catomatic said:
Healthy backups are important. Do you dispute that?
Are we talking about backups in general or Shane Victorino? Are you globalizing my assertion in order to make it sound illogical?
Here's the thing; does your homeowners policy cover a random 7.5 months of the 12 month year? When the starter goes down, does the Manager/GM turn hopefully in the direction of the player made of Waterford Crystal?
Can you tell me what parts of this season Victorino would have been useful as a back up? And, using your self-proclaimed superior logic, are you able to confidently predict—from that—exactly which parts of next season this 34 year-old held together with baling-wire and chewing gum will be healthy enough to do that job next year? For 13M? When both corner OFs are already RHH and you have Nava/Holt/Betts standing by for 13M less?
Beyond a difference over best practices with a 4th OF, it's my belief we have been talking about this player in this hypothetical role. You think it's a fit, I for the reasons I've stated, do not. You'll note that I haven't leaned on flourishes like Wow and Are you serious? and That's a stupid question for rhetorical cornermen. Nor do I profess a monopoly on logic. You hang onto that stuff though.
I'm trying not to be an asshole here, but you're making it hard.
You ask if healthy backups are important. Of course they are, there isn't anyone who will tell you otherwise. It's a ridiculous question designed to make it look like I think health is a detriment or something. It's a ridiculously silly tactic used by people who aren't even remotely interested in being reasonable. That's also the case when you ask me to predict--with confidence, no less--on which specific dates Victorino is going to be healthy next year. Of course I can't, nobody can, it's a bullshit question and you know it.
Here's the deal. When you have players with injury concerns, you often play them less because less playing time means less stress on the bubble gum and baling wire. This is not a revolutionary new tactic. It has been used, so far as I can tell, since the invention of team sports. You use players at less demanding positions and you use them less frequently. This makes it less likely that they will get hurt or more likely that they will get hurt less often, and allows you to pick and choose when you play him so as to maximize his value. You play him when he's the best guy to do the job in that situation, and you don't when there are other guys who can do the job better.
It isn't perfect. Sometimes backup players get hurt. This is a truism. In polite society, everybody assumes that everyone already knows this. If there is someone who is new to the topic at hand, maybe they don't, and you explain it. Around a place like this, there's an assumption that you've watched more than a few games and you know all the truisms.
And here's the thing. You stated an opinion that was silly, and in defense of your silly position, you're trying to pretend that I do not accept these truisms because it's the only way you can "win" this argument.
Of course healthier backups are important. Of course health is important. Of course your ability to control when your backup is healthy is imperfect. Of course all the inherent realities of baseball still exist. Stop trying to pretend I think they don't. It's not reasoned discourse. It's the bleatings of a petulant child.
I'll spell it out. Victorino's health problems make him a better fit for a backup role because reduced playing time will put less stress on his body which should result in him being healthier which means that she should be available to give Cespedes, Bradley, and Craig some time off. He should be able to pinch run. He should be able to pinch hit for Bradley when the matchup demands. He's probably going to get banged up and go on the DL at some point. That doesn't mean he'd be better off as a starter.
And it doesn't mean it makes sense to dump him on someone, which leads me to the bit about Holt, Nava, and Betts being so much cheaper. Under no circumstances should Betts be sitting on the major league bench. Not while there are still minor league games to be played in 2014 and not in 2015. Nava is barely acceptable in right field in a short term emergency situation. He's not acceptable in center. Holt is going to be on the roster and he's going to get plenty of playing time and the fact that he hits with the opposite hand of Craig and Cespedes is a good thing. But you know what? You want to have a guy who can pinch hit for Bradley, too.
And the money thing is a complete canard. It's not like dumping Victorino is going to save you a bunch of money. He's had an almost completely lost season. Nobody is going to take him off our hands and pay his whole contract. Nobody is going to do it and take most of his contract. The money isn't coming off the books. When healthy, Vic is a hell of a player. We should do what we can do to make sure he is as healthy as possible.
And that means putting him in a part time role.
