Reynolds gets a second life? Or a life at second?

by Jim McLennan on Aug 21, 2008 12:26 PM EDT

This started with Nick Piecoro reporting before the game last night, "They’re taking batting practice downstairs, and over at second base -- taking ground balls from a coach, turning phantom double plays -- is none other than Mark Reynolds... Keep in mind, many in the organization feel that Reynolds might be more than a just an option at second base this season -- some think he could be their 2009 second baseman, if need be. A bigger question might be how Chad Tracy, coming off of knee surgery, handles third base, a position he has only played two times this season."

Said Reynolds previously, "If they want me to I will. It won't affect anything. I feel comfortable over there, I feel comfortable at third base. Whatever they want." However, there's little doubt that, while it will allow the Diamondbacks to put their best possible offense out there, it will be a defensive hit, not only at second, but also at third, where we'll see how Tracy's knee holds up, and additionally at first, since Adam Dunn hasn't played that position regularly since 2005.

Our poll on the topic, after the signing of Dunn, proved a hot topic, with more votes than any other in SnakePit history. 32% of respondents supported this configuration - slightly more (40%) preferred moving Dunn to LF and bring Jackson to 1B, though still with Tracy moving to third and Reynolds becoming second. That would likely screw us up even more defensively, with a downgrade at four separate positions. One alternative I've heard mentioned is simply plugging Upton back in at second-base, buit that seems unlikely at this stage.

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Comments

I've got an idea:

in order to minimize the defensive changes, let’s just move Adam Dunn to second base.

Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers: Filling the dubious shoes left open by Barry Bonds and the Giants.

by DbacksSkins on Aug 21, 2008 12:32 PM EDT reply actions

Bob Melvin said on KTAR yesterday

Absolutely no way Upton goes to the infield this year.

by shoewizard on Aug 21, 2008 12:51 PM EDT reply actions

This year?

That’s interesting…

by Jim McLennan on Aug 21, 2008 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions

My thoughts exactly.

by Azreous on Aug 21, 2008 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions

MY bad

His emphasis was not really on “This” year…reading it that way would be misleading.

He made it pretty clear that Upton is an outfielder. They would use him at CF to spell CY once in a while, but from the way he spoke, I seriously doubt they would even remotely consider moving him to the infield next year either.

by shoewizard on Aug 21, 2008 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh...about Tracy at 3rd

Where you will see him exposed is on bunt attempts. Watching him move this year, I don’t think he has any chance on a decent bunt down the 3rd base line.

And of course…the throwing Yips have probably never gone away.

by shoewizard on Aug 21, 2008 12:56 PM EDT reply actions

Can you imagine...

the amount of bunt attempts with Tracy at 3rd and Johnson on the mound?

Drew would do well just to stand next to the mound to field them.

by Counsellmember on Aug 21, 2008 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Good thing hardly anyone in the league can lay down a good bunt anymore. If this was 1975 I’d be nervous… but in 2008 hardly anyone bunts for a BH.

"There are only two seasons: winter and baseball"
-- Bill Veeck

by njjohn on Aug 21, 2008 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions

So if I'm Bob Melvin...

Against my will…

SS Drew
CF Young
LF Jackson
1B Dunn
2B Reynolds
3B Tracy
C Snyder
RF Upton

We know he loves Drew and Young up at the top most of the time. I dunno about Upton being slotted in at eight, but traditionally Snyder has batted lower in the order than I would like. With those eight in the lineup, I’m not exactly sure who I’d bat leadoff anyway, other than the trend-breaking CoJack at the top.

by Azreous on Aug 21, 2008 1:01 PM EDT reply actions

I'd do this...

SS Drew
LF Jackson
1B Dunn
2B Reynolds
3B Tracy
C Snyder
CF Young
RF Upton
Pitcher

"There are only two seasons: winter and baseball"
-- Bill Veeck

by njjohn on Aug 21, 2008 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Not very often

that you place two of your starting outfielders 7th and 8th in the order.

Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers: Filling the dubious shoes left open by Barry Bonds and the Giants.

by DbacksSkins on Aug 21, 2008 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd go with this

I don’t mind Drew at the top, for the moment, as he’s been getting on base pretty well of late [OBP in the last 28 days of .375]. I’d favor Upton second as, even though he wasn’t hitting the ball, he still takes walks at an almost Dunnesque rate – over his last month, he was batting .200, but with an OBP of .356. Here’s what I’d do; the figure in brackets is their season OBP with Arizona, and I’ve marked the lefties with a *.

Drew, SS (.325) *
Upton, RF (.353)
Jackson, LF (.387)
Dunn, 1B (.383) *
Snyder, C (.363)
Tracy, 3B (.315) *
Reynolds, 2B (.325)
Young, CF (.306)
Pitcher

by Jim McLennan on Aug 21, 2008 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh...

And might be adjusted a bit against lefties, with the southpaws moved up a bit.

by Jim McLennan on Aug 21, 2008 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Duh

Down a bit.

by Jim McLennan on Aug 21, 2008 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions

You would

bat Tracy ahead of Reynolds?

Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers: Filling the dubious shoes left open by Barry Bonds and the Giants.

by DbacksSkins on Aug 21, 2008 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah...

I’d probably switch the two as well, but for the most part I like that order.

by Azreous on Aug 21, 2008 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Six of one, really

But, vs. RHP:
Tracy: .273/.321/.409
Reynolds: .229/.299/.435

by Jim McLennan on Aug 21, 2008 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Hmmm.....

so Reynolds’ OPS is STILL 4 points higher than Tracy’s vs. RHP, but that doesn’t take into account the fact that OBP is more important than slugging %.

Also, “six of one”?

Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers: Filling the dubious shoes left open by Barry Bonds and the Giants.

by DbacksSkins on Aug 21, 2008 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm assuming...

That’s along the lines of six of one, half a dozen the other.

Meaning he thinks they’re interchangeable in those spots.

by Azreous on Aug 21, 2008 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Six of one...

And half a dozen of the other. Maybe it’s a British expression – means “not really much difference.” If two players have basically the same OPS, you’d put the one with the higher OBP first, so he can be on base for the second man to drive in. Makes sense to me.

by Jim McLennan on Aug 21, 2008 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Ah.

Never heard it before. And I agreed with you after seeing the #s.

Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers: Filling the dubious shoes left open by Barry Bonds and the Giants.

by DbacksSkins on Aug 21, 2008 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Then my family must be British :)

Used all the time, here…

Good breakdown of the numbers, Jim.

by snakecharmer on Aug 21, 2008 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions

It must be a Dutch/Norweigian

saying too.

"We...probed them all the way through. They're completely meat." — Terry Bisson

by Scrbl on Aug 21, 2008 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh, and if it wasn't clear...

That was the lineup as I see Melvin putting it together.

by Azreous on Aug 21, 2008 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Haven't read through

all the posts, but no way at this point in the season should we be messing around with these kinds of moves. we are now two games up on the dodgers thanks to Joe Torre doing the same thing in last nights game. Errors cost them the game last night and thsoe error came from players at their ‘new’ positions.
I’m all for looking at every option in the off season and into early next season, but not now.

Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong.

by unnamedDBacksfan on Aug 21, 2008 2:50 PM EDT reply actions

So, then...

What do we do when Upton comes back?

by Jim McLennan on Aug 21, 2008 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

no way at this point in the season should we be messing around with these kinds of moves

Agree completely…not with the current personnel. With due respect to Conor’s job in left, this is a team with, essentially, four first basemen (Dunn, Conor, Clark and Tracy). Flanking Young with the more athletic pair in the OF is one thing – plopping Tracy at third quite another.

by Diamondhacks on Aug 21, 2008 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions

On an unrelated note...

Rockies up 1-0 on the Dodgers in the first.

by Azreous on Aug 21, 2008 3:17 PM EDT reply actions

Send good vibes

to former Dback Jorge De La Rosa.

Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers: Filling the dubious shoes left open by Barry Bonds and the Giants.

by DbacksSkins on Aug 21, 2008 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Ooh!

I know what I’ll be doing this…er, “lunch break”. :-)

by Jim McLennan on Aug 21, 2008 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Over the years

few have been more critical than me about this organization’s lack of a big bat, so I expressed pleasure in the Dunn acquisition, whether we win the West and before Adam hit any homers. ( In time, he’ll strike out looking in big games and we’ll throw stuff at the TV, but this is, virtually overnight, a far more entertaining team to watch, no? )

And it’s in the context of this significant offensive upgrade that I really dont understand the anticipated Reynolds move to second.

Memo to Josh Byrnes: Your offense doesnt suck anymore, and that’s including Ojeda (.365 OPS) and Burke (.757 OPS since the break) job sharing second. Bat em eighth, or ninth, for all I care. Sure, the team’s on an unsustainable roll, but you still dont need Tracy and Reynolds in this lineup together….not with Adam Dunn, bolstered by several guys (Drew, Young, Snyder) coming around – and the reinsertion of Upton’s bat .

Maybe Dunn and Reynolds constitute a promising right side of an offensive line, but hardly a right side of a major league infield. And Tracy is a better third baseman than Ryan Braun and, perhaps, Shea Hillenbrand. That’s the list. Braun and Hillenbrand. Move Mark to second and Tracy to third and your fantasy league position might improve, but the reality is it’ll jeopardize this team’s chances in closely contested, well pitched contests down the stretch. Contests with teams like the Dodgers and Cardinals – games we have to win to emerge triumphant.

by Diamondhacks on Aug 21, 2008 3:28 PM EDT reply actions