Monday Rockpile: Oh, man! or The Rockies are interested in Will Ohman and we may have announcers who will say something like that when he comes into a game (if he's signed, and this title has gone on for way too long).

by Russ Oates on Nov 24, 2008 7:07 AM MST in Rockpile Comment 17 comments

As has been hinted at for some time, the Rockies do have interest in left-hander Will Ohman, formerly of the Atlanta Braves.

Will Ohman

#13 / Pitcher / Atlanta Braves

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Aug 13, 1977

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2008 - Will Ohman	4-1	83	0	0	0	1	3	58.2	51	27	24	3	22	53	3.68	1.24

Ohman was the second best reliever on a 90-loss Atlanta Braves team, according to WXRL. His 1.644 WXRL was second only to Jeff Bennett's at 1.761. 2008 was a bounceback season for Ohman, as 2007 saw him post a 4.95 ERA, a 1.596 WHIP, and a -0.7 WXRL.

Brian Fuentes had a 3.619 WXRL last season, third in the NL. Really, there's going to be a drop-off with any lefty brought in. The WXRLs of those lefties also mentioned in the article:

Joe Beimel - 1.315
Darren Oliver - 2.122
Dennys Reyes - 0.570
Alan Embree - 0.262
Eddie Guardado - 3.189 (led team)

And there's always Glendon Rusch out there (-0.224 WXRL), whom the Rockies keep at the back of their mind.

With the exceptions of Taylor Buchholz and the recently acquired Huston Street, no other reliever currently on the roster had a WXRL above 0.730 last season (Ryan Speier).

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speaking of announcers

Please give me some good news and tell me that George Frasier and Jeff Huson won’t be back this season on FSN. If I have to listen to their inane drivel for another season, especially on non-HD away games (WTF how cheap is FSN anyways?), I don’t know if I will survive. Whisky probably.

by holliday5 on Nov 24, 2008 8:12 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

Alcohol

the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems

Thought Clint Hurdle should be fired before it was cool.

by Redhawk on Nov 24, 2008 9:05 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

As a former Cubs fan let me say this....

NO! NO! NO!

by dakarl32 on Nov 24, 2008 8:45 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

Interesting Rafael Furcal rumors

Over at MLBTR which make it seem like he may be heading to Oakland, with the Mets as a surprise suitor. The ideal situation for the Rockies (and Diamondbacks, actually), would be for Furcal to wind up with the A’s and Orlando Hudson to wind up with the Metropol’s, so that the Dodgers and Giants have to settle on the Orlando Cabrera/Edgar Renteria types.

by Rox Girl on Nov 24, 2008 8:49 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

2B

We’re that sold on Barmes to not risk on Hudson, huh?

It's Tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time It's Tulowitzki!...Tulo-witzki-witzki-witzki ..... rockiesmagicnumber.blogspot.com

by Andrew Martin on Nov 24, 2008 9:09 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Barmes

Go check Friday’s Rockpile for the majority opinion on Barmes, which seems to be that he should go play for the Newark Bears. It’s Baker that the dice is being rolled on as being an adequate performer. The point was well made that Barmes would be useful in starts by groundball pitchers (Cook) , but Baker gives the best chance for solid OBP production.

I don’t see the point in paying $10/11M/y for four years to Hudson, given the recent injury history (even if they are freak accidents) and the quick inflation of cost on players like that relative to their actual production. Unless the money is spent on Furcal (also seemingly an injury risk) as a 2B like the Mets are trying to do, the only thing to do is buy low or recycle. The logic seems to be that Baker will be as good as a bargain free agent. I’d still rather see the Rockies try to get Felipe Lopez for two years, $4M than gamble high on Baker as the principal starter. One of Baker and Barmes, or both, could be traded. Given the desire for low-cost middle infielders this winter (I mean, the Tigers are actually considering a trade for Julio Lugo), Barmes could potentially net another back-end starting candidate or bullpen help, allowing EY2 to move up.

by deacs on Nov 24, 2008 9:37 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Here's my issue

Just looking at the IF, and assuming Helton gets healthy and gives us 130+ games:

1B: Solid D, solid AVG/superb OBP/solid power (mostly doubles)
2B: ???
SS: Superb D, improving AVG/improving OBP/improving power
3B: IF Atkins: Awful D, decent AVG/declining OBP/declining power
IF Stewart: Solid D, low AVG/solid OBP/solid power

So essentially, if Stewart starts, is a solid defensive IF. That means strong D at SS and the hot corner, strong D at 1B, and then passable D at 2B. If Atkins starts, that means Hole at the hot corner, Strong at 1B and SS, and I’d rather have Barmes there to make up for the hole.

If Atkins AND Stewart start, I’d still rather have Barmes so the right side of the infield isn’t just an automatic 1B9.

But then again, I give a lot of credence to defense. I’d rather sacrifice the OBP and have Barmes bat 8th, as his average is still decent and it can lead to a few more RBI opportunities, while having better defense up the middle.

It's Tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time It's Tulowitzki!...Tulo-witzki-witzki-witzki ..... rockiesmagicnumber.blogspot.com

by Andrew Martin on Nov 24, 2008 10:07 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Good debate

Baker is still improving at 2b so that’s a positive and I like he is serviceable at 5 positions. Barmes is a very good shortstop, and I think he would warrant a starting job for several teams at that position. Q is our best fielding 2b so if defense is the need, I like going there late in games and for the occasional start and since he hits from the left side he will get plenty of pt.

From a fielding and hitting standpoint an infield of Atkins at first, Baker/Q at second, Tulo at short, Stewart at third makes seems to be best.

I think Barmes is more likely to be traded at this point than Atkins simply because he is a solid 1b and Helton is no lock. The question is what do you move Barmes for? If you sign Ohman what is your biggest hole and what can you move him for?

by brainteaser on Nov 24, 2008 10:34 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

not to nitpick

But doesn’t Atkins suck as badly at 1B as he does at 3B, it’s just not as noticeable because it’s 1B and not 3B?

I love Q. He’s a dead out with a bat, but he has the softest hands of anyone on the infield.

Baker does have improving D, and it’s attributed to him just being a fantastic athlete in general. My issue is it isn’t a drastic like .050 swing in OBP b/w him and Barmes, and both are absurdly streaky.

It's Tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time It's Tulowitzki!...Tulo-witzki-witzki-witzki ..... rockiesmagicnumber.blogspot.com

by Andrew Martin on Nov 24, 2008 10:45 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Debate rages on

I think we had this debate a week or two ago; Atkins was a highly regarded fielding 1b coming out of college. He can hold his own at first. It doesn’t help when you have a rookie 3b and a revolving door at 2b to make you look good. I do think a right handed 1b is usually at a disadvantage going to their right.

Atkins doesn’t overwhelm anyone with his defense at third, but he would be a fielding upgrade for several teams. It seems to me that ss, 2b, and cf are the biggest musts defensively. I worry much more about Fowler or Gonzalez hitting enough to stick in cf because there is so much ground to cover at Coors.

by brainteaser on Nov 24, 2008 12:48 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not sure I'm understanding what you mean in your last sentence

As you seem to be mixing a thought that I may be missing. Fowler and Gonzalez are each fine defenders in cf, and we wouldn’t miss Taveras’ glove with either of them. One of them (Fowler) is almost certainly an upgrade over Willy T at the plate right now, and the other one probably will be an upgrade as well, although Taveras did add a lot for us on the basepaths that’s just going to be very difficult to replace.

I think one thing that last season did show with the Rockies is that if you’re bad enough on the corners, it doesn’t really matter how good you are up the middle (granted, Tulo wasn’t cutting it for most of last year at short). I don’t think the Rockies can really afford to lose as many runs as they did at first and right and to some degree, third next season.

Second’s just not an easy fix internally, as all of our discussions over the weekend have been pointing out, and it looks like we’re hoping that some combination of Baker/Barmes/Quintanilla gives us league average play both offensively and defensively. After some initial hopefulness, I’m beginning to think that it may prove too much to be square peg trying to fit into a round hole situation. We’re sort of cemented into Hawpe in right, at least for 2009, so we’ve got some complicated defensive issues built into the system already right now, we can’t really afford the further self-inflicted wound that keeping Garrett at third entails. Like you, I don’t think he’ll be as bad at first as he was last season (which had only a little to do with his receiving skills, btw) but since we already have the plus glove with Helton there, the solution I keep coming to is to stick him in left and hope a rangy cf like Fowler or Gonzalez could ease some pressure on the gaps so he and Hawpe could be more protective of the lines. Then of course that leaves Spilborghs on the bench, and Atkins being a better bat than Spilly isn’t exactly a guarantee, but of course, neither is Stewart being a better bat than Garrett, so that takes us back to square one.

It remains a very sticky situation if the Rockies decide to keep Atkins, and right now I’m not entirely convinced they shouldn’t.

by Rox Girl on Nov 24, 2008 1:19 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

RF

The solution may be to move Hawpe to left some of the time. Is that possible? I’d think it’d be a bit like having Soriano out there. Hawpe’s slow, Soriano can’t track, but they both can throw. Stewart can hold it down, with some combination/Fowler in CF, and Hawpe in right. If Helton goes down or Atkins is traded, Hawpe goes to LF, and Spilborghs in RF.

But mainly, is Hawpe in LF a desirable option? If they’re out of contention by the deadline, there’s no reason not to start thinking about moving Hawpe to an AL team. He’s my favorite, but if Atkins stays on the team, or Helton is here for the duration of his contract, Hawpe is not long for Coors Field.

by deacs on Nov 24, 2008 7:51 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs