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Ian Desmond CFRockies

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 33)

PA	AVG	HR	R	RBI	SB	DRC+	WARP
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Birth Date	9-20-1985
Height	6' 3"
Weight	217 lbs

Age	39 years, 4 months, 26 days
Bats	R
Throws	R

: 1.42015
: 2.22016
: -0.62017
: 0.22018
: 1.22019
proj

WARP Summary

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MLB Statistics

YEAR	TEAM	AGE	G	PA	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	DRAA	BRR	FRAA	BWARP
2009	WAS	23	21	89	23	7	2	4	5	14	0	1	0	.280	.318	.561	95	-0.3	0.0	-1.3	0.2
2010	WAS	24	154	574	141	27	4	10	28	109	5	17	5	.269	.308	.392	82	-11.0	1.6	-9.2	0.5
2011	WAS	25	154	639	148	27	5	8	35	139	4	25	10	.253	.298	.358	75	-17.1	4.8	-4.0	0.9
2012	WAS	26	130	547	150	33	2	25	30	113	3	21	6	.292	.335	.511	120	12.7	0.8	-20.0	1.6
2013	WAS	27	158	655	168	38	3	20	43	145	5	21	6	.280	.331	.453	107	5.8	0.2	1.2	3.5
2014	WAS	28	154	648	151	26	3	24	46	183	6	24	5	.255	.313	.430	104	2.7	1.8	6.3	3.9
2015	WAS	29	156	641	136	27	2	19	45	187	3	13	5	.233	.290	.384	79	-13.2	2.5	-1.6	1.4
2016	TEX	30	156	677	178	29	3	22	44	160	5	21	6	.285	.335	.446	100	1.6	5.5	-5.5	2.2
2017	COL	31	95	373	93	11	1	7	24	87	4	15	4	.274	.326	.375	74	-10.9	2.7	-4.9	-0.6
2018	COL	32	160	619	131	21	8	22	53	146	6	20	6	.236	.307	.422	90	-5.5	0.8	-0.9	0.2
2019	COL	33	140	482	113	31	4	20	34	119	2	3	3	.255	.310	.479	86	-6.9	0.4	-15.7	-0.8
Career			1478	5944	1432	277	37	181	387	1402	43	181	56	.263	.315	.427	92	-42.1	21.0	-55.6	13.0

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
2004	VER	A-	NYP	4	13	.000	.000	.000	.222			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2005	SAV	A	SAL	73	320	.259	.331	.384	.292	99	-9.7	7.5	3.4	67	0	-2.4	3.6	-11.0	0.1
2005	POT	A+	CRL	55	248	.000	.000	.000	.315			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2006	POT	A+	CRL	92	408	.256	.335	.387	.287	101	-8.7	10.5	4.7	94	0	-24.0	1.1	-8.1	-1.6
2006	HAR	AA	EAS	37	132	.250	.325	.386	.239	104	-10.9	3.2	1.5	49	0	-10.3	-0.4	-4.8	-1.1
2007	POT	A+	CRL	129	536	.263	.337	.393	.307	102	8.8	16.4	7.4	117	0	8.2	-3.0	11.2	3.9
2008	HAR	AA	EAS	93	364	.270	.343	.416	.289	106	-8.4	10.7	4.9	83	0	-2.2	-0.4	-11.2	0.2
2008	NAT	Rk	GCL	3	13	.248	.345	.344	.455	104	0.5	0.4	0.2	159	0	-0.2	-0.3	0.4	0.1
2009	WAS	MLB	NL	21	89	.255	.324	.398	.292	95	3.1	2.6	0.8	95	14	-1.3	0.0	-0.3	0.2
2009	HAR	AA	EAS	42	189	.267	.338	.405	.368	96	9.5	5.2	2.4	129	0	0.7	-1.7	5.7	1.3
2009	SYR	AAA	INT	55	205	.258	.326	.384	.413	110	9.7	5.9	2.7	158	0	-1.4	2.4	12.7	2.2
2010	WAS	MLB	NL	154	574	.256	.321	.396	.317	92	1	15.8	7.2	82	11	-9.2	1.6	-11.0	0.5
2011	WAS	MLB	NL	154	639	.253	.315	.391	.317	97	-7.8	17.2	7.9	75	7	-4.0	4.8	-17.1	0.9
2012	WAS	MLB	NL	130	547	.253	.315	.400	.332	101	14.4	15.0	6.9	120	9	-20.0	0.8	12.7	1.6
2013	WAS	MLB	NL	158	655	.252	.312	.391	.336	102	8.9	17.2	7.9	107	7	1.2	0.2	5.8	3.5
2014	WAS	MLB	NL	154	648	.248	.309	.377	.326	101	5	16.7	7.7	104	8	6.3	1.8	2.7	3.9
2015	WAS	MLB	NL	156	641	.255	.316	.407	.307	95	-2.6	17.3	7.9	79	5	-1.6	2.5	-13.2	1.4
2016	TEX	MLB	AL	156	677	.256	.318	.417	.350	112	-1.9	19.1	0.7	100	7	-5.5	5.5	1.6	2.2
2017	COL	MLB	NL	95	373	.256	.321	.426	.345	104	-6.8	10.9	-3.5	74	9	-4.9	2.7	-10.9	-0.6
2017	ABQ	AAA	PCL	3	10	.271	.337	.449	.286	118	1.1	0.3	-0.1	123	0	-0.1	-0.1	0.3	0.0
2018	COL	MLB	NL	160	619	.243	.310	.399	.279	110	-3.3	17.4	-10.1	90	7	-0.9	0.8	-5.5	0.2
2019	COL	MLB	NL	140	482	.245	.313	.420	.304	118	-9.5	14.5	-0.3	86	5	-15.7	0.4	-6.9	-0.8

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
2004	VER	A-	NYP	13	12	2	3	0	0	1	6	1	0	2	0	1	.250	.308	.500	.250	0	0
2005	POT	A+	CRL	248	219	37	56	13	3	3	84	15	21	53	13	6	.256	.320	.384	.128	5	5
2005	SAV	A	SAL	320	296	37	73	10	2	4	99	23	13	60	20	6	.247	.288	.334	.088	4	4
2006	POT	A+	CRL	408	365	50	89	20	2	9	140	45	29	79	14	8	.244	.314	.384	.140	2	2
2006	HAR	AA	EAS	132	121	8	22	4	1	0	28	3	5	35	4	1	.182	.205	.231	.050	6	6
2007	POT	A+	CRL	536	458	69	121	30	4	13	198	45	57	99	27	11	.264	.355	.432	.168	6	6
2008	NAT	Rk	GCL	13	13	1	5	1	0	0	6	2	0	2	3	0	.385	.385	.462	.077	0	0
2008	HAR	AA	EAS	364	323	42	81	14	0	12	131	44	31	78	12	8	.251	.315	.406	.155	6	6
2009	WAS	MLB	NL	89	82	9	23	7	2	4	46	12	5	14	1	0	.280	.318	.561	.280	1	1
2009	SYR	AAA	INT	205	178	25	63	12	2	1	82	14	20	31	8	1	.354	.420	.461	.107	4	4
2009	HAR	AA	EAS	189	170	29	52	12	1	6	84	18	16	40	13	4	.306	.370	.494	.188	1	1
2010	WAS	MLB	NL	574	525	59	141	27	4	10	206	65	28	109	17	5	.269	.308	.392	.124	7	9
2011	WAS	MLB	NL	639	584	65	148	27	5	8	209	49	35	139	25	10	.253	.298	.358	.104	5	11
2012	WAS	MLB	NL	547	513	72	150	33	2	25	262	73	30	113	21	6	.292	.335	.511	.218	1	0
2013	WAS	MLB	NL	655	600	77	168	38	3	20	272	80	43	145	21	6	.280	.331	.453	.173	5	2
2014	WAS	MLB	NL	648	593	73	151	26	3	24	255	91	46	183	24	5	.255	.313	.430	.175	3
2015	WAS	MLB	NL	641	583	69	136	27	2	19	224	62	45	187	13	5	.233	.290	.384	.151	4	6
2016	TEX	MLB	AL	677	625	107	178	29	3	22	279	86	44	160	21	6	.285	.335	.446	.162	3	0
2017	ABQ	AAA	PCL	10	9	1	3	1	0	1	7	1	1	1	0	0	.333	.400	.778	.444	0	0
2017	COL	MLB	NL	373	339	47	93	11	1	7	127	40	24	87	15	4	.274	.326	.375	.100	4	2
2018	COL	MLB	NL	619	555	82	131	21	8	22	234	88	53	146	20	6	.236	.307	.422	.186	4	1
2019	COL	MLB	NL	482	443	64	113	31	4	20	212	65	34	119	3	3	.255	.310	.479	.223	2	1

Plate Discipline

YEAR	Pits	Zone%	Swing%	Contact%	Z-Swing%	O-Swing%	Z-Contact%	O-Contact%	SwStr%	CSAA
2009	319	0.5235	0.4608	0.7891	0.6287	0.2763	0.8762	0.5714	0.2109	0.0011
2010	1994	0.5080	0.4704	0.7719	0.6288	0.3068	0.8791	0.5449	0.2281	0.0117
2011	2314	0.5134	0.4378	0.7937	0.5783	0.2895	0.8806	0.6104	0.2063	0.0058
2012	1837	0.4981	0.5378	0.7692	0.7093	0.3677	0.8613	0.5929	0.2308	0.0075
2013	2408	0.4792	0.4996	0.7348	0.6681	0.3445	0.8236	0.5764	0.2652	0.0057
2014	2470	0.4749	0.4927	0.6984	0.6556	0.3454	0.8088	0.5089	0.3016	0.0030
2015	2358	0.4572	0.4919	0.7103	0.6568	0.3531	0.8362	0.5133	0.2897	-0.0004
2016	2564	0.4840	0.4641	0.7227	0.6213	0.3167	0.8275	0.5298	0.2773	0.0000
2017	1374	0.5022	0.4731	0.7215	0.6449	0.2997	0.8247	0.4976	0.2785	0.0000
2018	2319	0.4804	0.4817	0.7090	0.6697	0.3079	0.8097	0.5067	0.2910	0.0000
2019	1827	0.4685	0.4554	0.7344	0.6484	0.2853	0.8378	0.5271	0.2656	0.0000
Career	21784	0.4861	0.4799	0.7363	0.6468	0.3222	0.8386	0.5420	0.2637	0.0033

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
2014-09-10	2014-09-11	DTD	1	1	-	Low Back	Tightness		-
2014-07-11	2014-07-12	DTD	1	1	Right	Hand	Contusion		-
2014-03-12	2014-03-16	Camp	4	0	-	Fingers	Laceration	Little Finger Ground Ball	-	-
2013-08-22	2013-08-23	DTD	1	1	-	Low Back	Soreness		-	-
2013-07-24	2013-07-25	DTD	1	1	Left	Hand	Blister		-	-
2012-08-23	2012-08-26	DTD	3	2	Right	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-	-
2012-07-22	2012-08-17	15-DL	26	25	Left	Abdomen	Strain	Oblique	-
2012-07-18	2012-07-19	DTD	1	1	Left	Abdomen	Soreness	Oblique	-
2012-07-15	2012-07-17	DTD	2	2	Left	Abdomen	Strain	Oblique	-	-
2012-07-07	2012-07-07	DTD	0	0	Left	Abdomen	Strain	Oblique	-	-
2012-06-16	2012-06-16	DTD	0	0	Left	Abdomen	Soreness	Oblique	-	-
2011-06-29	2011-06-29	DTD	0	0	Left	Thigh	Soreness	Quadriceps	-
2011-06-19	2011-06-21	DTD	2	1	Left	Thigh	Soreness	Quadriceps	-
2011-05-14	2011-05-16	DTD	2	2	Left	Thigh	Strain	Quadriceps	-
2010-09-06	2010-09-06	DTD	0	0	-	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-
2010-08-23	2010-08-24	DTD	1	1	-	Thumb	Soreness		-
2009-04-18	2009-06-07	Minors	50	0	Left	Wrist	Surgery	Hamate	2009-04-23
2009-02-19	2009-02-26	Camp	7	0	Left	Wrist	Soreness		-
2008-06-01	2008-07-21	Minors	50	0	Left	Wrist	Fracture	Hamate	-
2006-05-09	2006-05-16	Minors	7	0			Not Disclosed		-

Compensation

Year	Team	Salary
2021	COL	$8,000,000
2020	COL	$15,000,000
2019	COL	$15,000,000
2018	COL	$22,000,000
2017	COL	$8,000,000
2016	TEX	$8,000,000
2015	WAS	$11,000,000
2014	WAS	$6,500,000
2013	WAS	$3,800,000
2012	WAS	$512,500
2011	WAS	$441,500
2010	WAS	$400,000

Years	Description	Salary
12 yr	Previous	$98,654,000
12 yr	Total	$98,654,000

Service Time	Agent	Contract Status
10 y 27 d	Sports One	5 years/$70M (2017-21), 2022 option

Details

5 years/$70M (2017-21), plus 2022 club option. Signed by Colorado as a free agent 12/7/16. 17:$8M, 18:$22M, 19:$15M, 20:$15M, 21:$8M, 22:$15M club option ($2M buyout). Assignment bonus: $1M if traded. If traded once, Desmond received full no-trade protection thereafter. Desmond opted out of 2020 season 6/30/20, forfeiting 2020 salary. Desmond opted out of 2021 season 2/21/21, forfeiting 2021 salary. Placed on restricted list 3/3/21. Colorado declined 2022 option 11/4/21.
1 year/$8M (2016). Signed by Texas as a free agent 2/29/16. Texas made $17.2M qualifying offer 11/4/16 (rejected).
2 years/$17.5M (2014-15). Signed extension with Washington 1/17/14 (avoided arbitration). 14:$6.5M, 15:$11M.
1 year/$3.8M (2013). Re-signed by Washington 1/18/13 (avoided arbitration).
1 year/$512,500 (2012). Re-signed by Washington 3/2/12.
1 year/$441,500 (2011). Re-signed by Washington 3/2/11.
1 year/$400,000 (2010). Re-signed by Washington 2/10.
1 year/$400,000 (2009). Contract purchased by Washington 11/10/08. Re-signed by Washington 2/14/09.
Drafted by Montreal 2004 (3-84) (Sarasota HS, Fla.). $430,000 signing bonus.

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT	PA	H	2B	HR	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	FRAA
90^o	52	12	2	1	5	12	2	1	.261	.346	.370	108	LF 0,
80^o	34	8	1	1	3	8	1	0	.258	.324	.387	101	LF 0,
70^o	22	6	1	1	2	5	1	0	.316	.381	.526	96	LF 0,
60^o	11	2	0	0	1	3	0	0	.200	.273	.200	92	LF 0,
50^o	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	88	LF 0,
Weighted Mean	4	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	.333	.333	.333	89	LF 0,

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BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

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BP Chats

Date	Question	Answer
2019-11-26 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What percentage odds would you put at the Rockies winning exactly 71 games? (Mark from San Antonio )	Exactly 71, huh? Well, say they're a 71-win true talent team next season-- that seems a little low, but we can go with it because I don't see them spending much and Ian Desmond looms. It'd probably be reasonable to expect anywhere from 61 to 81 wins for a team of that talent level. So let's say 5 percent. (Free Agent Chat w/Ginny Searle)
2019-04-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Rockies have Rodgers (22), Welker (21), Vilade (20), plus McMahon who is still just 24. Any idea how the team sees them and who might stick long-term? Do Welker or Vilade profile as impact guys? (Andrew from Billings, MT)	The thing about the Rockies is I think they're the weirdest team in baseball and so...no, I'm not sure. Of those I'd gamble on Rodgers and Welker sticking, but frankly the answer is probably Ian Desmond manning five positions after a massive contract extension. (Craig Goldstein)
2018-02-13 20:00:00 (link to chat)	How will David Dahl fit in a crowded Rockies OF this year? Do you like his ceiling? (bob m from philly)	If he's healthy they'll find a place for him, with Ian Desmond moving to first. Yeah, I feel like he could be a top 15-20 OF in that park if he gets the PT. (Mike Gianella)
2017-08-24 19:00:00 (link to chat)	So has the multiple injuries (spleen, ribs, back) all to a 24 yr. old Dahl soured his projections should he ever get healthy? So sense in even having him steal bases going forward. He breaks like china. Gonzo wearing out.. Is McMahon the new rising star in org? Seems to me Roc's are heading for a world of hurt. Thoughts? (dan22ke9 from Windy City)	Dahl's a really interesting case, a 24-year-old who's probably a year or two younger in his Baseball Age given all the injuries he's suffered. I've long tried to avoid handing the 'fragile' tag to young, oft-injured players who may or may not just have terrible luck, but Dahl's testing my patience... the DL stints are piling up and you can't discuss his stock without bringing up the health concerns. That said, Dahl's physical tools remain intact and he's certainly young enough to make up for lost time. He flashed tantalizing 20/20 potential last season, and while he may never play enough to get there, I still have high hopes for the guy. In fantasy, I'm buying low. The Rockies...well, the Rockies are another Story (see what I did there?). The good news is they finally have a young and successful pitching staff, one that should remain good for a while, and although the offense is lagging, finding bats for Coors isn't too hard. The bad news is they have Ian Desmond for another four years at $15M per, along with a couple less-than-idealcontracts. I still have high hopes for the club, and, hell, they're holding onto a Wild Card spot, but some past moves may be coming back to bite them. (Ben Diamond)
2016-12-05 20:00:00 (link to chat)	I have a competitive squad in a 14-team H2H mixed dynasty. I'm always trying to balance win now against future competitiveness and have done it pretty well (two titles in four years). Right now I'm trying to evaluate whether it might be worth trying to package Ian Desmond and a prospect (Amed Rosario?) for Giancarlo Stanton. The other owner has a competitive major league roster but an empty farm while I have a deep bench of prospects. Make the offer? Sweeten the offer? Lighten the offer? Stand pat? (Jake from Kalamazoo)	Hey Jake, sounds like you're doing pretty well on your own. I was panning Desmond on every platform possible last offseason because his contact rate had plummeted and he was moving off shortstop. I was wrong. I would make that offer. I'm not sure Stanton ever plays a full season consistently, but I would rather have him than Desmond moving forward and it's not that close. (George Bissell)
2016-08-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I have a competitive squad in a 14 team mixed dynasty. Wondering which order you would keep the follow OF: Ian Desmond, Dexter Fowler, Jay Bruce, Justin Upton. They all have weird and confusing career arcs. (Rob from Alaska)	You said it: all those guys are on weird tangential career paths. I'd rank them in the order you currently have them in. I was debating between Fowler and Bruce for longer than I'd like to admit, but assuming this is a category format, Fowler's SBs push him over the edge. I really wish Justin Upton would have a resurgent year. I miss that guy being awesome. (Will Haines)
2016-05-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Strictly as an OF, who do you want ROS - Ian Desmond or Adam Jones? (Jake from Kalamazoo)	Definitely Adam Jones. He's a great bat. (Jim Walsh)
2016-03-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Seeing a lot of hot takes on the Rangers' signing of Ian Desmond ... my inclination is that the price is right: 50/50 proposition where the risk, reward, and price (including loss of the 19th pick) are balanced. I'd be curious for your perspective? (John from Ft Worth)	My take might be a little fire as well -- I don't like this deal for Texas. Sure, they paid little in terms of cash, but I love mid-first picks as long-term assets. Most critically, Desmond's bat seems to be declining, and a move to the outfield really hurts his overall value. Last, the Rangers are kinda stacked with depth in both the outfield (Mazara, Hamilton, maybe Gallo or Brinson?) and shortstop (Profar). Seems a little like gilding the lily, but I've been wrong about the Rangers before. (Bryan Grosnick)
2016-03-14 14:30:00 (link to chat)	Thanks for the chat, Brendan!! What's the chance that Martin Perez has a breakout year this year?? Also, will Jurickson Profar get a chance to play somewhere other than middle infield?? Thanks for sharing your opinion. (DJ from Dallas)	My pleasure. Staying low on Perez until he shows he can command the ball well for an extended stretch. For Profar, the natural spot was LF but Ian Desmond pretty well takes care of that. If he's healthy, he'll hit his way into an opportunity somewhere; just maybe not in Texas. (Brendan Gawlowski)
2016-02-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Alright, I give. Where does Ian Desmond land, and is it after June? (Bryan G. from (Still Ann Arbor))	Maybe Colorado! They sure seem to want distance from Reyes. There's no perfect fit, but if the Rockies think they can spin him into something in July, it's worth it. I would do that if I were the Rockies. (Matthew Trueblood)
2016-01-14 20:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you expect a rebound from Ian Desmond? Now that the Pads have signed Ramirez, any guess where he lands? (Corey from The Bronx)	Yes, I would expect him to come much closer to 2014 than to 2015. No idea, especially given how weird this market has been. The White Sox make some sense, especially since their pick is protected. (Mike Gianella)
2015-10-19 19:00:00 (link to chat)	I enjoyed your pre-season rankings, will you do those again before opening day? Ian Desmond was a 5 star SS for you pre-season 2015. How many stars will he get in February and who has passed him? Does his lower BABIP in 2015 factor into your ranking of him? (Oh the Blue Jays are playing baseball now!) Thank you. (Mark from DC)	Yes, we'll do rankings again next year. I would think that Desmond has to drop down into the three-star tier, which means that a number of players have passed him. Carlos Correa and Brandon Crawford are ahead of him now, and I wouldn't be surprised if Lindor sneaks in there too. Based on last year, this would probably put Desmond on the periphery of the top 10. (Tout Wars Champ Mike Gianella)
2015-10-22 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Going into the season The Nationals looked like World Beaters and also The White Sox looked poised to do some damage... What did work? What Didn't? (Josh from Chicago)	Hoo boy. Long stories here. We all overrated the Nationals. Just were way too into the name value on some of those guys, ignored their downsides. Also, though, hard to forecast the brutal half-season Ian Desmond had, or the sheer degree of Denard Span's injury issues. The White Sox got some sudden downturns from guys with decent track records, but their biggest problem was a dearth of quality depth and flexibility that would have allowed them to weather that. (Matthew Trueblood)
2015-07-23 17:00:00 (link to chat)	Mike, loved the piece last week on trade targets. You were limited to selecting only 1 player though. I'm sure there were more you liked. Can you give us a few? Thanks (DanDaMan from Sea Cliff)	I shied away from him on the podcast, but I like what I have seen recently from Ian Desmond. The swing looks better and while I'm skeptical on the speed I can see a power bounce back. While Melky Cabrera looks D.O.A., there's some BABIP craziness going on there and he should at a minimum hit for batting average. I also agree with my colleague Keith Cromer than Alexei Ramirez should show some improvement. In general, I agree with PECOTA that the White Sox offense can't possibly be THIS bad and should show some signs of life post all star. (Mike Gianella)
2015-06-30 19:00:00 (link to chat)	Who are a few guys to target in trades you think will have a big 2nd half? (Shawn from Couch)	Ian Desmond might not have a "big" second half but he will be better. Alexei Ramirez should also improve in the same manner. Carlos Gomez is still a stud and will be one in the second half. (Mike Gianella)
2015-06-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What to do with Ian Desmond? The Nats have enough middle infield to shop him, but does anyone want him (Royals?). And with the other injuries, should they be trying to? (Charlie from NatsReview)	someone will need a rental for depth, right? Maybe the Nats feel that's just fine for them, too. (Harry Pavlidis)
2015-06-10 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Who are your favorite buy/sell targets right now? Maybe 1 hitter and 1 pitcher to each buy/sell on? (Shawn from Cubicle)	Ian Desmond is my favorite "buy" target for hitters. Carlos Carrasco for pitchers. In terms of selling, I'd be cashing out on someone like Dustin Pedroia and Ubaldo Jimenez. I'd also sell hard on Nick Martinez, but I'm not sure you'll get much value for him. (J.P. Breen)
2015-03-06 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Tell us about Tim Anderson, can he really become a fantasy force at SS if he can stick there defensively? Is he a young Ian Desmond? (kylanje from FL)	I think he's a fantasy stalwart. Guy who can hit for average, steal plenty of bases and play a premium position? Yes please. There's some sneaky power there, too. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-02-13 19:00:00 (link to chat)	How did you meet your BF Ian Desmond? (phin82 from Milwaukee)	match.com. I was looking for a shortstop to overreach for with the 16th overall pick. He was looking for a fantasy writer who makes terrible jokes and annoys everyone on social media with his stream of consciousness nonsense. (Mike Gianella)
2014-09-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)	20-team mixed dynasty, I own Tulo. His DL time this year killed me in the playoffs, and I am now looking to deal him. Obviously youth/health are the way to go, I know, but Segura and Bogaerts are probably not workable deals (team dynamics won't work). I also own Addison Russel, but I hesitate to trust rookies right away, especially as a top 3 team right now. Suggestions? (AJ from Phoenix)	Shortstop is a pretty mixed bag at the moment. You could downgrade to Hanley and change but that's not going to ease your mind when it comes to health injuries. Your other options are Jhonny Peralta, or hoping someone like Ian Desmond can bring the batting average up a bit. No one is going to give you what Tulo does when healthy though. (Craig Goldstein)
2014-09-15 19:30:00 (link to chat)	Am I the next Ian Desmond? (Addison Russell from Lurking)	It's not an awful comp from a statistical standpoint, though I think you'll hit for a higher average and have slightly more muted power/speed outputs. (Ben Carsley)
2014-09-15 19:30:00 (link to chat)	How do you feel about Ian Desmond in OBP keeper leagues (10 and 12 teams)? His OBP is lousy, but he's solid in the other four categories. Given the state of the position, how high would you go on him with a $260 cap? Let's say in a 10-teamer, is $25 too high? (BomboRiviera from St. Paul)	I don't think that's too high, but I probably wouldn't go a lot higher. You might not get a ton of excess value there, but I bet he's worth it. 20/20 from SS ain't no joke. (Ben Carsley)
2014-07-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Paul I value your baseball opinions. Thanks for the great chat. Please rank the following 3 hitters: Mesoraco, Dickerson, JD Martinez in terms of ROS value in a points format. And do any of them rival Ian Desmond as a potential late round dirt cheap keeper? (Hoover from Indy)	I think you just ranked em. I was slow to come around on Meso, but he looks incredible. I'd still lean Desmond (though I don't know your scoring system) if only for his SS-elig. (Paul Sporer)
2014-06-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	20 team dynasty league, H2H format: Ian Desmond for Jed Lowrie + Tyson Ross. Who comes out ahead? (Jon from Grand Junction)	I love Desmond, but I'd take the pair in that trade. In a 20-teamer, depth is so key and two strong assets are better than one star-potential asset (especially since he hasn't been a star asset thus far) (Paul Sporer)
2014-05-29 19:30:00 (link to chat)	Twenty team keeper league. Ian Desmond for Stephen Drew and milb picks 21 and 29 in the upcoming draft? Who wins? (Allan from Toronto)	Desmond, easy. (Ben Carsley)
2014-05-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Took over a team this year in 10 team H2H Full dynasty. Loaded with young players and in last right now. Have an offer on the table of Springer, Bumgarner, Profar, Dozier, and Wacha for my Miggy and Cueto. Now he wants to Cole and get Desmond too. Do it or would you ask for Oscar Taveras too or instead of Cole? Thanks. (Mookie from Mania)	OK... now, I'll answer it. I generally go for the star talent ahead of all else in a 10-teamer, but you ARE getting some star talent for your established studs. If you're in last, go ahead and take the throng of youth. I believe you're getting Gerrit Cole for Ian Desmond in that addendum? I LOVE Cole, but I'd make him bring in Taveras WITH Cole and see what he says! (Paul Sporer)
2014-03-19 20:00:00 (link to chat)	Brad Miller? I want to believe he could be a 20/20 shortstop not unlike Ian Desmond. Too soon? or never? (Vic from Baltimore)	My money would be on never, but he should still be a solid fantasy option regardless. (Bret Sayre)
2014-03-14 09:00:00 (link to chat)	Thanks for the chat on my birthday. I'm in a 12 team H2H redraft where we use R,HR,RBI,OBP,SLG,NSB on offense. I tend to weight NSB down a bit because the close relation of the first 5 offensive stats. This has created an unusual problem I noticed when calculating value for positionally weighted z-scores. The drop off for certain positions has become rather extreme. For example, there is roughly a $20 drop of between Tulo($34) and Ian Desmond,which make sense because SS with power are rare and OBP skills. Roughly the same difference between a Goldschimdt/Davis/Votto and Rizzo/Abreu(which I have at $25ish). There is a big caveat though. This is a snake draft. How should I handle such a significant drop off? I know I should probably take the best player on the board,but if I don't take a top tier shortstop, I'm not going to find anything close. (NightmareRec0n from Boston)	I think you have to take value for the first few rounds, but eventually have to start considering positional needs. In your situation it sounds like you need to do that more. So instead of starting to look at positions and ignoring overall rankings in the first 10 rounds, I'd narrow it down to the first six or so. You still might miss out on Desmond, but you'll still be able to apply your z-score methodology while still not completely missing out on quality later on. (Mike Gianella)
2014-02-26 19:00:00 (link to chat)	Can X. Bogaerts be a top 3 SS by next year, can he put up similar numbers as HanRam did his second year or even his first year? (Philips from In my car)	Miiiiight be too aggressive as I really like Ian Desmond. Players usually take time to develop into impact starters. (Mauricio Rubio)
2014-01-29 19:00:00 (link to chat)	Dynasty league, 7x7; Jose Abreu or Jean Segura? I have Ian Desmond at SS already, and Belt/Dunn at 1B. (Gotribe31 from DC)	As someone who's a bit higher on Abreu and a bit lower on Segura than many ... the answer is still Segura, easy. Solve your log jam a different way. And don't rely on Dunn. (Ben Carsley)
2014-02-03 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Looking at the Yahoo rankings, are there any stand-out guys that they have way too high or too low? Porcello was one stand out for me. (Charles from Boston)	I think they do a fine job of ranking players but I do have a few disagreements with their lists. I strongly recommend that people make their own lists by aggregating as much information as they can. I do think they have Ian Desmond a bit too low, I think Donaldson and Machado are as well, but again, it's a simple difference of opinion and player eval. (Mauricio Rubio)
2013-12-10 18:00:00 (link to chat)	Who will be the top 5 fantasy SS in 2015? (Jim from Boston )	Gee Jim, way to put me on the spot. Injuries last year make this a tough position to rank, but I would go Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Ian Desmond, and Jean Segura. Hanley would rank #1 if I wasn't concerned that he wouldn't get hurt again/miss time, but all of the top three have injury concerns. I'd rank Segura higher but I'm not sold on him as a top option. However, given who else is out there, he should stick in the Top 5 in 2014. The position is a little thinner than I once thought. (Mike Gianella)
2013-05-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Paul,best value In this trade Segura or Ian Desmond (Chesty from New Bern N.C.)	Pretty close. I'd lean Desmond for track record, but I like both a good bit at a painfully thin SS. (Paul Sporer)
2013-02-27 20:00:00 (link to chat)	Why the big love in the industry for Starlin Castro? He looks way overvalued on his ADP especially in comparison to Ian Desmond who's going way later. (Mike from France)	He's 23 years old and has shown gradual improvement in his ISO the last three years. He's never going to be a 30 HR guy, but a 25/25 peak isn't out of the question. Desmond is solid, but his HR/FB% was really high and his AVG isn't supported by his BABIP. Desmond is OK but I expect some regression. FWIW, not EVERYONE in the industry hates Desmond; he went for $28 to Nando Di Fino of CBS Sports in yesterday's CBS Sports NL-only Analyst league auction...or the same price as Castro. (Mike Gianella)
2012-12-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Hi Paul! First I just want to mention I'm a new listener to the podcast and I really enjoy it! Anyway, what are your thoughts on Ian Desmond in a 20 team dynasty league. Was Desmond's season a fluke last year? Should I sell high? (Justin from Chicago, IL)	Thank you, Justin. It's one of my favorite things to do. Jason and I have been friends for 11 years. I don't think Desmond is a fluke, but if you can sell high and get an amazing return then it's worth investigating. There is a difference between simply selling and selling high, though, so make sure you're getting a return worthy of one of the top fantasy shortstops. He could reasonably drive in and score 85-90 in that lineup hitting 6th. (Paul Sporer)
2012-11-15 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Please rank the following keepers (deep league so don't be alarmed by inflation, and saves are NOT available on the waiver so most closers are kept): Ian Desmond ($15), Addison Reed ($8), Yovani Gallardo ($21), Drew Storen ($8) (eliyahu from DC)	Tough without knowing league parameters and exactly what inflation is like, but probably Desmond, Storen, Reed, Gallardo. (Derek Carty)
2012-07-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Looking ahead, who are your Top 5 SS for next season? (And, if you feel like it, Top 5 CF as well) (sitdancer from DC)	Right now, I'd rank the shortstops 1- Troy Tulowitzki 2- Jose Reyes 3- Starlin Castro 4- Elvis Andrus 5- Ian Desmond I struggled to rank 3-5, and an argument could be made for shuffling them up in any order. Hanley Ramirez could throw a wrench into these rankings if he sees time at SS in Dee Gordon's absence. As for the CF position, I'm much less comfortable ranking them at the moment. Matt Kemp has missed time due to injury, as has Jacoby Ellsbury. Josh Hamilton has been streaky as hell, and I just want to see a bit more from others. As it stands, though, my top 3 would be Trout, Kemp, McCutchen in that order. (Josh Shepardson)
2012-07-11 12:00:00 (link to chat)	Over/under on these three categories for Ian Desmond this season: .275 AVG, 30 HR, 20 SB (Renfei from DC)	Under, under, over (Jason Collette)
2012-07-11 12:00:00 (link to chat)	Ian Desmond is the #1 shortstop on the ESPN Player Rater by a decent margin. Do you see him as a top 3 shortstop the rest of this season? (Ben from NYC)	Yes, but mainly because the position has been such a disappointment in fantasy baseball this season. (Jason Collette)
2012-04-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Charlie- I am a Kensington man, where do you suggest for the Six Point? Jay- Believing in Ian Desmond's hot start? (BD from DC)	I'm not a huge Desmond believer, don't think he can stick at the top of the order at least, as OBP has never been one of his skills. (Jay Jaffe)
2011-09-06 14:00:00 (link to chat)	With Strasburg back and Zimmerman in the fold am I crazy for thinking that a good lefty bat would make the Nationals contenders next year? (Steve N from Delaware)	How was the hurricane for you in Delaware? I hear a lot about SC, NY, NJ, VT, but not so much about Delaware... Does your lefty bat mean that Davey Johnson won't be leading off Ian Desmond and his .290 OBP? What's up with that? He used to be such a brilliant manager. Except for that whole letting Dwight Gooden pitch to Mike Scioscia in '88 thing... (Steven Goldman)
2011-05-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Ian Desmond has hit the ball well and looked very good in the field since the birth of his child. How possible do you think it is that players can play poorly due to external factors, and how often do you think it happens, without us noticing? (Charlie from Bethesda, MD)	I've said this before, so forgive me. If you're watching the Tigers game, Kelly just dove for a ball and missed, allowing Eric Chavez a triple (Chavez was so unused to running that hard that he's apparently hurt himself--surprise!). One of my favorite Casey Stengel lines is something he said in praise of Joe DiMaggio, that DiMaggio never dove because he knew he wasn't going swimming. At first it might seem odd that a manager would praise a player for NOT diving, but if you think about it, it's better fundamental baseball not to, because if you don't dive you have a single, if you do dive and miss you have a triple, as we saw here. As to your question, a good one, I think it happens all the time. Players are like us--they have off-field issues all the time that serve as distractions, and some are better at screening those out than others. (Steven Goldman)
2011-05-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Are Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa going to hit this year? (Charlie from Bethesda, MD)	Espinosa yet, Desmond no. I think Espinosa is going to be one of those guys who quietly has a very good career. (John Perrotto)
2011-03-08 14:00:00 (link to chat)	In a NFBC 15 Team (Mixed) format how would you approach the limited SS position? (bfitzge3 from Upstate NY)	Obviously getting Hanley or Tulo in the early going would be ideal, but I'm leery of the Reyes/Jeter/Rollins group this year for various reasons... too much uncertainty with all three. I'd rather wait a few more rounds and try for a Stephen Drew or Alexei Ramirez, or go a little deeper for Ian Desmond. (Cory Schwartz)
2010-12-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do the Nationals have a plan for creating an effective lineup or are they simply throwing tons of cash at whoever is willing to play for a 90-loss team? RH-heavy and still quite a weak infield (Markol19 from Virginia)	The Nationals have tried to acquire every other major free agent that has been available the past few seasons, and they finally got one of them to sign a contract. They know how to identify hitters at least, but if they are thinking about trading Ian Desmond with the state of the shortstop market, and are looking for defense at first, then I'm not really sure what it is they think they are doing. (Marc Normandin)
2010-12-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)	For a year where there weren't any SS to be had, it sure appears like there are a lot of SS to be had. Bartlett, Hardy, Drew, Alexei Ramirez, Jeter!, OCab, then on through to Ian Desmond, Nishioka, Brendan Ryan, Ryan Theriot, and down to Punto, Tejada, Augie Ojada and anyone else. Was it a bad year for SS, or just for decent ones? (Cris E from St Paul, MN)	Some of those names said to be available I just don't quite get -- not that you're wrong in naming them. Why wouldn't a team want to keep guys like Drew or Ramirez, given how rare any offensive production from a shortstop has become? There's a lot of guys out there, but not too many I like. Going from Ryan to Theriot mystifies me, BTW, because Ryan's glove is a godsend behind all those groundball pitchers in Busch, and it's not like Theriot is Arky Vaughan or something. I can see trying to upgrade on offense, but I'm not convincd the possible improvement at the plate is worth the defensive hit. (Ken Funck)
2010-12-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Will Ian Desmond mature into a decent hitting SS with a solid glove to complement his range? (Charlie from Bethesda)	I actually wrote his comment in last year's annual, so let's see what Ken had to say last winter: "If Desmond sticks he should provide double digits in homers and steals as well as adequate glove work. Last year's offensive breakout was a bit of a mirage produced by a BABIP north of .400, and his non-descript walk rate precludes any chance he'll become a valuable table-setter, but a broad-based tool set gives him a good chance to become more than just standard middle-infield filler." I have to say, a year later, I still agree with me. I guess that means I'm saying "yes". (Ken Funck)
2010-10-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you think Ian Desmond has the potential that the organization seems to think he has? (Charlie from Bethesda, MD)	The errors trouble me, the lack of selectivity troubles me, but as Christina pointed out in her aforementioned GM for a Day piece, putting Desmond and Danny Espinosa together up the middle seems like a no-brainer, a chance to have some above-average pop at those positions. As she said, they're not going to be Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell (Trammell for the Hall of Fame NOW!) but they don't need to be. (Steven Goldman)
2010-09-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What do you think of the Ian Desmond - Danny Espinosa middle infield combo? It seems to me the Nats will have quite the infield for years to come, no matter who's on first (Charlie from Bethesda, MD)	Meh, they look stopgappy to me. Desmond seems competent enough but he's going to have to get that OBP above league average for me to be at all impressed; .320 with a 4/1 K/BB ratio doesn't cut it. And as I pointed out in last week's NL Hit List, Espinosa's translations for his minor league work come out to a .208 True Average. I think it's dangerous to get too excited about his hot start at the big league level - call it the Taylor Teagarden effect. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-05-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I'm staring at using Alex Escobar or Ian Desmond every day at SS in an OBP/SLG redraft league. Maintain the course with two of my favorite preseason SS sleepers, or upgrade quickly? (Will from Mactaquac)	I would upgrade if you can, but SS is an easy position to punt as well. I have Cesar Izturis in an AL-only league and don't even feel bad about it. (Marc Normandin)
2010-01-28 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What do you think of the job Mike Rizzo has done so far digging out from the Jim Bowden era in DC (Drew W from NoVA)	Hard to say so far, although I like some things well enough. It isn't like picking Stephen Strasburg was all that surprising, however much phony drama was invested in the "will they/won't they" buildup. I'm glad to see Ian Desmond taken seriously, but Danny Espinosa's already coming into the picture, making for a nice problem to have. Weeping over the "expense" of employing Pudge seems overstated, there seems to be something coherent about what they're doing with the pitching staff (unlike Bowden's 'try everything' approach). We'll see, but I'm hopeful, and there really wasn't anywhere to go but up. (Christina Kahrl)
2010-01-28 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Hi CK - Love it! Any prospects that you have unexplained affinities for? (iorg34 from Minny)	Todd Frazier, because the bat will play. I find myself hoping Zack Cozart gets taken seriously, given that Paul Janish isn't really a solution, and I'm interested in how Tommy Manzella pans out. It's hard not to like Scott Sizemore and Alex Avila for the Tigers. I'm interested in seeing how Jose Ceda's comeback goes. I think this is the year for Brandon Wood, or at least I hope so. I root for Hank Conger. I'm more fond of Ian Desmond and Shairon Martis than probably makes sense. (Christina Kahrl)
2009-12-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Is Ian Desmond good enough to be the starting SS for the Nats? Or should they be looking for a short term fill-in? (Charlie from Bethesda, MD)	Word on the street (which in part I think I heard from you, actually) is that he can field very well, and though it goes without saying he won't slug .561 in 2010 if he plays everyday, as long as he's passable at the plate and can field he's a valuable SS. (Marc Normandin)
2009-10-13 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What are your thoughts on Ian Desmond? Does his surprising September power help his case to start? (Charlie from Bethesda)	I really like Desmond, and don't think his power spike's a transient phenomenon. Given that this ballclub just wasted more than two-thirds of a season's second-base starts on Andy Hernandez, Alberto Gonzalez, and Pete Orr, I think Desmond's bid for a middle-infield job should be on next year's list of "make it so." (Christina Kahrl)
2009-10-05 16:00:00 (link to chat)	Is Ian Desmond a future starting SS? By that I mean a decent one, because I suppose I could start if management was stupid enough. (Charlie from Bethesda, MD)	If I'm the Nationals he's my opening day SS next year, or goes into spring training with the job to lose. They'll be in a position to give Desmond a shot, and they really need to given that his 21 games this season is by no means a large enough sample to derive anything from. If Kevin Goldstein says he has the tools and could be a solid SS, I have no reason to think otherwise. (Eric Seidman)
2009-09-17 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What is your take on Ian Desmond? (jon from Se)	I kind of believe it. The tools where always there -- I'd certainly give him a long look if I was Washington. (Kevin Goldstein)
2009-09-08 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What are your thoughts on Ian Desmond? Is he a starting SS for the next couple of years? Can he hit enough to start? (Charlie from Bethesda)	He's had a pretty good year at two levels, but a lot of it is BABIP fueled. I'd like to see a repeat performance before I anoint him as a useful major league starter, especially given his numbers prior to 2009. How is his glove supposed to be? Shortstop is such a terrible offensive position that he doesn't need to hit to be a good starter. (Marc Normandin)
2009-09-08 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Ian Desmond is supposedly a GREAT fielder. Rangy with a nasty arm. So what are the chances that the Nats will have three real good defenders (him, Zim and Morgan) and move Guzman to 2B? Seems like the way to go... (Charlie from Bethesda)	If he can field that well, then bring him up. If he's not a good hitter, he may not become one either, so if he's an upgrade due to the glove, let him at it. (Marc Normandin)

BP Roundtables

Date	Roundtable Name	Comment
2010-04-05 09:30:00	Season Opener Roundtable	DPOTD #6 (featuring twice-busted prospect Paul Strand) is up, now loading up MLB.tv. "Congratulations! Our records indicate that you reside within the continental United States! This game is blacked out, as are all other games! You're probably wondering what isn't blacked out. So are we." Nice sequence in the Phillies-Nats game, E6 on Ian Desmond, Jimmy Rollins tries to score from second on the misplay, out at the plate. (Steven Goldman)

PITCHf/x Hitter Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC