The David DeJesus Era
by Freneau on Jan 5, 2009 2:41 PM EST
in Honoring & Remembering Former Kansas City Royals
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PrintHave you been enjoying the David DeJesus Era in Kansas City? Did you even know it had been going on?
I haven't been above sarcastically celebrating inconsequential players on this site before and in fact, most of the Honoring & Remembering Section might fall into that category. This post is a little different however. Really and truly, the second half of this strange decade has been the David DeJesus Era. As the Sweeney/Beltran teams were traded/faded away, to a large extent it has been Beltran's replacement that has really defined the team, even moreso, I would argue, than Greinke.
Since 2004, DDJ's first season with major playing time, a number of players, good and bad, have cycled through the roster, and a considerable amount of emotional currency has been invested in a few select prospects. Aside from DeJesus, and, weirdly, fellow Beltran-linked players John Buck and Mark Teahen, there hasn't been much stability.
Moreover, DeJesus hasn't merely managed to hang around, he's been a very good player. Yes, there have been some rough stretches, a fair amount of mostly unfounded frustration and an administrative willingness to continually search for other options in centerfield. Nevertheless, in a hundred years, when Rob Neyer the III is writing his history of the '00's Royals, David DeJesus, despite a singular lack of All-Star games and leaderboard appearances, will stand out.
| Category | DDJ Total Since '04 | Team Rank |
| Games | 629 | 1st |
| ABs | 2438 | 1st |
| Rs | 381 | 1st |
| Hs | 700 | 1st |
| 2Bs | 136 | 1st |
| 3Bs | 32 | 1st |
| HRs | 43 | 2nd (Buck) |
| RsBI | 282 | 1st |
| TBs | 1029 | 1st |
| BBs | 228 | 1st |
| SFs | 18 | 2nd (Brown) |
| HBPs | 58 | 1st |
| SBs | 40 | 1st (tie/ Gathright |
| IBBs | 15 | 2nd (Sweeney) |
In many of these categories it isn't even close either. DDJ's 700 hits (the 700 club!) dwarf the second place finisher, someone named, let me double check this "Berroa". Hmm, never heard of him. As evidenced by the lack of a consistent rival in the few categories he's second in, there's no one resembling a rival.
Nor is DeJesus's legacy limited to the last five years. All-time, in team history, he's already cracked the Top 20 in a number of major categories: PAs (16th), Hs (17th), 2Bs (15th), TBs (18th), 3Bs (10th). He's also fourth in HBPs.
And so, to the future historians of a little failing baseball team in the middle of the country, let it not be said that we did not appreciate DeJesus in his time.
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For a second there
I thought you were impyling it was coming to an end.
David DeJesus is on my list of 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time…we just haven’t gotten to him yet. He’s that good.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
Finally on the (still mostly uncrowded) DDJ Bandwagon. Good for you!
I did my own WAR thing before Fangraphs had there’s for everyone, and it’s more generous to DDJ, but let’s just do Fangraph’s thing to show exactly what DeJesus has been worth to the Royals:
Year/Wins Above Replacement (WAR)/Value (in Millions of $/Salary (in Millions of $):
2003: 0 WAR (late call-up), $0.1, no salary listed (prorated minimum)
2004: 1.5 WAR (half season), $4.8, no salary listed (prorated minimum)
2005: 3.6 WAR, $12.3M, $0.3M
2006: 2.8 WAR, $10.3M, $0.5M
2007: 2.9 WAR, $12.0M, $2.0M
2008: 3.8 WAR, $17.1M, $2.5M
Totals:
Value: 14.7 WAR
$ Value (on FA Market, will be a bit lower if arb years taken into account): $56.6M
Salary: $5.3M
Yeah, this post probably needs a “thank you Allard” tag. Let’s at least give him credit for some of the few things he did right…
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that total salary is just scandalous compared to production
I’m glad the Royals saved all that money so that they could get Kyle Farnsworth, Jose Guillen, Horacio Ramirez, and Ross Gload matching ivory backscratchers
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 5, 2009 12:29 PM EST up reply actions
I would tend to agree
that # does seem a little high, but then again, its supposed to be based off of what people out there are actually getting paid
yes, but
his value determined in these webpages is based on sabermetric statistical analysis. Frankly, his value on the open market would likely be a lot less because his “old school” statistics, which is what most teams probably look at to value people, likely don’t put him high enough. Although, since he led the league in RBI with RISP perhaps I’m wrong. Also, he simply doesn’t have name recognition, I would think. I know that shouldn’t matter, but…I’m sure it does.
I AM intangible!
Is that you, Dayton Moore?
He was this season, compared to what free agents are being valued as, given values that generally have proven to be the the case (you know, by people who brought you “WTF Jose Guillen?”). I mean, I guess you can disagree, but it is based on a fair-market analysis. Now, maybe you think this year is an outlier from DDJ’s career performance and future performance and that you wouldn’t give him $17M/per year of the FA market — fine. Or maybe you disagree with the defensive numbers — fine.
The market undervalues defense and overvalues offensive stats like RBI and HR. TEams that use OPS are overvaluing HRs.
Over the last three years, player X had WARs of 3.7, 1.8, and 2.1. Total = 7.7. Over the last three years, DDj has put up 9.5 WAR. Player X just got 3/30 with an option for a 4th year, is older than DDJ, and just came off a serious injury. Player X is Rafael Furcal. (And, yes, injury histories matter). If you disagree with the stats, that’s one thing. But if you agree with them, then DDJ is, in fact, worth more.
Hell, if Professor Farnsworth is worth $4.5M, then $17M/per is way low for DDJ.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 5, 2009 3:53 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I guess we'll see...
how excited you are when Dayton Moore signs Orlando Cabrera to a 3 year $45 million dollar contract. He was supposedly worth 3.5 wins over replacement this year valued at $15.6 million and 3.6 wins over replacement in 2007 valued at $14.7 million.
heh, touche
Sorry for the somewhat grumpy tone above
I don’t, in fact, think that DDJ can be expected to be 3.8 WAR player going forward — I tihnk he just had a really good year. He’s more like a 3 WAR player going foward (maybe better depending on his LF defense).
With DDJ, though, the respective defenseive numbers from other systems are pretty close (sometimes much better), whereas bUZR sees O-Cab as much better than Dewan’s, sUZR, and CHONE’s projections. O-Cab is also in his mid-30s, which drops his value a great deal.
Whichever, I got caught up in the moment. I should have said that I do think it’s reasonable to think that DDJ put up worth $17.1M worth of performance this year, even if we can’t expect that going forward.
Bringing you more-or-less replacement level analysis and commentary since sometime in 2008.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 5, 2009 4:27 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
one other cool thing
I remember first reading about DeJesus back in the early part of the decade on Rob & Rany. Basically their point was that it isn’t going to be the end of the world when Beltran is traded/not resigned, because the Royals have a nice CF prospect.
Other than Greinke, DeJesus has been the most stress free Royal prospect of this decade. People said he was going to be good, and he was.
Its amazing
He has been pretty much what we thought he would be, no career spikes, no major declines. Pretty consistent performer.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
The frustrating stat that jumped out at me
is that in 5, FIVE, years, DDJ is 2nd, SECOND in HR to Buck (??). Buck has 62 in 5, FIVE, years. These barely beat Balboni’s “incredible” singly year all time record.
That is absolutely stunningly poor and embarrassing. Of course, we all knew we had this problem.
I AM intangible!
...and then exit Mike Jacobs,
as he trudges back to the dugout after another out.
Stathead, Zack Greinke fan, and Rock Band 2 singer extraordinaire.
by NHZ on Jan 7, 2009 8:03 PM EST up reply actions
David's problem ...
… is he doesn’t do anything great (i.e. AVG, HR, RBI’s, Defense, SB, etc) that will make him stick out to the rest of the publick. He does good at everything, but nothing great. He is a lot better batter than Frank White, but Frank’s D will be what he is know for => considered by the eyes of some people, a better player.
"This is your life, Alex Gordon"
If you don’t OBP .400, SLG .500, hit 30 HRs, or you aren’t a Gold Glove defensive MONSTER like Michael Young or Nate McLouth, you are doomed to be considered merely “solid” by even smarter fans like Rany Jazayerli, and thus deemed expendable.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 5, 2009 4:00 PM EST up reply actions
There's a lot to be said for professional competence
I’ve said this before – you could win the World Series with 14 DDJ types(9 position players, 4 starters, and a closer), and you might have only 1 of those go to the All-Star game, and then only because it is required for KC to have one.
This guy is the walking definition of a competent professional ballplayer.
Although the skillset is a bit different, in many ways he reminds me of what Amos Otis provided for the good teams in the 70s and 80s. A very small notch below star level – but closer to that level than anyone taking just a superficial look would see.
Mr Glass, this is a pro sports team, not a retail store - run it like one!
If he were a FA this offseason
I think he would easily have commanded a 3 yr $35 million dollar deal, even if the team signing him viewed him as a corner OF instead of a CF.
Mr Glass, this is a pro sports team, not a retail store - run it like one!
He should have
I agree with you on his value, but I think corner OFs (if that’s what DDJ is) who are good defensively and don’t hit for tons of power are still undervalued. If Ryan Langerhans sucked Guillen-style on defense, but could hit 20 homers in a year, would he have passed through waivers as he did a couple months back? In fact, he’s probably a better player than Guillen at this point due to his decent OBP and defense.
It’s just like the hall-of-fame, you have to do certain things (hit for average/OBP, slug homers, “produce” runs [RBI], defense (but only for SSes), etc.) to get in/get paid, but if you do a lot of things fairly well, you’re hurt.
Also, +1 on Amos Otis. He was awesome. Great call. Too bad he wasn’t on the 1985 team. I don’t know how people perceived him, but in the early 1970s, he was certainly a “star”-level player. Don’t have defenseive numbers for him, but the perception of him was that he was very good, and he hit really well for the era. Probably at least a 4.5-5.5 WAR player during that time. Basically like Vernon Wells in one of his good years, except AO did it for longer. And, not that it matters, but his clutch numbers are really good.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jan 5, 2009 4:23 PM EST up reply actions
Amos Otis is second when it come to Win Shares in Royals History
67 ahead of Willie Wilson.
by Jeff Zimmerman on Jan 5, 2009 4:29 PM EST up reply actions
wow
just in batting, Amos Otis has about a 150 wRAA lead on Willie Wilson
Bringing you more-or-less replacement level analysis and commentary since sometime in 2008.
by Matt Klaassen on Jan 5, 2009 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
DeJesus really has been extremely valuable
Good hitting, good defense and at a premium position. He really has been excellent for the Royals.
The immoderate moderator
juust curious
but does sweeney lead most of the total decade #s?
I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me
Win Shares since 2000
Mike Sweeney 117
Carlos Beltran 94
David DeJesus 80
Joe Randa 64
Mark Teahen 57
Emil Brown 43
John Buck 41
Zack Greinke 41
Angel Berroa 40
Raul Ibanez 38
by Jeff Zimmerman on Jan 5, 2009 6:14 PM EST up reply actions
You seem to forget..
That Berroa did that in 3 years…Aviles has 17 in 2/3 of one year.
I refuse to set up a signature....DAMMIT
DDJ
has always been one of my favorites. Works the count well, has enough pop to hit one out every-so-often, plays defense pretty well….just a very solid player at a low cost. He’s more of a plus in center than in left, unfortunately….
Stathead, Zack Greinke fan, and Rock Band 2 singer extraordinaire.
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