Thursday, May 03, 2007

Pray For Church?

In his analysis of the Langerhans/Snelling trade, Mark Zuckerman suggests a few possibilities. Two stuck out.

The Nats aren't convinced Logan is the answer in center field. Despite all their hype of Nook's defensive ability over the last six months, perhaps the Nats don't believe he'll be able to hit enough to warrant a full-time job. He hasn't been able to sustain anything offensively in his career, so why should we believe he's suddenly going to get it together now? If that's the case, Bowden might have wanted to give himself some insurance. The Nats have been impressed with Church's glovework in center and probably wouldn't hesitate to keep him there for the long run if Logan doesn't pan out. That would probably leave Kory Casto (a fine offensive prospect but a sub-par defensive outfielder) in left field, in which case Langerhans could be a valuable late-inning replacement

Keeping Church in center? Interesting.

Or alternatively:
Bowden is preparing to trade Church. It's no secret he was looking to move Ryan over the winter and just didn't find any willing takers. For whatever reason, the GM hasn't ever been enamored with this guy, and though he's playing the best ball of his life, perhaps there's a sense he won't be able to keep this up. If that's the case, the Nats are better off trading Church now while his value is high rather than waiting for him to slump, when he won't be worth as much.

So we should expect Cordero and Church for Wily Mo Pena and Manny Delcarmen any day now?

Remember... these are just theories. I don't think Zuckerman is predicting these, just giving a couple of possibilities for what the team's thinking on the trade is.

13 Comments:

  • Ryan Church:

    2005: 0.819 OPS
    2006: 0.892 OPS
    2007: 0.863 OPS

    Playing the best baseball of his life? Hardly - he's right about where you'd expect, given his past performance (in both the majors and minors). What does Church have to do to get some respect?

    Scot.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5/03/2007 7:38 PM  

  • 1) Keep his mouth shut.

    2) Be Albert Pujols.

    By Blogger Chris Needham, at 5/03/2007 7:40 PM  

  • Church could hit a HR every at bat while throwing 8 perfect innings as the starting pitcher every game, and still all we'd hear is about how he didn't go deep enough into the game (causing the bullpen to blow the lead), and that his homerun trot needs work.

    Scot.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5/03/2007 7:47 PM  

  • They'd rip him for being selfish and not moving the runner over, or hitting a weak flare to the opposite field the way Bob Carpenter wants all batters to do. ;)

    By Blogger Chris Needham, at 5/03/2007 7:50 PM  

  • Bowden the deep thinker. Weighing moves like a Russian chess master. The next Billy Beane!

    An interesting concept, except isn't he the guy who took Cincinnati nowhere for years?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5/03/2007 8:24 PM  

  • Langerhans is a center fielder. The A's played him there for two days just to prove he could do it before the trade. He didn't play center in Atlanta because of Andruw Jones. The most reasonable expectation should be that Langerhans will play center for the nationals, either as a backup or in a platoon with Logan. I've got five dollars on my desk that says he plays center field in Chicago today.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5/04/2007 9:58 AM  

  • JohnR - Almost a haiku there. I like it!

    I agree with last post. I actually think the team wants to maximize Langerhan's defense at CF, and to keep Church in the game as much as possible. Moving him back to LF full-time is one way to reduce (at least a little) the everyday wear and tear.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5/04/2007 11:38 AM  

  • all i know/care about langerhans is that the OF-fice Space post on OMG (in chris' what to read today links) is the funniest freaking thing i've read in some time!

    By Blogger DCPowerGator, at 5/04/2007 11:57 AM  

  • If Langerhans was brought in to play CF either with or instead of Logan, why bring up Casto to rot as the 4th/5th who cannot field? Restovich could do that, and as a RH bat as well.

    The trade makes no sense, but is not offensive, unless a subsequent trade is forthcoming.

    I actually saw the Red Sox needing a defensive back up OF in a Wily Mo trade and thought that Langerhans and Cordero for Wily Mo and >Delcarmen was forthcoming.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5/04/2007 12:34 PM  

  • Webber, if you're right, color me thrilled. However, I don't think that's very likely, mostly because of Cordero's start and Papelbon staying in the bullpen.

    By Blogger DCPowerGator, at 5/04/2007 12:40 PM  

  • Ok, it looks like they're playing Casto in left instead of Langerhans in center today. I'm not sure if that means anything more than I'm not sure what to do with my five dollars now. I guess I'll use it start a "bets I lost to nobody in particular fund" and figure out what to do with it later.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5/04/2007 1:20 PM  

  • Go ahead and email it to me. ;)

    By Blogger Chris Needham, at 5/04/2007 1:22 PM  

  • We cannot trade Church. We would lose our ability to confuse opposing managers with our multitude of Ryans.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5/04/2007 4:55 PM  

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