Pedro Feliz is a better player than Geoff Blum. I have no doubt about that. Feliz is a better defender, has a better arm, and has more range. One thing Feliz does MUCH better than Blum is drive in runs. Feliz has four seasons in which he drove in more than 80 runs. Feliz hit .336 with runs in scoring position last year. Blum hit .221 last year. Some players just are not good at driving in runs. Feliz is likely going hit 6th in the order and having a run producer like him well help this offense a lot. For one year and $4.5 million, Feliz is solid signing and an upgrade over Blum.
Blum's career high in ABs is 453. Feliz has had over 500 ABs when hes had 80 RBIs. Blum is a clutch player. He's had plenty of big hits over his career, so I don't question his ability to get them. The question with Blum is can he hold up playing full-time at 37 when he has been a bench player for the vast majority of his career.
This is true. I don't think Blum can hold up playing full time. Blum hit .281 before the all-star break and hit .209 after the break. Feliz hit .236 after the break so he also struggled after the break. Feliz has been a starter for playoff teams with the Giants and Phillies. I just think Feliz is a better player period than Blum. It's not a long term deal so I really don't have issue with it. Blum is a solid bench player and could still get over 200 ab's if Kaz Matsui has his annual trip to the DL.
The stats don't show Feliz to be a better defender, either last year or for their careers. The problem with that stat is that small sample sizes create large year-to-year variations. For their careers, both players hit about 0.040 OPS higher with runners on than without. Again, virtually identical players. Feliz does actually drive in more runs. This is in part because Feliz has more power, while Blum walks more - and the fact that Feliz has had more RBI opportunities as Blum has spent more of his career hitting in the 8 and 9 spots in the lineup. In 2009, Feliz was better than Blum at driving people in. But if you look at 2008, for example, Blum hit better than Feliz with runners on base, and drove in more people per at-bat with runners on than Feliz did.
As you said, both got worse post-ASB last year, though Feliz declined more. In 2008, Feliz completely crashed after the ASB (OPS dropped 200 pts) while Blum was much better post-ASB (OPS rose 200 pts). For their careers, Blum gets better after ASB while Feliz gets worse. Blum also improved in both 2006 and 2007, so it's hard to say that age was bringing him down. Whether he can hold up a full season is certainly a legitimate question though.
I wonder if it involved Vasquez in some way considering the Yanks pulled the trigger today. Wouldn't it be wild if the Yanks tried to get Oswalt since they had already asked about Big Z and picked up Vasquez today, they seem to be very active. Interesting to hear Wade isn't just sitting on his assets but trying to make a pretty good size move.
My guess it was maybe Carlos Lee for Derek Lowe. The Braves had 6 quality starting pitchers before they traded Javier Vazquez to the Yankees today. They desperately needed a power hitting right handed outfielder and Lee and Lowe make similar money but cash would have still been needed to be sent. They will now likely sign somebody like Xavier Nady or Marlon Byrd with some of the money they saved with the Vazquez trade.
GMs never say who they target in a trade just incase it can be revived later on...I agree Lowe for Lee would make sense for both squads and I don't doubt they will continue to explore something similar down the road.
Not really I mean look at the Vasquez deal today, I don't think any rumors came out till late last night and then it got done quick. Also never remember hearing anything about the Bourn or Valverde deals till they happened. Still I agree with you with todays media I'd be suprised not to hear anything.
Nobody heard about the Drayton McLane selling the team until a year later. Astros beat writers Ortiz and McTaggert are pretty bad.
