Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
January 05, 2009
Enough Range?

Nico at Athletics Nation wonders if Oakland signs Giambi if they'll use a shift of infielders to make up for Jason's lack of range. Chase Utley appeared to shade toward first base to help out Ryan Howard this year, so it just might work.


Posted by David Pinto at 09:47 PM | Defense | TrackBack (0)
Comments


Who is their DH, Cust? I guess he is more of a liability in the field than Giambi. When Giambi played first, sometimes he would make an amazing grab or pic and then miss the easiest ball.

Tom
http://thetraderarena.today.com

Posted by: Tom at January 5, 2009 10:05 PM

Cust will DH, according to most stories. I'm starting to like Oakland. Their big problem last year was offense, and they're starting to fix it with Holliday and Giambi. The team was already far from terrible with a -44 run diff in 2008, and the rest of the division is getting weaker.

The Angels were hardly overwhelming last year with a +68 run diff, and they've lost their closer and best position player. Texas and Seattle aren't doing anything. The A's just might win that division.

Posted by: Casey Abell at January 6, 2009 08:43 AM

on 7/1/08 A's were 45-38 with a +62 - they were 30-48 with a -106 the rest of the way. If Chavez can come back healthy and Holliday isn't a total bust they should be better and Giambi would help. Rotation now is Duchs, Eveland, Gio Gonzalez, Sean Gallagher and Andrew Brown. Bullpen is equally unimpressive. Hard to say since they're in a rreally weak division. In AL East they'd be 5th or lower.

Posted by: bandit at January 6, 2009 09:06 AM

The A's play in a pitcher's park, but they were dead last in the AL in runs scored in 2008, though they still finished just a bit underwater on run diff. The staff may or may not impress, but it managed a respectable 4.01 ERA, admittedly with some help from the park.

In a division where no team was very strong and the other teams are getting weaker, I can see the A's winning. It's not like they were awful to begin with, and they're the only club in the AL West that's improved over the offseason.

Posted by: Casey Abell at January 6, 2009 09:52 AM
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