Spring Training Thread

[blue911]

Good lord you guys weren't kidding about him falling off a cliff

The guy played Indy league until he was 27.

[PANatsFan]

He can... if the Nats put him on waivers and he makes it through.

Yeah that's why I liked Burke but I guess they don't trust his knees.

Burke USED to be a good offensive catcher too.

[DPMOmaha]

I like Coste's bat.

Based on...?

[JMUalumni]

Livo's booked, according to Swadlin.  I would advocate the same thing, but 1-2-3-4 is set with Livo at 3 or 4.  So that leaves 5 for Olsen or Mock, seemingly.  I prefer Olsen if his stuff is better.  Mock's fastball has no movement.

After looking through a bunch of pitch F/X data I have confirmed that Mock does in fact have below average movement on his four seam fastball (in particular horizontal movement).  His two seamer has league average movement and his curve/slider have above average movement.

[UMDNats]

Based on...?

Mindfact.

[Lintyfresh85]

Based on...?

Well, pretty much any bat is better than Nieves.

[DPMOmaha]

Well, pretty much any bat is better than Nieves.

Actually, the past couple of years Nieves has been better.

[Lintyfresh85]

Actually, the past couple of years Nieves has been better.

At what?

2007:

Coste - .279/.311/.419/.730
Nieves - .164/.190/.230/.420

2008:

Coste - .263/.325/.423/.748
Nieves - .261/.309/.341/.650

2009:

Coste - .224/.301/.317/.618
Nieves - .259/.313/.299/.612

No matter how bad Coste has been... he's been better than Nieves every year.

If you combine 2007-2009 (years Nieves has actually gotten at bats in the pros) their stats would look like this.

Coste - .253/.314/.387/.700
Nieves - .247/.296/.306/.602

[DPMOmaha]

2009:

Coste - .224/.301/.317/.618
Nieves - .259/.313/.299/.612

No matter how bad Coste has been... he's been better than Nieves every year.

If you combine 2007-2009 (years Nieves has actually gotten at bats in the pros) their stats would look like this.

Coste - .253/.314/.387/.700
Nieves - .247/.296/.306/.602

See, where my mistake was that I saw the Philly and Houston numbers from last year separated out and read them to be 2009 and 2008, not two different stops last year.  My bad.  That being said, Nieves appears to have plateaued a bit the past couple of years where Coste has pretty steadily declined.  I'm not sure what this addition does other than add depth.  I don't really see much difference between Coste and Nieves.   

According to Zuckerman, it looks like he's going to AAA.

[UMDNats]

This makes me feel a little bit better if Nieves or Pudge gets hurt. I have no idea who we'd call in in that case, if we didn't have Coste.

[hammondsnats]

thank you linty.  that's what its based on DPH,

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Yesterday too. I like his bat, but I don't know if they can stash him in AAA as insurance for Who?

When I see Who capitalized, I don't think Wil Nieves.  And I try to forget the super bowl.

[blue911]

When I see Who capitalized, I don't think Wil Nieves.  And I try to forget the super bowl.

That Nats320 guy reminds me of Uncle Ernie. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

That Nats320 guy reminds me of Uncle Ernie. 

[DPMOmaha]

thank you linty.  that's what its based on DPM,

Right, I see that now.  It still doesn't look like anything more than Nieves' equivalent to me at best, decent insurance policy in case everything blow up in our face.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

where Coste has pretty steadily declined.

That's intellectually dishonest.  It was not a steady decline at all, it was a steep, sudden decline that occurred late last year when he moved from Philly to Houston.  It could have been an injury or some kind of "fluke" (bad coaching, trying to change something in his game, etc.)

Whatever the case, it's worth seeing whether that 1-2 month period was an anomaly or Coste can go back to the 90-OPS+, adequate-defense catcher that he was in Philly.

[DPMOmaha]

]

That's intellectually dishonest.  It was not a steady decline at all, it was a steep, sudden decline that occurred late last year when he moved from Philly to Houston.  It could have been an injury or some kind of "fluke" (bad coaching, trying to change something in his game, etc.)

Whatever the case, it's worth seeing whether that 1-2 month period was an anomaly or Coste can go back to the 90-OPS+, adequate-defense catcher that he was in Philly.

I repeat...

See, where my mistake was that I saw the Philly and Houston numbers from last year separated out and read them to be 2009 and 2008, not two different stops last year.  My bad.  That being said, Nieves appears to have plateaued a bit the past couple of years where Coste has pretty steadily declined.  I'm not sure what this addition does other than add depth.  I don't really see much difference between Coste and Nieves.   

According to Zuckerman, it looks like he's going to AAA.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

But you still said "steadily" declined as if it were gradual.  It really hasn't been.  He was a regular 90 OPS+ guy in Philly and just fell off a cliff.

[DPMOmaha]

But you still said "steadily" declined as if it were gradual.  It really hasn't been.  He was a regular 90 OPS+ guy in Philly and just fell off a cliff.

But what I was saying is that I misread it.  Anyway, maybe "steadily" is the wrong word, he's been in the bigs for four years and everything had dropped, almost every year.  2008 was the only year he was really able to maintain his levels from the previous year.  I don't see any indication that it will go up this year and that would put him below Nieves.

[PANatsFan]

After looking through a bunch of pitch F/X data I have confirmed that Mock does in fact have below average movement on his four seam fastball (in particular horizontal movement).  His two seamer has league average movement and his curve/slider have above average movement.

Thanks GMU, it's his slurve that's awesome, I knew he had one great pitch.

[PatsNats28]

At what?

2007:

Coste - .279/.311/.419/.730
Nieves - .164/.190/.230/.420

2008:

Coste - .263/.325/.423/.748
Nieves - .261/.309/.341/.650

2009:

Coste - .224/.301/.317/.618
Nieves - .259/.313/.299/.612

No matter how bad Coste has been... he's been better than Nieves every year.

If you combine 2007-2009 (years Nieves has actually gotten at bats in the pros) their stats would look like this.

Coste - .253/.314/.387/.700
Nieves - .247/.296/.306/.602

Allow me...

Chris Coste:

2007 - .316 wOBA
2008 - .326
2009 - .279

Wil Nieves:

2007 - .179
2008 - .285
2009 - .278

Thus, I arrive at exactly the exact conclusion with my own statistics that make me feel happy.

[The Chief]

I love arriving at exactly the exact conclusion.

[DPMOmaha]

Still looks like we hired about the same thing we already had.  Just an insurance policy.

[JMUalumni]

The Mets rotation for the Nationals series is set and will go as follows:

4/9:  Mike Pelfrey
4/10:  Oliver Perez
4/11:  Johan Santana

[houston-nat]

Haha, Oliver Perez.