Just a little more on Beltre's defense. The Fielding Bible ( http://www.billjamesonline.net/fieldingbible/summary.asp) picked Beltre as the top defensive 3B in baseball in 2007 and 2008, and had him second behind Ryan Zimmerman last year. From 2006-2008, Beltre topped all 3B, with a +63 runs saved. Lowell was ninth, at +21 --- and we won't see that Mike Lowell again.
Steve O On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 10:30 PM, Steve Ouellette <[email protected]>wrote: > I don't have Beltre's defensive metrics at my fingertips, but they're > outstanding, as good as anyone in baseball. Lowell was absolute bottom of > the list last year -- essentially a lamp post. I know that was because of > his hip, but his range was already sub-par the year before, and at 36, do > you really have confidence his hip is going to just snap back into place? If > you replace the worst-fielding 3B with one of the three best, what does > that do for your defense? > > Beltre had bone chips in his left shoulder last year, sucked, had shoulder > surgery and then injured his groin. He's five years younger and I have much > more faith that he'll bounce back. His three previous years were carbon > copies of each other, with OPS+ (adjusted for park) of 105, 112 and 108; HRs > were 25, 26, and 25. And he can run. Lowell's previous three years (pre-hip > injury) were OPS+ of 104, 124, 103, HRs of 20, 21 and 17. > > Beltre's OPS outside of Safeco was 53 points higher last year, +159 in 08, > +113 in 07. The park was death to him (Jason Bay, take note). > > So, while I don't think Beltre is a superstar, I think he's very good, and > almost guaranteed to be better than Lowell this year. > > Steve O > > > > On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 9:50 PM, Matt & Olga McSorley < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> I disagree. Perhaps he's a better defender, though probably not by much, >> especially when you consider Lowell should be healthier next season than in >> '09, given that he'll be more than a year out from hip surgery. Beltre's OBP >> last year was .304 and his career is .325 -- Lowell gave the Sox .337 in a >> season where he was hampered by injury and his career is .343. And he hit 17 >> homers, which projects out to the low 20s in a full season. I'd be surprised >> if Beltre hit significantly more than that in a full year at Fenway. The >> only upside I can see to Beltre is he's younger (supposedly). >> >> I imagine Lowell in Arlington over 2010 will have similar numbers to >> Beltre in Boston, if that's how everything shakes out. The difference is >> Texas will be paying $3m for that production, Boston $9m plus whatever >> Beltre gets. >> >> -- Matt >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> *From:* Steve Ouellette <[email protected]> >> *To:* [email protected] >> *Sent:* Fri, December 11, 2009 9:09:40 PM >> *Subject:* Re: Adrian Beltre >> >> Beltre is a brilliant defensive third baseman, and he's also a dead >> right-handed pull hitter who was swallowed up by Seattle's home park the >> last few years. He was hurt last year and pretty terrible, but overall a >> pretty good player. Would be a fair step up from what Lowell gave us last >> year. >> >> Steve O >> >> >> On Fr.i, Dec 11, 2009 at 8:28 PM, Matt & Olga McSorley < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> I don't get the attraction, if the rumors are true. Theo's fixations are >>> a mystery to me. >>> >>> -- Matt >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "Red Sox Citizens" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> [email protected]<redsoxcitizens%[email protected]> >>> . >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/redsoxcitizens?hl=en. >>> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Red Sox Citizens" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]<redsoxcitizens%[email protected]> >> . >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/redsoxcitizens?hl=en. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Red Sox Citizens" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]<redsoxcitizens%[email protected]> >> . >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/redsoxcitizens?hl=en. >> > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Red Sox Citizens" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/redsoxcitizens?hl=en.
