Yesterday, when asked whether or not the remarkably gritty Brett Gardner would be in left field tomorrow, at Fenway Park, with the left-handed Jon Lester on the mound, manager Joe Girardi refused to commit to any configuration in particular, noting that the team would have a lineup ready just prior to the game. In view of his reaction, a right-lefty platoon remains a possibility, with Gardner the primary player against right-handers, and with Marcus Thames, a right-hander, receiving at-bats against southpaws (there is a possibility Curtis Granderson is the one to sit today, but it is doubtful). There could be some variation in the platoon, as well. Rather than a strict switch-up, we could see a soft one, as Gardner could sit when facing the more elite left-handers in the game.
Underpinning the platoon tactic is the concept of reverse leveraging, offensively. Brett Gardner has not proven that he can’t hit lefties – not yet – but Thames has proven that he can do some damage against them, so, in theory the platoon makes strategic sense with regards to hitting. But, one wonders at what cost is an offensive advantage gained by a platoon?
Thames isn’t necessarily a butcher in the outfield, however, he is a pretty poor defender, according to UZR (the sample size is admittedly limited). This season, as a left fielder, the 33-year old is projected to be 11 runs below average over 150 defensive games. He would cost a win, essentially. Of course, in a platoon with Brett Gardner, Thames’ time in the field would be limited, making for a much more manageable situation. However, would any lapse in defense between Thames and Gardner be worth Thames’ bat? What if the offensive upside of a platoon is marginal (this is very likely given the sporadic playing time for a right-handed platoon-mate)? I think a soft platoon might be worthwhile, with Thames seeing time against the Jon Lesters and Cliff Lees of the American League, however, beyond that, I am somewhat skeptical that a strict platoon would be beneficial for the Yankees (or beneficial to the point where the defensive gap is made up).
What do you think?
Photo by the AP
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8 Responses to Platooning Thames and Gardner
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TIQ IQ
When considering the tradeoff between Thames and Gardner, you can’t just note the weakness of Thames in LF – you have to note the (projected) value of Gardner. If Gardner is +10, and Thames is -10, that’s a 2 win swing defensively. Is Thames 2 wins better offensively against lefties? Although not impossible, it’s a stretch .. When reduced to 10-20 games over the course of the season, however, the difference between the two of them becomes small enough (regardless of how you slice it) to become essentially meaningless.
I say, keep running Gardner out there until he proves he can’t hit lefties (much like the Granderson argument).
I like the idea of giving BG days off anyway, and that could be the best way to do it. Adding a RH power bat at the bottom of the order makes life a little tougher for LHers against NYY. Having Gardner ready to PR for him in the middle innings is an added bonus.
I loved the balance of the lineup on opening day, and Brett was a large factor in the action coming from the bottom. I’m in favor of letting him be immersed, every day, till it works or it doesn’t. Boy, I was delighted with Grandy, he is a big addition.
[...] Platooning Thames and Gardner [...]
Man, you guys must really love Marcus Thames or you must really not have anything to write about. Marcus is a mid-30s never-that-great ballplayer that has made a nice living for himself living the dream. He really has no place in this outfield.
BG really looked like a defensive stud the other night when he threw to 3rd Base/Home Plate/Backstop. Know who else is fast? Carl Lewis. Maybe he should play LF.
lol, I think he was trying to push Denard Span off the highlight reel.
Well, the other Steve S, I think you won that particular non-argument. The Monster eats confidence till you learn it: must have stunned Thames out of running in on that pop, Tuesday. Couple outs later, easy fly ball, he nearly missed it. But then Gardner blew one in the eigth or so, the ball hit at the base or on the track, h coulda caught it, but he was uncertain where it would hit and carom, and chose to play it safe.