be called up if Moran is seen as an upgrade to him. If you aren't confident in Valbuena's hitting to be at Tucker's true talent level...bringing up Moran doesn't seem redundant as Gonzalez is a guy that is needed as a utility guy and Valbuena doesn't even have value as a bench player..he has less as a starter. If you are confident in his hitting as well as Tucker, Valbuena has more defensive value.
Valbuena is a guy that will play good with 400 at bats, but he is not a 600 at bats guy. I think we should play Marwin more at 3b. Moran is going to be an improve offensively at 3b, not defensively
Why is this so confounding? Makes sense to me. Whenever Reed is ready, then you worry about the DH/1B situation with White.
If Moran is called up to play 3b, wouldn't you still want Tucker starting against RHP as the DH? That is where I'm coming from. I value Marwin's utility factor, and can be a late inning defensive replacement if Moran is that shaky at 3b. Not sure what Valbuenas role is then.
Are we just going to ignore Jon Singleton? He went 4-4 with 2 HR last night. His OPS jumped to a respectable .790 as a result.
..pretty much. For all intents and purposes, his official time of death was some time during Spring Training. He was on life support to most fans before the Spring even started.
Personally, I'd roll with Moran at 3B, White at DH, and Reed at 1B. It is a very risky lineup, especially short term....granted the current lineup is as well. Gonzalez as a backup. Send Gattis, Kratz, Valbuena, Marisnick, and Tucker into a ring and whoever survives is your Backup C, Backup IF, and Backup LF (Springer, Rasmus both can backup up center).
