Say No to Rick Ankiel

by general john on Oct 22, 2011 5:50 PM EDT

I know its really not that big of a deal, but I felt obligated to bring up a few points about Rick Ankiel, since he seems like a very popular pickup in many of the AAOPs that have been posted. Perhaps this isn't the best place to post this, but it seemed like a better idea than commenting on many different posts.

I don't have any real problem with the idea of picking up Rick Ankiel, since most assume he would accept something like 1yr for 1.5-2.0 mil, but, if thats who we're picking up to be a backup CF/OF, why wouldn't we just keep Jason Pridie. I'm not sure I've seen him on any AAOP rosters at all.

Rick Ankiel

	G	AB	R	H	TB	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
SEASON	122	380	46	91	138	20	0	9	37	29	1	96	10	3	.239	.296	.363	.659

Jason Pridie

	G	AB	R	H	TB	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
SEASON	101	208	28	48	77	11	3	4	20	24	2	64	7	1	.231	.309	.370	.679

Those numbers are pretty similar, with an edge towards Pridie. Pridie is also 4 years younger and slightly faster. Both hit for decent power with low averages. Pridie walks a little bit more, and I was impressed with his patience at the plate for someone with practically no prior MLB experience. That brings up the fact that Pride actually has a little bit of upside. Last year represented his only MLB time outside of 11 ABs with the Twins. He might be a late bloomer. I think its safe to say that Ankiel is what we think he is and that last years numbers represent what we would expect from him as a Met.

Defensively, I think its a wash, as Pridie has a great reputation as a defender, played a nice CF, and has a slight speed edge, while Ankiel obviously has a glorious throwing arm. Monetarily, Pridie is still making near the league minimum, while Ankiel would probably cost a least $1M more.

via trialx.com

via thegoldensombrero.com

Is it even a choice?

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Jason Pridie is on my roster!

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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Oct 22, 2011 6:29 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Very illuminating post.

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by Terry_is_God on Oct 22, 2011 7:27 PM EDT reply actions

I put him in the minors for mine

as insurance. I figured Matt Murton would give more offensive spark though, so I made him fourth outfielder, with both Pridie and Baxter awaiting the call up at Buffalo.

by Ken FS on Oct 22, 2011 8:46 PM EDT reply actions

I've wanted Matt Murton for the past 3 years

I think his ship has sailed, unfortunately. But there’s always this:

Time to update this: 2009 Did Not Happen. Neither did 2010. Or 2011. Sports suck.

by cjmulrain on Oct 23, 2011 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs

it's so beautiful

Hey, wait! I'm having one of those things. You know? A headache with pictures?

by KeithsMoustache on Oct 23, 2011 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd sign Ankiel if we needed a lefty reliever

but we already have Ike.

Seriously, I would think having one of those guys face a lefty every once in a while wouldn’t be such a bad thing. I’d also think a guy like Ankiel would welcome it since none of his other skills are particularly impressive.

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by BlackOps on Oct 22, 2011 8:53 PM EDT reply actions

I'd rather have Pridie than Ankiel

and I’d rather have Chavez than either of them.

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by piazza62 on Oct 22, 2011 9:06 PM EDT reply actions

I too rather have Pridie over Ankiel

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by feslenraster on Oct 23, 2011 9:54 AM EDT reply actions

The BABIP Goddess approves of this post

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by Russ on Oct 23, 2011 12:18 PM EDT reply actions 5 recs

They're both not very good

However what if you could sign Ankiel at the league minimum? Then I would definately take Ankiel.

Look at his splits against righties-.714 OPS. Plus he’s better defensively than Pridie and I’ve always liked outfielders with great arms.

by halflink123 on Oct 23, 2011 4:33 PM EDT reply actions

I can't really get on board with the idea that Ankiel is a defensive upgrade over Pridie

UZR seems to suggest that this year was an outlier for Ankiel, and that he’s actually somewhere between average and below average in the outfield. We don’t really have a reliable sample on Pridie but the data we do have indicate he’s about average defensively, and that seems to agree with most of his minor league scouting reports. I don’t know that we can really reliable distinguish between what they’d give us defensively based on the information we have available.

by Stephen Schmidt on Oct 23, 2011 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions

yes you may be right however

Does UZR take into account arm strength (if so, how does it do this, assists?) Because yeah Ankiel and Pridie might have similar range, let’s say, in the OF. However Ankiel and Pridie don’t have equal arms. For instance in 84 starts/105 games in CF Ankiel had 8 assists, which is one every 13 games. Pridie had 1 assist in 43 games (32 starts), which is 1 every 43 games.

So Ankiel gets a lot more assists than Pridie. I presume this has to do with his arm. Ankiel in his career has 26 assists as an outfielder and has turned 6 double plays as an outfielder (not pitcher). Pridie has 2 assits career and no double plays (in much fewer games). I mean clearly Ankiel can do things with his arm that other players just can’t do. I don’t even know how to quantify this, or the effect that he may have on the running game, runs scoring from 2nd, etc. Again I can’t quantify it and this may be a dead end.

Basically my point is that UZR isn’t the only useful defensive metric.

Endy Chavez is OK too but he doesn’t have Ankiel’s arm. Then again based on the numbers above Endy Chavez might be even better. Bring back Endy! haha

by halflink123 on Oct 23, 2011 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I feel that useing assists to judge arms isn't the best way to go.

I would agree that Ankiel does have a fetter arm, though based on my eyez.

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by Ogre39666 on Oct 23, 2011 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Ankiel's a strange case.

He’s excellent defensively but as you’ve pointed out, his offense has settled into sub-Pridiean levels. However, I think part of the draw to him is the outside chance that he could somehow replicate what he did offensively in 2007 and 2008, when he put up an .863 and .843 OPS respectively. Unfortunately, it’s probably a pipe dream at this point since he’s been basically replacement level (and sub-replacement offensively) for three years running.

I’m not really all that interested in Ankiel personally…I’d prefer Endy Chavez if I’m looking at cheap backup CFers who don’t get on base much.

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by Steve Schreiber on Oct 23, 2011 5:02 PM EDT reply actions

I want Ankiel, cause he is such a wierd story

I mean… one of the best pitching prospects in baseball that comes in and looks awesome, who falls apart out of nowhere in the playoffs.

Only to toil though the minors for years trying to figure out why he cant throw a baseball, something he has done his whole life anymore.

Switches to become a fielder and does well enough to post positive WAR numbers, even looking awesome for a little bit.

Yeah, maybe he sucks and never figures it out… then again, maybe it clicks and he becomes an absolute terror of a ballplayer. Would that really shock you? To see Rick Ankeil all of a sudden dominate? I mean, dude has defied what you would expect so many times… i just wanna see him get it for us.

Pridie is in the minors under team control. If Rick sucks, he can be let go and we can bring Pridie up. No big deal.

I think it was Bobby V who said: "You are never as good as you are when you are at your best, and you are not as bad as when you are at your worst."

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by gbaked on Oct 23, 2011 7:46 PM EDT reply actions