FanPost

Is Jason Pridie the next Endy Chavez?

I love Endy, and there's been a hole in my heart ever since Omar traded him away for (ugh) Jeremy Reed, one of the many players who made 2009 so difficult to watch.

Endy had only 773 AB during his time with the Mets, with an OPS+ somewhere in the 80s, but he was worth (says Fangraphs) 4.8 WAR thanks to his magical +37 UZR total over that span (and that doesn't count the playoffs...) That's the kind of backup you want manning your outfield.

Which brings us to 26-year-old Jason Pridie...

It's been a long, slow slog through the minors for Pridie. In 3594 AB since being drafted out of high school by the Rays in 2002, he has compiled a .277/.320/.426 line.

His line since making it to AAA in 2007: .279/.321/.435. Almost the same. In 1397 AB: 64 2B, 26 3B, 34 HR, 77 BB, 206 K, 68 SB, 20 CS.

He's got a little bit of power, and very good speed, but he's not a good hitter. He'd probably be a .650 OPS guy in the majors. Basically, Endy, with a bit more raw power but less contact-hitting ability. (Endy's career major league line, for reference: .270/.312/.367.)

Of course, Pridie could be totally unable to handle MLB pitching and never crack the Mendoza line.

So how about these defensive stats (from minorleaguesplits):

Career Totalzone, CF: +69 in 496 games.

Career Totalzone, LF&RF: +16 in 77 games.

Career Totalzone Runs/150, CF: +21

Career Totalzone Runs/150, LF&RF: +30

That's right, he is worth 2 to 2.5 wins above average defensively over the course of a year. Which means he has a pretty good shot at being a league-average (or a bit better) player even if he puts up really awful offense...especially if he's used primarily for late-inning defense.

Obviously, Pridie is a better option for fourth outfielder than the corpse of Gary Matthews Jr. The question is, is he better than the other options the Mets could call upon? (Carter, Evans, Duda, Wayne Hagin, etc.)

What say you?

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