If Gattis is able to catch he goes nowhere and stays with the Astros, if not, the way white is hitting he must be traded with guys like Tucker and Reed ready.
Springer is a solid player but as the latest prospects have made their way onto the team he's down on the totem pole as a cornerstone. He's still important to the team but he hasn't lived up to his hype.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">After 8 games...<br><br>2015 Astros: 3-5<br>2016 Astros: 3-5</p>— Michael Connor (@MC790) <a href="https://twitter.com/MC790/status/720096997961695232">April 13, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> breathe.
What would you like him to do for this season? Will duplicating his pre-injury production live up to the "hype"? You realize the hype is there based on what he's shown thus far in the majors. He was last in the minors in 2013. Hype/expectations don't carry over 2+ years without some sort of MLB production (see Jon Singleton). If anything can be extrapolated from his brief 2 year career (basically just one full season worth of games)... It's that he's a slow starter, and when he gets on a tear, HR's/XBH/OBP all typically come in huge bunches. Game 8.... Game 8.
Like I said he's been a solid contributor to the team since he's been here when he isn't injured but he still strikes out too much and doesn't have that high of an average, which he may never hit for much average. His defense and speed have been helpful tools to the team and like I said he has been important to the team. People were hyping him up as a 5 tool type player. He hasn't lived up to that.
Frustrating loss but LMJ will be back soon, Gattis will hopefully play better, and there are plenty of reinforcements standing by in the minors. (Tony Kemp has come out on fire in his first three games!) A lot to look forward to. Go Stros!
Average improved a lot last year. He will always strike out. Mike Trout leads the league in strikeouts year-in/year-out and its insignificant to his overall specialness. Meanwhile, Springer should (if healthy) get on base, hit for power, steal bases, and plays a gold glove OF with a cannon for an arm. He's already done all of this. Sure, he has to stay healthy for an entire season and not have a fluke injury for the numbers to pile up (as it is, for basically one full season's worth of games, I'll take 38HR, 260+ avg, 850+ OPS). There's no denying what his impact is on this offense when he's on... They saw it first hand last year, post-injury. So basically, he isn't hitting a high enough average for you to consolidate him as a 5 tool guy.... That's fine, but it's also the least valuable of the 5 tools.
You make solid points but we will have to agree to disagree overall. Springer tends to be a streaky hitter. When he's hot he's very hot. Then he can go through prolonged slumps. Like I keep saying he's been solid and important to the team but the jury to me is still out on him living up to what he was hyped as coming out of the minors. And Springer has not shown anything to be compared to Trout as a hitter. Trout is way more gifted and consistent. A real 5 tool player.
Yes, Springer is not Mike Trout... This is some fine, in-depth analysis here. Nobody is going to be on for all 162 games. Thus far, his worst "streaks" have been when he was first called up (shocker), post-injury last year, and now (game 8, not even that terrible given the last 2 games of increased production). This entire debate is pretty silly due to what he's already shown he's capable of and the extremely limited opportunity he's had to do it. Let's see if he's able to improve upon last season's already good numbers before we write him off as a dissapointment. Again, would an improvement (or hell, even matching) last years numbers be enough for you?
I haven't said in any of my post that Springer is a disappointment, just overrated/over hyped up to this point in his career. There's a difference!!! I'm tired of debating this. Good night.
silly to call a solid player a bum. As I wrote on the previous page, he was a middle of the pack DH--as much as people love to criticize what he did last year. Having him under control at a reasonable salary is already value. If they can prove that last year was a down year and increase their return, even better. An while doing that, plugging in an avg-to-just-below-avg DH 50% of the time shouldn't be make-or-break on this team. Hell, I'm guessing Tucker will end up around the middle of the pack among DH's if he has to face LH and RH all year like Gattis did last year.
You are making my point about Hinch. A GOOD manager uses his player best of his abilities and looks for the RIGHT match ups. Example, yesterday, why not use Neshek against the 3 right handed hitters in the 7th? Instead he used Harris for 2 innings, why use such an important reliever for 2 innings, losing by 1? You say IF Tucker is used vs lefties he will be in the middle of the pack. Well, it is Hinch responsibility to USE Tucker the right way so he is NOT in the middle of the pack, and instead be above average if the talent is there. Tucker had an OPS over .800 vs right handed pitchers last year, but you know how many games he DH last year????? Two, and the OPS on those 2 games was 1.700. Why he did not use Tucker more last year???? Is insane. For a guy with a .748 OPS? You know that before last year Gattis OPS was .771 and .810? I can live with those numbers, but .748, for a DH, NO. And then you have a guy with over .800 vs righties sitting watching the game from the dugout. Funny some here say that we get mad when Hinch gives a day off to players. Well, WHAT ABOUT GIVING MORE DAYS OFF TO GATTIS? Last year he did not give Tucker the chance to play more. I take that .748 if he is catching, if not, then i prefer the .800 OPS from Tucker vs righties, and use Gattis vs left handed pitching.
And finally, that is what make Maddon a great manager, he gives his player the good match ups for them to succeed. I still remember Hinch, using Conger vs left handed pitching while he was killing right handed pitching (.892 OPS). That is insane. Last year he had 116 plate appearances vs righties and 113 vs lefties, INCREDIBLE. He did not DH Tucker who had an OPS over .800 vs righties. Using Lowrie, who was one of worse hitters in baseball in second half instead of Villar vs lefties. Neshek vs left handed pitching. Not using VV much as a reliever. Lineups, very dumb lineups. Do you guys know that Gattis hit 4th in the lineup, more than half of our games last year??? And now, our manager gives days off to players WHO ARE HITTING. Man, why not give those days off when the guys are not hitting???? Example, you want to play Marisnick? Why sit Rasmus vs a right handed pitcher? Give Springer de "day off" instead??? Why sit Tucker when he is hitting? Against a right handed pitcher!!!!!! If you need to play GAttis for whatever reason, then play Rasmus in cf and Tucker in lf vs the RIGHT HANDED PITCHER. Do NOT sit the guy when is HITTING. I like to use all the guys, but i disagree with him, you don't sit the ones hitting. You sit the ones struggling.
Between 2014-15, he ranks 16th in WAR and 14th in OPS among all AL outfielders - and that's with him missing significant time. In fact, he has a +2.2 advantage in WAR over Rasmus despite playing 60 fewer games. George Springer is a *very* good baseball player. If average is your only barometer, we can politely call it day and go our separate ways because you're likely to be disappointed by him.
Sitting a struggling player can also send a bad message to the guys and then they start to press for playing time. Sometimes playing a slumping player is a way to get him out of the slump.
I disagree, just the opposite if there is good communication. Example: Spring, we are giving you a day off because we want to give Marisnick a game to keep him sharp. Gomez, i am giving you a day off because i want to give Tucker a game here in the field to keep him sharp. This is a 25 men team and we are giving days off to everyone to keep them fresh and healthy. Now, you can do that in 2 ways, sit the hot bat or the cold one, i take the cold one out. And when you are struggling, a lot of times is you are pressing ALREADY, so taking a day off HELPS.
