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Friday, September 03, 2010

Flanagan: Is Betemit suddenly part of the Royals’ big picture?

Human Bomb: Bet-A-Million Butler or Betemit? (No comment until the time limit is up)

Betemit was signed as a minor-league free agent last fall and since the trade of third baseman Alberto Callaspo, Betemit has suddenly become the Royals’ most dangerous hitter.

Betemit is hitting .321 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs in just 184 at bats.

Projecting those numbers over a full season certainly should make any Royals fan pause to wonder what exactly the Royals have stumbled upon.

“He’s been just terrific,” general manager Dayton Moore told me. “The guy gives you professional at bats.”

But are Betemit’s numbers for real?

“You got to believe what you’re seeing,” Moore said. “That’s the way I’ve always operated. You have to believe what you’re seeing.”

Repoz Posted: September 03, 2010 at 12:00 PM | 22 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: projections, royals, sabermetrics

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1. Phil Coorey. Posted: September 03, 2010 at 12:24 PM (#3632726)

Give him a multi year contract Dayton - do it!

2. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: September 03, 2010 at 12:31 PM (#3632729)

“You got to believe what you’re seeing,” Moore said. “That’s the way I’ve always operated. You have to believe what you’re seeing.”

QFT, baby!

3. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: September 03, 2010 at 12:36 PM (#3632732)

What's the book on Wilson's D? Poor IIRC.

He's not as bad as I thought he was; maybe a league average to slightly above bat, who can fake the middle IF. So, basically, a good backup.

4. Craig Calcaterra Posted: September 03, 2010 at 12:40 PM (#3632736)

How has Andy Marte not played for the Royals yet?

5. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: September 03, 2010 at 12:55 PM (#3632744)

How has Andy Marte not played for the Royals yet?

Hasn't washed out of Seattle yet?

6. Sam Hutcheson is the Rickey Henderson of... Posted: September 03, 2010 at 01:07 PM (#3632747)

Everyone talks about "AAAA players" and the like, but it takes a real visionary to actually create an entire team built off of another franchise's AAAA talent.

7. Gaylord Perry the Platypus (oi!) Posted: September 03, 2010 at 01:29 PM (#3632766)

Betemit is 29 already? Wow. Anyway, while it's certainly possible he's following the Ibanez career track, I wouldn't assume that until he does this for another season.

8. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: September 03, 2010 at 01:33 PM (#3632774)

Betemit is 29 already? Wow. Anyway, while it's certainly possible he's following the Ibanez career track, I wouldn't assume that until he does this for another season.

How about if he does it for ONE season. Snark aside, he's not a bad guy to have around. Maybe that's what Moore is thinking. (And having just RTFA, I do believe that's what he's thinking.)

9. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: September 03, 2010 at 01:55 PM (#3632786)

Give him a one year deal. He's a nice stopgap until Moose is Loose. Really, Betimet hasn't been a bad player before. He posted an OPS+ of over 100 from 2005-2007, and overall has an OPS+ of 103 in 1327 MLB PAs. His BABIP this year is clearly unsustainable, but I don't see any reason he can't be a decent .260/.330/.450 guy next year for about $2 million.

10. Johnny Sycophant-Laden Fora Posted: September 03, 2010 at 02:10 PM (#3632801)

It's 214 PAs Dayton, 214...
#9 is probably right, he's not a bad hitter, he has defensive flexibility (bad but not awful at multiple positions)

Ibanez? Mora?
possible (Obviously, those guys careers happened afterall) just not very likely

11. YR Denies Jesus Montero Posted: September 03, 2010 at 02:13 PM (#3632804)

No, you can't trade him for Nick Swisher again.

12. DL from MN Posted: September 03, 2010 at 02:18 PM (#3632812)

He's a bad defender based on the Twins - Royals games I've seen. Too many chances blown.

13. SouthSideRyan Posted: September 03, 2010 at 02:24 PM (#3632821)

[11] Well no, not without Jeff Marquez.

14. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: September 03, 2010 at 02:25 PM (#3632822)

He's a bad defender based on the Twins - Royals games I've seen.

I haven't watched him much this year, but last year, when he was with the White Sox, he was an absolutely atrocious defender. I got an idea of what it would look like if they just pulled someone out of the stands to play third base.

15. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: September 03, 2010 at 02:39 PM (#3632841)

I haven't watched him much this year, but last year, when he was with the White Sox, he was an absolutely atrocious defender. I got an idea of what it would look like if they just pulled someone out of the stands to play third base.

Well, that's what makes him a backup, right?

If he could play 2B, SS or 3B well, his 100-105 OPS+ would get him a full-time gig somewhere.

16. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: September 03, 2010 at 02:42 PM (#3632844)

He is an atrocious defender. But so what? The Royals are full of guys that are both atrocious offensively and defensively. At least Betemit can hit.

17. DiPoto Cabengo Posted: September 03, 2010 at 03:25 PM (#3632896)

How can you betemit, if you don't have the latest issue of Swank?!

18. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: September 03, 2010 at 03:35 PM (#3632911)

How can you betemit, if you don't have the latest issue of Swank?!

This is why your cup is lonely!

19. jwb Posted: September 03, 2010 at 05:34 PM (#3633020)

The Royals are full of guys that are both atrocious offensively and defensively. At least Betemit can hit.

So he gets the Callaspo role, I guess.

20. Johnny Sycophant-Laden Fora Posted: September 10, 2010 at 03:49 PM (#3637999)

Ok, since I've said some mean things about Moore, i'm going to put this here, I've been crunching Minor league #s all week,
I've used a run estimator, I've adjusted each player based upon league run level, age relative to league, league difficulty and even used a crude position adjustment, here is my current ranked list of best 2010 minor league offensive perfomances

1    Eric_Hosmer20    579    8.9
2    Brandon_Belt22    585    8.4
3    Mike_Moustakas21    518    8.3
4    William_Myers19    532    7.9
5    Mike_Trout18    581    7.4
6    Jesus_Monter20    499    7.4
7    Mike_Stanton20    236    6.8
8    Freddie_Freeman20    504    6.3
9    Brett_Jackson21    564    5.9
10    Clint_Robinson25    535    5.8 

The 1st number is PAs, the second is the end result of my number crunching - divide by 2 and its; roughly analogous to WAR/WARP

Hosmer, MooseTacos, Myers and Robinson are all Royals

21. Johnny Sycophant-Laden Fora Posted: September 10, 2010 at 03:51 PM (#3638008)

Ok Clint is too old to be a real prospect, but lordy did he have agood year

Texas league

22. Davo Malvolio Posted: September 10, 2010 at 04:08 PM (#3638030)

Are you suggesting that Wilson Betemit might not be the Future Face of the Franchise?

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Flanagan: Is Betemit suddenly part of the Royals’ big picture?

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