Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/23/2011 5:40 PM EDT
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/05/braves-sign-julio-lugo.html By Ben Nicholson-Smith [May 23 at 3:37pm CST]
The Braves signed shortstop Julio Lugo to a minor league contract that's pending a physical, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes.com. Lugo will earn $12K per month in the minor leagues and a pro-rated portion of $650K if he makes the Major Leagues, Rojas reports.
The 35-year-old hit .249/.298/.282 in 264 plate appearances with the Orioles last year. In 11 big league seasons with six teams, Lugo has a .270/.334/.386 line with 80 homers and 198 stolen bases. He has experience at second, short and third and can even play the outfield if necessary. Lugo, a right-handed hitter, has hit lefties and righties evenly in his career, but struggled to hit right-handed pitching last year.
Dan Uggla, Alex Gonzalez and Chipper Jones start at second, short and third for the Braves and Brooks Conrad, Diory Hernandez and Brandon Hicks have provided depth at those positions this year. Lugo will provide the Braves with additional insurance in case of injuries or poor performance.
Now that Lugo will be the "almost wire to wire" infield insurance for the Braves, they will certainly win the championship this year.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/23/2011 7:15 PM EDT
- JB-3
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He can even play the outfield! He's as good as Bill Hall!!!
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/23/2011 7:35 PM EDT
- southpaw777
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I wish Jed or Ellsbury were as good as those two..
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 3:00 AM EDT
- SoxSoldRed
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Both Hall and Lugo have had career high full MLB seasons that Bellsbury and Lowrie will never touch. Both are older players, which isn't far aways for the two gold bust twins. Lowrie makes Lugo look like the best fielding SS in baseball.
Bellsbury had a boo boo, tonight, and not much else of anything.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 9:35 AM EDT
- JB-3
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In Response to
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan:
Both Hall and Lugo have had career high full MLB seasons that Bellsbury and Lowrie will never touch. Both are older players, which isn't far aways for the two gold bust twins. Lowrie makes Lugo look like the best fielding SS in baseball. Bellsbury had a boo boo, tonight, and not much else of anything.
Posted by SoxSoldRed
Hall's never played more than 148 games in a season (608 PA's), while Ells has a season in which he played 153 games (693 PA's). Now Ells obviously isn't a 35 HR hitter, but Hall hasn't posted an OPS over .740 since 2007. Yes, Lugo played back to back "full" seasons (157 and 158 games), and they were quiet good. However that was 2004/2005 and we all know how he performed in Boston.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 9:50 AM EDT
The only thing that softball is a fan of is hearing his own drivel.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 12:00 PM EDT
- Your-Echo
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The Softlaw act is getting stale whether it comes from changing monikers or from different time zones. This copycat from the west coast is trying too hard.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 1:14 PM EDT
- SoxSoldRed
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Yes, Lugo played back to back "full" seasons (157 and 158 games), and they were quiet good. However that was 2004/2005 and we all know how he performed in Boston
Based on your own words, Lugo performed "quiet good" for two years. Not bad for a guy who had very good range and a strong arm in his younger years. If Lugo looked like Wakefield he'd be as popular as Yaz.
The issue wasn't what Hall has done in the last years, it was that Hall has had a career season that Bellsbury will not have. Sorry, stolen base totals and poor CF defense do not equate to a bunch of homers in a single season.
But Lugo and Hall are gone, so that leaves only leaves a few roster options for contempt. Ortiz is one of them.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 1:30 PM EDT
- JB-3
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In Response to
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan:
Based on your own words, Lugo performed "quiet good" for two years. Not bad for a guy who had very good range and a strong arm in his younger years. If Lugo looked like Wakefield he'd be as popular as Yaz. The issue wasn't what Hall has done in the last years, it was that Hall has had a career season that Bellsbury will not have. Sorry, stolen base totals and poor CF defense do not equate to a bunch of homers in a single season. But Lugo and Hall are gone, so that leaves only leaves a few roster options for contempt. Ortiz is one of them.
Posted by SoxSoldRed
Near average CF defense is considered poor? Ells career UZR/150 in CF is -0.5. And yes, LUgo had back to back years which were quiet good, that's why he was signed to his terrible contract. Since leaving Tampa he has been bad in all phases of the game.
I never said that SB's and defense equate to 35 HR's, I simply said that Hall hasn't done anything impressive since 2007, no OPS over .740. Meanwhile, Ells posted an OPS of .770 in 2009 and was still trending up until his injured 2010 season. Ells has picked up where he left off with his OPS currently sitting at .777 a quarter of the way through the season.
What exactly do you have against Ortiz? Is he over-paid? Yes, based on the current marketplace. Can he play defense? No. Is he still a solid hitter who looks like he will hit about 30 HR's and 80 RBI's while batting around .280? YES. The Sox need to figure out what to do about the DH spot going forward, but for now there's nothing to complain about offensively from the DH position.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 1:34 PM EDT
- SoxSoldRed
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I have nothing against Ortiz, but the media and most Red Sox fans do.
A negative UZR 150 is not "average" for an everday CF'er.
What is Bellsbury's current OBP? Remember, the guy who was "breaking out". I believe it's in the .340's, which just happens to be around his career average OBP.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 1:52 PM EDT
- Hfxsoxnut
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In Response to
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan:
I have nothing against Ortiz, but the media and most Red Sox fans do. Posted by SoxSoldRed
There has been very little negativity directed toward Ortiz this year.
Meanwhile no one on this board has been more viciously insulting to Crawford than you have.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 2:15 PM EDT
- JB-3
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In Response to
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan:
I have nothing against Ortiz, but the media and most Red Sox fans do. A negative UZR 150 is not "average" for an everday CF'er. What is Bellsbury's current OBP? Remember, the guy who was "breaking out". I believe it's in the .340's, which just happens to be around his career average OBP.
Posted by SoxSoldRed
Yeah, his OBP is currently ~ .347 (.354 in May) which is above average in the lead-off spot.
-0.5 is well within the bounds for league average defense when considering that his sample size has not yet reached the 3 full seasons of data required for UZR/150 to be reliable. I'm not the one saying he plays poor defense. I'm also not saying he plays GG defense. I'm just saying he plays adequate defense. His speed makes up for his bad reads and poor arm. Hopefully with time his reads will improve and he will be an above average (although still not great) defender.
Entering 2011 his UZR (not UZR/150) was -0.1. His UZR/150 was closer to 0. That's pretty much the definition of league average and I'm willing to wait until the end of the season to judge this years defense and see how that impacts his career UZR/150 in CF.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 2:24 PM EDT
- the-yazzer
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are the SOX still paying lugo?
oh, i forgot, THANKS THEO.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 2:35 PM EDT
- SoxSoldRed
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His UZR/150 was closer to 0.
It's a negative and near the bottom is not "average", and 18 out of 24 have higher UZR150. That is not average. He will get worse as the miles now start to run up for the first time in his career.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 2:52 PM EDT
- NUSoxFan
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Els's WAR is sitting at 1.3, sitting as the 56th most valuable player according to WAR and the 12th best Center Fielder. He's been pretty much the definition of league average, a weaker defender according to UZR, but a stronger batter according to a lot of batting statistics, breaking him just about even on your team, niether a must have asset, nor detriment to the team. If you want to really complain about an outfielder J.D.'s been giving us a .4 WAR.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 2:58 PM EDT
- SoxSoldRed
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No, I want to complain about weak CF defense combined with an OBP that is one of the lowest of the everday players on the team.
I you really want to complain about WAR, take a look at Carl Crawford.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 3:03 PM EDT
- Hfxsoxnut
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Ellsbury's OBP is .347. The Red Sox team OBP is .342, which is the highest in the AL. The AL average OBP is .320.
Maybe someone could put up the OBP's of all leadoff hitters. The others in the AL East are:
Escobar, Tor .362
Jeter, NY .311
Fuld, TB .279
Roberts, Bal .273
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 3:16 PM EDT
- JB-3
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In Response to
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan:
It's a negative and near the bottom is not "average", and 18 out of 24 have higher UZR150. That is not average. He will get worse as the miles now start to run up for the first time in his career.
Posted by SoxSoldRed
Or he'll get better as he gains more experience reading balls off of the bat. That -0.1 means that his defense has cost the Sox all of 0.1 run while playing CF for the Red Sox compared to an average defender. By comparison, a Win is approximately 10 runs. As Hfx posted, Ells OBP is above the team average.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 3:17 PM EDT
In Response to
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan:
No, I want to complain about weak CF defense combined with an OBP that is one of the lowest of the everday players on the team. I you really want to complain about WAR, take a look at Carl Crawford.
Posted by SoxSoldRed
As of last Thursday, leadoff hitters are getting on base at a .312 clip in the AL. Compare that to Ellsbury's OBP for a bit.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 3:36 PM EDT
- JB-3
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In Response to Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan:
No, I want to complain about weak CF defense combined with an OBP that is one of the lowest of the everday players on the team. I you really want to complain about WAR, take a look at Carl Crawford.
Posted by SoxSoldRed
Among CF'ers with at least 100 PA's, there are only 2 players with a higher OBP than Ells in the AL. Those are Denard Span (.368) and Michael Brantley (.359). Adam Jones is next with a .337 mark.
Ells is tied for 2nd in OPS with Adam Jones with a .777 mark. The leader is Granderson with an amazing OPS of .942.
Ells is also tied for 5th in SLG and within .011 of 2nd.
Who do you propose the Sox put in CF?
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 3:43 PM EDT
- JB-3
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Ells' rank in MLB for CF'ers with at least 100 PA's are:
OBP: 7th
SLG: T-9th
OPS: T-6th
SB's: 2nd
HR's: T-11.
ZR (Zone Rating): 7th
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 3:50 PM EDT
- NUSoxFan
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In Response to
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan:
No, I want to complain about weak CF defense combined with an OBP that is one of the lowest of the everday players on the team. I you really want to complain about WAR, take a look at Carl Crawford.
Posted by SoxSoldRed
I'd prefer not to complain about having a guy who in the last two season put of WARs of 7+ and 5+. Crawford will turn it around.
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 4:01 PM EDT
- SoxSoldRed
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20M is worth more than "will turn it around".
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 4:07 PM EDT
- SoxSoldRed
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How many CF'ers are there with 100 PA?
Are these CF'ers in the leadoff spot?
Matt Kemp. And who do you propose?
Who is "Ells"? Is that your puppy dog?
Re: Softlaw to become a Braves fan
posted at 5/24/2011 4:10 PM EDT
- NUSoxFan
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Yes, because a player being paid 20 million dollars it is impossible for him to go on a slump. That is entirely logical.
In the month of May Crawford's been batting .286, which has raised his batting averaged to .215, which is about 60 points higher then his horrible .150 average in April, and he's still yet to really be hot. I for one, am not worried about Carl Crawford.
