Juan Pierre - the Poor Man's Ryan Freel
You better believe it, sister - I did just go there. And now you're asking how I can say with a straight face that Ryan Freel, the perpetual platoon utility man is considerably better than Juan Pierre, the fastest man alive?
Easily. Sure, Pierre has consistently been hitting .300 throughout his 6 year career. Sure, Freel's playing time isn't guaranteed. But for the time being (read: all keeper league owners can stop reading now), Pierre's value has all but disappeared. He's not stealing at the rate you drafted him for (15th in MLB), he's certainly not hitting at the rate you drafted him for (.255 - are you kidding me?), and he's certainly not producing in terms of HRs or RBIs (which we didn't expect).
But there's Freel, just chugging along for whatever team picked him up off the free agent list, stealing more bases than Pierre, getting caught a whole lot less frequently than Pierre, and hitting a TON more than Pierre has been. "What about playing time? I don't want an every-other-day player." In the last month, Freel has only had 6 fewer plate appearances than Pierre, but has an OBP over .150 more than Pierre (.392 to .240). Oh, and Freel has wracked up 2 more SBs, 2 more RBIs and 7 Runs over that period. Freel's earned himself a starting job in Cincinnati, and is going to hold on to it.
Additionally, I have yet to mention Freel's multiple position eligibilities - especially 2B, which is typically where you rely on your speed. Sure, the OF has plenty of great speed options (Podsednik, Ichiro, as well as the top power/speed combos like Abreu, Beltran and others), but you have to have some solid power from your other two spots to make up for it - not a .255 hitter that you vastly overpaid for.
Now, I'm not suggesting you go out and trade Pierre for Freel. But I am suggesting you trade Pierre away if you have him. His perceived value is much higher than his actual value. Go out and get a pitcher upgrade for him - make the other owner think he's getting an absolute bargain. Just remember next year before your draft that cheap steals are ALWAYS available - either late in the draft, or on the free agent market. Always have been, always will.
Easily. Sure, Pierre has consistently been hitting .300 throughout his 6 year career. Sure, Freel's playing time isn't guaranteed. But for the time being (read: all keeper league owners can stop reading now), Pierre's value has all but disappeared. He's not stealing at the rate you drafted him for (15th in MLB), he's certainly not hitting at the rate you drafted him for (.255 - are you kidding me?), and he's certainly not producing in terms of HRs or RBIs (which we didn't expect).
But there's Freel, just chugging along for whatever team picked him up off the free agent list, stealing more bases than Pierre, getting caught a whole lot less frequently than Pierre, and hitting a TON more than Pierre has been. "What about playing time? I don't want an every-other-day player." In the last month, Freel has only had 6 fewer plate appearances than Pierre, but has an OBP over .150 more than Pierre (.392 to .240). Oh, and Freel has wracked up 2 more SBs, 2 more RBIs and 7 Runs over that period. Freel's earned himself a starting job in Cincinnati, and is going to hold on to it.
Additionally, I have yet to mention Freel's multiple position eligibilities - especially 2B, which is typically where you rely on your speed. Sure, the OF has plenty of great speed options (Podsednik, Ichiro, as well as the top power/speed combos like Abreu, Beltran and others), but you have to have some solid power from your other two spots to make up for it - not a .255 hitter that you vastly overpaid for.
Now, I'm not suggesting you go out and trade Pierre for Freel. But I am suggesting you trade Pierre away if you have him. His perceived value is much higher than his actual value. Go out and get a pitcher upgrade for him - make the other owner think he's getting an absolute bargain. Just remember next year before your draft that cheap steals are ALWAYS available - either late in the draft, or on the free agent market. Always have been, always will.
posted by NoPepperGames at
1:32 PM
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