Ryan Franklin Fan Club

by onephinepeace on Aug 8, 2007 10:48 PM EDT

One of the biggest and most welcomed surprises other than Looper's hot start on the staff has to be Ryan "effing" Franklin.
Take a look at the line:
W- 4 L- 2 ERA- 1.89 WHIP- .930 Inn- 57+ SO-26

He is not over powering but I feel he is highly underrated and overlooked on this team. As Jim Breuer once said, "I'm not going to do what every one thinks I'm going to do. And freak out man, but who's coming with me? Who's coming with me?"

Franklin to hold!

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he's having an extreme career year

although too bad it's being wasted on a sub-.500 team.

by Petkovsek on Aug 8, 2007 11:15 PM EDT reply actions

Underrated?

I don't think so. Every fan I talk to has nothing but praise for the guy, and rightfully so. The team also awarded him with an extension.

Seems like he is getting what he deserves.

"I'm hungry. Not for food. Just for baseball" Amaury Cazana Marti

by bobbyballgame1 on Aug 9, 2007 12:20 AM EDT reply actions

I have no doubt

that he's not at all as good as his traditional stats, but he's been a pleasant surprise either way.

Too bad the crazy ownership bought high on him instead of doing something reasonable like, oh, I don't know, trading him for Wilson Betemit.

by plh903 on Aug 9, 2007 1:34 AM EDT reply actions

We've got enough utility infielders

thank you.

Call up PJ Walters!

by Hardcore Legend on Aug 9, 2007 2:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Wouldn't it be sweet

if one of them had an .863 OPS this year at age 25 and could throw the ball to 1B on the fly from the left side of the infield.

by plh903 on Aug 9, 2007 2:50 AM EDT up reply actions

only

if he's scrappy.

Boooo-urns.

by Alxfritz on Aug 9, 2007 2:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Buying high?

# 08:$2.25M, 09:$2.5M, 10:$2.75M club option ($0.25M buyout)
# performance bonuses based on appearances if moved to starting rotation (20-32 GS)

He was bought really low this year at 1M, he is definitely worth more then that and Springer will make over 2M by the time all his incentives are in and Franklin has been better.

by StLHugo on Aug 9, 2007 8:58 AM EDT up reply actions

Sure, right at his peak

value. I.e., buying high.

Forget the $5M on a non-closer, you also have to factor in the two years of opportunity cost, whatever trade was given up, or the draft pick(s).

He'll almost certainly experience serious regression between now and '09, and what do you have then? An overpaid 7th inning RH pitcher who helped you preserve losses in 2008 instead of builds towards the future.

Opportunity wasted. But it's classic Cardinals in a lot of ways.

I'm not trying to make a big deal out of this. I like Franklin. But when we had an a few pieces that teams were interested in, we went out and acquired Joel F. Pineiro. Mind boggling.

by plh903 on Aug 9, 2007 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Franklin has roughly 20x the value...

of Wilson Betemit. Betemit is a glorified Hector Luna.

- Y. Molina stole third

by TriplePlay on Aug 9, 2007 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions

The problem is

that Ryan Franklin's peripheral stats don't predict him to continue pitching at the level he is now. His FIP is 3.66. Betemit would be a significant upgrade over Miles as a utility player.

Franklin has been very valuable to the Cardinals this season but the real question is whether he or Betemit will be more valuable going forward. My money's on the young position player.

Future Redbirds

by azruavatar on Aug 9, 2007 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions

If I said that

Wilson Betemit is 20X the value of Franklin and that Franklin is a really glorified version of Ryan Franklin, I would be way more accurate. If you divide their projected VORPs you get 18!

OK, so Franklin's projections will rightfully change some, and I know you were using hyperbole there in your post, but Azru hit the nail on the head.

Ryan Franklin is part of one of the most fungible commodities in MLB. He's not a closer, and he's miscast as a setup man. He's right-handed.

Betemit can play all three infield positions (granted not all of them really well) and is young and raking. We don't have a SS next year and usually are blessed to see Aaron "I literally do nothing well, I don't hit lefties, play defense, and I can't make the throw from SS" Miles play everyday. The dude's working on 800 (!!!) plate appearances as a Cardinal.