Author Topic: The Espinosa watch thread (Read 11269 times)

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #75:** May 01, 2012, 10:07:15 PM »

Quote from: MarquisDeSade on May 01, 2012, 10:00:01 PM

Shark, StAAAAmen, Maxwell...

None were prime development pieces. Espinosa had a starting position locked. bernie at best was a flash

PC · « **Reply #76:** May 01, 2012, 10:10:06 PM »

The list is long of players who've been expected to be parts of teams futures who were sent down to the minors. Roy Halladay was sent down. Cliff Lee was sent down. Those calling for Dexter Fowler, he was sent down last season.

He can't play in the majors when he's playing like this.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #77:** May 01, 2012, 10:12:52 PM »

Well, at this point last year we would have cut Morse. But, Morse had a week or so on the pine before LaRoche got hurt. Pine may do a guy some good. Look at Curtis Granderson. Of course, he's not working with Kevin Long.

PC · « **Reply #78:** May 01, 2012, 10:15:14 PM »

Espinosa has options. Morse didn't. We can do something with Espinosa without losing him.

hammondsnats · « **Reply #79:** May 01, 2012, 10:34:45 PM »

nice .195 AVG and .543 OPS ... really doing this team a good service!

welch · « **Reply #80:** May 02, 2012, 12:02:36 AM »

espinosa has been pretty consistent, aside from a few home-runs early last year. He strikes out a lot, doesn't get many hts when he's not striking out. Good fielder, looks like a hitter, but can't hit. Kevin Elster was like that.

I hope he learns to hit, but there's no sign of it. (Morse at least had hit as a part-timer in 2010. espinosa has not looked as good as Morse did before he became Beastly.)

Lintyfresh85 · « **Reply #81:** May 02, 2012, 12:05:05 AM »

Quote from: welch on May 02, 2012, 12:02:36 AM

espinosa has been pretty consistent, aside from a few home-runs early last year.

I'm all for burying Espinosa right now... but lets not rewrite history.

16 HR and .790 OPS over his first 92 games in 2011 is not a "few home-runs early last year."

madj55 · « **Reply #82:** May 02, 2012, 12:08:57 AM »

Espinosa needs a wake up call. Bench him or send him down, either is fine with me.

Smithian · « **Reply #83:** May 02, 2012, 12:09:35 AM »

I don't know what happened to this guy. He doesn't look bad at bat. Guys like Ian Desmond and Xavier Nady look terrible and clueless. Danny Espinosa goes up and grinds, shows decent discipline, and when he hits it looks like he has good power.... But his results quite simply suck.

Smithian · « **Reply #84:** May 02, 2012, 12:09:55 AM »

I blame his crappy walk up song to some extent.

cmdterps44 · « **Reply #85:** May 02, 2012, 12:10:26 AM »

He strikesout and makes hard contact... directly to the opposing team/foul.

houston-nat · « **Reply #86:** May 02, 2012, 12:15:11 AM »

Quote from: Smithian on May 02, 2012, 12:09:35 AM

I don't know what happened to this guy. He doesn't look bad at bat. Guys like Ian Desmond and Xavier Nady look terrible and clueless. Danny Espinosa goes up and grinds, shows decent discipline, and when he hits it looks like he has good power.... But his results quite simply suck.

Quote from: cmdterps44 on May 02, 2012, 12:10:26 AM

He strikesout and makes hard contact... directly to the opposing team/foul.

This would suggest awful luck as shown by a really low BABIP. So I looked it up.

Unfortunately Danny's BABIP is .294 - compare to last year's .292. This is not evidence of very bad luck at all. (A hard-luck Nat? Xavier Nady, whose BABIP is a putrid .154, maybe half what it should be.) The problem is a mammoth drop in his power: his SLG has gone from .414 to .269. He's walking 3.4% more but striking out 4.5% more.

nobleisthyname · « **Reply #87:** May 02, 2012, 02:51:16 AM »

Quote from: houston-nat on May 02, 2012, 12:15:11 AM

This would suggest awful luck as shown by a really low BABIP. So I looked it up.

Unfortunately Danny's BABIP is .294 - compare to last year's .292. This is not evidence of very bad luck at all. (A hard-luck Nat? Xavier Nady, whose BABIP is a putrid .154, maybe half what it should be.) The problem is a mammoth drop in his power: his SLG has gone from .414 to .269. He's walking 3.4% more but striking out 4.5% more.

This. I don't care if Espi batted sub .250 if he bats with the power he had the first half of last season. Combined with his glove that is close to elite status from a second basemen. However, without his power, he's just a bad hitter, and not worthy of a Major League roster spot.

Minty Fresh · « **Reply #88:** May 02, 2012, 07:30:21 AM »

Quote from: madj55 on May 02, 2012, 12:08:57 AM

Espinosa needs a wake up call. Bench him or send him down, either is fine with me.

Sending him down is probably the best thing for him.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #89:** May 02, 2012, 08:14:09 AM »

Quote from: Smithian on May 02, 2012, 12:09:35 AM

I don't know what happened to this guy. He doesn't look bad at bat. Guys like Ian Desmond and Xavier Nady look terrible and clueless. Danny Espinosa goes up and grinds, shows decent discipline, and when he hits it looks like he has good power.... But his results quite simply suck.

Maybe it took half a season for Eckstein to get to him

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #90:** May 02, 2012, 08:31:09 AM »

Mind you, I'm still a fan of his and think he'll be a very good major leaguer. That said, he's not doing what got him to the majors and what made him a prospect. I'd be here defending him if his line were .220 / .325 / .450, and I'd be pounding the table and yelling if his line was .230 / .350 / .475.

I've seen guys, with options, not sent down and play themselves out of tough starts and stretches. However, with high K rates, that is tough to do. You can't get an extra base hit if you can't make contact, let alone hard contact. He's just a mess right now.

Slateman · « **Reply #91:** May 02, 2012, 09:54:13 AM »

Send him down, but for how long?

Honestly, if he can't improve when he comes up, what do we do with him? Is there anyone who would trade for him?

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #92:** May 02, 2012, 09:56:59 AM »

Send him down at least until he starts hitting in aaa

Slateman · « **Reply #93:** May 02, 2012, 09:57:59 AM »

Personally, I think they should do one of two things with Espinosa. Send him down OR tell him to be exclusively from the right side.

In his career, he is hitting .273/.356/.497 from the right side, against lefties (190 PAs). Hitting lefty, .218/.305/.380 (600+ PA)

I realize that the sample size is small and that he has only hit from the right side in one game against rightys. But it might be worth trying at this point.

Tyler Durden · « **Reply #94:** May 02, 2012, 10:06:54 AM »

If Espinosa gets sent down, then Tracy plays 3B and Lombo 2B? That's no great shakes, either.

But it might be better for Danny in the long run. He's been chasing breaking balls in the dirt this whole year. He needs to fix that before he can contribute. He looks kind of like Werth did last year - just lost and demoralized.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #95:** May 02, 2012, 10:07:09 AM »

Quote

Is there anyone who would trade for him?

Somehow, I don't think most of MLB will take this one month and throw out their scouting reports or evaluations over his career. There are teams who would buy low, use his 3 option years, and move him back to SS. Teams always think they can fix issues and his talent (range, arm, power, even an ability to get on) will lead teams to work with him on what they think he's doing wrong.

As for batting righty v. RHP, if there is a decision to do that, I'd like to see him get 100 or so ABs in Syracuse rather than experiment up here. In the mean time, can he just lay off above the belt outside pitches when he hits vs. righties? I'd like to see a heat map showing his average on balls up there.

hammondsnats · « **Reply #96:** May 02, 2012, 10:07:24 AM »

Quote from: Lintyfresh85 on May 02, 2012, 12:05:05 AM

16 HR and .790 OPS over his first 92 games in 2011 is not a "few home-runs early last year."

lol agreed ...

i'd take that in a heartbeat compared to the turd sandwich we're receiving right now.

Slateman · « **Reply #97:** May 02, 2012, 09:50:03 PM »

Under .190 now. Soon as Zimm gets back, Espi.needs to sit.

Really wish Rendon hadn't gotten hurt.

hammondsnats · « **Reply #98:** May 03, 2012, 08:00:36 AM »

this guy is killing the team.

he's not even fouling off pitches sharply. he is wayyyyyyyy off. really needs to get it fixed.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #99:** May 03, 2012, 08:58:38 AM »

A walk, a steal, sets up the tieing run. nice catch on Lombo's throw after his great pick. there are better days to complain.