Biographical
Vernon Wells CFBlue JaysBlue Jays Player Cards | Blue Jays Team Audit | Blue Jays Depth Chart |
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Career Summary
| Years | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | DRC+ | WARP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 7212 | .270 | .319 | .459 | 106 | 25.5 |
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WARP Summary
MLB Statistics
| YEAR | TEAM | AGE | G | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | SO | HBP | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | DRC+ | DRAA | BRR | FRAA | BWARP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | TOR | 20 | 24 | 92 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .261 | .293 | .352 | 68 | -3.6 | -1.3 | -2.0 | -0.4 |
| 2000 | TOR | 21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 71 | -0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2001 | TOR | 22 | 30 | 103 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 0 | .313 | .350 | .427 | 88 | -1.2 | 0.7 | -0.4 | 0.2 |
| 2002 | TOR | 23 | 159 | 648 | 167 | 34 | 4 | 23 | 27 | 85 | 3 | 9 | 4 | .275 | .305 | .457 | 101 | 3.7 | -3.0 | -1.9 | 1.9 |
| 2003 | TOR | 24 | 161 | 735 | 215 | 49 | 5 | 33 | 42 | 80 | 7 | 4 | 1 | .317 | .359 | .550 | 123 | 24.1 | 1.2 | -9.1 | 3.8 |
| 2004 | TOR | 25 | 134 | 590 | 146 | 34 | 2 | 23 | 51 | 83 | 2 | 9 | 2 | .272 | .337 | .472 | 110 | 8.8 | 6.5 | -1.1 | 3.2 |
| 2005 | TOR | 26 | 156 | 678 | 167 | 30 | 3 | 28 | 47 | 86 | 3 | 8 | 3 | .269 | .320 | .463 | 107 | 6.2 | -5.8 | -2.4 | 1.9 |
| 2006 | TOR | 27 | 154 | 677 | 185 | 40 | 5 | 32 | 54 | 90 | 3 | 17 | 4 | .303 | .357 | .542 | 123 | 23.1 | 1.3 | -4.7 | 4.1 |
| 2007 | TOR | 28 | 149 | 642 | 143 | 36 | 4 | 16 | 49 | 89 | 3 | 10 | 4 | .245 | .304 | .402 | 90 | -5.4 | 3.6 | -10.6 | 0.8 |
| 2008 | TOR | 29 | 108 | 466 | 128 | 22 | 1 | 20 | 29 | 46 | 3 | 4 | 2 | .300 | .343 | .496 | 122 | 13.7 | -0.6 | -6.0 | 2.1 |
| 2009 | TOR | 30 | 158 | 684 | 164 | 37 | 3 | 15 | 48 | 86 | 1 | 17 | 4 | .260 | .311 | .400 | 93 | -4.0 | 2.9 | -14.2 | 0.6 |
| 2010 | TOR | 31 | 157 | 646 | 161 | 44 | 3 | 31 | 50 | 84 | 3 | 6 | 4 | .273 | .331 | .515 | 121 | 16.8 | -0.6 | -1.7 | 3.5 |
| 2011 | ANA | 32 | 131 | 529 | 110 | 15 | 4 | 25 | 20 | 86 | 1 | 9 | 4 | .218 | .248 | .412 | 99 | 0.0 | -1.4 | 5.3 | 1.6 |
| 2012 | ANA | 33 | 77 | 262 | 56 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 16 | 35 | 1 | 3 | 1 | .231 | .279 | .403 | 99 | -0.2 | 3.2 | -1.1 | 0.8 |
| 2013 | NYA | 34 | 130 | 458 | 99 | 16 | 0 | 11 | 30 | 73 | 0 | 7 | 3 | .233 | .282 | .349 | 87 | -5.8 | 2.7 | 7.5 | 1.4 |
| Career | 1731 | 7212 | 1794 | 379 | 34 | 270 | 472 | 956 | 31 | 109 | 37 | .270 | .319 | .459 | 106 | 76.1 | 9.4 | -42.2 | 25.5 | ||
Statistics for All Levels
'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.
| YEAR | Team | Lg | LG | G | PA | oppAVG | oppOBP | oppSLG | BABIP | BPF | BRAA | repLVL | POS_ADJ | DRC+ | DRC+ SD | FRAA | BRR | DRAA | BWARP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | STC | A- | NYP | 0 | 295 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .338 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||
| 1998 | HAG | A | SAL | 0 | 559 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .324 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||
| 1999 | TOR | MLB | AL | 24 | 92 | .266 | .338 | .435 | .319 | 103 | -6.7 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 68 | 9 | -2.0 | -1.3 | -3.6 | -0.4 |
| 1999 | DUN | A+ | FSL | 0 | 292 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .364 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||
| 1999 | KNX | AA | SOU | 0 | 118 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .375 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||
| 1999 | SYR | AAA | INT | 0 | 140 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .350 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||
| 2000 | TOR | MLB | AL | 3 | 2 | .267 | .363 | .409 | .000 | 83 | -0.7 | 0.1 | 0 | 71 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -0.1 | 0.0 |
| 2000 | SYR | AAA | INT | 0 | 545 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .267 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||
| 2001 | TOR | MLB | AL | 30 | 103 | .274 | .336 | .439 | .358 | 99 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 0.1 | 88 | 10 | -0.4 | 0.7 | -1.2 | 0.2 |
| 2001 | SYR | AAA | INT | 107 | 448 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .312 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||
| 2002 | TOR | MLB | AL | 159 | 648 | .266 | .329 | .427 | .283 | 102 | 0.8 | 18.7 | 0.9 | 101 | 7 | -1.9 | -3.0 | 3.7 | 1.9 |
| 2003 | TOR | MLB | AL | 161 | 735 | .269 | .334 | .428 | .318 | 104 | 31.3 | 20.0 | 2 | 123 | 6 | -9.1 | 1.2 | 24.1 | 3.8 |
| 2004 | TOR | MLB | AL | 134 | 590 | .263 | .329 | .423 | .285 | 108 | 1.8 | 17.6 | 1.3 | 110 | 11 | -1.1 | 6.5 | 8.8 | 3.2 |
| 2005 | TOR | MLB | AL | 156 | 678 | .267 | .331 | .423 | .270 | 104 | 5.4 | 19.5 | 1.6 | 107 | 9 | -2.4 | -5.8 | 6.2 | 1.9 |
| 2006 | TOR | MLB | AL | 154 | 677 | .271 | .336 | .432 | .307 | 107 | 23.9 | 20.4 | 1.5 | 123 | 8 | -4.7 | 1.3 | 23.1 | 4.1 |
| 2007 | TOR | MLB | AL | 149 | 642 | .270 | .335 | .425 | .262 | 94 | -5.9 | 19.1 | 1.7 | 90 | 9 | -10.6 | 3.6 | -5.4 | 0.8 |
| 2008 | TOR | MLB | AL | 108 | 466 | .264 | .330 | .417 | .293 | 98 | 17.6 | 13.5 | 0.5 | 122 | 9 | -6.0 | -0.6 | 13.7 | 2.1 |
| 2008 | DUN | A+ | FSL | 2 | 8 | .270 | .353 | .397 | .800 | 94 | 1 | 0.2 | -0.1 | 107 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | -0.1 | 0.0 |
| 2008 | SYR | AAA | INT | 2 | 7 | .188 | .245 | .286 | .000 | 82 | -1.9 | 0.2 | -0.1 | 75 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -0.3 | 0.0 |
| 2009 | TOR | MLB | AL | 158 | 684 | .265 | .331 | .423 | .279 | 105 | -9.2 | 19.7 | 1.7 | 93 | 7 | -14.2 | 2.9 | -4.0 | 0.6 |
| 2010 | TOR | MLB | AL | 157 | 646 | .257 | .322 | .407 | .272 | 112 | 9.3 | 17.8 | 1.3 | 121 | 7 | -1.7 | -0.6 | 16.8 | 3.5 |
| 2011 | ANA | MLB | AL | 131 | 529 | .256 | .319 | .405 | .214 | 97 | -8.8 | 14.3 | -3.5 | 99 | 9 | 5.3 | -1.4 | 0.0 | 1.6 |
| 2011 | SBR | A+ | CAL | 2 | 7 | .311 | .358 | .494 | .250 | 133 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2012 | ANA | MLB | AL | 77 | 262 | .252 | .317 | .403 | .226 | 96 | -2.1 | 7.2 | -1.5 | 99 | 11 | -1.1 | 3.2 | -0.2 | 0.8 |
| 2012 | SLC | AAA | PCL | 7 | 28 | .290 | .346 | .455 | .333 | 106 | 0.9 | 0.8 | -0.3 | 91 | 0 | -0.6 | -0.6 | -0.2 | -0.1 |
| 2013 | NYA | MLB | AL | 130 | 458 | .254 | .317 | .397 | .256 | 101 | -10 | 12.0 | -3.8 | 87 | 9 | 7.5 | 2.7 | -5.8 | 1.4 |
Statistics For All Levels
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.| Year | Team | lvl | LG | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | TB | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | ISO | SF | SH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | STC | A- | NYP | 295 | 264 | 52 | 81 | 20 | 1 | 10 | 133 | 31 | 30 | 44 | 8 | 6 | .307 | .380 | .504 | .197 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | HAG | A | SAL | 559 | 509 | 86 | 145 | 35 | 2 | 11 | 217 | 65 | 49 | 84 | 13 | 8 | .285 | .349 | .426 | .141 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | SYR | AAA | INT | 140 | 129 | 20 | 40 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 62 | 21 | 10 | 22 | 5 | 1 | .310 | .364 | .481 | .171 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | TOR | MLB | AL | 92 | 88 | 8 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 1 | 1 | .261 | .293 | .352 | .091 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | KNX | AA | SOU | 118 | 106 | 18 | 36 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 55 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 6 | 2 | .340 | .407 | .519 | .179 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | DUN | A+ | FSL | 292 | 265 | 43 | 91 | 16 | 2 | 11 | 144 | 43 | 26 | 34 | 13 | 2 | .343 | .404 | .543 | .200 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | TOR | MLB | AL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | SYR | AAA | INT | 545 | 493 | 76 | 120 | 31 | 7 | 16 | 213 | 66 | 48 | 88 | 23 | 4 | .243 | .316 | .432 | .189 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | TOR | MLB | AL | 103 | 96 | 14 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 5 | 0 | .313 | .350 | .427 | .115 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001 | SYR | AAA | INT | 448 | 413 | 57 | 116 | 27 | 4 | 12 | 187 | 52 | 29 | 68 | 15 | 11 | .281 | .334 | .453 | .172 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | TOR | MLB | AL | 648 | 608 | 87 | 167 | 34 | 4 | 23 | 278 | 100 | 27 | 85 | 9 | 4 | .275 | .305 | .457 | .183 | 8 | 2 |
| 2003 | TOR | MLB | AL | 735 | 678 | 118 | 215 | 49 | 5 | 33 | 373 | 117 | 42 | 80 | 4 | 1 | .317 | .359 | .550 | .233 | 8 | 0 |
| 2004 | TOR | MLB | AL | 590 | 536 | 82 | 146 | 34 | 2 | 23 | 253 | 67 | 51 | 83 | 9 | 2 | .272 | .337 | .472 | .200 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 | TOR | MLB | AL | 678 | 620 | 78 | 167 | 30 | 3 | 28 | 287 | 97 | 47 | 86 | 8 | 3 | .269 | .320 | .463 | .194 | 8 | 0 |
| 2006 | TOR | MLB | AL | 677 | 611 | 91 | 185 | 40 | 5 | 32 | 331 | 106 | 54 | 90 | 17 | 4 | .303 | .357 | .542 | .239 | 9 | 0 |
| 2007 | TOR | MLB | AL | 642 | 584 | 85 | 143 | 36 | 4 | 16 | 235 | 80 | 49 | 89 | 10 | 4 | .245 | .304 | .402 | .158 | 6 | 0 |
| 2008 | DUN | A+ | FSL | 8 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | .500 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | SYR | AAA | INT | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .143 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | TOR | MLB | AL | 466 | 427 | 63 | 128 | 22 | 1 | 20 | 212 | 78 | 29 | 46 | 4 | 2 | .300 | .343 | .496 | .197 | 7 | 0 |
| 2009 | TOR | MLB | AL | 684 | 630 | 84 | 164 | 37 | 3 | 15 | 252 | 66 | 48 | 86 | 17 | 4 | .260 | .311 | .400 | .140 | 5 | 0 |
| 2010 | TOR | MLB | AL | 646 | 590 | 79 | 161 | 44 | 3 | 31 | 304 | 88 | 50 | 84 | 6 | 4 | .273 | .331 | .515 | .242 | 3 | 0 |
| 2011 | ANA | MLB | AL | 529 | 505 | 60 | 110 | 15 | 4 | 25 | 208 | 66 | 20 | 86 | 9 | 4 | .218 | .248 | .412 | .194 | 3 | 0 |
| 2011 | SBR | A+ | CAL | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .200 | .429 | .400 | .200 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | SLC | AAA | PCL | 28 | 26 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | .308 | .357 | .577 | .269 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | ANA | MLB | AL | 262 | 243 | 36 | 56 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 98 | 29 | 16 | 35 | 3 | 1 | .231 | .279 | .403 | .173 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | NYA | MLB | AL | 458 | 424 | 45 | 99 | 16 | 0 | 11 | 148 | 50 | 30 | 73 | 7 | 3 | .233 | .282 | .349 | .116 | 4 | 0 |
Plate Discipline
| YEAR | Pits | Zone% | Swing% | Contact% | Z-Swing% | O-Swing% | Z-Contact% | O-Contact% | SwStr% | CSAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1420 | 0.4951 | 0.4725 | 0.8376 | 0.6501 | 0.2985 | 0.9168 | 0.6682 | 0.1624 | -0.0006 |
| 2009 | 2327 | 0.4916 | 0.4615 | 0.8268 | 0.6556 | 0.2739 | 0.9053 | 0.6451 | 0.1732 | 0.0037 |
| 2010 | 2072 | 0.4889 | 0.5005 | 0.7927 | 0.7236 | 0.2871 | 0.8881 | 0.5625 | 0.2073 | -0.0029 |
| 2011 | 1801 | 0.5169 | 0.5025 | 0.7923 | 0.6638 | 0.3299 | 0.8948 | 0.5714 | 0.2077 | -0.0066 |
| 2012 | 955 | 0.5037 | 0.4649 | 0.8378 | 0.6237 | 0.3038 | 0.9333 | 0.6389 | 0.1622 | -0.0001 |
| 2013 | 1566 | 0.4764 | 0.5083 | 0.7940 | 0.6971 | 0.3366 | 0.8846 | 0.6232 | 0.2060 | -0.0018 |
| Career | 10141 | 0.4948 | 0.4858 | 0.8112 | 0.6736 | 0.3025 | 0.9010 | 0.6144 | 0.1888 | -0.0013 |
Injury History — No longer being updated | Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET |
| Date On | Date Off | Transaction | Days | Games | Side | Body Part | Injury | Severity | Surgery Date | Reaggravation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-05-20 | 2012-07-27 | 60-DL | 68 | 58 | Right | Thumb | Surgery | Ulnar Collateral Ligament | 2012-05-22 | - |
| 2011-07-11 | 2011-07-16 | DTD | 5 | 1 | - | General Medical | Illness | - | - | |
| 2011-07-05 | 2011-07-05 | DTD | 0 | 0 | Right | Ankle | Sprain | - | - | |
| 2011-05-10 | 2011-06-07 | 15-DL | 28 | 26 | Right | Groin | Strain | - | ||
| 2011-03-24 | 2011-03-29 | Camp | 5 | 0 | Left | Thigh | Soreness | Hamstring | - | |
| 2010-08-09 | 2010-08-11 | DTD | 2 | 1 | Right | Dislocation | Big Toe | - | ||
| 2009-11-12 | 2009-11-12 | Off | 0 | 0 | Left | Wrist | Surgery | Cartilage | 2009-11-12 | |
| 2009-10-01 | 2009-10-02 | DTD | 1 | 0 | Right | Fingers | Contusion | - | ||
| 2009-07-17 | 2009-07-21 | DTD | 4 | 3 | General Medical | Illness | GI | - | ||
| 2009-03-29 | 2009-03-31 | Camp | 2 | 0 | Left | Wrist | Inflammation | - | ||
| 2009-02-23 | 2009-03-20 | Camp | 25 | 0 | Left | Thigh | Strain | Hamstring | - | |
| 2008-07-10 | 2008-08-10 | 15-DL | 31 | 26 | Left | Thigh | Strain | Hamstring | - | |
| 2008-06-14 | 2008-06-14 | DTD | 0 | 0 | Wrist | Soreness | - | |||
| 2008-05-10 | 2008-06-07 | 15-DL | 28 | 26 | Left | Wrist | Fracture | - | ||
| 2007-09-22 | 2007-10-01 | 60-DL | 9 | 9 | Right | Shoulder | Surgery | Labrum and Cyst | 2007-09-25 | |
| 2007-05-03 | 2007-05-05 | DTD | 2 | 2 | General Medical | Respiratory | Flu | - | ||
| 2007-04-30 | 2007-05-01 | DTD | 1 | 1 | General Medical | Respiratory | Flu | - | ||
| 2007-03-29 | 2007-03-31 | Camp | 2 | 0 | Left | Shoulder | Stiffness | - | ||
| 2006-07-24 | 2006-07-26 | DTD | 2 | 2 | Low Back | Spasms | - | |||
| 2006-07-01 | 2006-07-03 | DTD | 2 | 2 | Left | Thigh | Strain | Hamstring | - | |
| 2006-05-31 | 2006-06-03 | DTD | 3 | 2 | Left | Shoulder | Inflammation | - | ||
| 2006-02-22 | 2006-02-28 | Camp | 6 | 0 | Left | Thigh | Strain | Quadriceps | - | |
| 2005-08-13 | 2005-08-14 | DTD | 1 | 1 | General Medical | Respiratory | Flu | - | ||
| 2005-07-24 | 2005-07-24 | DTD | 0 | 0 | Left | Lower Leg | Contusion | Foul Ball Off Shin | - | |
| 2005-04-15 | 2005-04-15 | DTD | 0 | 0 | Trunk | Soreness | Ribcage | - | ||
| 2004-08-24 | 2004-08-27 | DTD | 3 | 3 | Right | Lower Leg | Strain | Calf | - | |
| 2004-08-02 | 2004-08-02 | DTD | 0 | 0 | Left | Lower Leg | Contusion | Foul Ball | - | |
| 2004-06-08 | 2004-07-16 | 15-DL | 38 | 31 | Right | Lower Leg | Strain | Calf - Grade II | - | |
| 2004-03-09 | 2004-03-12 | Camp | 3 | 0 | Left | Forearm | Strain | on a Swing | - | |
| 2003-06-22 | 2003-06-22 | DTD | 0 | 0 | Left | Elbow | Contusion | HBP | - | |
| 2001-04-14 | 2001-04-23 | Minors | 9 | 0 | Right | Groin | Strain | - | - |
Compensation
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2019 Preseason Forecast | Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET |
| PCT | PA | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | DRC+ | VORP | FRAA | WARP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weighted Mean | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0 | 0 | ? | ? | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0.0 | ? | 0.0 |
BP Articles
Click here to see articles tagged with Vernon WellsBP Chats
| Date | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-06-11 12:00:00 (link to chat) | So, following up on the previous question, your solution would start with removing Ruben Amaro from control and bringing in a new GM.
Let this new GM reshape the organization and find whatever he can for the aging players with bloated contracts on the Phillies roster. Throw a parade if the GM can find someone to take Ryan Howard's contract off our hands.
Who is out there that could do that on short notice? (Steve from Philly) | I'd say nobody reflexively and move on to the next question except someone took Vernon Wells in trade twice so I wouldn't say it's impossible. As for who though... man, now you're taxing me. The Yankees maybe? They could use him as DH and back up 1B while Teixeira is recovering from his latest recovery. I can't imagine an NL team taking him now. He has negative defensive value and can't hit left handers so he is totally neutralized later in the game. I think the team probably has to live with Howard for a few more years, but maybe it's possible to move him. Hope springs eternal! (Matthew Kory) |
| 2013-04-23 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Given the relative success of the Yankees, do you consider Brian Cashman a genius for signing Lyle Overbay, Travis Hafner, and trading for Vernon Wells? I think the consensus was going into the season is that they were not going to contribute at this level. (Joe from Amsterdam) | No, I reserve "genius" for the guy who invented that cranked onion dispenser at the ballpark.
But I loved the Hafner move. If you're going to call Cashman a genius, it's for signing any lefthanded hitter who is undervalued in other ballparks because power is his only tool. That can play really well on the Yankees, especially at DH, it goes without saying. As for Wells, I'm still having a hard time with it. If he saw something in spring that didn't show up in games, I'm more inclined to wonder what the hell Wells was doing in games. Rather indifferent on the Overbay move. (Zachary Levine) |
| 2013-04-11 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Do you think Vernon Wells has remade himself, or is he due to regress? (Alex from Anaheim) | Remade himself as what? Barry Bonds? Wells is hitting .360/.467/.720 so far this season which amounts to seven games. I'm reasonably certain Wells has hit that well over a random seven consecutive game sample sometime in the past couple seasons. But even if he hasn't, no I don't think he's remade himself. Wells could always hit for power. He's just so poor at hitting for average and getting on base that he wasn't much of a useful player outside certain roles and situations. So, no I don't see this as any kind of reinvention. That said, if he had a decent season it wouldn't shock me. (Matthew Kory) |
| 2013-01-16 13:30:00 (link to chat) | Can Peter Bourjos repeat his 2011 season, or will he end up on the bench, with Trout moving back to center and Kole Calhoun or (ugh) Vernon Wells in left? (Mark68 from A Mile High) | I don't expect to see those kind of numbers out of Bourjos again. Even without that, I think he can still play everyday for a Major League team. Ultimately, I think he'll get pushed aside by Trout in center field, assuming they have reasonable options on the corners. (Mark Anderson) |
| 2012-12-27 13:00:00 (link to chat) | If you were Andrew Friedman and you had the 3 choices of Vernon Wells(with 80% of contract eaten), Alfonso Soriano(with 26 of the remaining 36 MIL eaten) or Jason Kubel to acquire, who would you pick between them and how much(prospects or players) would you risk to acquiring them? (jlarsen from Chicago) | Let's do this House Hunters style. Vernon Wells. No. Soriano is an interesting idea in this scenario. You're basically talking about a 2/10 commitment. For all his faults, he will stand in left field and hit 30 HR. (Scary thought, he's at 370ish HR... 4 more years of 30 HR, he has 500... Soriano for the HOF!) He's been just-above-replacement player alternating with a 2 win player the past few years. At a 5 mil commitment, that's about right given market rates. So, I'd be willing to send the Cubs a check and some org guy who always wanted to play for the Cubs. Then again, why pay market rate when you can try to squeeze that value out for less? (Russell Carleton) |
| 2012-11-09 14:00:00 (link to chat) | There was an idea that C.J. Wilson was a "young" 31-year-old starter when he hit the market because most of his career had been spent as a reliever. Was that idea too simplistic and, whatever your answer, does it tell us anything for Wilson going forward? (Jerry from Anaheim) | I thought that the Angels overpaid for a guy who had a ton of question marks, and throwing fewer innings in the 'pen did not necessarily excuse him from workload concerns. Wilson relies on angles and deception, and generally has issues with hitting his spots, and combined with the durability concerns I felt that 5 years and $78 million was too much of a commitment for a 30-year old with two good seasons of starting under his belt. But the Angels can apparently afford to make such mistakes (insert Vernon Wells joke here).
On the jukebox: Korn, "Divine" (Doug Thorburn) |
| 2012-10-18 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Barring a miracle trade of Vernon Wells, it seems likely that the Angels may part with Bourjos and one of their many extra 1B this offseason. Do you see the Rays making a push for a trade? (jlarsen from chicago) | Sure. The Angels could be in a position where they need another starting pitcher. They reportedly were interested in Shields and Davis before. I think a deal where Bourjos and a first baseman land in St. Pete would make sense. Though beyond that I'm not in a position to offer specifics. (R.J. Anderson) |
| 2012-06-12 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Realistically, Sam, what do the Angels do with Vernon Wells come August? Is he relegated to 4th/5th/6th OF or do we finally sever the tie to the affable albatross? (dannyras from CA) | If he weren't Vernon Wells, but were some Triple-A veteran, he'd be a little bit of a perfect fourth outfielder. He can play all three spots, he is actually pretty good defensively at a corner, he has power off the bench. I guess you'd rather he switch-hit and run a little bit, but he'd be not the worst fourth outfielder.
The problem is that you don't want a sulking veteran in the clubhouse, and Vernon probably won't respond to being benched like a Triple-A veteran. I guess he sticks around this year until they figure out whether Torii is coming back in some role after 2012, and until Peter Bourjos has either stuck or unstuck. (Sam Miller) |
| 2012-05-04 13:00:00 (link to chat) | How disturbed should I be that Vernon Wells has batted second in Mike Scioscia's lineup? I figured that I'd still be pulling hairs at the fact that the man still plays at this point in the season, but this is going to drive me off the reservation. (hchomeau6 from Newport Beach, CA) | I don't think Scioscia cares a great deal about the run potential of batting orders, first off. Which is, depending on your viewpoint, either wasteful or fairly advanced, given how much arguing we do over decisions that are worth just a few runs a year. I think he'd rather use the lineup for psychological purposes, if you want to call them that, and right now he's throwing a bunch of lineups out there to see where people are comfortable. Vernon Wells talked about batting second in spring, and so it's just a little gamble to see if it pays off. This is probably a lot of action for nothing, and he/we will certainly never know if it worked. But there's only so much for a manager to do from 9 to 5 every day, and I don't begrudge him these whims.
Independent of the batting order: Holy goodness Vernon Wells is so bad, and shouldn't be in the lineup at all, probably. His OBP last year was .248, I believe. That's so low that even his 10th percentile PECOTA projection didn't see him repeating it, forecasting a .267 OBP. Tenth-percentile! He's at, I believe, .241 or so right now. (Sam Miller) |
| 2012-05-04 13:00:00 (link to chat) | What do you think the Angels should do with Peter Bourjos? With Mike Trout up, he's slated to play once (maybe twice) a week, and is apparently not someone the Angels are interested in trading right now. Do you think being a 4th OF in Anaheim is any better for him (or the team) than sending him to SLC? (riley b from a tour bus headed for San Diego) | I want to say that Vernon Wells will eventually be pushed aside, or platooned at DH with Morales, and Bourjos and Trout can play CF/LF together. But I also don't think Trumbo is super likely to stay at third, and so he'll start getting OF starts. It's not that I'm against trading Bourjos, it's just that I don't ever get the sense (from the rumors and stuff) that they would get anything close to full value for him. I mean, the Bourjos for John Lannan rumors in the offseason were nothing, they weren't tied to reality (I don't think), but the fact that people in the industry, writers, etc, though that it was even remotely realistic tells me that, yikes, it might be remotely realistic. And trading Peter Bourjos for anything close to John Lannan would be absolutely insane.
I guess I'd keep him up as a fourth outfielder for now. Playing time has a way of working itself out, especially on a team with as many struggling hitters/fielders as the Angels. (Sam Miller) |
| 2012-04-12 14:00:00 (link to chat) | Vernon Wells... One more year in the sun - OR - trade him as soon as he hits a hot streak before Trout steals his AB's? (LoyalRoyal from Kansas) | I have a hard time seeing Trout overtaking him completely as long as he's playing fairly well, but if he goes on a hot streak, you could certainly see what you can get for him. He should be decent on his own merits, but there is some PT risk and he is aging, so keep your ears open. (Derek Carty) |
| 2012-04-13 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Your prediction for Trout getting back into the Angels lineup? Who does he replace, when, & why? (BR from NYC) | I'll say he's up by June 15 due to an injury, but that he's going to have to play his way into pushing somebody else out of a job once they're healthy. And I'm not 100 percent sure that person is Vernon Wells. (Jay Jaffe) |
| 2012-03-29 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Firs big name prospect to be called up and ETA? (Jquinton82 from ny) | I don't know, and neither do teams. It's important to note that questions like this are almost impossible to answers. Very few prospects just bash (or pitch) their way up. Every for the best of players, their first opportunity comes from injuries or ineffectiveness of others, so it's hard to project. Mike Trout's ascension to the big leagues is far more dependent on Vernon Wells than Mike Trout for example. (Kevin Goldstein) |
| 2012-03-26 13:00:00 (link to chat) | What was your first reaction when you heard about the Vernon Wells trade? (Erix from Toronto) | First reaction was that they would be getting something else back, like Kyle Drabek or $50 million or both, and it just hadn't been announced. Second reaction was that Vernon Wells and Juan Rivera were awfully close to the same player. Third was like that feeling you get when some drugged-out celebrity dies, that sorrowful realization that they finally reached that tragic end that we all worried about but watched happen without doing anything to stop it. They had traded Mike Napoli for nothing. For less than nothing. For, basically, a $50 million loss. That night was more exciting to me, in a way, than the morning the Angels signed Pujols and Wilson. Staring into the abyss and all that. (Sam Miller) |
| 2011-12-20 13:00:00 (link to chat) | With the Angels getting Pujols, the Rangers winning Darvish and the Mariners in the hunt for Prince, are the A's really, really screwed or just really screwed? (Max from Melbourne, Australia) | Oh, there's the intro. Boy, I'm terrible at chats.
You know when you're miniature golfing and you have to get it past the windmill? Most mid-market teams are like that, where they're trying to line it up so they strike right when their window is open. But the A's have so little margin that they have to strike when their window is open, and when the Angels' window is closed, and when the Rangers window is closed, and when the Mariners window is closed. They just keep lining it up and having to back away and waiting for the cycle to run through again. The best news for the A's is that free agent contracts eventually look bad, so in four or five years their opponents might have a bunch of bad contracts. They should actually be hoping that the Mariners sign Fielder, because it shifts the Mariners resources closer to the present, when the A's probably don't care anyway. The bad news for the A's is that the Angels have enough money that it doesn't even really matter if some of their contracts go bad. They threw so much money away on Gary Matthews, Jr. and Scott Kazmir, and then they traded for Vernon Wells (!), and they still had enough money to sign Pujols for 10 years. Pujols, Weaver and Wilson could all get maimed in a tractor accident and the Angels would still have quite a bit more money to spend than the A's. (Sam Miller) |
| 2011-12-20 13:00:00 (link to chat) | So, does the Pujols signing tell us anything about the state of the union/ economics of baseball post-CBA? I fear a two-tier system to some degree. I mean, for years we were lauding teams like the A's and Rays for figuring out ways to compete on a small budget. But now, thanks to teams like the Rangers and Red Sox, there's a road map for teams with resources to play on both the player development and free agent markets. I fear the Rays are doomed to fade as the A's have done as more teams with means figure it out (Jays, Cubs, maybe the Dodgers under new ownership?). I mean, I know FA acquisitions analytically don't give much surplus value, but as you point out that doesn't really matter to a team like the Angels. I'm sure there's a question in here somewhere. (Rob from Alaska) | I don't think there's a really a word in your question that couldn't have been asked at any point over the past 15 or 20 years. It's the way it is, and it's been, and some teams still manage to break through. You cited the Rays as a team we talked about "for years," but that's present tense! They made the playoffs last year. They have almost everybody good on their team locked up with club options until 2025. The Padres will win a division in the next three or four years. The Mariners, if you count them as small market, will at least be interesting for the next three or four years.
The big disadvantage for teams like the Angels is they HAVE to compete every year. They have to trade for Vernon Wells (or whatever), because top-tier teams don't rebuild. That leads to a lot of long-term burdens, one of which could very easily turn out to be Albert Pujols. The Rays, the Padres, the Blue Jays -- they never have to do this. They can be patient and use their resources a lot more efficiently. Smart small-market teams are like gerrymandered political districts, I think. That's a metaphor that just occurred to me. It still needs to be developed. (Sam Miller) |
| 2011-10-13 13:00:00 (link to chat) | What is the rule on releasing players with guaranteed contracts? In suffering through the Teddy Higuera years, I thought you only owed the full amount for the next season. I ask because with Ryan Howard's contract, are the Phillies better off releasing him and going after Prince/ Pujols? (Capt_Science from Philadelphia) | You confused me for a second, thinking Higuera was on the Phillies at some point.
As for the question, as far as I know the "guaranteed" part of the contract means just that - no matter what happens, Ryan Howard will receive $125 million for the Phillies. I think I remember some cases of players working out a deal with a team to change that guaranteed amount or restructure it, but that's not the same. If a team could just drop a player and pay him only one year's salary, the Alfonso Soriano's and Vernon Wells' and Carlos Zambrano's and Carlos Lee's of the world would have been cut long ago. (Larry Granillo) |
| 2011-10-04 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Thanks for the chat, Jason. Do you think Trout opens in the majors next April, or do the Angels stick him in Triple A to accommodate Vernon Wells big contract? (Keith from Manchester, CT) | At this rate, the Angels will probably trade Trout for Adam Dunn's contract. (Jason Parks) |
| 2011-08-17 13:00:00 (link to chat) | I want you to defend the Vernon Wells trade right now. Take your best shot. (Steven from New Orleans) | He was pretty good the year before, Mike Napoli wasn't going to play anyway, and he was part of a concerted effort to vastly improve the outfield defense behind a flyball-oriented staff. And, somehow, in some magical accounting way that nobody understands, the money didn't matter. That's the best there is, and it's an awful, awful defense. (Sam Miller) |
| 2011-08-04 13:00:00 (link to chat) | If Arte Moreno was to call up one of the Steinbrenners and say "hey, you know that Arod guy, I'll take him off your hands if you take Vernon Wells off mine", who hangs up? (Greg from LA) | The Yankees. Brian Cashman may be a lot of things, but he's not stupid. (Jay Jaffe) |
| 2011-01-18 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Hi Marc, 2 Scoresheet keeper league questions.
Team 1: Protect Tim Hudson or Sean Marshall?
Team 2: Pick one from among Vernon Wells, Travis Snider, Adam Lind and Felix Pie.
Thanks for the chat! (rrydelek from Maryland) | You might want to ask Rob McQuown for help on this one. I'm still just learning Scoresheet and I expect to get destroyed this year. Rob knows what he's doing. (Marc Normandin) |
| 2010-08-17 14:45:00 (link to chat) | In two years, can Romero/Cecil/Morrow have the Jays in the race? Will they spend that Vernon Wells money on a pitcher? I'd love to see Chris Carpenter come back to the Centre... (Reginald from Toronto) | I don't think spending money on a 37-38 year old Chris Carpenter is what will catapult the Jays anywhere. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that in 2013, Kyle Drabek will be a more valuable asset than Chris Carpenter. Spend the Vernon Wells money on a really good hitter that can compliment the pitching. (Eric Seidman) |
| 2010-07-09 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Any team going to call the Jays about Vernon Wells? (Jenna Haze from LA) | Even the Vernon Wells Renaissance of 2010 doesn't justify the later years on his extension. Maybe if Toronto wanted to foot (at least) half of the bill. (Marc Normandin) |
| 2010-06-02 13:00:00 (link to chat) | What is the most important thing the Jays need to have happen to sneak into the playoffs? (dtwhite from Toronto) | Adam Lind needs to raise his batting average, and Vernon Wells needs to keep being halfway decent. Fred Lewis was an inspired pick-up, and Jose Bautista is out of his mind right now.
But it's not gonna happen. Too many ifs, too few nahs, not enough heys. (Tommy Bennett) |
| 2010-03-04 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Who are some guys you just don't like and/or have no faith in fantasy-wise? A few guys who will NEVER be on Team Normandin. (Jasper the Cat from Still in the sunshine) | Vernon Wells. Keep him away from me, please.
Lightning round, folks! I've apparently answered 107 questions. (Marc Normandin) |
| 2010-02-09 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Can we get a preview of your AL East breakdown? (Eli from Brooklyn) | Yankees - rich.
Red Sox - rich, but not as rich. Rays - young and talented, but definitely not rich. Orioles - lots of young arms and a few nice young bats. Also Garrett Atkins. Ugh Blue Jays - Paying Vernon Wells until the robot apocalypse. (Jay Jaffe) |
| 2009-12-15 14:00:00 (link to chat) | More likely - Aliens land on Earth and make Tom Cruise President or BlueJays get rid of Vernon Wells before the end of his contract? (garethbluejays1 from Newcastle, Uk) | Well, as easy as it would be to pick the aliens, I'm taking the latter, if only because there might be somebody who takes on some fraction of the end of the deal, and there's always the possibility the Jays just cut him in the last year and let someone else employ him for the minimum. (Christina Kahrl) |
| 2009-12-09 13:00:00 (link to chat) | in a perfect world projection, austin jackson becomes _______ (ct tiger from ct) | Vernon Wells, I guess? (Joe Sheehan) |
| 2009-10-02 14:00:00 (link to chat) | Carlos Gonzalez most likely outcome as a player? (rosineater from Tucson) | Five names ran through my head and none quite fit. What if you had Vernon Wells' career value, but without the peaks and valleys? (Joe Sheehan) |
| 2009-09-24 14:00:00 (link to chat) | If you were in charge of the Blue Jays, what would be the 3 best moves you could make this winter? (dtwhite from Toronto) | 1) Trade Halladay for a Teixeira package, built around the best shortstop I can get.
2) Convince the Mets to take Vernon Wells for no talent back. 3) Avoid the temptation to sign Marco Scutaro to a three-year deal. (Joe Sheehan) |
| 2009-09-08 13:00:00 (link to chat) | What is the single smartest move the Blue Jays can make this offseason? (dtwhite from Toronto) | Trade Vernon Wells to an NL team in desperate need of an outfielder and promise to eat half of the salary each year of the deal. It's better than paying him twice as much, having him eat a roster spot and forcing yourself to watch him play. (Marc Normandin) |
| 2009-08-26 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Let's pretend you're the new GM of the Jays. Your first steps are?
Is is possible as well that JP's really learning on the job, and when he leaves, Jays fans will really miss him. (Grant from Chicago) | Umm, can I go back in time?
The easy answer is to blow it up, and hope that Vernon Wells has some kind of redeeming year at some point, so that at least you can get out of some of that deal. It's too bad that the Jays are stuck in the AL East, and they were legitimately a very good team last year, but better to face reality and deal with it than to keep trying to contend with spare parts. (Shawn Hoffman) |
| 2009-08-05 13:00:00 (link to chat) | The Soriano vs. Zito question is the new Baseball Prospectus meme. It's asked in EVERY chat and frankly is rather annoying. (Justin from Normal, IL) | Is it? Huh. Vernon Wells is worse than both, so I'm not sure what the infatuation with those two is. (Marc Normandin) |
| 2009-07-13 14:00:00 (link to chat) | Can the Astros step out of the norm and make a serious pitch for Roy Halliday and possibly Vernon Wells? (Michael, NYC from NYC) | I'm pretty sure they can have Wells for the price of a phone call, but I wouldn't recommend it. There's no combination of players in the organization they can trade for Halladay. (Joe Sheehan) |
| 2009-07-13 14:00:00 (link to chat) | You're JP Ricciardi. I offer you Jesus Montero, Joba Chamberlain, Brett Gardner, and Edwar Ramirez for Vernon Wells and Roy Halladay. (Mike from Bronx) | Oh, god yes. Prospects AND $115 million? Are you kidding me? That deal would be insanely great for the Jays.
It would also mean Ricciardi was never around to benefit from it. Ah, moral hazard. (Joe Sheehan) |
| 2009-07-09 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Worse contract Vernon Wells or Soriano? (Mike from Niles, IL) | It's a draw but it forced to pick, I'd say Wells. (John Perrotto) |
| 2009-07-07 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Not that either the Cubs or Jays would do this, but who wins in an Alfonso Soriano for Vernon Wells trade? (Mike from Niles, IL) | I'd take Soriano any day. His track record for performance - and for showing up for work - is much stronger than that of Wells. (Jay Jaffe) |
| 2009-07-01 14:00:00 (link to chat) | Not that the Cubs of Jays would do this, but who comes out better in a Vernon Wells for Alfonso Soriano trade? (Mike from Niles, IL) | Toronto. They're both signed through 2014, so it basically boils down to which guy I'd rather have. I guess I'd have to pick Soriano, but the picking gets made a gunpoint. (Christina Kahrl) |
| 2009-06-18 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Hey Marc, thks for the chat!
Addicted to Cross Edge on PS3 atm.
When will the Jays realize that Vernon Wells should not be the centerpiece of their offence?? Any clues as to what is causing all their pitching injuries? Just fluke? (Goldeye99 from Winnipeg) | I think the Jays know he's not the centerpiece of their offense, but they also know they owe him a ton of money that he's most definitely going to make them pay. That contract was a laugh, even when he was good.
I think I would enjoy Cross Edge more if I had played all of the series that were represented in it. I'm assuming it's packed with fan service? (Marc Normandin) |
| 2009-04-16 13:00:00 (link to chat) | What do you think of Vernon Wells long term? Obviously he isn't going to justify that contract, but he power seems great so far. (metty5 from Albany) | The power is the same as last year's (.209 ISO against .197). It's just a matter of if he can keep his BABIP and average up, as he occasionally has years where he doesn't hit many liners. (Marc Normandin) |
| 2009-04-06 13:00:00 (link to chat) | What makes Bonifacio a better lead-off hitter than Maybin? How long will this horrible idea last? (jake29 from Corning) | They care less if he fails. There's a notion that batting leadoff puts too much pressure on a young player. I still think Hermida is a nice solution there, and at that, I don't think Maybin is a leadoff hitter. He's more Vernon Wells or Curtis Granderson. (Joe Sheehan) |
| 2008-09-10 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Are the Jays contenders if they would have started the season with Gaston and giving Lind more playing time or is this just a nice looking winning streak that has happened late in the season? (Ted from at the pool) | Lind's presence over the dessicated remains of Shannon Stewart or Kevin Mench/Brad Wilkerson certainly would have improved matters, but there's a lot of other factors that would have had to go right - better health (and fortune) from Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum, B.J. Ryan, Vernon Wells, Scott Rolen... wow, that's a lot right there. A.J. Burnett avoiding his mid-season cold streak, too. Given some better luck in breaks like those, they coulda been contenders, but as it is, it's just a nice-looking winning streak. Their potential as spoilers (7 games vs. Boston as Joe from Tewksbury mentioned above) probably shouldn't be underestimated. (Jay Jaffe) |
| 2008-09-09 13:30:00 (link to chat) | As the season draws to a close and Adam Jones returns from the DL, I see his first season with the O's to be a significant success. He has been excellent defensively in CF. Moreover, I have seen significant progress in his batting, with greater strike zone judgment and power. Are your observations similar? (TGisriel from Baltimore) | Yes. I actually pegged him for a big second half, and he's played well, just had the injury take a chunk out of his playing time. Jones is going to be a championship-caliber center fielder, comparable to Vernon Wells' peak seasons at his best, and he'll retain his speed and defense better than Wells has. Jones, Nick Marakis and Matt Weiters can be the core of a very good team. (Joe Sheehan) |
| 2008-05-30 13:00:00 (link to chat) | What are your thoughts on Vernon Wells for the rest of the year? He was really having a strong few weeks before he got hurt. (Mark from Chicago) | I'm not a big fan of Wells, pretty much ever. He's the kind of guy I try to trade to people who don't know any better. Here are some old thoughts on him, from a profile I did back in the day. (Marc Normandin) |
| 2008-05-22 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Who comes back first, Howie Kendrick or Vernon Wells? (I've been offered Wells for Kendrick and I may take the deal) (kimi from portsmouth) | Kendrick by a long shot. You won't see him making the Angels' pick at the Draft. (Will Carroll) |
| 2008-05-22 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Will, Any word on Vernon Wells' recovery? Is this an injury that is easy to recoup from, or is it something you think will linger (and potentially sap power). thanks. (Marco from San Diego) | All Star break-ish and he should lose a bit of power initially, as with most wrist injuries. Whether that's on top of the shoulder issues, I'm not sure. It's too early to tell if he's back to level after surgery. (Will Carroll) |
| 2008-04-25 15:00:00 (link to chat) | What are the odds that it turns out that Frank Thomas is really cooked, and JP is given a bit of credit for rectifying an error of yesteryear, as opposed to pulling a Colleti and making damn-well sure that last year's mistake remains on this year's books AND in this year's starting lineup?
In a related question, what are the odds that I am just a mildly delusional, less mildly paranoic, Canadian Jays hoper? (rawagman from Work, TO) | Because of his past history and his failure to build the Jays, I'm rarely inclined to give J.P. Ricciardi the benefit of the doubt. He's had seven years to try to put the Jays in a position to overtake the Yankees and/or Red Sox, and while he's developed a pretty decent pitching staff, he's placed some pretty big long-term bets on a pair of outfielders who really aren't very special in Vernon Wells and Alex Rios.
As for Thomas, yes, it's possible he really is done, but 60 PA is in no way an adequate sample to judge that given Thomas' track record of hitting his way out of recent slow starts. Look, the real motivating factor wasn't his slump, it was the vesting option. Ricciardi realized he didn't want to pay it, and that's not entirely stupid, but he'd have done better to play this one down the middle and not try to disguise his motives. As it is, he's just given those of us who enjoy watching him do his Mark Penn act more ammunition. (Jay Jaffe) |
| 2008-03-31 13:00:00 (link to chat) | Sheehan thinks that Toronto is more than a mockery of a contender. I don't, but I can see how Ricciardi could have been lulled into putting this team together, having Halladay, Rios, Wells come up together. What do you think? (Tony from Brooklyn, NY) | Well, the problem is that Riccardi has made some poor drafting decisions that have set them back, and what they have drafted hasn't developed, at least on the hitting side. There is nothing wrong with the Jays that about 1.75 good hitters wouldn't cure, but over the last several years they just haven't been able to come up with that guy. And as good as Vernon Wells was at 24, I don't think there was a reasonable expectation of his having too many more seasons like that based on his plate judgment. Even if they had guessed right on him, by himself he wasn't enough. Since Delgado left they've really needed a big, pure, home run bat. (Steven Goldman) |
| 2008-03-26 12:00:00 (link to chat) | Hey Bryan,
Standard 5x5 league, I have Giambi, Sexson, Vernon Wells, and Andrew MIller on my bench/extra pitcher. I only have marmol, tony pena, and brian wilson as RP's. DO you think I should make a trade with those big four on the bench for someone like rivera, wagner, or nathan? Thanks Bryan. (SnakeDoctor18 from Washington DC) | Sure, but do you think you have enough to get it done. I mean, assuming it isn't a keeper league, does the guy with Mariano Rivera accept Richie Sexson, Andrew Miller and Brian Wilson for him? I guess it depends on his team, but I'm not so sure. Then again, I'm just backing my way back into rotisserie. (Bryan Smith) |
| 2008-03-26 12:00:00 (link to chat) | How good do you think Adam Jones is? There's been alot of talk that the Mariners were better with him than Bedard. I keep thinking Andruw Jones or Vernon Wells. Am I right? (hanley from not boston) | Adam Jones is fantastic, and I still don't like that trade for Seattle. Jones is truly fantastic defensively, and then even if he hits at about 80% of Vernon Wells, he's just as valuable (ok, that's hyperbolizing things, maybe). With the bat I go back and forth -- I've thought Vernon before, too, and sometimes I think maybe a bit less. Maybe Jones is going to be just like Aaron Rowand ... yeah, I think that's right on. (Bryan Smith) |
| 2008-01-14 13:00:00 (link to chat) | What is the health situation of Vernon Wells? Is he on track to start the season and what kinds of numbers do you project for him? Thanks (jadams84 from San Diego) | Wells is a tough one to judge. Shoulder injuries tend to sap power in the short term, but the reports I'm getting is that Wells' problem was one of constriction rather than of weakness. If the surgery freed him up, that could change the 'normal' recovery period. He's one of those binary ones -- he is or he isn't and we won't know until he does. I'm positive on his chances for a rebound. (Will Carroll) |
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