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BP Annual Player Comments

Year		Comment
2005		He who scoffs at studies showing that the platoon righty skill is largely just good fortune has signed with the Rangers, where he's expected to share 550 DH at-bats with David Dellucci. Colbrunn can mash lefties if he's healthy, and won't kill you defensively at first base. For the right club at the right place, he's a reasonable and rational signing.
2004		Colbninn's a lefty masher who'd be a perfect platoon mate at first base as John Olerud's decline takes hold. Pat Gillick probably could have waited a few days longer to sign him and dodged the compensation cost he incurred. Injuries are now a serious concern, as torn cartilage in the wrist isn't something a hitter ever wants to deal with. Though the injury risk remains significant for '04, flipping Colbrunn to the Diamondbacks for Quinton Freakin' McCracken is your basic low-risk, zero-reward proposition.
2003		So, to recap—Mark Grace is signed on for another year. Colbrunn hasn’t been a complicated player to manage. If there’s a lefty on the mound, run him out there and let him mash. The only problem is that Colbrunn has not only been great against lefties, but righties as well, posting .398 OBP and .531 SLG against them over the last three years. Explain to me again why Mark Grace was brought in, much less re-signed? Colbrunn has been offered arbitration, but the Mariners inked him to a two-year deal, which isn’t a bad signing in itself, except that it’s going to cost Seattle a draft choice.
2002		Colbrunn is a great bench guy to have if he's inexpensive, and one way to keep him inexpensive is to use him properly: as your first pinch hitter against lefties and as your first or second against righties, but never as a starter. He’s also an emergency catcher, and given the fear of being caught without a catcher that paralyzes most managers, that has value. Colbrunn could probably keep filling this role at about $250,000 a year until he’s 40, and it would be a good deal for all parties concerned.
2001		Handed the starter’s job in August out of desperation, Greg Colbrunn had a tremendous month (.425/.466/.688), only to revert to a more typical .245/.331/.425 in September. Colbrunn will man third base or an outfield corner or even catch in an emergency, so as pinch-hitters go, he’s handy. When Bob Brenly played, he was asked to play both infield corners when he wasn’t catching, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Brenly used Colbrunn a little more aggressively.
2000		Enjoyed a solid season as the Snakes’ second bat off the bench. Colbrunn has always swung enough to make Hugh Hefner blush, but his walk rate this year was about league average. He’s not really qualified to play anywhere but first base, despite his willingness to be an emergency catcher and third baseman. With Durazo and Lee likely to be on the Opening Day 2000 roster, he may have to look elsewhere for continued employment.
1999		For the second straight year, the Braves picked him up late, as his ability to hit left-handers and right-handers equally well and play a couple of positions clumsily is valuable for a team which wastes a couple of roster spots on Rafael Belliard and outfielders who don’t hit. Signed by Arizona, where Showalter is claiming he’ll play first, third, the outfield corners, and catch.
1998		Colbrunn seems older than 28. He’s a known commodity, a first baseman who doesn’t hit enough to be valuable as an everyday player. Much like Bautista, though, he could be an asset in the right situation, as the 1/4-time right-handed defensive caddy for someone like J.T. Snow or Paul Sorrento. Terribly slow.
1997		Not a very good player. Colbrunn looks good in all the glamour categories, but it’s almost impossible for a first baseman to be valuable without walking at least 50 times. The Marlins seem to realize this, and in all likelihood Jeff Conine will have taken Colbrunn’s job by the time the season begins. Good defense and entering his age 27 season, so if he’s ever going to have value it’ll be now. Platoon splits have been all over the place.
1996		Colbrunn had a terrible season versus left-handers, hitting just .215 with a .583 OPS against them. This is very unusual for a right-handed batter, and is inconsistent with Colbrunn's career before 1995 a .295 average from 1992-94. If he figures out what he was doing wrong, he might have a breakout season, because he pounded RHPs. Needs to walk more often, but overall isn't a terrible first baseman, and could improve.

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