Now THIS is a strategy I can get behind!!Most similar batter through age 28: Gary Allenson. I guess it was fated...
The quote is from we traded Leon early last month. No, he can't hit, but that's not what he's here for.According to Steve Adams, MLB Trade Rumors, "Plawecki rated as the better defender in 2019, hit better than Leon over the past several seasons and was the cheaper option with two additional seasons of club control. Leon will be a free agent at season’s end."
Also, according to a contributor for MLBTR, Plawecki was projected to make $1.5M in 2020 while Leon is projected at $2.8M, which leads to the question of why Cleveland was willing to swap an Arizona League pitcher for someone making a lot more money.
never not going to be funny, even if Cole kills us for the next half-decade.Insanity! I'm happy. I'm surprised. Can't believe we got em.
Year | Launch angle | wRC+ |
2017 | 8.7 | 107 |
2018 | 10.9 | 93 |
2019 | 15.7 | 63 |
We traded Leon to the Indians a month ago for organizational spackle. "Indirect swap" in the sense that now they have our former backup catcher, and we have theirs.I don't see the Cleveland half of this indirect swap, but I'm fine with it from the Boston side. They cut some cash and seem to come out with the player who is more likely to be a decent backup next year.
Exactly. I doubt the Sox had exactly this in mind when they did that trade, they just wanted to dump salary and pick up a cheaper player at the position. And then there was Plawecki, just sitting there. And it turns out he is a guy who plays catcher, and is cheaper.We traded Leon to the Indians a month ago for organizational spackle. "Indirect swap" in the sense that now they have our former backup catcher, and we have theirs.
He might be a defensive upgrade, as well. He's middle of the pack at controlling the running game, but he is coming off a great season as a pitch framer: Baseball Savant thinks he was worth four runs in extra borderline strikes in only about 400 innings caught.Boy this team is really shopping on the clearance rack of the cheapest bargain-basement store possible. Though, incredibly, he's an upgrade offensively over Leon.
2018-19
Leon: 479 pa, .183/.239/.286/.525, 39 ops+
Plawecki: 451 pa, .215/.304/.359/.663, 80 ops+
Agreed, especially the last point. Now we have both catching slots covered with reliably good defense and potentially average-ish offense for the next three years at a total cost that's unlikely to hit $10M. If this is going cheap, give me more of it.He might be a defensive upgrade, as well. He's middle of the pack at controlling the running game, but he is coming off a great season as a pitch framer: Baseball Savant thinks he was worth four runs in extra borderline strikes in only about 400 innings caught.
If he can hit *at all*, and his career averages suggest he probably can, he's a great value at 900K.
edit: Also, he's under control through 2023, and his skills aren't the kind that get expensive in arbitration.