Feedback on Pierre
"Nicely done. Loved Dinosteve. The jury is still out on Juan Pierre though -- why would he become so worthless in just 2 months? Will you say the same thing about Mike Lowell, who is supposed to be a quick starter and a second half decliner? What about all those other players who have had slow take offs -- I dunno, Beltre, Beltran, etc. Are they all to be mercilessly dumped for a song? Look at that, Eric Chavez, Victor Martinez and even Bobby Abreu a few weeks before -- they should have all been burning at the stakes, with the shadow of a Mendoza-like ogre looming over them all.Ryan Freel you say? Hummmmmmmmm ... I think Pierre's better numbers are ahead of him. The body is still warm -- don't call in the morgue just yet."
-VBlue
(subscription required). Pierre just isn't getting faster - he consistently leads the majors in caught stealing. He's been dropped to SEVENTH in the lineup (hitting in front of that RBI machine Alex Gonzalez). None of these are good signs, folks.
I'm not saying go out and drop Pierre. We know what his ceiling is, and it's fantastic. Unfortunately, we're quickly learning what his basement is - and that's the problem. What Pierre owners need to do is figure out (a) if they really need his steals and (b) if they can get decent value for him (you overpaid a 2nd or 3rd round pick on him - if you can finagle a 4-6 Round pick, you should do it in a heartbeat).
Now, the difference here between Pierre and the lamentable lineup of slumpers listed above is that all those players aren't finesse speedsters - for the most part they're bashers who provide pop. They're two different creatures - there's a reason Harold Baines played until he started collecting Social Security and Rickey Henderson... no, wait, that won't work...
Just look through the last ten years of top stolen base leaders, and you just shake your head - so many one-year wonders and so many inconsistent players. The point, again, is that there are always going to be cheap steals out there - why overpay for Pierre?
posted by NoPepperGames at
3:48 PM
3 Comments:
I don't think Pierre is a superstar by any means but I do look to him to produce in 3 important categories -- hits, BA and steals.
Hits: over 200 hits in both 03 (5th in the majors) and in 04 (ranked second behind Ichiro) with 221 hits.
Steals: I don't know where this notion of cheap steals come from, but if found in mid-season, it is usually accompanied by the symptoms of a part-time player, with a low-BA who uses up a lot of at-bats just to collect 15 or 20 steals. J Pierre led the majors in stolen bases in 2003 -- 65 stolen bases CANNOT be found on the wire.
BA: Ranked 10th in BA in 2004. Only one player with a higher BA had a sizeable SB total and that was Ichiro with 36.
If you see Pierre in terms of 3-category production, and he fits the bill in terms of those very specific needs, then he is a player to hold on to, not dump. His slow start only means his better numbers are ahead of him.
I'm not a fan of his and would not trade to get him but if you own him, the better bet is to hold on, not dump.
Respectfully submitted.
By
Anonymous, at 4:09 PM, June 15, 2005
Juan Pierre Update
Signs of a turnaround?
Juan Pierre went 4-for-6 with three runs scored and two stolen bases today against the Cubs.
Hummmmmmm ...
By
Anonymous, at 5:14 PM, June 15, 2005
Don't believe the hype! (In fact, I predicted I may see a VidaBlue original comment today after seeing Pierre's line last night). Until he puts together 2 solid weeks, I'd rather have Freel.
By
NoPepperGames, at 10:18 AM, June 16, 2005
Post a Comment
<< Home