Jeff Biggs: Wood back to AAA after next game in Oakland
by 44FAN on May 5, 2009 12:58 AM PDT
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PrintI was just listening to Biggsy on AM830 and he speculated that the success Mike Napoli has had at DH may force Brandon Wood back down to Triple-A to bring up a catcher to back up Mathis at the plate. Wood has been sitting nine days of the eleven since being called up. Jeff Biggs predicted Wood may play tomorrow in Oakland then be sent back down after the game.
The depth chart shows every infield position well stocked with experienced back up players, other than catcher, so for Wood it looks like no room at the Inn. It is well known that Scioscia favors sticking with the more experienced players and in Biggs' view Scioscia won't put Wood in at the expense of Figgins "this year." Scioscia does not want to leave Wood inactive for long to lose whatever he has going so it looks likely we may be saying good bye to Brandon very soon. Until the event of an on field injury of an infield player(s), I don't see it in the cards for Wood.
On the FSN West post game show player of the game Mike Napoli expressed great satisfaction at DH saying it was fun and gave him a chance to observe other parts of the game more at the same time. It even gave him time to catch for Jose Arredondo warming up in the bullpen. I think it is a good idea to take advantage of Napoli's hot streak while we have it and provide him more at bats. DH is less likely to wear out injury prone Napoli, give Mathis more playing time, plus a chance for Jeff to get his swing in order.
If this is the plan as Biggsy suggests, who will Scioscia tap on the shoulder with his golden wand? Ryan Budde (AVG.139), Bobby Wilson (AVG .333), or?
This Fan-Post is authored by an independent fan. Tell us what you think and how you feel.
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That would be awesome
Best manager stubble in the bigs.
He'll have to out-duel The Mighty Quinlan first
I still love you.
by ReggieBullits on May 5, 2009 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions
He's working on the Soth-esque physique already...
…now he just has to work on the skillz
I see red people
to tell you the truth
im very excited for bobby wilson anyways. i want to see his gun for an arm.
R.I.P.N.A.
Can't Naps back up at catcher
and Wood back up at DH.
What is the concern about not having a back up catcher? I don’t get it. Naps can still catch if something happens to Mathis.
I think...
…if Naps moves over from DH to catch during the game, we then lose the DH for the rest of that game, putting the team at a potential (if brief) disadvantage.
I’m sure someone will correct this – but it’s something like that.
I see red people
That is exactly right.
If the DH moves to a defensive position, the pitcher hits where the DH was. Of course, if this is late in a game, you would be pinch hitting for a pitcher anyway, so I don’t see the big deal.
However, if Scioscia isn’t going to play Wood then he should go to AAA and play everyday and keep working on the things that have made him a better hitter instead of rotting on the bench.
I think he should be playing at SS, but if that ain’t gonna happen, might as well get him AB’s in AAA.
God forbid this team actually field the best lineup possible, we wouldn’t want to embarrass the rest of the division I guessRIP Nick...
Jim Scully
Jim Scully Home
I'm glad Sosh
isn’t overly worried about the losing the DH should something happen to Mathis while Nap is DHing. Honestly, dropping down from Mathis to a pitcher in the line-up isn’t going to make all that much difference, and as you said, later in the game you can pinch hit NL style.
Soth is pissing me off
play Wood. For the love of God, just play him. Aybar SUCKS
RIP Nick. We will miss you!
Aybar is a much better player than Mathis.
At least Aybar can say he had, at worst, a decent year last year. Mathis was HORRIBLE last year and is bad this year. Why continue to run him out there?
With how injury prone this team is
It seems impossible Wood won’t get his time sooner or later.
"I've got more action than my man John Woo
And I've got mad hits like I was Rod Carew" - Shure Shot, The Beastie Boys
you are correct
why the hurry, he will play, lets not act as if Babe Ruth is waiting in the wings to play, I agree that Aybar should probably sit and WOod play in his place, but I trust the big Soth.
I still contend that Wood must not be completely ready mentally and that is why he hasnt played him, why else wouldnt he?
But with our injuries and people going into big slumps Wood will play probably 25 games this year and will be our starting 3b next year
Terrorist plot to blow up Fenway? I'm okay with that
by Sinatrasratpack on May 5, 2009 7:38 AM PDT up reply actions
Wood just needs to play
This is ridiculous. He played four games in AAA, then missed a few days for funerals. Then he played three games in AAA before getting called up. Since the call up, he’s played three games, started only two.
So you have a perfectly healthy, top prospect, one who should be playing somewhere every day, especially as he works on plate patience and improving contact, and he’s started nine games in the last month. I repeat, a perfectly healthy prospect has nine starts in a month. That’s just moronic.
if this were June or July and he had put in two months of starts at AAA and reached a consistency, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. But we’re right at the beginning of the season, right out of spring training, and he’s been idle for far too long.
by LA Seitz on May 5, 2009 7:19 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
I like this move
I would prefer Wood move ahead of Aybar on the depth chart, but that isn’t happening, so it’s better for him to keep hitting at AAA than sitting on the bench in Anaheim. I like this move to get Napoli’s bat in the lineup every night. He’s becoming a very dangerous hitter, so the more ABs he gets the better. Especially since he seems to like DHing, unlike some players.
That said though, don’t we still have like eleventeen million pitchers on the roster? Eventually the bullpen is going to have to be trimmed down.
poor poor brandon.
Kinda reminds me of an old family friend who was bitter because he was stuck at his company behind tenured, experienced, well-connected guys who never seemed to get fired, retire or die. Its very frustrating for ol’ Broke Wood.
of course, he IS still geting paid to play baseball. there are worse fates.
This bullpen collapses faster than the Austro-Hungarian Empire
I loved the shots of Napoli in the bullpen ...
he was chatting it up with the relievers, enjoying watching the game from that vantage point. Pretty funny stuff. I think he was recounting that SB attempt that was actually a hit-and-run. He was hung out to dry and ended up with a hole in his pants just below the knee as a result of the slide. He is no Rickey Henderson, that much is certain.
In a year of such turmoil, whining still abounds.
it would be cool if he started doing the 3rd person thing though
“well, Naps thinks that’s ridiculous. Naps is here to win.”
This bullpen collapses faster than the Austro-Hungarian Empire
I wonder if Naps would frame his first million dollar check, though?
In a year of such turmoil, whining still abounds.
by Downing Rules on May 5, 2009 8:26 AM PDT up reply actions
Wood's predicament is lamentable, but predictable by this point.
A more interesting question might be what will Sosh do when Vlad gets back, should Naps continue to mash as he is now? Naps can’t play OF, which forces Sosh to put Vlad back in RF every time Mathis is catcher. He loves Mathis at catcher a lot, which forces Vlad in RF a lot – something Sosh has already decided not to do. And we all know how Sosh sticks to doing what he has decided to do.
go with two DH's and only 8 men out.
In a year of such turmoil, whining still abounds.
by Downing Rules on May 5, 2009 8:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Torii and Figgy could cover the outfield
Angel Pitching (Adenhart), Angel Defense - get past that.
by vladtheimpaler on May 5, 2009 2:47 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm thrilled
that Napoli is mashing to become our “Papi.” However, we can be certain that Napoli will cool off. Like most, I want to see what he can do with more than 250 AB’s, but you have to admit the risk of him being exposed the second run around might throw him into a slump. That’s true of every player, but we need to see how he adjusts.
At this point, it’s a matter of Mathis’ bat versus one of Aybar/Izturis. I still think that Mathis can be a league average hitter with some pop, but I grow weary of watching Aybar, and even Chone, pop up all the time. Still, I think that something needs to happen with the glut of Chone/Aybar/Izturis, and Wood needs to be inserted as an everyday dude, much the same way that Mathis has become now, with Napoli DH’ing.
www.13stoploss.com
eh
Naps has done nothing but hit since he got called up over 3 years ago. The league knows him, he knows the league. The adjustment period has already happened. Hes not going to hit .300 obviously, but his bat is too good to sit every other day. I think Sosh finally sees this.
re: "He's not going to hit .300 obviously"
He’s leading the team at .364 right now :). Passed Abreu by .001 last night.
and were less than 25 games into the season
hold your horses lefty.
Do it for Nick '09
by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on May 5, 2009 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions
in addition, he has less at bats than Abreu
Do it for Nick '09
by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on May 5, 2009 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions
streaky
Napoli might be the streakiest hitter on the team. A week ago, he was hitting around .230. That’s pretty much how it’s been during his career. At any moment in time, he might be hitting as much as .290 (or even more in a small enough sample size, such as now) or as low as .220, and odds are that he settles just about in the middle of those two figures (mid-.250s, while constantly maintaining a pretty good OPS). When he’s on a hot streak, though, it makes absolute sense to get him as many plate appearances as possible.
He's improving
This is in response to BHM above too.
Yeah, I’m not expecting him to keep this up, and clearly it’s a small sample size, but the guy has improved his BA every season:
2006 – 268 AB – .228
2007 – 219 AB – .247
2008 – 274 AB – .273
(2009 – 55 AB – .364)
He’s not going to win a batting title, but he’s proving to be a much better hitter than I think anyone thought when he first came up. I’m pretty excited to see what he can do with 4-500 AB.
Also, I’ve called Napoli “streaky” several times too, but reading your post, I got to thinking…how much of that might be attributable to either inexperience or inconsistent playing time? As he matures and gets steady ABs, might the streaks mellow out? Only time will tell, but I’m going to keep an eye on him rather than just labeling him “steaky” for the rest of his career.
It only took Soth 3 yrs to realize Naps needs to hit everyday
There is hope for you still Wood!
NA 34
by blochead on May 5, 2009 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Mice-Fig-Rick Fig-tur-bar
In a year of such turmoil, whining still abounds.
by Downing Rules on May 5, 2009 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions
whoops.
Mice-Chone-rick Fig-tur-bar…
In a year of such turmoil, whining still abounds.
by Downing Rules on May 5, 2009 12:02 PM PDT up reply actions
All I've gotta say is how bout that Mickey Hatcher...
The Angels have been on a solid hitting streak thanks in part to the much maligned coach (on this blog at least) who has been credited by the players but universally panned by our fanboys without praise during the good times.
Keep up the good work Mick.
by Wytelitning on May 5, 2009 9:36 AM PDT reply actions 5 recs
Oh...
I don’t think hitting coaches can do too much at the major league level, but Hatcher isn’t a guy that should have this gig, regardless. Scioscia is just comfortable with his clan and there is value there for Mike, I am sure. But, Hatcher did nothing in his MLB career to signal that he would be a hitting coach at this level except be a good buddy and comic lightning rod.
RIP Nick...
Jim Scully
Jim Scully Home
by jimmuscomp on May 5, 2009 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree that they don't do a whole lot at the major league level...
so why the hate on Mick? But then again the second you used his MLB career to justify why he can’t be a good coach I should have realized this wasn’t going anywhere.
Just know that anybody could refute your argument with hundreds of coaches across all different sports that teach the game better than they ever played it.
fair point
but it does not mean lousy hitter=great hitting coach. To my limited knowledge, a hitting coach basically watches a guy’s mechanics and acts as a soundboard when they’re struggling. None of us can really say for sure if Hatcher is good or bad in this regard. He can spew whatever “hitting philosophy” he wants, but once a guy reaches this level I’m pretty sure their hitting style is already ingrained in them. It would seem that minor league coaches can do a whole lot more damage.
I dunno bout that
Hitters typically alter their mechanics and stance frequently. One assumes the hitting coach has a hand in that.
This bullpen collapses faster than the Austro-Hungarian Empire
"None of us can really say for sure"
Exactly! But I do know some guys that could.
“Mickey stays on me, and I appreciate that,” Napoli said. “He knows my swing and what I need to do. I just have to keep it simple. See the ball, hit the ball. When I’m hitting to all fields, driving the ball to right-center, that’s when I know I’m doing the right things.” – Mike Napoli back in 07 after a quick google.
we had every right to pan him last year
last year, we couldn’t hit water if we fell out of a boat
RIP Nick. We will miss you!
Sorry. You want to admire a hitting coach who knows what to do with a roster?
Don’t look into the Angels’ bench. Instead, seek out Rudy Jaramillo.
The most important part: We found someone who likes to DH!!!
I remember last year everyone complaining about being the DH. If Naps likes it then let him roll with it. The dude has reached on base 14 out of his last 15 at bats and is batting over .600 for the last 7 games!!
I also like the idea of bringing Bobby Wilson up. He is versatile (can play 1b) and apparently has had good defense this season (according to the Rghan minor league reports).
Also, I think if Naps continues to tear through the rest of the season, we can all readily assume that Vlad wont get re-signed unless he takes a significant pay cut and even then the Angels might push that money towards another, older veteran who doesnt seem to be as injury prone (Abreu, anyone?).
Do it for Nick '09
by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on May 5, 2009 11:03 AM PDT reply actions
Vlad
With his signs of regression and aging, I wonder if the Angels will sign him. It seems that his price and especially length of the contract won’t be outrageous as a result of his regression and the bad economy.
RIP Nick Adenhart
the elephant in the room...
It seems the team has actually hit better since Vlad has been gone. Everyone in the line-up seems to be embracing the patient approach being preached by the team and exemplified by Abreu. When Vlad returns he will be the obvious exception, which won’t be such a bad thing if he can hit .300 again. But if his skills continue to decline, hes going to snuff out alot of rallies hitting grounders to the shortstop time and time again. I get the sneaking suspicion that this will indeed be his last season here.
by dmhead on May 5, 2009 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I have mixed feelings about resigning Vlad
If he can even produce like he did in 2008 (which still was a good season IMO though it was seen as a disappointment for many considering his past seasons) and is willing to DH, then I think he is worth signing to a short term, incentive laden deal.
RIP Nick Adenhart
He is still capable of 300AVG/25HR/100RBI
In this day and age, it is still an $18M-$20M per year reward if you can do that. I just don’t think Vlad is worth that going forward.
In a year of such turmoil, whining still abounds.
by Downing Rules on May 5, 2009 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions
the problem with all of this
is that Mathis is getting more playing time. his bat is even scarier than Aybar’s.
if Bobby Wilson gets the call, HE should the the catcher (with Naps DHing) and Mathis should be 3rd string.
Thank you, Nick Adenhart. You will always be remembered. #34
Mathis hit .340 with 4 HRs in spring training
As we’ve seen, spring training is meaningless, but it’s reasonable to think he’s made improvements over last year, and will hit better with more consistent ABs.
Mathis is hitting better than he did last year...
I wouldn’t give up on his hitting yet. It just seems weak compared to the insane-ness of Napoli’s batting skills. Right now Mathis seems to be hitting league average for a catcher.
Do it for Nick '09
by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on May 5, 2009 1:07 PM PDT up reply actions
I think you can only burn one per year, right? So they could send him down like 12,000 times this year and it’s still just one. Anybody who knows for sure?
Saving countless runs with my defense.
by Sam Miller OCR on May 5, 2009 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Google is helping.
Something about being able to send Wood down as much as they want, but only in three separate years. Baseballprospectus.
I believe
a player has a possible total of 3 option years in which they can be sent on “optional assignments” to minor league teams while on the 40 man roster.
Wikipedia says players with less then 5 years professional service get an extra option year.
So Woody is in his 3rd option year (if I’m correct that 2007 was his first season on the 40-Man Roster) and will be out of options next season.
*Ade-Rock 34*
by TheTypingFiend on May 5, 2009 6:14 PM PDT up reply actions
I just heard Tony Reagins on the radio,
“Brandon definitely has a future with the Angels, but probably not as soon as he wants.”
I am The Iron Man.
Based on the options comments going on just above you...
Reagins is being slightly disingenous. Baseball rules are going to force the Angels to grant Wood his future, just not as soon as Wood may want.
I just heard Tony Reagins on the radio,
“Eric Aybar is my boyfriend, and that’s why he continues to play while Brandon gets to sit in Salt Lake”.
RIP Nick. We will miss you!
I used to wonder if Soth and Mathis had a thing going last year
Guess they broke up
RIP Nick Adenhart
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