Royals Expected to Sign Betemit

... to a minor league deal. Prognosticators speculate perhaps Betemit can maybe fill in (cheaply) for Teahen.

9 months ago CollininCalifornia 29 comments 0 recs |

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More Atlanta Braves!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YYYYAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!

by KyleM on Nov 11, 2009 7:27 PM EST reply actions

Obvious (and well-deserved) Braves jokes aside

this is smart. Betemit has defensive limitations, but like Mark Teahen, he’s been jerked around a lot. He’s a below-average middle infielder defensively, but the Sox gave up on him too quickly. Hardly any PAs the last two seasons — I would project him as about a league-average hitter. Probably better player than Fields or Getz, actually (without Fields small upside). Good idea for a minor league deal.

He’s like Willie Bloomquist, except he actually has value.

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Nov 11, 2009 8:25 PM EST reply actions

sorry

eyeballing it, I’d say he’s at least a 1-1.5 WAR player in a full time role, like TEahen.

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Nov 11, 2009 8:26 PM EST up reply actions

similar batters to WilBet through 27

Ty Wigginton, Bill Serena, Doug DeCinces

Ralph Wiggum would be a better GM than Dayton Moore

by BHWick on Nov 11, 2009 8:36 PM EST up reply actions

My guess as to how Trey will fuck up with Betemit

he’ll start Betemit v. LHP as a replacement for Gordon, regularly

Betemit v. LHP: .230/.275/.362, 265 PA
Gordon v. LHP: .217/.288/.365, 398 PA

Nothing defines the Royals more than getting multiple players with similar strengths and identical weaknesses.

Ralph Wiggum would be a better GM than Dayton Moore

by BHWick on Nov 11, 2009 8:39 PM EST reply actions

man, you love your platoon splits.

I used to work with an old man that told me. Son, every workplace has a dumbass, if you don't have one where you work, then I'm afraid you're it.

by Warden11 on Nov 11, 2009 9:42 PM EST up reply actions

Platooning

What is “Something Trey Hillman doesn’t do, but should”

Seriously.. Betemit is pretty bad as a RHB. I can see why he’s a switch hitter, but he wouldn’t be all that worse if he went exclusively LH

Ralph Wiggum would be a better GM than Dayton Moore

by BHWick on Nov 12, 2009 12:39 AM EST up reply actions

i heart platoon splits

what’s not to like? players hit against pitchers who are right- or left-handed, not an average of the two

Blank

by benfunke on Nov 12, 2009 12:15 PM EST up reply actions

But sadly

We don’t have a 35 man roster.

Platooning is all well and good. But how many real platoon pairs can you afford to carry. No more than two really, and then you better hope you have a super sub who can play anywhere.

by kcbottom9th on Nov 12, 2009 1:16 PM EST up reply actions

Bloomers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111

I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.

by philofthenorth on Nov 12, 2009 2:11 PM EST up reply actions

I don't have any problem with platoon splits or watching them.

Just giving BH some shit since it seems like 50% of his comments include something about splits.

I used to work with an old man that told me. Son, every workplace has a dumbass, if you don't have one where you work, then I'm afraid you're it.

by Warden11 on Nov 12, 2009 5:32 PM EST up reply actions

Is there no end to marginal/bad infielders that a GM can acquire?

by Steve Hovley on Nov 11, 2009 9:31 PM EST reply actions

He's trying to corner the market

Trust the Process!

Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Nov 11, 2009 10:15 PM EST up reply actions

you can't have too many Wilson's on your team

"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell

by buddyball on Nov 11, 2009 11:00 PM EST reply actions

In that case, I say we sign this guy next.

by AxDxMx on Nov 11, 2009 11:40 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs

I dunno…isnt he a Boras client?

7/10/09-A New Dawn.

by !Vive la Francoeur! on Nov 12, 2009 12:22 AM EST up reply actions

The ideal player for the Royals

would be named Wilson Pena.

Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Nov 12, 2009 1:06 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Where's Wily Mo?

I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.

by philofthenorth on Nov 12, 2009 2:12 PM EST up reply actions

I'm no birther, but...

for someone born in DR, debuts in the majors at 19, peaks at 24, can’t hit AAA pitching at 27… I might just make an exception.

All that aside, this guy can’t field his primary position (3B), can’t run, has stopped getting on base (OBPed .294 in Richmond last year) and I’m betting his remnants of HR power disappear in KC. I see negative value written all over this guy. So… two years or three?

Baseball's that swingy stick game, right?

by royalsroyalsroyals on Nov 12, 2009 12:36 PM EST reply actions

Birther Or 'Roider?

I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.

by philofthenorth on Nov 12, 2009 2:13 PM EST up reply actions

THIS Wilson Betemit?

-0.7 WAR, -17.2 UZR (at FIRST!), .267 wOBA, and a .111 ISO.

Below replacement level,
can’t field,
can’t hit,
has zero power,
plays multiple positions,
former Brave.

Sounds like a Dayton Moore golden candidate.

For a look at what grown up managers will be choosing from, check out the free agent analysis over at Beyond the Box Score:
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/11/6/1118484/free-agent-friday-first-base

See Data Differently.
beyondtheboxscore.com | Twitter: @ justinbopp

by Justin Bopp on Nov 13, 2009 3:17 AM EST reply actions

Justin

Trying regressing to the mean and a weighted average, Betemit comes out to about a league average hitter.

Can’t play defense very well anywhere, but (1) for utility guy making the minimum, he’s still useful, and (2) it’s a no-risk minor league deal

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Nov 13, 2009 12:37 PM EST up reply actions

So, can't field, can't hit, can't run, but regresses to the mean well.

That will be a great comfort to us next summer if this no-risk player gets on Trey’s good side and starts half our games because he plays the game the right way.

Baseball's that swingy stick game, right?

by royalsroyalsroyals on Nov 13, 2009 1:36 PM EST up reply actions

he's not white so he cant play the game the right way

Fire Everyone

by billybeingbilly on Nov 13, 2009 2:50 PM EST up reply actions

I think Betemit was a good signing

Moore found out the hard way that not having any AAA depth is killer. So I’m hoping Betemit is AAA depth this year. I mean, look at who we were calling up last year. Guys like Tug Hulett and TPJJ, getting Josh Anderson and Ryan Freel, I mean, we were scraping bottom of the barrel, and while Betemit is not very good, he is better than that crap, except for maybe Hulett, who will never be given a chance.

by AxDxMx on Nov 13, 2009 2:55 PM EST up reply actions

i agree with all of that

Fire Everyone

by billybeingbilly on Nov 13, 2009 2:56 PM EST up reply actions

All of the moves we've made so far

point to a team that’s trying to go from 97 losses to 90 losses. If Betemit isn’t bottom of the barrel, he’s at least far enough down there that he smells about the same. Loading up on AA and AAA talent that’s locked out at their current team would be the way to build, given that those players display an upside that includes actually being good, not just better than the drudges of our current batch.

Baseball's that swingy stick game, right?

by royalsroyalsroyals on Nov 13, 2009 4:40 PM EST up reply actions

there's not a problem trying to go from 97 losses to 90....

if you’re not giving anything up in doing so. When you’re trading away important present and future parts to do so, there’s the problem. Trading away a non tender guy or signing guys to minor league contracts isnt a problem. It’s ‘solving’ your ss problem by upgrading from worst ever to worst this year, taking on money all the while trading away legitimate prospects that is a problem.

I’m all for a nearly complete rebuild, but that doesnt mean conceding that you’re going to be the worst team in baseball.

Fire Everyone

by billybeingbilly on Nov 13, 2009 5:14 PM EST up reply actions