In the Infinite Jest Trade Thread, game threads and elsewhere, the subject has turned to left field and ... OMG, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT???
Personally, I believe the answer is simple ... Do Nothing.
Yes, the Holt/Young platoon hasn't set the world on fire. But JBJ has more than made up (thus far) for the lack of punch coming from his right. We hoped Bradley would contribute more (and more consistently) on offense this season; no one (except maybe him) thought this was coming. Think of it this way: If JBJ was producing what Holt/Young have produced and they were producing what he has ... would anyone be calling for an upgrade in centerfield? Of course not.
Yet, the calls are out there. There's nothing wrong to this point with the platoon, which can be supplemented if need be by Rusney Castillo and perhaps Blake Swihart ... especially if the master plan is to zip Andrew Benintendi through the system and get him to the majors in August.
Even the most talked about downside to the poll -- Holt's loss of value as a Swiss Army Knife -- has been mitigated somewhat by the bizarre reinvention of Jeff Rutledge as an offensive contributor.
So, I've added a poll for what course should be taken, with these options:
Nothing: Follow the direction described above
Nothing, plus Benintendi: Self-explanatory
A small trade: Pickup a lefty fourth/fifth outfielder who can be serviceable while freeing Holt to roam from spot to sppot
A big trade: Get an anchor player for left field (at reasonable cost)
A major trade: Get an anchor player at any cost and just GFIN regardless. (This fulfills rembrat's man-crush on George Springer)
It's the pitching, Stupid: Forget left field; solidify the rotation and middle relief
Other
Have at it -- or not.
Personally, I believe the answer is simple ... Do Nothing.
Yes, the Holt/Young platoon hasn't set the world on fire. But JBJ has more than made up (thus far) for the lack of punch coming from his right. We hoped Bradley would contribute more (and more consistently) on offense this season; no one (except maybe him) thought this was coming. Think of it this way: If JBJ was producing what Holt/Young have produced and they were producing what he has ... would anyone be calling for an upgrade in centerfield? Of course not.
Yet, the calls are out there. There's nothing wrong to this point with the platoon, which can be supplemented if need be by Rusney Castillo and perhaps Blake Swihart ... especially if the master plan is to zip Andrew Benintendi through the system and get him to the majors in August.
Even the most talked about downside to the poll -- Holt's loss of value as a Swiss Army Knife -- has been mitigated somewhat by the bizarre reinvention of Jeff Rutledge as an offensive contributor.
So, I've added a poll for what course should be taken, with these options:
Nothing: Follow the direction described above
Nothing, plus Benintendi: Self-explanatory
A small trade: Pickup a lefty fourth/fifth outfielder who can be serviceable while freeing Holt to roam from spot to sppot
A big trade: Get an anchor player for left field (at reasonable cost)
A major trade: Get an anchor player at any cost and just GFIN regardless. (This fulfills rembrat's man-crush on George Springer)
It's the pitching, Stupid: Forget left field; solidify the rotation and middle relief
Other
Have at it -- or not.