Baseball Toaster: Dodger Thoughts : Defensive Downer

Defensive Downer

2006-11-14 22:40

by Jon Weisman

David Pinto of Baseball Musings began releasing his year-end defensive ratings, which are not definitive but are among the best you can find. He started with team defense, and found the Dodgers' to be 25th in baseball.

Roughly translated, the difference between the Dodgers and the No. 1 team, Toronto, amounts to giving away about an extra out every other game.

Blue Jays: 2994 actual outs, 2915 expected outs, +79
Dodgers: 3084 actual outs, 3100 expected outs, -16

* * *

As we speak, it would cost the Dodgers $14.5 million "plus accrued interest and premiums" to buy out the bonds that would allow the team to pull out of its Dodgertown lease, TCPalm.com reports.

"Or, if the stadium is worth more at fair market value than the bonds, the team could buy back the stadium," the report adds. "The county would get the difference between the bonds and the purchase price."

* * *

Takashi Saito vs. National League Cy Young Award runner-up Trevor Hoffman, courtesy of Andrew Grant at True Blue L.A.:

Trevor Hoffman, second in Cy Young voting: 0-2, 2.14 ERA, 63 IP, 50 K (7.14 K/9), 13 BB (1.86 BB/9), 6 HR (.85 HR/9), 46 saves.

Takashi Saito, reciever of one third place vote: 6-2, 2.07 ERA, 78.3 IP, 107 K (12.29 K/9), 23 BB (2.64 BB/9), 3 HR (.34 HR/9), 24 saves.

Comments

2006-11-14 23:07:48

1. Greg Brock

Those Saito/Hoffman numbers should be sent to every member of the BBWAA...Not that they'd care.

It's the Ecksteinization of America!

2006-11-14 23:21:24

2. Bob Timmermann

In David Eckstein's America, everybody tries just a little bit harder. It's a better world. Let's all embrace it!

In JD Drew's America, everybody tries to avoid getting hurt. The world is not as exciting.

In Toby Hall's America, everybody whines.

2006-11-14 23:25:49

3. StolenMonkey86

2 - In Jeff Kent's America, everyone is aware of the dangers of washing their truck.

2006-11-14 23:54:48

4. Greg Brock

David Eckstein is not welcome in Willoughby.

2006-11-14 23:55:00

5. Vishal

apparently the rest of you didn't get the memo about the movement to turn the cy young award into a lifetime achievement oscar.

2006-11-14 23:59:30

6. Greg Brock

I eagerly await Scorcese's Cy Young victory next year.

2006-11-15 00:09:56

7. trainwreck

Those defensive numbers are the reason I do not want Carlos Lee or Adam Dunn. We need to improve our defense not degrade it.

2006-11-15 00:10:37

8. Vishal

we all know marty will once more end up like hoffman; 2nd in the balloting.

2006-11-15 00:12:35

9. Uncle Miltie

Looks like Beimel is coming back, which is kind of nice to see. I like Beimel and think he made a stupid mistake. I doubt he will be nearly as good as he was last year, but the Dodgers bullpen is pretty weak. Beimel is nothing special, but he is able to induce a lot of groundballs and his presence (probably) prevents Ned from overpaying for a LOOGY in the offseason/midseason.

2006-11-15 00:15:21

10. natepurcell

octavio dotel would be a great NRI for ST.

2006-11-15 00:18:40

11. Vishal

[10] you don't think doc oc will be signed by someone straight off?

2006-11-15 00:25:15

12. natepurcell

i suppose in this market, its certainly possible. But i cant see any time risking more then 1.5 mil guarenteed to him though. it might be worth the risk. 1.5 mil isnt really that alot and the upside could be a 3-4 WARP season.

2006-11-15 00:29:00

13. natepurcell

lets bring danys baez back!

2006-11-15 00:29:02

14. Vishal

just about all the other veteran relievers on the market are over 35 i think.

2006-11-15 00:29:26

15. trainwreck

9
Where did you hear about Beimel?

2006-11-15 00:32:36

16. natepurcell

justin speier would be nice on 2yr 8 mil deal. but hed probably get 3yrs at 6mil per.

2006-11-15 00:35:22

17. regfairfield

16 I looked hard a Speier, and was about to suggest him when I saw his groundball to flyball ratio which hovered somewhere around .7. He'd get pounded at Dodger Stadium.

2006-11-15 00:40:00

18. trainwreck

15
Nevermind found it in LA Times.

2006-11-15 00:41:11

19. natepurcell

doesnt toronto have a higher homerun park factor then DS? that didnt really hurt speiers performance.

2006-11-15 00:43:37

20. natepurcell

according to this:
http://tinyurl.com/tumj4

toronto had the 4th highest homerun park factor in the majors compared to 7th for the dodgers.

so it wouldnt be like going from RFK to DS. it wouldnt affect him significantly.

2006-11-15 00:47:29

21. regfairfield

19 True. I wouldn't say it didn't hurt him since he gave up an above average amount of home runs, but he's probably the best option avialable in this terrible class. Him or Octavio Dotel.

2006-11-15 05:30:54

22. das411

From today's Phila Daily News: "The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are expressing an interest in outfielder David Dellucci, who is a free agent after spending last season with the Phillies. Dellucci would play first base for the Rays..."

2006-11-15 05:38:02

23. D4P

In Derek Lowe's America, you're either American or you're not white.

2006-11-15 07:20:09

24. studes

Dewan ranks the Dodgers slightly better, at +4. The outfield was +12, the middle infield -10.

2006-11-15 08:01:03

25. Rocc

22- Greg Clifton(Mulder and Dellucci's agent) must feel like he's in some bizarro world because I doubt he'd predict that the Rays would be calling him this much this early in the offseason.

2006-11-15 08:08:36

26. JoeyP

I noticed that the Yankees resigned Mike Mussina to a 2/22 deal.

Is Mike Mussina a future Hall of Famer?
I think he'll get in eve he doesnt get to 300 wins.

2006-11-15 08:22:53

27. JoeyP

Is Mike Mussina a future hall of famer?
He recently re-negotiated with the Yanks at 2/22. He has 239 career Wins.

I'm going to say yes, but not on the 1st ballot.

2006-11-15 08:25:57

28. Gold Star for Robot Boy

Dodgers' ZIPS projections are up at BBTF:
http://tinyurl.com/y3toey
Namar's OPS leads Loney's by not much (038), but the difference in money will be enormous.

2006-11-15 08:31:52

29. Gold Star for Robot Boy

Ugh. N*o*mar.

2006-11-15 08:34:44

30. Andrew Shimmin

28- The Gagne projection makes me sad.

2006-11-15 08:46:44

31. jakewoods

Wait a second

did anyone watch Toronto actually play defense this yr???

There middle infield was the worst in baseball and openly cost them games.

Hence why they're on the market for a 2b and ss right now.

and glaus at 3b was awful

2006-11-15 08:55:24

32. Sam DC

Another reliever whom the Red Sox have expressed interest in is free agent Danys Baez, who pitched for the Braves and Dodgers last season. . . . .

http://tinyurl.com/ymhhjs

2006-11-15 09:02:42

33. Inside Baseball

Listened to Colletti on a local radio show this morning with TJ Simers and Fred Roggin. Ned cleared the air about Drew (he's not mad at him) and answered some questions about the Dodgers offseason. He was really, really funny and his answers were surprisingly telling. Asked about Boston shelling out 51.1 million to buy the right to talk to Matsuzaka, he said he'd sell his rights to talk to Scott Boras for just fifty dollars.

Here's what I gleaned from the interview (from his answers and reading between the lines).

1. Nomar will be resigned (or at least they will make a very strong attempt).

2. He thinks Kemp needs at least 1/2 season at AAA.

3. Because of his defense (and what his defense may be at the end of the longterm deal he'll require) Carlos Lee will not be signed.

4. They will be a serious player for Soriano and Colletti guesses Soriano will be signed by some team before December 4th to a huge deal in numbers and length.

5. As opposed to last year, he is much more willing to dole out two long term deals this offseason (bat and front line starter) to help "bridge the gap to the young players."

6. If Dodgers lose out on Soriano and they can acquire a pitcher he will look to trade one young pitcher to get a good power bad in the lineup, not a great one.

7. He does not want to trade more than one young player (blue-chipper) this offseason as he remains committed to their young players.

8. After talking to Boras, he doesn't feel Maddux will be resigned but he hopes that will change (i.e. that there won't be a market for him for two years and the Dodgers will sign him for one).

9. Zito is top choice FA pitcher, followed by Schmidt ("but only for the right deal"). Sounded like he's really high on Zito.

10. Lofton is a wait and see what develops and he still wants to see what they have in Betemit.

11. They were a player for Matsuzaka but Colletti wryly said his dollar amount fell a little short of Boston's.

All in all it was one of the most enlightening radio interviews I've heard. He was very forthcoming and again, really, really funny.

2006-11-15 09:21:35

34. katysdad

I just finished reading Plaschke's piece on Beimel and have two questions. Did Biemel really become "... a Dodgers villain the size of Barry Bonds."? Living in Pennsylvania, I had no first-hand experience with reaction to his playoff snafu, other than what I read on Dodger Thoughts. People were critical of Beimel here, but I didn't get the sense that it was at a Bondsian level.

Also, Plaschke says Beimel's ERA against left-handed hitters was 2.34. How is an ERA against left-handed hitter (or right-handed hitter, for that matter) figured?

2006-11-15 09:23:16

35. still bevens

33 #6 Is Tomko considered a 'young pitcher'?

2006-11-15 09:23:30

36. Jon Weisman

33 - Thanks. I put all that into a new post up top.

2006-11-15 09:24:11

37. Jon Weisman

34 - No, that Bonds comparison is an overstatement.

2006-11-15 09:25:51

38. Andrew Shimmin

34- You isolate the variable. Remove all outcomes from RH batters from the sample, and you get his performance against lefties. Do the opposite, and you get it against righties. It's one of the marvelous collection of stats called splits.

Beimel isn't even a J.D. Drew sized villain. He's not a whoever that teenage ice-skater was who Didn't Want to Be There, sized villian. But Plaschkers needed a column today, so, any port in a storm.

2006-11-15 10:04:46

39. Rocc

32- And I thought that Boston's middle relief was bad last year...

If Paps is moved to the rotation and Baez takes over as closer, the Rays have a legit shot at finishing 3rd(if all goes well).

If only the Rays could get some MLB-ready pitching from trading Dukes & Cantu.

2006-11-19 15:36:13

40. cubsrule2007

TOO BAD NOW HERE COME THE CUBS TO WOOP THE CARDINALS BUTT SO YOU NO WHAT DEAL WITH