Jaun Encarnacion is the Cards best outfielder!

by nybirdfan on Jan 20, 2007 8:16 AM EST

I woke up this morning early and that thought was the first thing that popped into my head. I know sick isn't it. None the less I was unable to get back to sleep.

It is very scary thought, but now that I have had a cup of coffee let's face it. IT IS TRUE!

All due respect to Jim Edmonds, but what can he be counted on for next year? A healthy Edmonds makes 130 starts, and we all hope he doesn't have to spend any real time on the DL.

Chris Duncan quite frankly scares me. I know his playoff AB's (22) is a small sample, but and it is a big BUT he went up against the best pitchers in the MLB and got 3 hits.
He had all of '05 & '06 to play the outfield and we saw him play in game five and look very uneasy out there. My wife put it another way. "He sucks!" (Plus she hates the tabacy juice in the beard.)

Chris's story was a wonderful one for you folks in St. Louis and Card fans everywhere. Here on the east coast I don't think any of the YankSox fans heard of him. Oh maybe a few Yanks fans said "Oh don't we have a Duncan in our system? What ever happened to him?"

It looks like the bench will be filled out with Taguchi and Jrod. As much as I love these guys do any of us think Jrod will have 13 HR's. I know ZIPS thinks so, but come on. I guess the Cards are talking to Preston Wilson. Oh that eases my mind.

I was going to pack this post with numbers and stats, but you guys do that better than me anyway. Plus must of you know all the Zips and numbers right off the tops of your heads. So I will not bother.

I have been hoping for an impact trade. You all have seen my pleading for Crawford, Baldelli, Melky or a signing like Nixon, but it looks like we will go with what we got. That plan scares me.

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Edmonds proved it...

Juan has the POTENTIAL to be the best. The problem is he just doesn't want to it seems.

I'm looking forward to seeing two powerful left-handed bats in the lineup with Duncan and Jimmy, and everyone will see that re-signing him was good for St. Louis. Edmonds was the real deal in the playoffs when he was hurt, and I'll take 130 games of him this year.

Pujols just did WHAT...

by gforce on Jan 20, 2007 9:15 AM EST reply actions

Potential

When you are a 31 year old baseball player you don't have potential anymore. You are what you are, and you're lucky if you can match the numbers you put in your late 20's.

by mikedallas23 @ Viva El Birdos on Jan 20, 2007 10:42 AM EST up reply actions

hmm

Tell that to Luis Gonzalez . . .

On with the youth movement!

by aet15 on Jan 20, 2007 3:02 PM EST up reply actions

Wow. No he isn't.

Spring Training can't come soon enough.

by plh903 on Jan 20, 2007 10:32 AM EST reply actions

Don't

take me wrong I am not saying this with pride. I am saying this with fear. I would love nothing more than JimmE to have a comback year. I just think he will have a year like last. That would match JuanE up against Duncan for best all around outfielder.

by nybirdfan on Jan 20, 2007 11:02 AM EST up reply actions

Not sure that is possible..

Edmonds had a fluke injury that led to post-concussion symptoms that derailed last year. Just being healthy is an improvement. With that in mind, the only starting outfielder that isn't recovering from an injury is Duncan.

So in all honesty, there is no telling yet what the future holds in the Cardinals' outfield.

Pujols just did WHAT...

by gforce on Jan 20, 2007 11:23 AM EST up reply actions

No, it wouldn't

*I just think he will have a year like last. That would match JuanE up against Duncan for best all around outfielder. *

Last year, even limited to barely over 400 PAs, Jimmy still contributed more wins to the team than JuanE. Just because Juan played more games, doesn't mean he was more valuable.

by RedbirdRay on Jan 20, 2007 10:44 PM EST up reply actions

Dude,

Edmonds and Duncan were both 3X more valuable than Juan, in short seasons and Jim seeing double. Hell, J-Rod was just as valuable in 1/3rd the plate appearances. (all according to VORP)

Just about every outfielder in the system projects be more valuable according to PECOTA as well.

by plh903 on Jan 20, 2007 11:18 AM EST reply actions

That's overstated.

Schumaker and Taguchi don't. But, there is a long list of players that are either much more valuable, or just as, that we don't owe a decent chunk of the payroll to.

Corner outfielders with .750 OPS's aren't that hard to find. If you don't have some hanging around your farm system you should probably just throw in the towel. That's why it sucks to "lock up" players like Encarnacion.

by plh903 on Jan 20, 2007 11:22 AM EST up reply actions

Edmonds

has plenty of sore parts that could put him on the DL. Then we have what? Taguchi, Jrod, and Schumaker. We need help. Nixion, and C. Wilson have signed.

Jim Edmonds has had more than one concusion. I would hate to see him crash into a wall again, or drive for a ball and bang his head. That precaution will reduce his defense. The lack of that precaution and he could be out for 3-4 weeks or more.

Thames is being offered for trade and P.Wilson is still available. I would like more help than that.

by nybirdfan on Jan 20, 2007 1:58 PM EST up reply actions

I'm not sure what your point is,

that if Edmonds gets hurt our outfield doesn't look to good? It could be worse than Rodriguez/Encarnacion/Duncan I suppose. But, you're right, if Edmonds is hurt that would be bad, same can be said for a lot of the lineup.

Most Yankees fans that I have talked to were hoping to get Chris Duncan for Pavano when that rumor was going around. So those people have heard of him.

by plh903 on Jan 20, 2007 3:49 PM EST up reply actions

my piont is

our outfield is weak and is one injury to Edmonds away from sucking completely. WE NEED HELP!

by nybirdfan on Jan 20, 2007 11:36 PM EST up reply actions

Forgive me,

judging by your diary title, I had no idea that's what we were talking about.

This is like one big non sequitur.

by plh903 on Jan 21, 2007 12:29 AM EST up reply actions

We all know

If Yankees fans haven't heard of him (Duncan), he can't possibly be any good. Cause we know how many WS the Yankees have been in the last three years.

And a healthy Edmonds has demonstrated that he is good for 145-150 games a year, not 130. That's what he's done over the course of his Cardinals career, except for last season's fluke injury.

Encarnacion is not a bad player, but he's far from the best Cards outfielder.

by blove121 on Jan 20, 2007 3:10 PM EST reply actions

The Crack

About Yanksox fans was a veiled swipe at the east coast media bias. Not swipe at Yankee fans or Duncan. maybe it was to obscure. Sorry.

by nybirdfan on Jan 22, 2007 8:41 AM EST up reply actions

I agree...

I don't see how you can't. Who's his competition?
Jimmy MIGHT be better when he plays
Dunc...just...no
So..In a clutch hitting situation I'd take Ank. over So in a heartbeat...or any hitting situation for that matter
I'll leave out Jrod

Enc isn't that bad. We have a below average outfield with potential to be average. That's just kind of how it is.
I say we resign weaver and trade Reyes and Dunc/Rasmus for Alexis Rios.
Problem in center is taken care of, with Rios playing center, with his cannon arm. Put Jimmy in right, because while he has slowed down more than just one step, he still has a cannon. Put Enc in left. That, my friends, would suddenly become one hell of an outfield (especially defensively)...
Just my thoughts....

BLaw.

by Dttl89 on Jan 20, 2007 5:32 PM EST reply actions

Really?

"I say we resign Weaver and trade Reyes and Dunc/Rasmus for Alexis Rios."

You're willing to give up two young guys in Reyes and Rasmus for Alex Rios? Edmonds will give you solid enough play for the next two years until Rasmus is ready to take over in center. If you're going to trade anyone it should be Encarnacion! Jay, Haerther, Stavinoha or maybe even Ankiel could have a solid spring and take over in right making it easy to trade Encarnacion, not to mention Cate's posiblity to make the big club as a reliever. So now you have Looper and Encarnacion on the block. As horrid as everyone thinks Encarnacion is he is a steal at around $5 Million a year for the next two years. Im baffled as to why you would trade Reyes, especially now? So 3 years from now when the Weaver signing is a bust we can be wishing for Reyes back? Danny Haren ring a bell? It's your opinion and you are entitled to it, but to me it sounds like a desperation move, and the sky is not falling just yet, my friend. Walter has money in his pocket for the July deadline and I for one am excited about the possibility of our outfield prospects.

by CardinalsfanIraq on Jan 21, 2007 5:46 AM EST up reply actions

I've thought about a trade like that

and the bottom line is that Rios isn't even worth Reyes, much less Reyes and Duncan. Look at Rios' numbers and his PECOTA and ZIPS projections. They are a little better than Duncan's, not much. He'd be under contract for 3 years rather than Reyes' 4. And Reyes, by ZIPS and PECOTA, will be the Cards' 2nd best pitcher. His projections are similar, this year, to Pettitte's, Mussina's, and Schmidt's to name a few. Would anyone trade any of those pitchers for Alex Rios? The bottom line is that Reyes isn't easy to replace and the combination of Reyes and Duncan for the next 4 years should be MUCH better than Alex Rios for 3.

by chuckb on Jan 21, 2007 1:59 PM EST up reply actions

Rios will be the next

Andruw Jones. He's got all 5 tools, and is a stud in every aspect. I used to be a huge reyes supporter, but i was very unimpressed by him last year. A starting and all star outfielder is more valuable than a number 3 or 4 pitcher, which is what reyes is, or at least when he is forced to throw the 2 seamer. I think he tops out as a middle of the rotation starter. I doubt we'll even be in contention in a year or two. I'd rather win now than lose now AND later

BLaw.

by Dttl89 on Jan 21, 2007 8:08 PM EST up reply actions

Colby Rasmus

Could be the next Andruw Jones only time will tell, but I see Rasmus putting up Rios type numbers two years from now.

by CardinalsfanIraq on Jan 21, 2007 11:12 PM EST up reply actions

So why not get Rios numbers

now, AND in the future

BLaw.

by Dttl89 on Jan 21, 2007 11:39 PM EST up reply actions

Because..

Weaver isn't the answer. Had the Cardinals signed someone besides Mulder and Franklin for the rotation, I MIGHT be for trading Reyes. But IMO the risk isn't worth the reward. SS is an area that needs to be looked at for the future more than the OF, IMHO.

by CardinalsfanIraq on Jan 22, 2007 12:35 AM EST up reply actions

i just dont get it

reyes should not be traded, not yet anyway...Encarnacion is not the cardinals best outfielder he is terribly incosistent at almost every single thing he does except for speed, though i like juan, i feel that jimmy even at his age with injuries included is still the best outfielder...put it this way we wont see juan encarnaccions name on the hall of fame ballot later down the road where edmonds will be a different story

by Tegan on Jan 22, 2007 4:45 PM EST reply actions