Manager Mike Scioscia said the Angels are not considering Wood at shortstop ahead of Erick Aybar or Maicer Izturis.
Quotes in LA Times from Scoscia really make it sound like Wood is heading back to AAA or the bench.
Here's another:
Wood is hitting .378 this spring, and he leads the team with eight extra-base hits. He has struck out three times in 37 at-bats. He hit .127 last spring, with 22 strikeouts in 55 at-bats.
The Angels could accommodate Wood by rotating Chone Figgins among third base, second base and the outfield, leaving at-bats for Wood at third base, shortstop and designated hitter, but Scioscia said he has no plans to rotate players among defensive positions.
"We could tap into that if needed, but I don't think we're going to approach the season wanting to move guys," Scioscia said. "You need that defensive continuity."
10 months ago
ihearhowie2.0
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BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
by ihearhowie2.0 on Mar 18, 2009 7:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Hard to argue with wins
but sometimes I feel like our front office really has no idea what it’s doing. I get the Abreu signing, but why half-ass the offseason saying you want to let these young guys play and then all of a sudden change direction a week before camp? Now probably to Tony and Scoscia’s surprise, Wood is arguably out best offensive player in the Spring and they cant find a way to put him in the lineup.
Now he’ll go back to AAA, wait for an injury and who knows if he’ll have the rhythm and confidence he has right now when he makes it back up for 6 ABs a week.
I’d like to hope a Figgins trade is inevitable but we all know its not. Behold the complete and utter mishandling of Brandon Wood.
by ihearhowie2.0 on Mar 18, 2009 7:57 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
I had thought a trade was going to happen during spring, but it is obviously going to take a few weeks/months of real ball games to showcase what we have before making a trade. Just my guess, that is.
by Downing Rules on Mar 18, 2009 9:45 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I HOPE THIS IS JUST POSTURING
in the hopes of getting value in a trade instead being perceived as the team that has been forced into one out of necessity.
That is the only way any of this is good news. Wood over Figgins is a no-brainer, lineup sparkplug be damned.
by Rev Halofan on Mar 18, 2009 1:12 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I've said it before and I'll say it again
Kick Figgy to the OF rotation, Rivera to the bench, Wood to 3rd.
Sorry Juan.
by LosAngel on Mar 19, 2009 10:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
On a different note
Anyone else notice how completely on target Lackey was in his assessment of Wood and Aybar? The guy doesn’t give a good impression during interviews, but he seems to know what he’s talking about when it comes to the defense behind him. I wonder how Lackey, if he was being really candid, would grade the guys behind him with the glove.
~Till the Halo burns out...
by Zu Long on Mar 19, 2009 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gah - this is silly
Wood over Figgins is anything but a no-brainer. Figgins gets on base WAY more than Wood does (or projects to do). Figgins is a better baserunner. At this point, Figgins is a better defender, but that may change.
Wood has the potential to be a better overall hitter, and I really want to see him in the lineup, but at the expense of Rivera, Aybar or Izturis, not our best OBP-guy/baserunner Figgins.
I feel the need, the need...for speed!
by Gorbachav5 on Mar 20, 2009 1:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
GAH!!!!!
this is way frustrating!
i love this little tidbit: “Aybar, when he’s healthy and playing well, is a difference-maker on the defensive side.”
Well how about the offensive side, there Mikey?! You planning on winning any games with the bat this year????
Kotch would've had that.
by howiestheman on Mar 18, 2009 9:47 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
the worst part is
you just KNOW if abreu or rivera goes down it will be matthews/willits instead of wood in the lineup.
gross.
by ihearhowie2.0 on Mar 18, 2009 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Im with you guys.........
BLEH…………..
A person who performs good Karma (deeds) is always held in high esteem
12/19/08 - Thank you KLJ for coming into my life.
by norcaliangelsfan on Mar 18, 2009 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I third it
Play Wood! He has earned it
I'm gonna drop the hammer, and dispense some indiscriminate justice!
Terran siege tank
by angelsown3417 on Mar 19, 2009 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bleeping stupid.
Play Wood already. Willits sucks.
by hauldog on Mar 18, 2009 10:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
This is an interesting one.
Two years ago we move Wood from SS to 3b in an effort to clear his path to the majors. Then we don’t consider it an option to play him at SS, his natural position?
I trust Scioscia and will defer to him in all matters relating to the band team and will not fight him for creative control.
However, why would mike even play Wood at SS if he wasn’t considering playing him there later?
by UCIHalo on Mar 18, 2009 11:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
BWood's future
Figgy is a FA after this year. Maybe Wood gets 3B in 2010.
by ginbejury on Mar 18, 2009 1:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
but then all we're doing is delaying his development
he’ll be getting his first real crack at the bigs when hes 25 and 26 when prospects like this should be accommodated for to build for the future.
if he plays everyday in 2009 with the safety net of an abreu/vlad/hunter lineup we can take the lumps so he’s ready to breakout in 2010. Now with erick aybar AND izturis apparently being more important to our lineup, he’ll likely have to wait another year and then we can HOPE he breaks out in 2011.
basically the organization forced him to get better, he did, and now theyre blowing an opportunity to FINALLY develop a homegrown star on offense
by ihearhowie2.0 on Mar 18, 2009 3:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
exactly
it’s like they said “hey Wood, improve on stuff and we’ll fit you into the lineup in ’09” but they didn’t really believe it would happen.
Now that is has, they’re just screwing themselves over….again, because they dont know when it’s time to let go of a player (Figgins)
Kotch would've had that.
by howiestheman on Mar 18, 2009 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wood has to wait his time
Like Kendry did…except everyone thinks Wood is this uber prospect who has to play now, instead of a guy who may continue to have to pay his dues with a prolonged stay in the minors in 2009.
Wood is still a question mark and even at 24 still has a way to go before given any benefit of the doubt.
However, with better play this spring, I’m sure Wood is forcing the issue and will see his share of MLB playing time in the regular season.
I’m sure the Angels are seeing his progress and will give him the opportunity to do his eventually.
by BBFan1 on Mar 18, 2009 4:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Wood and Morales
Are two totally different players but I see your point.
by TheAntiSox on Mar 18, 2009 11:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Brandon Wood struggled a bit during his first AAA year, but then repeated the level and hit everything in sight. He doesn’t have anything left to prove or learn there. There’s no reason for him to “pay his dues” as that just stagnates his development.
by Toe Nash on Mar 19, 2009 1:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
According to MLB Trade Rumors, an unnamed GM is shopping a 3B to Houston
A gal can dream!
by mattwelch on Mar 18, 2009 6:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
you know whats funny?
i think there’s a really great chance it IS Tony, but it’s about matt brown
:(
by ihearhowie2.0 on Mar 18, 2009 6:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Shortstop is a crucial defensive position.
Preventing runs with a good defensive SS outweighs the run scoring upside of letting Wood hit. One of the more advanced defensive metrics is Probabalistic Model of Range. In 2008 for the 39 shortstops (both AL and NL) who met the criteria (at least 1000 balls in play):
Izzy ranked 4th
Aybar ranked 7th
Ain't no stoppin' us now. We got the groove!!
by Fan Since 1981 on Mar 18, 2009 8:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
this argument operates under the assumption that Wood is adam dunn at short stop
when he’s not. nobody has ever suggested wood was a below average short stop, in fact its usually assumed hes very good defensively.
The question is whats more valuable: Amazing defense and below average offense
or
potentially above average offense and average-to-good defense?
i dont know, its a no brainer to me RIGHT NOW because wood looks like hes ready to start scratching his potential, but who knows.
by ihearhowie2.0 on Mar 18, 2009 8:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
agree
but Wood at 3B makes even more sense as Aybar/Izzy MAY improve developmentally and Figgy has certainly given his best already.
by Rev Halofan on Mar 18, 2009 9:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Right Now
The Angels need as much offense as they can get and it WONT come from Aybar. I would be improve the team a whole lot.
Figgins is the only proven leadoff man on the Angels starting staff and provides the spark Aybar never will. No need to displace Figgins when you can displace Aybar. Or even trade Aybar wink wink
by TheAntiSox on Mar 18, 2009 10:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Except Adam Dunn knows how to take a walk
Wood has shown no such ability to take a whole bunch of walks to make up his subpar batting average.
A guy as big as Wood’s listed height is always going to be a third baseman in the Major Leagues. I’m not saying it is absolute fact [Cal Ripken Jr., A-Rod], but that is what usually happens [particularly when you do have some options at shortstop].
by BBFan1 on Mar 19, 2009 6:07 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
and he'll never know how if he doesnt see big league pitching
also, aybar doesnt walk either so it seems kind of moot
by ihearhowie2.0 on Mar 19, 2009 7:43 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He has a .285 career minor league BA, which isn’t subpar, and when he’s slugging over .500 you’re not going to care how many walks he takes.
by Toe Nash on Mar 19, 2009 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not to mention that walks start to happen when people become afraid of you.
People are not necessarily worried about a guy with as many problems as Wood had last season. The guy showing up in spring training right now would get walked more simply because he would generate more fear in opposing teams.
~Till the Halo burns out...
by Zu Long on Mar 19, 2009 9:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I never thought of that
And I think you’re right. If pitchers start thinking of him as a threat, they’ll pitch around him a bit more. Hopefully he’ll have the skills to lay off those pitches.
I was uncool before uncool was cool.
by WiHaloFan on Mar 20, 2009 6:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
A great example of this is David Ortiz
Check out his career numbers. In the beginning, he doesn’t walk anywhere near 100 times a season. Only about half that. As he develops his homerun power and people start to become afraid of him, his walk totals spike upward.
There are any number of other examples of this (Troy Glaus is one). How long it takes to happen depends on the hitter and their willingness to take a walk. Vlad could easily walk 100 times a season if he put his mind to it. He just chooses not to.
It won’t happen over night. Wood will have to prove that he’s dangerous, and that may take a season. However, from what we’ve seen this spring, he’s totally capable of doing it over the long haul.
Somewhere or other I read an interview with an Angels minor league development guy, who said something I thought was interesting and pretty true. The quote was
The ability to take walks and work the count is a skill that can be learned. The ability to hit 40 homers a year is a talent you must be born with. When evaluating young players, I think it’s important to always keep that in mind.
~Till the Halo burns out...
by Zu Long on Mar 20, 2009 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Except
You have to account for the fact the minors are the not the Major Leagues, so his average maybe distorted.
If Wood is slugging .500 but has an on-base percentage of .300, then he is more like Dave Kingman than Mike Schmidt.
by BBFan1 on Mar 20, 2009 7:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
As long as his batting eye stays the way it has been this spring, I think he'd do okay.
~Till the Halo burns out...
by Zu Long on Mar 21, 2009 4:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
A different solution
The way I see it, Aybar’s value is completely tied to his glove and his legs, while Wood’s is tied competely to his bat. Whether Aybar gets 500 or 50 ab’s, his development will not really be affected much at all, as the team will probably never get much more value out of his hitting than they do already. Wood, of course, can be hugely affected if he does not get an adequate number of big league at bats, as the repetition of facing big league pitching is the only way he’ll adjust and be a contributor to this team. For 2009, it would seem to be in this teams best interest to get Wood those at bats while buried in the bottom half of the order. Come next year, Figgins, Vlad, and Abreu could all be gone. It’d be nice to know if Wood’s bat will be ready to step in and hit in the middle of the order by that time.
My solution? Trade Maicer. Yes, hes a nice little player, good D, clutch hitting, patient, But at the end of the day, hes a bench player. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy over any extended period, anyway. If hes traded, we can shift Aybar into his supersub role, where he can still play somewhat regularly by resting guys once a week, pinch running and being a late inning defensive replacement. We’re still getting alot of the benefit of his talent without having to start him every day. Wood can start at short, get his 500 reps, and let the team finally see what they have in him. We would still have a ton of infield depth in AAA (SRod, Brown, Sandoval) to absorb any potential injuries.
I know its pretty unlikely to go down this way, but I see it as a way to keep our young talent and get them the playing time they need, while still being able to hold on to Figgy to lead off for us one last year.
by dmhead on Mar 19, 2009 10:33 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Well looks like
we have plenty of singles to look forward to AGAIN this year. Maybe thats why Texeira left he didn’t hit enough singles and the team told him that. This is so frustrating, we have our Longoria and our Tulowitzki, Bruce type player yet he will never get the chance. Instead, we have figgins woo hoo.
Give the young guns a chance...if they suck wellll...
by angelskid2210 on Mar 19, 2009 1:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Trade Aybar or Izturis
Start Wood at shortstop, use whichever one didn’t get traded as the super utility guy. It’s not that difficult. Figgins is the ONLY guy on the team who profiles as a leadoff hitter (plus OBP, plus baserunner) and he plays good defense at third.
But yeah, Wood definitely needs to play at the major league level this year. He’s not quite Ryan Howard yet, but he may be at this time next year.
I feel the need, the need...for speed!
by Gorbachav5 on Mar 20, 2009 2:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Haha
Well while he’ll probably never be a Ryan Howard, I agree that he definitely needs to start at short and displace Aybar NOT Figgins. You’re right it’s just dumb to get rid of the teams only leadoff guy in the line up.
by TheAntiSox on Mar 20, 2009 4:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He was referencing the aged of howard when he made the majors,
Play Wood already. Willits sucks.
by hauldog on Mar 22, 2009 3:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
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