Update:
As the Dodgers return from China and close down Vero Beach (playing the rest of their games in Arizona and LA) here are some upated numbers as it relates to the entry below:
Andre Either: Now: .466 .708 .354 and 5 home runs
Matt Kemp: Now: .318 .595 .310 and 2 home runs
Jason Repko: Now: .455 .571 .343 and 2 home runs
Juan Pierre: Now: .268 .235 .196 still no home runs (actually 8 singles and 2 doubles) went 0-5 today.
Now for the original story:
The Dodgers are looking good so far in the spring, only one real injury; Andy LaRoche will be out until the end of April, (hopefully Nomar can stay healthy a couple of weeks).
The big question for the Dodgers right now is the outfield; not that they have a lack, but whether Joe Torre will see the obvious and put Juan Pierre on the bench. I know Spring stats can be misleading but here are some numbers that are of interest:
Matt Kemp (who should start in right field): .318 .595 .310 with 2 home runs.
Andre Either (who should start in left field): .434 .581 .302 with 4 home runs.
Juan Pierre (who should be elsewhere): .294 .261 .217 (and needless to say no home runs)
Oh, and by they way, Jason Repko is healthy and playing. Repko is probably the best defensive outfielder the Dodgers have and has an arm as strong and accurate as Kemp or Andruw Jones. Repko's numbers in the Spring: .439 .563 .313 with two home runs.
Andruw Jones is off to a typically slow start for the spring, but he's going to start in center (.381 .424 .212 and two home runs). He did arrive in camp clearly in shape and there is no reason to believe he won't help the team, although if Torre can make Jones believe Repko is pushing a little bit, that could go a long way. Jones hasn't been pushed in his career in quite a long time.
So what is Ned Colletti to do? Pierre (not counting a couple of good AAA players), is the 5th best outfielder on the roster. He's not going to get any real value in trading Pierre (although with Dusty Baker managing the Reds, hmmm!). Pierre brings absolutely nothing to the game except singles and stolen bases (noticed how much that helped last year). He can't field a lick and can't throw at all. He's maybe the worse throwing outfielder I've ever seen. He runs horrible routes to anything hit to him and only his speed makes up for terrible instincts (beware of outfielders who make lots of spectacular catches!). Even on the bench he's taking up a spot that a better all around utility guy could fill (Pierre can only "play" center and left). You could just release him, but then you have to eat the three years left on his contract. If Colletti could get anything for him, even if he had to eat 50% of the contract, it would be a bargin. He'll do nothing but clog up a roster spot. "Designated for Assignment" is the phrase that should be attached to Pierre.
Colletti should just admit this was a bad deal, send Pierre packing one way or another and move on to what looks like a very promising season.
Posted by Narnia3 at March 16, 2008 8:41 PM | TrackBack