I would say the concept of positional flexibility isn't the problem.
The problem is applying it to guys who don't have the tools to fit into the concept. You can't train a fish to climb a fucking tree and expect it to replace a monkey.
Maybe it was Boone. Actually, I think you're right.
...but I did remember Wasserman did come out of nowhere - fringe-ish prospect --> big league bullpen
In Wasserman's defense, he was a dark horse who came out of nowehere. I believe the big league team faced him in an intrasquad game and basically were forced to give him a chance.
I'm not sure which is worse.
Option 1: no - the team (analytics department) isn't aware of these horrible and disturbingly inept offensive numbers
Option 2: yes - the team is aware but isn't acting on it.
kind of nice to see the team climb out of the basement on this, basically entirely buoyed by Montgomery's ascent as a prospect.
Hopefully Project Birmingham proves effective.
At least with Kopech there (seemingly) was a strategy to give him periodic rest for innings management anyways, so I am guessing it was somewhat of a no-brainer for that reason.
As a side note, I would love to have Benetti and Brockmire call a game together. Benetti as the "straight man" setting up Brockmire would be a sight to behold.
Huh.
It's almost as if this organization tolerates mediocrity in its public-facing product out of some sense of loyalty.
I hope it doesn't bleed over to the on-field product. That would be a shame.
That, and the fact that Vaughn never played OF tells me that he isn't an outfielder.
I commend him for seizing the opportunity to break into the big leagues, but at some point the org should strive for something beyond a second-tier solution.
I think that was from late 2020 or early 2021.
At the time I was actually on board with it. The offense had relied so incredibly heavily no the home run that it was feast-or-famine a lot of games.
I interpreted his "fuck the home run" attitude as a "let's focus on good at-bats as a primary approach, and home runs will come." Not "don't hit home runs."
You know - I was viewing it though a lens of common sense.